RISK FACTORS
Before you decide whether to purchase any Notes, in addition to the other information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, you should carefully consider the risk factors set forth below and under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 2 of our Annual Report on Form10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, as the same may be updated from time to time by our future filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). For more information, see the section entitled “Incorporation by Reference.”
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and measures intended to prevent its spread could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
In December 2019, COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, and in March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The outbreak has led governments and other authorities around the world, including federal, state and local authorities in the United States, to impose measures intended to control its spread, including restrictions on freedom of movement and business operations such as travel bans, border closings, business closures, quarantines and shelter-in-place orders.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to prevent its spread could negatively impact our businesses in a number of ways, including our residents’ ability or willingness to pay rents and the demand for multifamily communities within the markets we operate. In some cases, we may restructure residents’ rent obligations, and may not do so on terms as favorable to us as those currently in place. In the event of resident nonpayment, default or bankruptcy, we may incur costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing our property. Additionally, local and national authorities may expand or extend certain measures imposing restrictions on our ability to enforce tenants’ contractual rental obligations. The restrictions inhibiting our employees’ ability to meet with existing and potential residents has disrupted and could in the future further disrupt our ability to lease apartments which could adversely impact our rental rate and occupancy levels.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused, and is likely to continue to cause, severe economic, market and other disruptions worldwide. We cannot assure you conditions will not continue to deteriorate as a result of the pandemic. In addition, the deterioration of global economic conditions as a result of the pandemic may ultimately decrease occupancy levels and pricing across our portfolio as residents reduce or defer their spending.
The extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on our operational and financial performance will depend on future developments including the duration, spread and intensity of the outbreak, all of which are uncertain and difficult to predict. Due to the speed with which the situation is developing, we are not able at this time to estimate the effect of these factors on our business, but the adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be material. Moreover, many of the risks described in the risk factors set forth in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K may be more likely to impact us as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses to curb its spread.
The Notes are effectively subordinated to all our existing and future secured debt and the debt and any preferred equity of our subsidiaries.
The Notes will be our senior unsecured obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness from time to time outstanding. The Notes will be effectively subordinated to our mortgages and other secured indebtedness to the extent of the assets securing such debt and to our subsidiaries’ indebtedness to the extent of the assets of those subsidiaries. If we become insolvent or are liquidated, or if payment of any of our secured debt is accelerated, the holders of that secured debt will be entitled to exercise the remedies available to secured lenders under applicable law, including the ability to foreclose on and sell the assets securing such debt to satisfy such debt. In any such case, our remaining assets may be insufficient to repay the Notes.
Because we operate a significant portion of our business through subsidiaries, we derive revenues from, and hold assets through, those subsidiaries. In general, these subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities. These subsidiaries will have no obligation to pay any amounts due on our debt securities, including the Notes, or to provide us with funds for our payment obligations, whether by dividends, distributions, loans or otherwise. Our right to receive any assets of any subsidiary in the event of a bankruptcy or liquidation of the subsidiary, and therefore the right of our creditors to participate in those assets, will be effectively subordinated to the claims of that subsidiary’s creditors, including trade creditors, and any preferred equity holders of that subsidiary, in each case to the extent that we are not recognized as a creditor of such subsidiary. In addition, even where we are recognized as a creditor of a subsidiary, our rights as a creditor with respect to certain amounts are subordinated to other indebtedness of that subsidiary, including secured indebtedness to the extent of the assets securing such indebtedness.
As of December 31, 2019, on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the issuance of the Notes offered hereby and the application of the net proceeds from this offering, our and our subsidiaries’ total outstanding indebtedness would be approximately $ , all of which would be unsecured.
The Notes restrict, but do not eliminate, the ability to incur additional debt or take other action that could negatively impact holders of the Notes.
Except as described under “Description of Debt Securities—Limitations on Incurrence of Indebtedness,” “Description of Debt Securities—Merger, Consolidation and Sale” and “Description of Debt Securities—Covenants” in the accompanying prospectus, the Indenture does not contain any other provisions that would limit our ability to incur indebtedness or that would afford holders of the Notes protection if we were to engage in transactions such as a highly leveraged or similar transaction, a change of control or a reorganization, restructuring, merger or similar transaction. In addition, subject to the limitations set forth under “Description of Debt Securities—Limitations on Incurrence of Indebtedness,” “Description of Debt Securities—Merger, Consolidation and Sale” and “Description of Debt Securities—Covenants” in the accompanying prospectus, we may, in the future, enter into transactions, such as the sale of all or substantially all of our assets or a merger or consolidation that would increase the amount of our indebtedness or substantially reduce or eliminate our assets, which may have an adverse effect on our ability to service indebtedness, including the Notes. We have no present intention of engaging in a highly leveraged or similar transaction.
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