EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 908311
Filing Year: 2024
Filename: 908311_10-K_2024_0000908311-24-000011.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business
Business Overview
Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation and its subsidiaries (which may be referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as “we,” “us,” “our,” “our company” or the “Company”) are operated by affiliates of CIM Group Management, LLC (collectively, “CIM Group” or “CIM”). CIM is a vertically-integrated community-focused real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer. CIM is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, with offices in Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, London, UK, New York, NY, Orlando, FL, Phoenix, AZ, and Tokyo, Japan. CIM also maintains additional offices across the United States and in South Korea to support its platform. See the sections “Overview and History of CIM Group”, “CIM Urban Partnership Agreement” and “Investment Management Agreement” in “Item 1 - Business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation is a Maryland corporation and REIT. We primarily acquire, develop, own and operate both premier multifamily properties situated in vibrant communities throughout the United States and Class A and creative office real assets in markets with similar business and employment characteristics to our multifamily investments. We seek to apply the expertise of CIM Group to the acquisition, development and operation of premier multifamily properties and creative office assets that cater to rapidly growing industries such as technology, media and entertainment. All of our real estate assets are and will generally be located in communities qualified by CIM Group as described further below. These communities are located in areas that include traditional downtown areas and suburban main streets, which have high barriers to entry, high population density, positive population trends and a propensity for growth. We believe that the critical mass of redevelopment in such areas creates positive externalities, which enhance the value of real estate assets in the area. We believe that these assets will provide greater returns than similar assets in other markets, as a result of the population growth, public commitment and significant private investment that characterize these areas.
Our current reportable segments during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 consist of three types of commercial real estate properties, namely office, hotel and multifamily, as well as a segment for our lending business. As of December 31, 2023, our real estate portfolio consisted of 27 assets, all of which were fee-simple properties, and five of which we own through investments in unconsolidated joint ventures (the “Unconsolidated Joint Ventures”). As of December 31, 2023, our 13 office properties, totaling approximately 1.3 million rentable square feet, were 83.8% occupied; our one hotel with an ancillary parking garage, which has a total of 503 rooms, had RevPAR of $145.80 for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our three multifamily properties were 79.3% occupied. Additionally, as of December 31, 2023, we had nine development sites (three of which were being used as parking lots). For the year ended December 31, 2023, our office portfolio contributed approximately 46.4% of revenue from our four segments on a combined basis, our hotel segment contributed approximately 34.6%, our multifamily segment contributed approximately 9.4% and our lending segment contributed approximately 9.6%.
Strategy
We are a Maryland corporation and REIT. Our portfolio of investments currently consists of premier multifamily, Class A and creative office real assets in vibrant and improving metropolitan communities throughout the United States. We also own one hotel in northern California and a lending platform that originates loans under the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) 7(a) loan program. We seek to apply the expertise of CIM Group to the acquisition, development and operation of premier multifamily properties situated in vibrant communities throughout the United States. We also seek to acquire, develop and operate creative office assets that cater to rapidly growing industries such as technology, media and entertainment in markets with similar business and employment characteristics to our multifamily investments. All of our multifamily and creative office assets are and will generally be located in communities qualified by CIM Group as described further below. These communities are located in areas that include traditional downtown areas and suburban main streets, which have high barriers to entry, high population density, positive population trends and a propensity for growth. We believe that the critical mass of redevelopment in such areas creates positive externalities, which enhance the value of real estate assets in the area. We believe that these assets will provide greater returns than similar assets in other markets, as a result of the population growth, public commitment and significant private investment that characterize these areas.
Our investments in multifamily and creative office assets may take different forms, including direct equity or preferred investments, real estate development activities, side-by-side investments or co-investments with vehicles managed or owned by CIM Group and/or originating loans that are secured directly or indirectly by properties primarily located in qualified communities (“Qualified Communities”) that meet our strategy. Further, we leverage the investor relationships of CIM Group to execute on our investment pipeline using an asset-light approach for certain of our investments. Under this approach, we co-invest with one or more third parties on an asset-level basis by raising capital from such third parties, maintain an economic
interest in the asset and, in some cases, earn a management fee and a percentage of the profits. We believe this is a compelling model that is expected to contribute to strong returns on invested capital while reducing risk by reducing our capital outlay.
We intend to dispose of assets that do not fit into our strategy over time and opportunistically (i.e., we do not have any specific time frame with respect to such dispositions). Further, as a matter of prudent management, we regularly evaluate each asset within our portfolio as well as our strategy. Such review may result in dispositions when, among other things, we believe the proceeds generated from the sale of an asset can be redeployed in one or more assets that will generate better returns, or the market value of such asset is equal to or exceeds our view of its intrinsic value.
CIM Group Operations
CIM Group believes that a vast majority of the risks associated with acquiring real estate are mitigated by accumulating local market knowledge of the community where the asset is located. As a result, CIM Group typically spends significant resources over a period of between six months and five years evaluating communities prior to making any acquisitions. The distinct districts that CIM Group identifies through this process as targets for acquisitions are referred to as “Qualified Communities.” Qualified Communities typically have dedicated resources to become, or are currently, vibrant communities where people can live, work, shop and be entertained, all within walking distance or close proximity to public transportation. These areas, which include traditional downtown areas and suburban main streets, generally have high barriers to entry, high population density, positive population trends, a propensity for growth and support for investment. CIM Group believes that the critical mass of redevelopment in such Qualified Communities creates positive externalities, which enhance the value of real estate assets in the area. CIM Group targets acquisitions of diverse types of real estate assets, including retail, residential, office, parking, hotel, signage and mixed-use through CIM Group’s extensive network and its current opportunistic activities.
CIM Group seeks to maximize the value of its holdings through active onsite property management and leasing. CIM Group has extensive in-house research, acquisition, credit analysis, development, finance, leasing and onsite property management capabilities, which leverage its deep understanding of metropolitan communities to position properties for multiple uses and to maximize operating income. As a vertically-integrated owner and operator, CIM Group has in-house onsite property management and leasing capabilities. Property managers prepare annual capital and operating budgets and monthly operating reports, monitor results and oversee vendor services, maintenance and capital improvement schedules. In addition, they ensure that revenue objectives are met, lease terms are followed, receivables are collected, preventative maintenance programs are implemented, vendors are evaluated and expenses are controlled. In addition, CIM Group’s real assets management committee (the “Real Assets Management Committee”) reviews and approves strategic decisions related to financing strategies and hold/sell analyses and performance tracking relative to the overall business plan. CIM Group’s organizational structure provides for continuity through multi-disciplinary teams responsible for an asset from the time of the original investment recommendation, through the implementation of the asset’s business plan, and any repositions or ultimate disposition activities.
CIM Group’s Investments and Development teams are separate groups that work very closely together on transactions requiring development or redevelopment. While the Investments team is ultimately responsible for acquisition analysis, both the Investments and Development teams perform due diligence, evaluate and determine underwriting assumptions and participate in the development management and ongoing asset management of CIM Group’s assets under development. The Development team is also responsible for the oversight and or execution of securing entitlements and the development/repositioning process. In instances where CIM Group is not the lead developer, CIM Group’s in-house Development team continues to provide development and construction oversight to co-sponsors through a shadow team that oversees the progress of the development from beginning to end to ensure adherence to the budgets, schedules, quality and scope of the project in order to maintain CIM Group’s vision for the final product. Both the Investments and Development teams interact as a cohesive team when sourcing, underwriting, acquiring, executing and managing the business plan of an opportunistic acquisition.
Competitive Advantages
We believe that CIM Group’s experienced team and vertically-integrated and multi-disciplinary organization, coupled with its community-focused and disciplined real estate approach, results in a beneficial competitive advantage. Additionally, CIM Group’s community-focused strategy is complemented by a number of other competitive advantages including CIM Group’s prudent use of leverage, underwriting approach, disciplined capital deployment, and strong network of relationships. CIM Group’s competitive advantages include:
Vertically-Integrated Organization and Team
CIM Group is managed by its senior management team, which includes all of its principals and its three founders, Shaul Kuba, Richard Ressler and Avraham Shemesh. CIM Group is vertically-integrated and organized into the following functional groups: Real Asset Services (which includes Development, Onsite Property Management,
Commercial Leasing and Hospitality Services), Real Asset Management (which includes Investments, Portfolio Oversight, Capital Markets, Partner & Co-Investor Relations - Strategy Solutions and Distribution) and Shared Services (which includes Human Resources, Compliance, Operations, Finance, Legal & Risk Management). CIM also has an internal audit team.
To support CIM Group’s organic growth and related platforms, CIM Group has invested substantial time and resources in building a strong and integrated team of over 1,000 employees and more than 600 professionals as of December 31, 2023. Each of the CIM Group’s vertically-integrated departments is managed by a senior level executive. Department heads have been with CIM Group on average 15 or more years. In addition to developing a core team of principals and other senior level executives, CIM Group has proactively managed its growth through career development and mentoring at both the mid and junior staffing levels, and has hired ahead of its needs, thus ensuring appropriate management and staffing. As part of this initiative, CIM Group has developed a recruiting program that hires from business schools for its associate vice president positions in the Investments team annually. CIM Group seeks to grow organically and develop and train its investment professionals to progress into senior management roles. It has been CIM Group’s practice to grow talent within the company to promotion to principal, rather than to hire from the outside. As a result, CIM has a strong retention rate of senior investment team members who tend to have a long tenure, strong internal network and a track record of success within the organization.
CIM Group leverages the deep operating and industry experience of its principals and professionals, as well as their extensive relationships, to source and execute opportunistic, value add, core, debt, ground-up development and infrastructure acquisitions. Each opportunity is typically overseen by a dedicated Investment team, including an oversight Principal, one Investment lead (vice president level and above), one associate vice president and one associate from the Investments team. The team is assembled based on the expertise needed for the particular transaction. Additionally, the team works closely with staff from other departments, such as Development, Onsite Property Management, Capital Markets, Commercial Leasing, Legal and Finance. The team oversees all aspects of the project from acquisition through disposition of the asset. The team conducts the underwriting and due diligence for the transaction, presents its findings to the Investment Committee for preliminary and final approvals and oversees the project from inception to disposition. As a result, all investment professionals work across a variety of Qualified Communities and CIM Group’s knowledge base is shared across its offices.
Community Qualification
Since inception, CIM Group’s unique community qualification process has served as the foundation for all of its strategies. CIM Group targets high barrier-to-entry markets and submarkets with high population density and applies rigorous research to qualify each submarket for potential acquisitions. Since 1994, CIM Group has qualified 135 communities in high barrier-to-entry markets and has deployed capital in 75 of the communities. The qualification process generally takes between six months and five years and is a critical component of our evaluation of potential acquisitions.
CIM Group examines the characteristics of a market to determine whether the district justifies the extensive efforts undertaken in reviewing and making potential acquisitions in its Qualified Communities. Qualified Communities generally fall into one of two categories: (i) transitional metropolitan districts and (ii) well-established, thriving metropolitan areas (typically major central business districts(“CBDs”)).
Once a community is qualified, CIM Group believes it continues to differentiate itself through the following business principles:
•Product Non-Specific-CIM Group has extensive experience owning and operating a diverse range of property types, including retail, residential, office, parking, hotel, signage and mixed-use, which gives CIM Group the ability to effectively execute and capitalize on its strategy. Successful acquisitions require selecting the right markets coupled with providing the right product. CIM Group's experience with multiple asset types does not predispose CIM Group to select certain asset types, but instead ensures that they deliver a product mix that is consistent with the market's requirements and needs. Additionally, there is a growing trend towards developing mixed-use real estate properties in metropolitan markets which requires a diversified platform to successfully execute.
•Community-Based Tenanting-CIM Group’s strategy focuses on the entire community and the best use of assets in that community. Owning a critical mass of key properties in an area better enables CIM Group to meet the co-tenancy needs of national retailers and office tenants and thus optimize the value of these real estate properties. CIM Group believes that its community perspective gives it a significant competitive
advantage in attracting tenants to its retail, office and mixed-use properties and creating synergies between the different tenant types.
•Local Market Leadership with North American Footprint-CIM Group maintains local market knowledge and relationships, along with a diversified North American presence, through its 135 Qualified Communities (thus, CIM Group has the flexibility to deploy capital in its Qualified Communities only when the market environment meets CIM Group’s underwriting standards). CIM Group does not need to acquire assets in a given community or product type at a specific time due to its broad proprietary pipeline of opportunities.
•Deploying Capital Across the Capital Stack-CIM Group has extensive experience structuring transactions across the capital stack including equity, preferred equity, senior debt and mezzanine positions, giving it the flexibility to structure transactions in efficient and creative ways.
Discipline
CIM Group’s strategy relies on its sound business plan and value creation execution to produce returns, rather than financial engineering. CIM Group’s underwriting of its potential acquisitions is performed generally both on a leveraged and unleveraged basis. Additionally, with certain exceptions, CIM Group has generally not utilized recourse or cross-collateralized debt due to its conservative underwriting standards.
CIM Group employs multiple underwriting scenarios when evaluating potential acquisition opportunities. CIM Group generally underwrites potential acquisitions utilizing long-term average exit capitalization rates for similar product types and long-term average interest rates. Where possible, these long-term averages cross multiple market cycles, thereby mitigating the risk of cyclical volatility. CIM Group’s “long-term average” underwriting is based on its belief, reinforced by its experience through multiple market cycles, that over the life of any given fund that it manages, such fund should be able to exit its holdings at long-term historical averages. CIM Group also underwrites a “current market case” scenario, which generally utilizes current submarket specific exit assumptions and interest rates, in order to reflect anticipated results under current market conditions. CIM Group believes that utilizing multiple underwriting scenarios enables CIM Group to assess potential returns relative to risk within a range of potential outcomes.
Financing Strategy
We may finance our future activities through one or more of the following methods: (i) offerings of shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), preferred stock or other equity and or debt securities of the Company; (ii) issuances of interests in our operating partnership in exchange for properties, (iii) credit facilities and term loans; (iv) the addition of senior recourse or non-recourse debt using target acquisitions as well as existing assets as collateral, including the securitization of portions of our loan portfolio; (v) the sale of existing assets; (vi) partnering with co-investors; and/or (vii) cash flows from operations.
Risk Management
As part of its risk management strategy, CIM Group continually evaluates our assets and actively manages the risks involved in our business strategies. CIM Group’s Investments and Portfolio Oversight teams share asset management responsibilities, setting the strategy for and monitoring the performance of our assets relative to market and industry benchmarks and internal underwriting assumptions using direct knowledge of local markets provided by CIM Group’s in-house onsite property management, and leasing professionals. In-house onsite property management capabilities include monthly and annual budgeting and reporting as well as vendor services management, property maintenance and capital expenditures management. Property management seeks to ensure that revenue objectives are met, lease terms are followed, receivables are collected, preventative maintenance programs are implemented, vendors are evaluated and expenses are controlled. The Real Assets Management Committee is responsible for overseeing the asset management of CIM’s assets. The Real Assets Management Committee reviews and approves strategic decisions related to financing strategies and hold/sell analyses and tracks performance relative to overall business plan execution. The Real Assets Management Committee is comprised of CIM’s founding principals, Chief Compliance Officer, the Head of Portfolio Oversight and is chaired by Richard Ressler. The Real Assets Management Committee meets monthly to review updates across the various strategies. In addition to reviewing specific property-level conditions and recommendations, the Real Assets Management Committee reviews real estate and related capital market conditions, considers current market trends and monitors fund strategies and portfolio composition. See “Item 1C-Cybersecurity” for information on our cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance. The Real Assets Management Committee acts by a majority vote of the members of the Real Assets Management Committee at any meeting at which a quorum (majority of members) is present. The size, composition, and policies of the Real Assets Management Committee may change from time to time.
Regulatory Matters
Environmental Matters
Environmental laws regulate, and impose liability for, the release of hazardous or toxic substances into the environment. Under some of these laws, an owner or operator of real estate may be liable for costs related to soil or groundwater contamination on or migrating to or from its property. In addition, persons who arrange for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances may be liable for the costs of cleaning up contamination at the disposal site.
These laws often impose liability regardless of whether the person knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of the hazardous or toxic substances that caused the contamination. The presence of, or contamination resulting from, any of these substances, or the failure to properly remediate them, may adversely affect our ability to sell or rent our property, to borrow using the property as collateral or create lender’s liability for us. In addition, third parties exposed to hazardous or toxic substances may sue for personal injury damages and or property damages. For example, some laws impose liability for release of or exposure to asbestos-containing materials. As a result, in connection with our former, current or future ownership, operation, and development of real properties, or our role as a lender for loans secured directly or indirectly by real estate properties, we may be potentially liable for investigation and cleanup costs, penalties and damages under environmental laws.
Although many of our properties have been subjected to preliminary environmental assessments, known as Phase I assessments, by independent environmental consultants that identify certain liabilities, Phase I assessments are limited in scope, and may not include or identify all potential environmental liabilities or risks associated with a property. Unless required by applicable law, we may decide not to further investigate, remedy or ameliorate the liabilities disclosed in the Phase I assessments.
Further, these or other environmental studies may not identify all potential environmental liabilities or accurately assess whether we will incur material environmental liabilities in the future. If we do incur material environmental liabilities in the future, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock (as defined in “Item 1A - Risk Factors”) could be materially adversely affected.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (the “ADA”), all public accommodations must meet federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Although we believe that our properties, to the extent such properties are “public accommodations” as defined under the ADA, substantially comply with present requirements of the ADA, we have not conducted an audit or investigation of all of our properties to determine our compliance. If one or more of our properties or future properties are not in compliance with the ADA, we may be required to take remedial action which would require us to incur additional costs to bring the property into compliance. We cannot predict the ultimate amount, if any, of the cost of compliance with the ADA or the cost of any damages or attorney’s fees to private litigants or any fines imposed by the federal government in respect of any failure to comply with the ADA.
Competition
We compete with others engaged in the acquisition, origination, development, and operation of real estate and real estate-related assets. Our competitors include REITs, insurance companies, pension funds, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, mortgage banks, investment banks, commercial banks, savings and loan associations, specialty finance companies, and private and institutional investors and financial companies that pursue strategies similar to ours. Many of our competitors may be larger than us with greater access to capital and other resources and may have other advantages over us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or lower profitability targets than us, which could allow them to pursue new business more aggressively than us. We believe that our relationship with CIM Group gives us a competitive advantage that allows us to operate more effectively in the markets in which we conduct our business.
Overview and History of CIM Group
CIM Group was founded in 1994 by Shaul Kuba, Richard Ressler and Avraham Shemesh and has approximately $30.7 billion of assets owned and operated across its vehicles as of September 30, 2023. “Assets owned and operated” (“AOO”) represents the aggregate assets owned and operated by CIM on behalf of partners (including where CIM contributes capital alongside for its own account) and co-investors, whether or not CIM has discretion, in each case without duplication. CIM Group’s successful track record is anchored by CIM Group’s community-oriented approach to acquisitions as well as a number of other competitive advantages including its prudent use of leverage, underwriting approach, disciplined capital deployment, vertically-integrated capabilities and strong network of relationships. CIM Group has generated strong risk-adjusted returns
across multiple market cycles by focusing on improved asset and community performance and capitalizing on market inefficiencies and distressed situations.
CIM Urban Partnership Agreement
Our subsidiary, CIM Urban Partners, L.P. (“CIM Urban”), is governed by CIM Urban’s partnership agreement (as amended and restated, the “CIM Urban Partnership Agreement”). The general partner of CIM Urban, Urban Partners GP, LLC (“CIM Urban GP”), is an affiliate of CIM Group and has the full, exclusive and complete right, power, authority, discretion and responsibility vested in or assumed by a general partner of a limited partnership under the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act and as otherwise provided by law and is vested with the full, exclusive and complete right, power and discretion to operate, manage and control the affairs of CIM Urban, subject to the terms of the CIM Urban Partnership Agreement.
None of CIM Urban GP or any of its affiliates, members, stockholders, partners, managers, officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives will have any liability in damages or otherwise to any limited partner, any investors in CIM REIT or CIM Urban, and CIM Urban will indemnify such persons from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, lawsuits, proceedings, costs, expenses and disbursements of any kind which may be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against such persons in any way relating to or arising out of any action or inaction on the part of such persons when acting on behalf of CIM Urban or any of its investments, except for those liabilities that result from such persons’ fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or breach of the terms of the CIM Urban Partnership Agreement or any other agreement between such person and CIM Urban or its affiliates.
Investment Management Agreement
CIM Urban and CIM Capital, LLC, an affiliate of CIM Group (“the Operator”), are parties to an investment management agreement pursuant to which CIM Urban engaged the Operator to provide certain services to CIM Urban (the “Investment Management Agreement”). The Operator has assigned its duties under the Investment Management Agreement to its four wholly-owned subsidiaries: CIM Capital Securities Management, LLC, a securities manager, CIM Capital RE Debt Management, LLC, a debt manager, CIM Capital Controlled Company Management, LLC, a controlled company manager, and CIM Capital Real Property Management, LLC, a real property manager. The “Operator” refers to CIM Capital, LLC and its four wholly-owned subsidiaries.
CIM Urban pays asset management fees to the Operator on a quarterly basis in arrears. Prior to 2022, the fee was calculated as a percentage of the daily average adjusted fair value of CIM Urban’s assets as described in Note 14 to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Please see “-Fee Waiver” below for a description of the calculation of the asset management fees to the Operator since the beginning of 2022. The Operator is responsible for the payment of all costs and expenses relating to the general operation of its management business, including administrative expenses, employment expenses and office expenses. All costs and expenses incurred by the Operator on behalf of CIM Urban are borne by CIM Urban. In addition, CIM Urban agreed to indemnify the Operator against losses, claims, damages or liabilities, and reimburse the Operator for its legal and other expenses, in each case incurred in connection with any action, proceeding or investigation arising out of or in connection with CIM Urban’s business or affairs, except to the extent such losses or expenses result from fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct of, or a breach of the terms of the Investment Management Agreement by the Operator.
Nothing in the Investment Management Agreement limits or restricts the right of any partner, officer or employee of the Operator to engage in any other business or to devote his time and attention in part to any other business. Nothing in the Investment Management Agreement limits or restricts the right of the Operator to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other person.
The Investment Management Agreement will remain in effect until CIM Urban is dissolved or CIM Urban and the Operator otherwise mutually agree.
Master Services Agreement
CIM Service Provider, LLC, an affiliate of CIM Group (the “Administrator”) provides, or arranges for other service providers to provide, management and administration services (the “Base Services”) to us and our subsidiaries under the terms of a master services agreement, dated as of March 11, 2014, as amended on May 11, 2020 (the “Master Services Agreement”). Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement, we appointed an affiliate of CIM Group as the Administrator of CIM Urban GP (“Urban GP Administrator”). For fiscal quarters prior to April 1, 2020, we paid to the Administrator, on a quarterly basis, a base service fee (the “Base Service Fee”) of approximately $1.0 million per year (which, for each year after 2014, was subject to an annual escalation by a specified inflation factor beginning on January 1 of each year). On May 11, 2020, the Master Services
Agreement was amended to replace the Base Service Fee with an incentive fee (the “Prior Incentive Fee”) pursuant to which the Administrator was entitled to receive, on a quarterly basis, 15.00% of our quarterly core funds from operations in excess of a quarterly threshold equal to 1.75% (i.e., 7.00% on an annualized basis) of our average adjusted common stockholders’ equity (i.e., common stockholders’ equity plus accumulated depreciation and amortization) for such quarter. The amendment was effective as of April 1, 2020. No Prior Incentive fee was paid in 2020 or 2021. Please see “-Fee Waiver” below for a description of the calculation of the fees to the Administrator since the beginning of 2022.
In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Master Services Agreement, the Administrator may receive compensation and or reimbursement for performing certain services (other than the Base Services) for us and our subsidiaries. Such services performed by the Administrator and its affiliates may include accounting, tax, reporting, internal audit, legal, compliance, risk management, IT, human resources, corporate communications, operational and on-going support in connection with our registered public offering of our Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Series A Preferred Stock”) and Series D Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Series D Preferred Stock” and, together with the Series A Preferred Stock and Series L Preferred Stock, “Preferred Stock”). The Administrator’s compensation for such services is based on the salaries and benefits of the employees of the Administrator and or its affiliates who performed such services (allocated based on the percentage of time spent on the affairs of us and our subsidiaries).
Fee Waiver
On January 5, 2022, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a Fee Waiver (the “Fee Waiver”) with the Operator and the Administrator with respect to fees that are payable to them. The Fee Waiver is effective retroactively to January 1, 2022 (the “Effective Date”). Pursuant to the Fee Waiver, the Administrator agreed to voluntarily waive any fees in excess of those set forth in the Fee Waiver, to the extent it would otherwise have been entitled to such additional compensation under the Master Service Agreement, and the Operator agreed to voluntarily waive any fees in excess of those set forth in the Fee Waiver, to the extent it would otherwise have been entitled to such additional compensation under the Investment Management Agreement. Following the end of each quarter, the Administrator will deliver to the Company (i) a calculation of the cumulative fees earned by the Operator and the Administrator under the methodology prescribed by the Fee Waiver from the Effective Date through the end of such quarter and (ii) a calculation of the cumulative fees that would have been earned by the Operator and the Administrator during such period under the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement without giving effect to the Fee Waiver. If, in respect of any quarter, the aggregate fees that are payable under the methodology prescribed by the Fee Waiver exceed the aggregate fees that would have been payable under the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, without giving effect to the Fee Waiver, such quarter will be deemed an “Excess Quarter”. For any quarter following an Excess Quarter, the Company (upon the direction of the independent members of the Board of Directors) may, at its option and upon written notice to Administrator, elect to calculate all fees due to the Administrator and the Operator in accordance with the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, without giving effect to the Fee Waiver, from and after such Excess Quarter. Any such election by the Company will be irrevocable, and all fees due to the Administrator and the Operator from and after such election will be calculated in accordance with the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, without giving effect to the Fee Waiver.
The fees payable to the Operator and the Administrator are determined as follows under the Fee Waiver.
1.Base Fee: A base asset management fee (the “Base Fee”) is payable quarterly in arrears to the Operator in an amount equal to an annual rate of 1% (or 0.25% per quarter) of the average of the “Net Asset Value Attributable to Common Stockholders” as of the first and last day of the applicable quarter. Net Asset Value Attributable to Common stockholders is defined as (a) the sum of the Company’s (1) investments in real estate at fair value, (2) cash, (3) loans receivable at fair value and (4) the book value of the other assets of the Company, excluding deferred costs and net of other liabilities at book value, less (b) the Company’s (i) debt at face value, (ii) outstanding preferred stock at stated value, and (iii) non-controlling interests at book value; provided, that, non-controlling interests in any UPREIT operating partnership relating to the Company shall not be excluded.
2.Incentive Fee: An incentive fee (the “Revised Incentive Fee”) is payable quarterly in arrears to the Administrator with respect to the quarterly core funds from operations in excess of a quarterly threshold equal to 1.75% (i.e., 7.00% on an annualized basis) of the Company’s “Adjusted Common Equity” (as defined below) for such quarter (“Excess Core FFO”) as follows: (i) no Revised Incentive Fee in any quarter in which the Excess Core FFO is $0; (ii) 100% of any Excess Core FFO up to an amount equal to the product of (x) the average of the Adjusted Common Equity as of the first and last day of the applicable quarter and (y) 0.4375%; and (iii) 20% of any Excess Core FFO thereafter. Revised Incentive Fees payable for any partial quarter will be appropriately prorated.
“Adjusted Common Equity” means Common Equity plus Excluded Depreciation and Amortization. “Common Equity” means Total Stockholders’ Equity minus Excluded Equity. “Total Stockholders’ Equity” means the amount reflected as total stockholders’ equity in accordance with GAAP on the consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the last day of a given quarter. “Excluded Equity” means the sum of all preferred securities of the Company and its subsidiaries classified as permanent equity in accordance with GAAP on the consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the last day of a given quarter. “Excluded Depreciation and Amortization” means, for a given quarter, the amount of all accumulated depreciation and amortization of (i) the Company and its subsidiaries and (ii) to the extent allocable to the Company and its subsidiaries, the unconsolidated affiliates, in each case as of the last day of such quarter that corresponds to the periodic depreciation and amortization expense calculated in each case in accordance with GAAP that is a permitted add back to net income calculated in accordance with GAAP when calculating funds from operations.
3.Capital Gains Fee: A capital gains fee (the “Capital Gains Fee”) is payable quarterly in arrears to the Administrator in an amount equal to (i) 15% of the cumulative aggregate realized capital gains minus the cumulative aggregate realized capital losses (in each case since the Effective Date), minus (ii) the aggregate capital gains fees paid since the Effective Date. Realized capital gains and realized capital losses are calculated by subtracting from the sales price of a property: (a) any costs incurred to sell such property, and (b) the current gross value of the property (meaning the property’s original acquisition price plus any subsequent, non-reimbursed capital improvements thereon paid for by the Company).
Other Services
CIM Management, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (collectively, the “CIM Management Entities”), all affiliates of CIM REIT and CIM Group, provide property management, leasing, and development services to CIM Urban pursuant to various agreements.
CIM SBA Staffing, LLC, an affiliate of CIM Group (“CIM SBA”), provides personnel and resources to us pursuant to the terms of a Staffing and Reimbursement Agreement, dated as of January 1, 2015, between CIM SBA and PMC Commercial Lending, LLC, our subsidiary. We reimburse CIM SBA for the costs and expenses of providing such personnel and resources as expenses incurred for the lending division.
CCO Capital, LLC, a registered broker dealer and under common control with the Operator and the Administrator (“CCO Capital”), became the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of the Series A Preferred Stock effective as of May 31, 2019, subsequent to which the Company entered into the Second Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, pursuant to which CCO Capital acted as the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of its Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock.
On June 16, 2022, the Company entered into the Third Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, pursuant to which CCO Capital has been acting as the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of its Series A1 Preferred Stock. Thereunder, the Company agreed to compensate CCO Capital, as the dealer manager for the offering, as follows: (1) a dealer manager fee of up to 3.00% of the selling price of each share of Series A1 Preferred Stock sold and (2) selling commissions of up to 7.00% of the selling price of each share of Series A1 Preferred Stock sold. The Company has been informed that CCO Capital generally reallows 100% of the selling commissions on sales of Series A1 Preferred Stock and generally reallows substantially all of the dealer manager fee on sales of Series A1 Preferred Stock, to participating broker-dealers. In addition, pursuant to the Third Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, CCO Capital will no longer solicit or make any offers for the sale of shares of Series A Preferred Stock or Series D Preferred Stock.
Lending Segment
Through our loans originated under the SBA 7(a) Program, we are a national lender that primarily originates loans to small businesses. We identify loan origination opportunities through personal contacts, internet referrals, attendance at trade shows and meetings, direct mailings, advertisements in trade publications and other marketing methods. We also generate loans through referrals from real estate and loan brokers, franchise representatives, existing borrowers, lawyers and accountants.
The SBA 7(a) Loan Program is the SBA’s most common loan program. The maximum loan amount for an SBA 7(a) loan is $5.0 million. Key eligibility factors are based on what the business does to generate its income, its credit history, its liquidity, its size standards and where it operates. We work with potential borrowers to identify the type of loan that would be appropriate for each such borrower’s needs. Our SBA 7(a) term loans have monthly repayment terms of principal and interest and are originated with variable interest rates based on the prime rate. Most of our SBA 7(a) loans have maturities of approximately 25 years.
While we have focused on originating real estate loans almost exclusively to the limited service and mid-scale hospitality industry, we intend to increase our efforts to originate other real estate collateralized loans. These loans are anticipated to be primarily concentrated in industries in which we previously had positive experiences, including convenience store, RV park and single purpose building owner-occupied restaurant operations and may include owner-occupied industrial operations/warehouse buildings.
Seasonality
Our revenues and expenses for our hotel property are subject to seasonality during the year. Generally, our hotel revenues are greater in the first and second quarters than the third and fourth quarters. This seasonality can be expected to cause quarterly fluctuations in revenues, segment net operating income, net income and cash provided by operating activities. In addition, the hotel industry is cyclical and demand generally follows, on a lagged basis, key macroeconomic factors.
Tenant Concentration
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Incorporated (“Kaiser”), which occupied office space in one of our Oakland, California properties accounted for 28.7% of our annualized rental income for the year ended December 31, 2023. No other tenant accounted for greater than 10.0% of our annualized rental income for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Human Capital
We are operated by affiliates of CIM Group and, as of December 31, 2023, only have five employees. Four of such employees are in our lending segment while one employee spends a substantial portion of the time that he devotes to us on matters relating to the lending segment. We have entered into the Master Services Agreement with the Administrator, an affiliate of CIM Group, pursuant to which the Administrator has agreed to provide, or arrange for other service providers to provide, management and administration services to us and our subsidiaries.
Offices
We are headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Available Information
The public can access free of charge through the “Investors-Financials-SEC Filings” section of our corporate website, www.creativemediacommunity.com, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is filed with or furnished to the SEC. The information on our corporate website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding our filings.
We have adopted a written code of ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, the Operator and the Administrator, including our principal executive officer and senior financial officer, in accordance with Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules of the SEC promulgated thereunder. The code of ethics, which we call our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, is available on our corporate website, www.creativemediacommunity.com, in the section entitled “Investors-Overview-Corporate Governance.” In the event that we make changes in, or provide waivers from, the provisions of such code of ethics that the SEC requires us to disclose, we intend to disclose these events on our corporate website in such section. In the Corporate Governance section of our corporate website, we have also posted our Audit Committee Charter, as well as our Governance Principles.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors
This section sets forth certain factors that make an investment in our Company speculative or risky, including the following:
Risks Related to Our Business
•Uninsured losses or losses in excess of our insurance coverage could materially adversely affect our financial condition and cash flows, and there can be no assurance as to future costs and the scope of coverage that may be available under insurance policies.
•Cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity incidents may adversely affect our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information, and or damage to our business relationships, all of which could negatively impact our financial results.
Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest
•Neither the Master Services Agreement nor the Investment Management Agreement may be terminated by us (except in limited circumstances for cause in the case of the Master Services Agreement) and the Master Services Agreement may be assigned by the Administrator in certain circumstances without our consent, either or both of which may have a material adverse effect on us.
•The Administrator and Operator are entitled to receive fees for the services they provide regardless of our performance, which may reduce their incentive to devote time and resources to our portfolio.
•The Operator may undertake transactions that are motivated, in whole or in part, by a desire to increase its compensation.
•Each of the Administrator and Operator provides services to us under broad mandates, and our Board of Directors may not necessarily be involved in each acquisition, disposition or financing decision made by the Administrator or Operator.
•Certain of our directors and executive officers may face conflicts of interest related to positions they hold with the Operator, the Administrator, CIM Group and their affiliates, which could result in decisions that are not in the best interest of our stockholders.
•The business of CIM Urban is managed by Urban GP Administrator and we agreed in the Master Services Agreement to appoint an affiliate of CIM Group as the manager of the general partner of CIM Urban, and the general partner of CIM Urban may only be removed from such position under limited circumstances as provided in the CIM Urban Partnership Agreement.
Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure
•Provisions of our charter and bylaws and the MGCL may deter takeover attempts, which may limit the opportunity of our stockholders to sell their shares at a favorable price.
•The power of the Board of Directors to revoke our REIT election without stockholder approval may cause adverse consequences to our stockholders.
•The MGCL or our charter may limit the ability of our stockholders or us to recover on a claim against a director or officer who negligently causes us to incur losses.
•The liability of the Administrator and the Operator to us under the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, respectively, is limited and we and CIM Urban have agreed to indemnify the Administrator and the Operator, respectively, against certain liabilities. As a result, we could experience poor performance or losses for which neither the Administrator nor the Operator would be liable.
Risks Related to Real Estate Assets
•Our operating performance is subject to risks associated with the real estate industry.
•A significant portion of our properties, by aggregate net operating income and square feet, are located in California. We are dependent on the California real estate market and economy, and are therefore susceptible to risks of events in the California market that could adversely affect our business, such as adverse market conditions, changes in local laws or regulations and natural disasters.
•Tenant concentration increases the risk that cash flow could be interrupted.
•If a major tenant declares bankruptcy, we may be unable to collect balances due under relevant leases, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and ability to pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
•We may be unable to renew leases or lease vacant office space.
•A significant portion of our net operating income is expected to come from our hotel and, as a result, our operating performance is subject to the cyclical nature of the lodging industry.
•The outbreak of a highly infectious, contagious or widespread disease, such as COVID-19, can result (and has resulted) in reductions in travel and adversely affect demand for our hotel.
•We may be unable to renew leases or release apartment units as leases expire, or the terms of renewals or new leases may be less favorable than current leases.
•Income from our long-term leases at our office properties is an important source of our cash flow from operations and is subject to risks related to increases in expenses and inflation.
•Real estate-related taxes may increase, and if these increases are not passed on to tenants, our income will be reduced.
•We face risks associated with development, redevelopment, repositioning or construction of real estate projects.
•Inflation may adversely affect our real estate operations.
•Supply chain disruption and increased costs in labor and materials may adversely affect our real estate operations.
•Our real estate business is subject to risks from climate change.
Risks Related to Debt Financing
•We have incurred significant indebtedness and may incur significant additional indebtedness on a consolidated basis.
•We intend to rely in part on external sources of capital to fund future capital needs and, if we encounter difficulty in obtaining such capital, we may not be able to meet maturing obligations or make additional acquisitions.
•Increases in interest rates could increase the amount of our debt payments and adversely affect our ability to pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
•We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our debt service obligations.
•Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to make distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Risks Related to Our Lending Operations
•Our lending operations expose us to a high degree of risk associated with real estate.
•Our loans secured by real estate and our real estate owned (“REO”) properties, are typically illiquid and their values may decrease.
•Our lending operations have an industry concentration, which may negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.
U.S. Federal Income and Other Tax Risks
•REIT annual distribution requirements may force us to forgo otherwise attractive opportunities or borrow funds during unfavorable market conditions. This could delay or hinder our ability to meet our objectives and reduce our stockholders’ overall return.
•Our property taxes could increase due to property tax rate changes or reassessment, which would impact our cash flows.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock and Preferred Stock
•We may issue shares of our Common Stock at prices below the then-current NAV per share of our Common Stock, which could materially reduce our NAV per share of our Common Stock.
•The existing mechanism for the dual-listing of securities on Nasdaq and the TASE may be eliminated or otherwise altered such that we may be subject to additional regulatory burden and additional costs.
•Our NAV is an estimate of the fair value of our assets and may not necessarily reflect realizable value.
Stockholders should carefully consider the risks described in this section and the other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in evaluating the Company and our business. The information in this section should be read in conjunction with Part II, “Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and related notes in Part II, “Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. If any of the risks described in this section actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected, actual results could differ materially from those reflected in forward-looking statements or from our historical results and stockholders may lose all or part of their investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations. This discussion of risk factors includes many forward-looking statements. For cautions about relying on forward-
looking statements, please refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” immediately prior to “Item 1 - Business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risks Related to Our Business
Our future success depends on the performance of the Administrator and the Operator, their respective key personnel and their access to the investment professionals of CIM Group. We may not find suitable replacements if such key personnel or investment professionals leave the employment of the Administrator, the Operator or other applicable affiliates of CIM Group or if such key personnel or investment professionals otherwise become unavailable to us.
We rely on the Administrator to provide management and administration services to us, and CIM Urban relies completely on the Operator to provide CIM Urban with certain services.
Our executive officers also serve as officers or employees of the Administrator and or the Operator or other applicable affiliates of CIM Group. The Administrator and the Operator have significant discretion as to the implementation of acquisitions and operating policies and strategies on behalf of us and CIM Urban. Accordingly, we believe that our success depends to a significant extent upon the efforts, experience, diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the officers and key personnel of the Administrator, the Operator and the other applicable affiliates of CIM Group. The departure of any of these officers or key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
We also depend on access to, and the diligence, skill and network of, business contacts of the professionals within CIM Group and the information and deal flow generated by its investment professionals in the course of their acquisitions and onsite property management and leasing activities. The departure of any of these individuals, or of a significant number of the investment professionals or principals of CIM Group, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. We cannot guarantee that we will continue to have access to CIM Group’s investment professionals or its information and deal flow.
If we seek to internalize the management functions provided pursuant to the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, we could incur substantial costs and lose certain key personnel.
The Board of Directors may determine that it is in our best interest to become self-managed by internalizing the functions performed by the Administrator and/or the Operator and to terminate the Master Services Agreement and or the Investment Management Agreement, respectively. However, we do not have the unilateral right to terminate the Master Services Agreement and CIM Urban does not have the unilateral right to terminate the Investment Management Agreement, and neither the Administrator nor the Operator would be obligated to enter into an internalization transaction with us. There is no assurance that a mutually acceptable agreement with these entities as to the terms of the internalization could be reached.
The costs that would be incurred by us in any such internalization transaction are uncertain and could be substantial. Inadequate management of an internalization transaction could cause us to incur excess costs or suffer deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting. An internalization transaction may divert management's attention from effectively managing our assets. Further, following any internalization of our management functions, certain key employees may remain employees of the Administrator and the Operator or their respective affiliates instead of becoming our employees, especially if the Administrator and the Operator are not acquired by us.
Uninsured losses or losses in excess of our insurance coverage could materially adversely affect our financial condition and cash flows, and there can be no assurance as to future costs and the scope of coverage that may be available under insurance policies.
We carry commercial liability, special form/all risk and business interruption insurance on all of the properties in our portfolio. In addition, we carry directors’ and officers’ insurance. While we select policy specifications and insured limits that we believe are appropriate and adequate given the relative risk of loss, the cost of the coverage, and industry practice, there can be no assurance that we will not experience a loss that is uninsured or that exceeds policy limits.
Our business operations in California and Texas are susceptible to, and could be significantly affected by, adverse weather conditions and natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, wind, blizzards, floods, landslides, drought and fires. These adverse weather conditions and natural disasters could cause significant damage to the properties in our portfolio, the risk of which is enhanced by the concentration of our properties, by aggregate net operating income and square feet, in California. Our insurance may not be adequate to cover business interruption or losses resulting from adverse weather or
natural disasters. We carry earthquake insurance on our properties in California in an amount and with deductibles and limitations that we deem to be appropriate. However, the amount of our earthquake insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover losses from earthquakes in California. Furthermore, we may not carry insurance for certain losses, such as those caused by war or certain environmental conditions, such as mold or asbestos.
As a result of the factors described above, we may not have sufficient coverage against all losses that we may experience for any reason.
If we experience a loss that is uninsured or that exceeds policy limits, we could incur significant costs and lose the capital deployed in the damaged properties as well as the anticipated future cash flows from those properties. Further, if the damaged properties are subject to recourse indebtedness, we would continue to be liable for the indebtedness, even if the properties were irreparable. In addition, our properties may not be able to be rebuilt to their existing height or size at their existing location under current land-use laws and policies. In the event that we experience a substantial or comprehensive loss of one of our properties, we may not be able to rebuild such property to its existing specifications and otherwise may have to upgrade such property to meet current code requirements. Any of the factors described above could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity incidents may adversely affect our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information, and or damage to our business relationships, all of which could negatively impact our financial results.
We face cybersecurity risks and risks associated with security breaches or disruptions, such as cyberattacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to emails, social engineering and phishing schemes or persons inside our organization, the Operator and or Administrator. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyberattacks or cyber intrusions, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. The occurrence of a cybersecurity incident may result in disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, misappropriation of assets, compromise or corruption of confidential information collected in the course of conducting our business, liability for stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation, regulatory enforcement, damage to our tenant and stockholder relationships, material harm to our financial condition, cash flows and the market price of our securities or other adverse effects. Our Operator’s and Administrator’s IT networks and related systems are essential to the operations of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations (including managing our building systems). Our Operator and Administrator have implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity incidents, but these measures do not guarantee that a cybersecurity incident involving our Operator or Administrator will not occur or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. A cybersecurity incident involving our Operator’s or Administrator’s IT networks and related systems could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Our Operator, Administrator and their respective affiliates, in the course of providing onsite property management, leasing, accounting and/or services to us, collect and retain certain personal information provided by our tenants and vendors. Our Operator, Administrator and their respective affiliates rely on computer systems to process transactions and manage our business. We can provide no assurance that the data security measures designed to protect confidential information on such systems established by our Operator, Administrator and their respective affiliates will be able to prevent unauthorized access to such personal information. There can be no assurance that their efforts to maintain the security and integrity of the information collected and their computer systems will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions will not be successful or damaging. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and, in some cases, are designed not be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, our Operator, Administrator and their respective affiliates may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results.
An effective system of internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports, prevent fraud and operate successfully as a public company. As part of our ongoing monitoring of internal controls, we may discover material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal controls that we believe require remediation. If we discover such weaknesses, we will make efforts to improve our internal controls in a timely manner. Any system of internal controls, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can only provide reasonable, not
absolute, assurance that the objectives of the system are met. Any failure to maintain effective internal controls, or implement any necessary improvements in a timely manner, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock, or cause us to not meet our reporting obligations, which could affect our ability to maintain our listing of Common Stock on Nasdaq and the TASE. Ineffective internal controls could also cause holders of our securities to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our securities.
The outbreak of a pandemic could negatively affect and will likely continue to negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Pandemics could have material and adverse effects on our ability to successfully operate and on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows due to, among other factors:
•a complete or partial closure of, or other operational issues at, one or more of our properties resulting from government or tenant action;
•reduced economic activity severely impacting our tenants' businesses, financial condition and liquidity or causing one or more of our tenants to be unable to meet their obligations to us in full, or at all, or to otherwise seek modifications of such obligations;
•difficulty accessing debt and equity capital on attractive terms, or at all, and a severe disruption and instability in the global financial markets or deteriorations in credit and financing conditions, which may affect our access to capital necessary to fund business operations or address maturing liabilities on a timely basis or our tenants' ability to fund their business operations and meet their obligations to us;
•any impairment in value of our tangible or intangible assets that could be recorded as a result of weaker economic conditions;
•a general decline in business activity and demand for real estate transactions, which could adversely affect our ability or desire to grow our portfolio of properties; and
•negative impacts to the credit quality of our tenants and any related impact to tenant rent collections.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may continue to have, significant impacts on workplace practices and those changes, or other office space utilization trends, could impact our business.
We believe closures of businesses and stay in place orders and the resulting remote working arrangements for non-essential personnel in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in long-term changed work practices that could negatively impact us and our business. For example, the increased adoption of and familiarity with remote work practices, and the recent increase in tenants seeking to sublease their leased space, has resulted in decreased demand for office space. Further, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telecommuting, flexible work schedules, open workspaces and teleconferencing had become increasingly common and there was an increasing trend among some businesses to utilize shared office space and co-working spaces. As a result, there has been a general trend in office real estate for tenants to decrease the space they occupy per employee. Our tenants may elect to not renew their leases, or to renew them for less space than they currently occupy, which could increase vacancy, place downward pressure on occupancy, rental rates and income and property valuation. The need to reconfigure leased office space, either in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to new tenants’ needs, to modify utilization or for other reasons, may impact space requirements and also may require us to spend increased amounts for tenant improvements. If substantial reconfiguration of the tenant’s space is required, the tenant may find it more advantageous to relocate than to renew its lease and renovate the existing space. All of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow our or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest
Neither the Master Services Agreement nor the Investment Management Agreement may be terminated by us (except in limited circumstances for cause in the case of the Master Services Agreement) and the Master Services Agreement may be assigned by the Administrator in certain circumstances without our consent, either or both of which may have a material adverse effect on us.
We and our lending subsidiaries are parties to the Master Services Agreement pursuant to which the Administrator provides, or arranges for other service providers to provide, management and administrative services to us and all of our direct and indirect subsidiaries. We are obligated to pay the Administrator the Revised Incentive Fee (see “Item 1 - Business-Master Services Agreement”) and market rate transaction fees for transactional and other services that the Administrator elects to
provide to us. Pursuant to the terms of the Master Services Agreement, the Administrator has the right to provide any transactional services to us that we would otherwise engage a third party to provide.
The Master Services Agreement renews automatically each year. The Administrator may assign the Master Services Agreement without our consent to one of its affiliates or an entity that is a successor through merger or acquisition of the business of the Administrator. We generally may terminate the Master Services Agreement only in the event of a material breach, fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct by or, in certain limited circumstances, a change of control of the Administrator that our independent directors determine to be materially detrimental to us and our subsidiaries as a whole. We do not have the right to terminate the Master Services Agreement solely for the poor performance of our operations. In addition, CIM Urban does not have the right to terminate the Investment Management Agreement under any circumstances.
Moreover, any removal of Urban GP Administrator as manager of CIM Urban GP pursuant to the Master Services Agreement or the CIM Urban Partnership Agreement would not affect the rights of the Administrator under the Master Services Agreement or the Operator under the Investment Management Agreement. Accordingly, the Administrator would continue to provide the Base Services and receive any Revised Incentive Fee, and the Administrator or the applicable service provider would continue to provide the transactional services and receive related transaction fees, under the Master Services Agreement, and the Operator would continue to receive the management fee under the Investment Management Agreement.
The Administrator and Operator are entitled to receive fees for the services they provide regardless of our performance, which may reduce their incentive to devote time and resources to our portfolio.
Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to receive additional fees for the provision of certain transactional and other services at fair market rates approved by our independent directors. Additionally, the Operator is entitled to receive an asset management fee based upon our net asset value attributable to common stockholders. See “Item 1 - Business-Investment Management Agreement.” The Administrator’s and the Operator’s entitlement to substantial non-performance based compensation might reduce their incentive to devote time and effort to seeking profitable opportunities for our portfolio.
The Fee payable to the Operator depends in large part on annual appraisals of our real estate properties.
The Operator is entitled to receive a fee quarterly based on our net asset value attributable to common stockholders. See “Item 1 - Business-Fee Waiver.” Our net asset value attributable to common stockholders is calculated in large part based on the fair value of our real estate investments, which in turn is determined based on annual appraisals of our real estate properties. If there are any changes to the fair value of our real estate properties during the course of a year, such changes will generally not be taken into consideration in calculating our net asset value attributable to common stockholders until the next annual appraisal process. Accordingly, in a period of declining real estate value, we could end up paying more fees to the Operator than if appraisals were conducted quarterly (and thus adjusting downwards the fair value of our real estate properties on a quarterly basis). Conversely, in a period of rising real estate value, we could end up paying less fees to the Operator (because quarterly appraisals would lead to increases in the fair value of our estate properties, which in turn would lead to higher fees payable to the Operator).
We may be obligated to pay the Operator quarterly incentive compensation even if we incur a net loss during a particular quarter.
The Operator is entitled to incentive compensation based on our FFO, which rewards our Operator if our quarterly pre-incentive fee FFO exceeds 1.75% (7.0% annualized) of the Adjusted Common Equity. Our pre-incentive fee FFO for a particular quarter for incentive compensation purposes excludes the effect of any unrealized gains, losses, or other items during that quarter that do not affect realized net income, even if these adjustments result in a net loss on our statement of operations for that quarter. Thus, we may be required to pay the Operator incentive compensation for a fiscal quarter even if we incur a net loss for that quarter as determined in accordance with GAAP.
The Operator may undertake transactions that are motivated, in whole or in part, by a desire to increase its compensation.
The Operator is entitled to receive an asset management fee based upon our net asset value attributable to common stockholders, which may provide an incentive for the Operator to deploy our capital to assets that are riskier than we would otherwise acquire, regardless of the anticipated long-term performance of such assets. The Operator may also recommend the disposition of assets that are beneficial to CIM Urban’s operations in order to fund such acquisitions. For a discussion of the broad discretion that may be exercised by the Operator in our business, see “-Each of the Administrator and Operator provides services to us under broad mandates, and our Board of Directors may not necessarily be involved in each acquisition, disposition or financing decision made by the Administrator or Operator” below.
Each of the Administrator and Operator provides services to us under broad mandates, and our Board of Directors may not necessarily be involved in each acquisition, disposition or financing decision made by the Administrator or Operator.
Each of the Administrator, under the Master Services Agreement, and the Operator, under the Investment Management Agreement, has broad discretion and authority over our day-to-day operations and deployment of our capital in assets. While our Board of Directors periodically reviews the performance of our businesses, our Board of Directors does not review all activities conducted by the Administrator and the Operator, and may not review certain proposed acquisitions, dispositions or the implementation of other strategic initiatives before they occur. In addition, in reviewing our business operations, our directors may rely on information provided to them by the Administrator or the Operator, as the case may be. The Administrator or the Operator may cause us to enter into significant transactions or undertake significant activities that may be difficult or impossible to unwind, exit or otherwise remediate. Each of the Administrator and the Operator has great latitude in the implementation of our strategies, including determining the types of assets that are appropriate for us. The decisions of the Administrator and the Operator could therefore result in losses or returns that are substantially below our expectations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
The Operator, the Administrator and their respective affiliates engage in real estate activities that could compete with us and our subsidiaries, which could result in decisions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders.
The Investment Management Agreement with the Operator and the Master Services Agreement with the Administrator do not prevent the Operator or the Administrator, as applicable, and their respective affiliates from operating additional real estate assets or participating in other real estate opportunities, some of which could compete with us and our subsidiaries. The Operator, the Administrator and their respective affiliates operate real estate assets and participate in additional real estate activities having objectives that overlap with our own, and may thus face conflicts in the operation and allocation of real estate opportunities between us, on the one hand, and such other real estate operations and activities, on the other hand. Allocation of real estate opportunities is at the discretion of the Operator and/or the Administrator and there is no guarantee that this allocation will be made in the best interest of our stockholders.
There may be conflicts of interest in allocating real estate opportunities to CIM Urban and other funds, vehicles and ventures operated by the Operator. For example, the Operator serves as the operator of private funds formed to deploy capital in real estate and real estate-related assets located in metropolitan areas that CIM Group has already qualified. There may be a significant overlap in the assets and strategies between us and such funds, and many of the same investment personnel will provide services to both entities. Further, the Operator and its affiliates may in the future operate funds, vehicles and ventures that have overlapping objectives with CIM Urban and therefore may compete with CIM Urban for opportunities. The ability of the Operator, the Administrator and their officers and employees to engage in other business activities, including the operation of other vehicles operated by CIM Group or its affiliates, may reduce the time the Operator and the Administrator spend managing our activities.
Certain of our directors and executive officers may face conflicts of interest related to positions they hold with the Operator, the Administrator, CIM Group and their affiliates, which could result in decisions that are not in the best interest of our stockholders.
Some of our directors and executive officers are also part-owners, officers and/or directors of the Operator, the Administrator, CIM Group and/or their respective affiliates. As a result, such directors and executive officers may owe fiduciary duties to these various other entities and their equity owners that may from time to time conflict with the duties such persons owe to us. Further, these multiple responsibilities may create conflicts of interest for these individuals if they are presented with opportunities that may benefit us and our other affiliates. These individuals may be incentivized to allocate opportunities to other entities rather than to us. Their loyalties to other affiliated entities could result in actions or inactions that are detrimental to our business, strategy and opportunities.
The business of CIM Urban is managed by Urban GP Administrator and we agreed in the Master Services Agreement to appoint an affiliate of CIM Group as the manager of the general partner of CIM Urban, and the general partner of CIM Urban may only be removed from such position under limited circumstances as provided in the CIM Urban Partnership Agreement.
Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement, we agreed to appoint an affiliate of CIM Group as the manager of the general partner of CIM Urban. While currently that designated entity, Urban GP Administrator, is an affiliate of CIM Group, there can be no assurances that a different entity would not be appointed the manager of the general partner of CIM Urban in the future. Moreover, we may only remove the Urban GP Administrator as the manager of CIM Urban GP for “cause” (as defined in the Master Services Agreement). Removal for “cause” also requires the approval of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of
our outstanding shares of Common Stock. Upon removal, a replacement manager will be appointed by the independent directors.
Subject to the limitations set forth in the governing documents of CIM Urban and CIM Urban GP, Urban GP Administrator is given the power and authority under the Master Services Agreement to manage, to direct the management, business and affairs of and to make all decisions to be made by or on behalf of (1) CIM Urban GP and (2) CIM Urban. Subject to the other terms of the CIM Urban Partnership Agreement, CIM Urban GP has broad discretion over the operations of CIM Urban. Accordingly, while we own indirectly all of the partnership interests in CIM Urban, except as set forth in the Master Services Agreement and the rights specifically reserved to limited partners by the CIM Urban Partnership Agreement and applicable law, we will have no part in the management and control of CIM Urban.
Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure
Provisions of our charter and bylaws and the MGCL may deter takeover attempts, which may limit the opportunity of our stockholders to sell their shares at a favorable price.
Certain provisions of the MGCL, if applied to us, and our charter and bylaws could have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide our stockholders with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of our Common Stock.
Maryland Statutes. The Maryland Business Combination Act could restrict the power of third parties who acquire, or seek to acquire, control of us without the approval of our Board of Directors to complete mergers and other business combinations even if such transaction would be beneficial to stockholders. “Business combinations” between an “interested stockholder” or an affiliate of an “interested stockholder” and us are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the “interested stockholder” becomes an “interested stockholder.” An “interested stockholder” is defined as any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock or an affiliate or associate of ours who, at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of our then-outstanding stock. If our Board of Directors approved in advance the transaction that would otherwise give rise to the acquirer attaining such status of an “interested stockholder,” the acquirer would not become an interested stockholder and, as a result, it could enter into a business combination with us. Our Board of Directors may, however, provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by it. Even after the lapse of the five-year prohibition period, any business combination between us and an interested stockholder must be recommended by our Board of Directors and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
•80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and
•two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or held by affiliates and associates thereof.
The super-majority vote requirements do not apply if, among other considerations, the transaction complies with a minimum price and form of consideration requirements prescribed by the statute. The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the Board of Directors prior to the time that an interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Our Board of Directors has, by resolution, elected to opt out of this provision of the MGCL. However, our Board of Directors may by resolution elect to repeal the foregoing opt out from the business combination provision of the MGCL.
The Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act provides that a holder of control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition has no voting rights with respect to the control shares except to the extent approved by a vote of stockholders entitled to cast two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquiror, by officers or by employees who are directors of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. Control shares are voting shares of stock that, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquiror or in respect of which the acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:
•one-tenth or more but less than one-third;
•one-third or more but less than a majority; or
•a majority or more of all voting power.
Control shares do not include shares the acquiror is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval or shares acquired directly from the corporation. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of issued and outstanding control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the Board of Directors of the corporation to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders’ meeting.
If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiror does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then the corporation may, subject to certain limitations and conditions, redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved or, if no meeting is held, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquiror. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders’ meeting and the acquiror becomes entitled to exercise or direct the exercise of a majority of the voting power, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquiror in the control share acquisition.
The control share acquisition statute does not apply to (a) shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction or (b) acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation. We have elected to opt out of this provision of the MGCL, pursuant to a provision in our bylaws. However, our Board of Directors may, by amendment to our bylaws, opt in to the control share provisions of the MGCL in the future.
Title 3, Subtitle 8, of the MGCL permits the Board of Directors of a Maryland corporation with at least three independent directors and a class of stock registered under the Exchange Act (such as the Company), without stockholder approval and notwithstanding any contrary provision in its charter or bylaws, to implement certain takeover defenses, including: (i) a classified board; (ii) a two-thirds vote requirement to remove a director; (iii) limiting the filling of any vacancy on the Board of Directors to only a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum; (iv) providing the board with the sole power to fix the number of directors; and (v) requiring the holders of up to a majority of voting stock to call a special meeting of stockholders. Our charter provides that, except as may be provided by our Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of stock, we elect to be subject to the provisions of Subtitle 8 relating to the filling of vacancies on our Board of Directors. Through provisions in our charter and bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, we already (1) require a two-thirds vote for the removal of any director from the Board of Directors, (2) vest in the Board of Directors the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships, subject to limitations set forth in our charter and bylaws, and (3) require, unless called by the chairman of our Board of Directors, our president, our chief executive officer or our Board of Directors, the request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all votes entitled to be cast on a matter at such meeting to call a special meeting. We have not elected to classify our Board of Directors.
Advance notice bylaw. Our bylaws contain advance notice procedures for the introduction by a stockholder of new business and the nomination of directors by a stockholder. These provisions could, in certain circumstances, discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect stockholder-nominated directors and to propose and, consequently, approve stockholder proposals opposed by management.
Restrictions on transfer and ownership of our stock. To assist in maintaining our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, our charter prohibits any person, unless exempted by our Board of Directors, from acquiring or holding, directly or indirectly, applying attribution rules under the Code, shares of our capital stock in excess of 6.25% in number of shares or value, whichever is more restrictive, of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our stock or 6.25% of the number of shares or value, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock. Together, these limitations are referred to as the “ownership limit.” Stock acquired or held in violation of the ownership limit will be transferred automatically to a trust for the benefit of a designated charitable beneficiary, and the intended acquirer of the stock in violation of the ownership limit will not be entitled to vote those shares of stock or to receive the economic benefits of owning shares of our stock in excess of the ownership limit. A transfer of shares of our stock to a person who, as a result of the transfer, violates the ownership limit also may be void under certain circumstances.
Our charter, bylaws, the partnership agreement for CIM Urban and Maryland law also contain other provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our Common Stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.
The Operator may change its acquisition process, or elect not to follow it, without stockholder consent at any time, which may adversely affect returns on our assets.
While we are principally focused on Class A and creative office assets in vibrant and improving metropolitan communities throughout the United States (including improving and developing such assets), we may also participate more
actively in other CIM Group real estate strategies and product types, including, but not limited to, multifamily residential and/or real estate debt, in order to broaden our participation in CIM Group’s platform and capabilities for the benefit of all classes of stockholders. This may include, without limitation, engaging in real estate development activities as well as investing in other product types directly, side-by-side with one or more funds of CIM Group, through direct deployment of capital in a CIM Group real estate or debt fund, or deploying capital in or originating loans that are secured directly or indirectly by properties primarily located in Qualified Communities that meet our strategy. Such loans may include limited and/or non-recourse junior (mezzanine, B-note or 2nd lien) and senior acquisition, bridge or repositioning loans. Stockholders will not have any approval rights with respect to any expansion or change in strategies or future composition of our assets. Our Operator determines our policies regarding deployment of capital into real estate assets, financing, growth and debt capitalization. Our Operator may change these and other policies without a vote of our stockholders. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Operator will follow its acquisition process in relation to the identification and acquisition or origination of prospective assets. As a result, the nature of the composition of our assets could change without the consent of our stockholders. Changes in the Operator’s acquisition process and/or philosophy may result in, among other things, inferior due diligence and transaction standards, which may adversely affect the performance of our assets. If we are unsuccessful in expanding into new real estate activities or our changes in strategies or future deployment of our capital turn out to be unsuccessful, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
The power of the Board of Directors to revoke our REIT election without stockholder approval may cause adverse consequences to our stockholders.
Our organizational documents permit our Board of Directors to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if the Board of Directors determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. In such a case, we would become subject to U.S. federal, state and local income tax on our net taxable income and we would no longer be required to distribute most of our net taxable income to our stockholders, which could have adverse consequences on the total return to our holders of Common Stock.
The MGCL or our charter may limit the ability of our stockholders or us to recover on a claim against a director or officer who negligently causes us to incur losses.
The MGCL provides that a director has no liability in such capacity if he or she performs his or her duties in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. A director who performs his or her duties in accordance with the foregoing standards should not be liable to us or any other person for failure to discharge his or her obligations as a director.
In addition, our charter provides that our directors and officers will not be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages unless the director or officer actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services, or is adjudged to be liable to us or our stockholders based on a finding that his or her action, or failure to act, was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding. Our charter and bylaws also require us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to any individual who is a present or former director or officer and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or any individual who, while a director or officer and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, trustee, member or manager of another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. With the approval of our Board of Directors, we may provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to any individual who served a predecessor of the Company in any of the capacities described above and any employee or agent of the Company or a predecessor of the Company.
We also are permitted to purchase and we currently maintain insurance or provide similar protection on behalf of any directors, officers, employees and agents, including our Administrator and its affiliates, against any liability asserted which was incurred in any such capacity with us or arising out of such status. This may result in us having to expend significant funds, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
The liability of the Administrator and the Operator to us under the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, respectively, is limited and we and CIM Urban have agreed to indemnify the Administrator and the Operator, respectively, against certain liabilities. As a result, we could experience poor performance or losses for which neither the Administrator nor the Operator would be liable.
Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement, the Administrator has no responsibility other than to provide its services in good faith and will not be responsible for any action of our Board of Directors that follows or declines to follow the Administrator’s advice or recommendations. Under the terms of the Master Services Agreement, none of the Administrator or any of its affiliates providing services under the Master Services Agreement will be liable to us, any subsidiary of ours party to the Master Services Agreement, any governing body (including any director or officer), stockholder or partner of any such entity for acts or omissions made pursuant to or in accordance with the Master Services Agreement, other than acts or omissions constituting fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence or violation of certain laws or any other intentional or criminal wrongdoing or breach of the Master Services Agreement. Moreover, the aggregate liability of any such entities and persons pursuant to the Master Services Agreement is capped at the aggregate amount of the Base Service Fee and any transaction fees previously paid to the Administrator in the two most recent calendar years. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify the Administrator and any of its affiliates providing services under the Master Services Agreement, any affiliates of the Administrator and any directors, officers, stockholders, agents, subcontractors, contractors, delegates, members, partners, shareholders, employees and other representatives of each of them from and against all actions, lawsuits, investigations, proceedings or claims except to the extent resulting from such person’s fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence or violation of certain laws or any other intentional or criminal wrongdoing or breach of the Master Services Agreement.
Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, the Operator is not liable to CIM Urban, CIM Urban GP or any manager or director of CIM Urban GP for, and CIM Urban has agreed to indemnify the Operator against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which it may become subject in connection with, among other things, (1) any act or omission performed or omitted by it or for any costs, damages or liabilities arising therefrom, in the absence of fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or a breach of the Investment Management Agreement or (2) any losses due to the negligence of any employees, brokers, or other agents of CIM Urban.
Risks Related to Real Estate Assets
Our operating performance is subject to risks associated with the real estate industry.
Real estate assets are subject to various risks and fluctuations and cycles in value and demand, many of which are beyond our control. Certain events may decrease cash available for distributions, as well as the value of our properties. These events include, but are not limited to:
•adverse changes in economic and socioeconomic conditions (including as a result of the emergence of any pandemic);
•vacancies or our inability to rent space on favorable terms;
•adverse changes in financial conditions of buyers, sellers and tenants of properties;
•inability to collect rent from tenants;
•competition from real estate investors with significant capital, including but not limited to real estate operating companies, publicly-traded REITs and institutional investment funds;
•reductions in the level of demand for office and hotel space and changes in the relative popularity of properties;
•increases in the supply of office and hotel space;
•fluctuations in interest rates and the availability of credit, which could adversely affect our ability, or the ability of buyers and tenants of properties, to obtain financing on favorable terms or at all;
•dependence on third parties to provide leasing, brokerage, onsite property management and other services with respect to certain of our assets;
•increases in expenses, including insurance costs, labor costs, utility prices, real estate assessments and other taxes and costs of compliance with laws, regulations and governmental policies, and our inability to pass on some or all of these increases to our tenants; and
•changes in, and changes in enforcement of, laws, regulations and governmental policies, including, without limitation, health, safety, environmental, zoning, real estate tax, federal and state laws, governmental fiscal policies and the ADA.
During periods of economic slowdown or recession, rising interest rates or declining demand for real estate, or the public perception that any of these events may occur, could result in a general decline in rents or an increased incidence of
defaults under existing leases. If we cannot operate our properties so as to meet our financial expectations, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be negatively impacted.
A significant portion of our properties, by aggregate net operating income and square feet, are located in California. We are dependent on the California real estate market and economy, and are therefore susceptible to risks of events in the California market that could adversely affect our business, such as adverse market conditions, changes in local laws or regulations and natural disasters.
Because our properties in California represent a significant portion of our portfolio by aggregate net operating income and square feet, we are exposed to greater economic risks than if we owned a more geographically diverse portfolio. We are susceptible to adverse developments in the California economic and regulatory environments (such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, increases in real estate and other taxes, costs of complying with governmental regulations or increased regulation and other factors) as well as natural disasters that occur in these areas (such as earthquakes, floods, fires and other events). In addition, the State of California is regarded as more litigious and more highly regulated and taxed than many states, which may reduce demand for office and hotel space in California. Any adverse developments in the economy or real estate markets in California, any decrease in demand for office and hotel space resulting from the California regulatory or business environments or any reduced need for apartment units resulting from increased relocation out of California could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Capital and credit market conditions may adversely affect demand for our properties and the overall availability and cost of credit.
In periods when the capital and credit markets experience significant volatility, demand for our properties and the overall availability and cost of credit may be adversely affected. No assurances can be given that the capital and credit market conditions will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
In addition, we could be adversely affected by significant volatility in the capital and credit markets as follows:
•the tenants in our office properties may experience a deterioration in their sales or other revenue, or experience a constraint on the availability of credit necessary to fund operations, which in turn may adversely impact those tenants’ ability to pay contractual base rents and tenant recoveries. Some tenants may terminate their occupancy due to an inability to operate profitably for an extended period of time, impacting our ability to maintain occupancy levels; and
•constraints on the availability of credit to tenants, necessary to purchase and install improvements, fixtures and equipment and to fund business expenses, could impact our ability to procure new tenants for spaces currently vacant in existing office properties or properties under development.
Following bank failures in the United States and acquisitions of distressed financial institutions in the United States and internationally in 2023, there has been uncertainty and turmoil in credit markets globally, which may cause financial institutions to reduce their lending, which in turn could adversely affect our ability to access capital markets for our liquidity needs and/or cause our cost of capital to increase.
We will endeavor to limit uninsured deposits that we have with banks. Nevertheless, if a bank in which we hold funds fails or is subject to significant adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets, we could be subject to a risk of loss of all or a portion of such funds or be subject to a delay in accessing all or a portion of such uninsured funds. In addition, we have undrawn capacities under our 2022 Credit Facility and certain of our mortgages. Any such loss of funds on deposit, lack of access to funds held at banks or inability to borrow from any of our lenders could adversely impact our short-term liquidity and ability to meet our operating expenses or working capital needs.
Tenant concentration increases the risk that cash flow could be interrupted.
We are, and expect that we will continue to be, subject to a degree of tenant concentration at certain of our properties and/or across multiple properties. Kaiser, which occupies space in one of our Oakland, California properties, accounted for 28.7% of our annualized rental income for the year ended December 31, 2023. In the event that a tenant occupying a significant portion of one or more of our properties or whose rental income represents a significant portion of the rental revenue at such property or properties were to experience financial weakness or file bankruptcy, it could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
If a major tenant declares bankruptcy, we may be unable to collect balances due under relevant leases, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and ability to pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
The bankruptcy or insolvency of our tenants may adversely affect the income produced by our properties. Under bankruptcy law, a tenant cannot be evicted solely because of its bankruptcy and has the option to assume or reject any unexpired lease. If the tenant rejects the lease, any resulting claim we have for breach of the lease (other than to the extent of any collateral securing the claim) will be treated as a general unsecured claim. Our claim against the bankrupt tenant for unpaid and future rent will be subject to a statutory cap that might be substantially less than the remaining rent actually owed under the lease, and it is unlikely that a bankrupt tenant that rejects its lease would pay in full amounts it owes us under the lease. Even if a lease is assumed and brought current, we still run the risk that a tenant could condition lease assumption on a restructuring of certain terms, including rent, that would have an adverse impact on us. Any shortfall resulting from the bankruptcy of one or more of our tenants could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
In addition, the financial failure of, or other default by, one or more of the tenants to whom we have exposure could have an adverse effect on the results of our operations. While we evaluate the creditworthiness of our tenants by reviewing available financial and other pertinent information, there can be no assurance that any tenant will be able to make timely rental payments or avoid defaulting under its lease. If any of our tenants’ businesses experience significant adverse changes, they may fail to make rental payments when due, exercise early termination rights (to the extent such rights are available to the tenant) or declare bankruptcy. A default by a significant tenant or multiple tenants could cause a material reduction in our revenues and operating cash flows. In addition, if a tenant defaults, we may incur substantial costs in protecting our asset.
We have assumed, and in the future may assume, liabilities in connection with our property acquisitions, including unknown liabilities.
In connection with the acquisition of properties, we may assume existing liabilities, some of which may have been unknown or unquantifiable at the time of the acquisition of assets. Unknown liabilities might include liabilities for cleanup or remediation of undisclosed environmental conditions, claims of tenants or other persons dealing with the sellers prior to our acquisition of the properties, tax liabilities, and accrued but unpaid liabilities whether incurred in the ordinary course of business or otherwise. If the magnitude of such unknown liabilities is high, either singly or in the aggregate, it could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
We may be adversely affected by trends in the office real estate industry.
Telecommuting, flexible work schedules, open workspaces and teleconferencing continue to become more common. These practices enable businesses to reduce their space requirements. There is also an increasing trend among some businesses to utilize shared office space and co-working spaces. A continuation of the movement towards these practices could over time erode the overall demand for office space and, in turn, place downward pressure on occupancy, rental rates and property valuations.
We may be unable to renew leases or lease vacant office space.
As of December 31, 2023, 15.6% of the rentable square footage of our office portfolio was available for lease, and 18.6% of the occupied square footage of such office properties was scheduled to expire in 2024. The local economic environment may make the renewal of these leases more difficult, or renewal may occur at rental rates equal to or below existing rental rates. As a result, portions of our office properties may remain vacant for extended periods of time. In addition, we may have to offer substantial rent abatements, tenant improvements, concessions, early termination rights or below-market renewal options to attract new tenants or retain existing tenants. The factors described above could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
A significant portion of our net operating income is expected to come from our hotel and, as a result, our operating performance is subject to the cyclical nature of the lodging industry.
The performance of the lodging industry has historically been closely linked to the performance of the general economy and, specifically, growth in U.S. gross domestic product. Fluctuations in lodging demand and, therefore, hotel operating performance, are caused largely by general economic and local market conditions, which subsequently affect levels of
business and leisure travel. For instance, increased fuel costs, natural disasters or disruptive global political events, including terrorist activity and war, are a few factors that could affect an individual’s willingness to travel.
In addition to general economic conditions, lodging supply is an important factor that can affect the lodging industry’s performance. Industry overbuilding and the introduction of new concepts and products such as Airbnb®, Homeaway® and VRBO® have the potential to further exacerbate the negative impact of an economic recession. Room rates and occupancy, and thus RevPAR, tend to increase when demand growth exceeds supply growth. Further, the success of our hotel property depends largely on the property operator’s ability to adapt to dominant trends, competitive pressures and consolidation, as well as disruptions such as consumer spending patterns, changing demographics and the availability of labor.
An adverse change in lodging fundamentals could result in returns that are substantially below our expectations or result in losses, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
The outbreak of a highly infectious, contagious or widespread disease, such as COVID-19, can result (and has resulted) in reductions in travel and adversely affect demand for our hotel.
Our hotel operations are sensitive to the willingness and ability of our guests to travel. The outbreak of highly infectious, contagious or widespread diseases or global health emergencies will likely cause decreases in both discretionary and business travel and reduce the number of guests that visit our hotel. The degree of any decrease in travel will likely be worsened in the event such a disease causes a disruption in air or other forms of travel used by guests of our hotel. In the event a person having such a disease visits or works at our hotel, the operations at our hotel will likely be disrupted. For example, the spread of COVID-19 in the United States and the resulting restrictions on and cancellations of travel, meetings and social gatherings negatively impacted the operations of our hotel in Sacramento, California in 2021 and part of 2022.
The seasonality of the lodging industry may cause quarterly fluctuations in our revenues.
The lodging industry is seasonal in nature, which may cause quarterly fluctuations in our revenues, occupancy levels, room rates, operating expenses and cash flows. Our quarterly earnings may be adversely affected by factors outside our control, including timing of holidays, weather conditions, poor economic factors and competition in the area of our hotel. We can provide no assurances that our cash flows will be sufficient to offset any shortfalls that occur as a result of these fluctuations. As a result, we may have to enter into short-term borrowings in certain quarters in order to make distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock, and we can provide no assurances that such borrowings will be available on favorable terms, if at all. Consequently, volatility in our financial performance resulting from the seasonality of the lodging industry could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
The increasing use of online travel intermediaries by consumers may adversely affect our profitability.
Some of our hotel rooms are booked through online travel intermediaries, including, but not limited to, Travelocity.com, Expedia.com and Priceline.com. As online bookings increase, these intermediaries may demand higher commissions, reduced room rates or other significant contract concessions. Moreover, some of these online travel intermediaries are attempting to offer hotel rooms as a commodity, by increasing the importance of price and general indicators of quality (such as “three-star downtown hotel”) at the expense of brand identification. These intermediaries hope that consumers will develop brand loyalties to their reservations systems rather than to particular hotels. Although most of the business for our hotel is expected to be derived from consumer direct and traditional hotel channels, such as travel agencies, corporate accounts, meeting planners and recognized wholesale operators, if the amount of sales made through online intermediaries increases significantly, room revenues may be lower than expected, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Increased use of technology may reduce the need for business-related travel.
The increased use of teleconference and video-conference technology by businesses could result in decreased business travel as companies increase the use of technologies that allow multiple parties from different locations to participate at meetings without traveling to a centralized meeting location. To the extent that such technologies play an increased role in day-to-day business and the necessity for business-related travel decreases, hotel room demand may decrease, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
We are subject to risks associated with the employment of hotel personnel, particularly with respect to unionized labor.
Our third-party manager is responsible for hiring and maintaining the labor force at our hotel. As owner of our hotel, we are responsible for and subject to many of the costs and risks generally associated with the hotel labor force, particularly with respect to unionized labor. From time to time, hotel operations may be disrupted as a result of strikes, lockouts, public demonstrations or other negative actions and publicity. We also may incur increased legal costs and indirect labor costs as a result of contract disputes or other events. The resolution of labor disputes or re-negotiated labor contracts could lead to increased labor costs, either by increases in wages or benefits or by changes in work rules that raise hotel operating costs. We do not have the ability to affect the outcome of these negotiations.
We may be unable to renew leases or release apartment units as leases expire, or the terms of renewals or new leases may be less favorable than current leases.
When residents decide to leave our apartments, whether because their leases are not renewed or they leave prior to their lease expiration date, we may not be able to release their apartment units. Even if leases are renewed or we can release the apartment units, the terms of renewal or reletting may be less favorable than current lease terms. Furthermore, because our apartment leases generally have initial terms of 12 months or less, our rental revenues at our multifamily properties are impacted by declines in market rents more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms. If we are unable to promptly renew the leases or release apartment units, or if the rental rates upon renewal or releasing are lower than expected rates, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock could be adversely affected.
We may be unable to deploy capital in a way that grows our business and, even if consummated, we may fail to successfully integrate and operate acquired properties.
We plan to deploy capital in additional real estate assets as opportunities arise. Our ability to do so on favorable terms and/or successfully integrate and operate them is subject to the following significant risks:
•we may be unable to deploy capital in additional real estate assets because of competition from real estate investors with better access to less expensive capital, including real estate operating companies, publicly-traded REITs and investment funds;
•we may acquire properties that are not accretive to our results upon acquisition, and we may not successfully manage and lease those properties to meet our expectations;
•competition from other potential acquirers may significantly increase purchase prices;
•acquired properties may be located in new markets where we may face risks associated with a lack of market knowledge or understanding of the local economy, lack of business relationships in the area and unfamiliarity with local governmental and permitting procedures;
•we may be unable to generate sufficient cash from operations or obtain the necessary debt or equity financing to consummate a transaction on favorable terms or at all;
•we may need to spend more money than anticipated to make necessary improvements or renovations to acquired properties;
•we may spend significant time and money on potential transactions that we do not consummate;
•we may be unable to quickly and efficiently integrate new acquisitions into our existing operations;
•we may suffer higher than expected vacancy rates and/or lower than expected rental rates; and
•we may acquire properties without any recourse, or with only limited recourse, for liabilities against the former owners of the properties.
If we cannot complete real estate transactions on favorable terms, or operate acquired assets to meet our goals or expectations, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock could be materially adversely affected.
We may be unable to successfully expand our operations into new markets.
The risks described in the immediately preceding risk factor that are applicable to our ability to acquire and successfully integrate and operate properties in the markets in which our properties are located are also applicable to our ability to acquire and successfully integrate and operate properties in new markets. In addition to these risks, we may not possess the same level of familiarity with the dynamics and market conditions of certain new markets that we may enter, which could adversely affect our ability to expand into those markets. We may be unable to build a significant market share or achieve a
desired return on our assets in new markets. If we are unsuccessful in expanding into new markets, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
We have experienced in the past, and may in the future, impairment charges to our properties.
We have in the past, and may in the future, take impairment charges with respect to certain of our properties. We routinely evaluate our assets for impairment indicators (we recorded no impairment of long-lived assets for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022). The judgment regarding the existence and magnitude of impairment indicators is based on factors such as market conditions, tenant performance and lease structure. For example, the early termination of, or default under, a lease by a tenant may lead to an impairment charge. If we determine that an impairment has occurred, we will be required to make a downward adjustment to the net carrying value of the property, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the impairment charge is recorded. Negative developments in the real estate market may cause management to reevaluate the business and macro-economic assumptions used in its impairment analysis. Changes in management’s assumptions based on actual results may have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.
We may obtain only limited warranties when we purchase a property and typically have only limited recourse in the event our due diligence did not identify any issues that lower the value of our property.
The seller of a property often sells such property in “as is” condition on a “where is” basis and “with all faults,” without any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use or purpose. In addition, purchase agreements may contain only limited warranties, representations and indemnifications that survive for only a limited period after the closing and with a cap on recoverable damages. In the event we purchase a property with a limited warranty, there will be an increased risk that we will lose some or all of our capital in the property.
We may be unable to sell a property if or when we decide to do so, including as a result of uncertain market conditions or high inflation.
Real estate assets are, in general, relatively illiquid and may become even more illiquid during periods of economic downturn. As a result, we may not be able to sell our properties quickly or on favorable terms in response to changes in the economy or other conditions when it otherwise may be prudent to do so. In addition, certain significant expenditures generally do not change in response to economic or other conditions, including debt service obligations, real estate taxes, and operating and maintenance costs. This combination of variable revenue and relatively fixed expenditures may result, under certain market conditions, in reduced earnings.In addition, historically, during periods of increasing interest rates, real estate valuations have generally decreased as a result of rising capitalization rates, which tend to be positively correlated with interest rates. Consequently, prolonged periods of higher interest rates may negatively impact the valuation of our portfolio as well as lower sales proceeds from future dispositions. Accordingly, we may be unable to adjust our portfolio promptly in response to economic, market or other conditions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Some of our leases may not include periodic rental increases, or the rental increases may be less than the fair market rate at a future point in time. In either case, the value of the leased property to a potential purchaser may not increase over time, which may restrict our ability to sell that property, or if we are able to sell that property, may result in a sale price less than the price that we paid to purchase the property or the price that could be obtained if the rental income was at the then-current market rate.
We expect to hold our various real properties until such time as we decide that a sale or other disposition is appropriate given our business objectives. Our ability to dispose of properties on advantageous terms or at all depends on certain factors beyond our control, including competition from other sellers and the availability of attractive financing for potential buyers of our properties. We cannot predict the various market conditions affecting real estate assets which will exist at any particular time in the future. Due to the uncertainty of market conditions which may affect the disposition of our properties, we cannot assure our stockholders that we will be able to sell such properties at a profit or at all in the future. Accordingly, the extent to which our stockholders will receive cash distributions and realize potential appreciation on our real estate assets will depend upon fluctuating market conditions. Furthermore, we may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold. We cannot assure our stockholders that we will have funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements.
We may be unable to secure funds for our future long-term liquidity needs.
Our long-term liquidity needs will consist primarily of funds necessary for acquisitions of assets, development or repositioning of properties, capital expenditures, refinancing of indebtedness, SBA 7(a) loan originations, paying distributions on our Preferred Stock or any other preferred stock we may issue, any future repurchase and/or redemption of our Preferred Stock (if we choose, or are required, to pay the redemption price in cash instead of in shares of our Common Stock), and distributions on our Common Stock. We are also in the process of converting part of an office property that we own from office to multifamily. We may not have sufficient funds on hand or may not be able to obtain additional financing to cover all of these long-term cash requirements. The nature of our business, and the requirements imposed by REIT rules that we distribute a substantial majority of our REIT taxable income on an annual basis in the form of dividends, may cause us to have substantial liquidity needs over the long-term. We will seek to satisfy our long-term liquidity needs through one or more of the following methods: (i) offerings of shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock or other equity and/or debt securities of the Company; (ii) issuance of interests in our operating partnership in exchange for properties; (iii) credit facilities and term loans; (iv) the addition of senior recourse or non-recourse debt using target acquisitions as well as existing assets as collateral; (v) the sale of existing assets; and/or (vi) cash flows from operations. These sources of funding may not be available on attractive terms or at all. If we cannot obtain additional funding for our long-term liquidity needs, our assets may generate lower cash flow or decline in value, or both, which may cause us to sell assets at a time when we would not otherwise do so and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Income from our long-term leases at our office properties is an important source of our cash flow from operations and is subject to risks related to increases in expenses and inflation.
We are exposed to risks related to increases in market lease rates and inflation, as income from long-term leases at our office properties is an important source of our cash flow from operations. Leases of long-term duration or which include renewal options that specify a maximum rate increase may result in below-market lease rates over time if we do not accurately estimate inflation or market lease rates. Provisions of our leases designed to mitigate the risk of inflation and unexpected increases in market lease rates, such as periodic rental increases, may not adequately protect us from the impact of inflation or unexpected increases in market lease rates. If we are subject to below-market lease rates on a significant number of our properties pursuant to long-term leases and our operating and other expenses are increasing faster than anticipated, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock could be materially adversely affected.
We may finance properties with lock-out provisions, which may prohibit us from selling a property or may require us to maintain specified debt levels for a period of years on some properties.
A lock-out provision is a provision that prohibits the prepayment of a loan during a specified period of time. Lock-out provisions may include terms that provide strong financial disincentives for borrowers to prepay their outstanding loan balance. If a property is subject to a lock-out provision, we may be materially restricted from or delayed in selling or otherwise disposing of or refinancing such property. Lock-out provisions may prohibit us from reducing the outstanding indebtedness with respect to any properties, refinancing such indebtedness at maturity, or increasing the amount of indebtedness with respect to such properties. Lock-out provisions could impair our ability to take other actions during the lock-out period that could be in the best interests of our stockholders and, therefore, may have an adverse impact on the value of our securities relative to the value that would result if the lock-out provisions did not exist. In particular, lock-out provisions could preclude us from participating in major transactions that could result in a disposition of our assets or a change of control even though that disposition or change of control might be in the best interests of our stockholders.
Increased operating expenses could reduce cash flow from operations and funds available to deploy capital or make distributions.
Our properties are subject to operating risks common to real estate in general, any or all of which may negatively affect us. If any property is not fully occupied or if rents are payable (or are being paid) in an amount that is insufficient to cover operating expenses that are our responsibility under the lease, we could be required to expend funds in excess of such rents with respect to that property for operating expenses. Our properties are subject to increases in tax rates, utility costs, insurance costs, repairs and maintenance costs, administrative costs and other operating and ownership expenses. Our property leases may not require the tenants to pay all or a portion of these expenses, in which event we may be responsible for these costs. If we are unable to lease properties on terms that require the tenants to pay all or some of the properties’ operating expenses, if our tenants fail to pay these expenses as required or if expenses we are required to pay exceed our expectations, we could have less funds available for future acquisitions or cash available for distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
The market environment may adversely affect our operating results, financial condition and ability to pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Continued deterioration of domestic or international financial markets could impact the availability of credit or contribute to rising costs of obtaining credit and therefore, could have the potential to adversely affect the value of our assets, the availability or the terms of financing, our ability to make principal and interest payments on, or refinance, any indebtedness and/or, for our leased properties, the ability of our tenants to enter into new leasing transactions or satisfy their obligations, including the payment of rent, under existing leases. The market environment also could affect our operating results and financial condition as follows:
•Debt Markets-The debt market is sensitive to the macro environment, such as Federal Reserve policy, market sentiment, or regulatory factors affecting the banking and commercial mortgage backed securities industries. Should overall borrowing costs increase, due to either increases in index rates or increases in lender spreads, our operations may generate lower returns.
•Real Estate Markets-While incremental demand growth has helped to reduce vacancy rates and support modest rental growth in recent years, and while improving fundamentals have resulted in gains in property values, in many markets property values, occupancy and rental rates continue to be below those previously experienced before the most recent economic downturn. If recent improvements in the economy reverse course, the properties we acquire could substantially decrease in value after we purchase them. Consequently, we may not be able to recover the carrying amount of our properties, which may require us to recognize an impairment charge or record a loss on sale in our earnings.
Real estate-related taxes may increase, and if these increases are not passed on to tenants, our income will be reduced.
We are required to pay property taxes for our properties, which can increase as property tax rates increase or as properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. In California, pursuant to an existing state law commonly referred to as Proposition 13, all or portions of a property are reassessed to market value only at the time of “change in ownership” or completion of “new construction,” and thereafter, annual property tax increases are limited to 2% of previously assessed values. As a result, Proposition 13 generally results in significant below-market assessed values over time. From time to time, lawmakers and political coalitions have initiated efforts to repeal or amend Proposition 13, including by introducing Proposition 15 on the California ballot in November 2020, which measure was not approved by voters. If successful in the future, these proposals could substantially increase the assessed values and property taxes for our properties in California. Although some tenant leases may permit us to pass through such tax increases to the tenants for payment, renewal leases or future leases may not be negotiated on the same basis. Tax increases not passed through to tenants could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Proposition ULA may reduce the proceeds that we will receive when we sell our Los Angeles properties.
In the November 8, 2022 general election, voters approved City of Los Angeles Proposition ULA. Effective April 1, 2023, the measure increases transfer tax rates in the City of Los Angeles on real estate sales valued at $5 million or more. Specifically, the new rate is 4% for properties valued at $5 million or more and 5.5% for properties valued at more than $10 million. As many of our properties are located in the City of Los Angeles, Proposition ULA may reduce the amount of proceeds that we will receive when we sell our Los Angeles properties. This in turn may reduce our profitability, make our properties located in the City of Los Angeles less attractive than properties located elsewhere, and make us less competitive than REITs that do not have properties in the City of Los Angeles.
We face risks associated with development, redevelopment, repositioning or construction of real estate projects.
We expect to engage in development, redevelopment, repositioning or construction of real estate projects, including, without limitation, deploying capital in unimproved real properties, and will therefore face significant risks relating to such activities. We must rely on rental income and expense projections and estimates of the fair market value of property upon completion of construction when agreeing upon a price at the time we acquire the property. If our projections are inaccurate or we pay too much for a property, our return on our assets could suffer. We may abandon any of these activities after we begin to explore them and as a result we may lose deposits or fail to recover expenses already incurred. We may be unable to proceed with these activities because we cannot obtain financing on favorable terms or at all. We may be unable to obtain, or face delays in obtaining, required zoning, land-use, building, occupancy, and other governmental permits and authorizations, which could result in increased costs and could require us to abandon or substantially alter our plan for a project. We may incur construction costs for a development project that exceed our original estimates due to continuing high interest rates, which is the economic environment that we expect to continue to face in 2024, increased materials, labor, leasing or other costs, material shortages or supply chain delays, all of which are more likely in the current inflationary environment, or unanticipated technical difficulties,
which could make completion of the project less profitable because market rents may not increase sufficiently to compensate for the increase in construction costs. We may even suspend development projects after construction has begun due to changes in economic conditions or other factors, and this may result in the write-off of costs, payment of additional costs or increases in overall costs when the development project is restarted. In addition, we will be subject to normal lease-up risks relating to newly constructed projects.
We face significant competition.
Our office portfolio competes with a number of developers, owners and operators of office real estate, many of which own properties similar to ours in the same markets in which our properties are located. If our competitors offer space at rental rates below current market rates, or below the rental rates we currently charge our tenants, we may lose existing or potential tenants and may not be able to replace them, and we may be pressured to reduce our rental rates below those we currently charge or to offer more substantial rent abatements, tenant improvements, early termination rights or below-market renewal options in order to retain tenants when our tenants’ leases expire. As a result of any of the foregoing factors, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be materially adversely affected.
Our hotel property competes for guests primarily with other hotels in the immediate vicinity of our hotel and secondarily with other hotels in the geographic market of our hotel. An increase in the number of competitive hotels in these areas could have a material adverse effect on the occupancy, ADR and RevPAR of our hotel.
Our multifamily portfolio competes with numerous housing alternatives in attracting residents. These alternatives include other multifamily properties, condominiums, single-family homes, third-party providers of short-term rentals and serviced apartments that are available for rent or purchase.
War and Terrorism could harm our operating results.
The strength and profitability of our business depends on demand for and the value of our properties. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the resulting economic sanctions imposed by many countries on Russia, and conflicts in the Middle East have led to disruption, instability and volatility in global markets and industries and are expected to have a negative impact on the global economy. Disruption, instability, volatility and decline in global economic activity, whether caused by acts of war, other acts of aggression or terrorism, in each case regardless where it occurs, could in turn harm the demand for and the value of our properties.
In addition, the public perception that certain locations are at greater risk for attack, such as major airports, ports, and rail facilities, may decrease the demand for and the value of our properties near these sites. A decrease in demand could make it difficult for us to renew or re-lease our properties at these sites at lease rates equal to or above historical rates. Terrorist attacks could have an adverse impact on our business even if they are not directed at our properties.
Previous terrorist attacks and subsequent terrorist alerts have adversely affected the U.S. travel and hospitality industries since 2001, often disproportionately compared to the effect on the overall economy. The extent of the impact that actual or threatened terrorist attacks in the United States or elsewhere could have on domestic and international travel and our business in particular cannot be determined, but any such attacks or the threat of such attacks could have a material adverse effect on travel and hotel demand and our ability to finance our hospitality business.
In addition, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have substantially affected the availability and price of insurance coverage for certain types of damages or occurrences, and our insurance policies for terrorism include large deductibles and co-payments. Although we maintain terrorism insurance coverage on our portfolio, the amount of our terrorism insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover losses inflicted by terrorism and therefore could expose us to significant losses and have a negative impact on our operations.
In connection with the ownership and operation of real estate assets, we may be liable for costs and damages related to environmental matters.
Environmental laws regulate, and impose liability for, releases of hazardous or toxic substances into the environment. Under some of these laws, an owner or operator of real estate may be liable for costs related to soil or groundwater contamination on or migrating to or from its property. In addition, persons who arrange for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances may be liable for the costs of cleaning up contamination at the disposal site.
These laws often impose liability regardless of whether the person knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of the hazardous or toxic substances that caused the contamination. The presence of, or contamination resulting from, any of these substances, or the failure to properly remediate them, may adversely affect our ability to sell or rent our property, to borrow
using the property as collateral or create lender’s liability for us. In addition, third parties exposed to hazardous or toxic substances may sue for personal injury damages and/or property damages. For example, some laws impose liability for release of or exposure to asbestos-containing materials. As a result, in connection with our former, current or future ownership, operation, and development of real estate assets, or our role as a lender for loans secured directly or indirectly by real estate properties, we may be potentially liable for investigation and cleanup costs, penalties and damages under environmental laws.
Although many of our properties have been subjected to preliminary environmental assessments, known as Phase I assessments, by independent environmental consultants that identify certain liabilities, Phase I assessments are limited in scope, and may not include or identify all potential environmental liabilities or risks associated with a property. Unless required by applicable law, we may decide not to further investigate, remedy or ameliorate the liabilities disclosed in the Phase I assessments.
Further, these or other environmental studies may not identify all potential environmental liabilities or accurately assess whether we will incur material environmental liabilities in the future. If we do incur material environmental liabilities in the future, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock could be materially adversely affected.
Our real estate business is subject to risks from climate change.
Our real estate business is subject to risks associated with climate change. Climate change could trigger extreme weather and changes in precipitation, temperature, and air quality, all of which may result in physical damage to, or a decrease in demand for, our properties located in the areas affected by these conditions. Further, the assessment of the potential impact of climate change has impacted the activities of government authorities, the pattern of consumer behavior, and other areas that impact the business environment in the United States, including, but not limited to, energy-efficiency measures, water-use measures, and land-use practices. The promulgation of policies, laws or regulations relating to climate change by governmental authorities in the U.S. and the markets in which the Company owns real estate may require the Company to invest additional capital in our properties.
Most of our properties are located in California. To the extent that climate change impacts changes in weather patterns, our markets could experience increases in extreme weather. For example, many of our properties are located in areas that have been impacted by drought and, as such, face the risk of increased water costs and potential fines and/or penalties for high consumption. There can be no assurances that we will successfully mitigate the risk of increased water costs and potential fines and/or penalties for high consumption.
Climate change may also have indirect effects on our business by increasing the cost of, or decreasing the availability of, property insurance on terms we find acceptable or at all, or by increasing the cost of energy (or water, as described above). There can be no assurance that climate change will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Compliance with the ADA and fire, safety and other regulations may require us to make unanticipated expenditures and/or increase our operating costs that could significantly reduce the cash available for distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Our properties are subject to regulation under federal laws, such as the ADA, pursuant to which all public accommodations must meet federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Although we believe that our properties substantially comply with present requirements of the ADA, we have not conducted an audit or investigation of all of our properties to determine our compliance. If one or more of our properties or future properties are not in compliance with the ADA, we might be required to take remedial action, which would require us to incur additional costs to bring the property into compliance. Noncompliance with the ADA could also result in imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants.
Additional federal, state and local laws also may require modifications to our properties or restrict our ability to renovate our properties. We cannot predict the ultimate amount of the cost of compliance with the ADA or other legislation.
In addition, our properties are subject to various federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local earthquake, fire and life safety requirements. Local regulations, including municipal or local ordinances, zoning restrictions and restrictive covenants imposed by community developers may restrict our use of our properties and may require us to obtain approval from local officials or community standards organizations at any time with respect to our properties, including prior to acquiring a property or when undertaking renovations of any of our existing properties. If we were to fail to comply with these various requirements, we might incur governmental fines or private damage awards. If we incur substantial costs to comply with the ADA or any other regulatory requirements, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our
ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock could be materially adversely affected.
Further, existing and future rent control or rent stabilization laws and regulations, along with similar laws and regulations that expand tenants’ rights or impose additional costs on landlords, may reduce rental revenues or increase operating costs on our multifamily portfolio. Such laws and regulations limit our ability to charge market rents, increase rents, evict tenants or recover increases in our operating expenses and could reduce the value of our multifamily portfolio or make it more difficult for us to dispose of properties in certain circumstances. Expenses associated with our investment in our multifamily portfolio, such as debt service, real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs, are generally not reduced when circumstances cause a reduction in rental income from our multifamily portfolio. As a result, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock could be materially adversely affected.
Inflation may adversely affect our real estate operations.
Inflation may remain high in 2024 relative to historical levels. Inflation has caused and will likely continue to cause our construction costs, maintenances costs, operating and general and administrative expenses and interest expenses to rise, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. See “We may be unable to sell a property if or when we decide to do so, including as a result of uncertain market conditions or high inflation,” “-Income from our long-term leases at our office properties is an important source of our cash flow from operations and is subject to risks related to increases in expenses and inflation,” “-We face risks associated with development, redevelopment, repositioning or construction of real estate projects,” “-High interest rates may make it difficult for us to finance or refinance assets, which could reduce the number of properties we can acquire and the amount of cash distributions we can make” and “-Supply chain disruption and increased costs in labor and materials may adversely affect our real estate operations.”
Supply chain disruption and increased costs in labor and materials may adversely affect our real estate operations.
The construction and building industry, similar to many other industries, has been experiencing worldwide supply chain disruptions due to a multitude of factors that are beyond our control, including, without limitation, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East. Materials, parts and labor have also increased in cost over the past year or more, sometimes significantly and over a short period of time. This could impact our ability to timely deliver spaces to tenants or complete tenant buildout or complete redevelopment or development projects. In addition, we may incur costs in the process that exceeds our original estimates due to increased costs for materials or labor or other costs that are unexpected. All of these occurrences could affect our ability to achieve the expected value of a lease, redevelopment or development, thereby adversely affecting our profitability.
Our participation in co-investments may subject us to risks that otherwise may not be present in other real estate assets.
We have entered into, and expect to continue to enter into, co-investments with respect to a portion of the properties we acquire. Co-investments involve risks generally not otherwise present with an investment in other real estate assets, such as the following:
•the risk that a co-owner may at any time have economic or business interests or goals that are or become inconsistent with our business interests or goals;
•the risk that a co-owner may be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests or contrary to our policies, objectives or status as a REIT;
•the possibility that an individual co-owner might become insolvent or bankrupt, or otherwise default under the applicable mortgage loan financing documents, which may constitute an event of default under all of the applicable mortgage loan financing documents, result in a foreclosure and the loss of all or a substantial portion of the investment made by the co-owner, or allow the bankruptcy court to reject the agreements entered into by the co-owners owning interests in the property;
•the possibility that a co-owner might not have adequate liquid assets to make cash advances that may be required in order to fund operations, maintenance and other expenses related to the property, which could result in the loss of current or prospective tenants and may otherwise adversely affect the operation and maintenance of the property, and could cause a default under the applicable mortgage loan financing documents and may result in late charges, penalties and interest, and may lead to the exercise of foreclosure and other remedies by the lender;
•the risk that a co-owner could breach agreements related to the property, which may cause a default under, and possibly result in personal liability in connection with, any mortgage loan financing documents applicable to the property or result in a foreclosure or otherwise adversely affect the property and the co-investment;
•the risk that we could have limited control and rights, with management decisions made entirely by a third party; and
•the possibility that we will not have the right to sell the property at a time that otherwise could result in the property being sold for its maximum value.
In the event that our interests become adverse to those of the other co-owners, we may not have the contractual right to purchase the co-investment interests from the other co-owners. Even if we are given the opportunity to purchase such co-investment interests in the future, we cannot guarantee that we will have sufficient funds available at the time to purchase co-investment interests from the co-owners.
We might want to sell our co-investment interests in a given property or other investment at a time when the other co-owners in such property or investment do not desire to sell their interests. Therefore, because we anticipate that it will be much more difficult to find a willing buyer for our co-investment interests in an investment than it would be to find a buyer for a property we owned outright, we may not be able to sell our co-investment interest in a property at the time we would like to sell.
Our manager faces conflicts of interest relating to joint ventures or other co-investment arrangements that we may enter into with CIM or its affiliates, which could result in a disproportionate benefit to CIM or its affiliates.
We have entered and expect to continue to enter into joint ventures or co-investments (including co-investment transactions) with CIM, its affiliates or vehicles managed or operated by CIM for the acquisition, development or redevelopment of real estate-related assets. Since personnel of CIM involved in managing and operating our business are also involved in the business and operations of CIM, its affiliates and other vehicles managed or operated by CIM, CIM may face conflicts of interest in determining which real estate program should enter into any particular joint venture or co-investment. These persons also may have a conflict in structuring the terms of the relationship between us and any affiliated co-venturer or co-owner, as well as conflicts of interest in managing the joint venture, which may result in the co-venturer or co-owner receiving benefits greater than the benefits that we receive.
In the event we enter into joint ventures or other co-investments with CIM, its affiliates or vehicles managed or operated by CIM, the Administrator may have a conflict of interest when determining when and whether to buy or sell a particular property, or to make or dispose of another real estate-related asset. In the event we enter into a joint venture or other co-investments with CIM, its affiliates or vehicles managed or operated by CIM that has a term shorter than ours, the joint venture may be required to sell its properties earlier than we may desire to sell the properties. Even if the terms of any joint venture or other co-investments between us and CIM, its affiliates or vehicles operated or managed by CIM grant us the right of first refusal to buy such properties, we may not have sufficient funds or borrowing capacity to exercise our right of first refusal under these circumstances.
Risks Related to Debt Financing
We have incurred significant indebtedness and may incur significant additional indebtedness on a consolidated basis.
We have incurred significant indebtedness and may incur significant additional indebtedness to fund future acquisitions, development activities and operational needs. The degree of leverage could make us more vulnerable to a downturn in business or the economy generally.
Payments of principal and interest on our borrowings may leave us with insufficient cash resources to operate our properties and/or pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. The incurrence of substantial outstanding indebtedness, and the limitations imposed by our debt agreements, could have significant other adverse consequences, including the following:
•our cash flows may be insufficient to meet our required principal and interest payments;
•we may be unable to borrow additional funds as needed or on favorable terms, which could, among other things, adversely affect our liquidity for acquisitions or operations;
•we may be unable to refinance our indebtedness at maturity or the refinancing terms may be less favorable than the terms of our existing indebtedness;
•we may be forced to dispose of one or more of our properties, possibly on disadvantageous terms;
•we may violate restrictive covenants in our debt documents, which would entitle the lenders to accelerate our debt obligations;
•we may default on our obligations and the lenders or mortgagees may foreclose on our properties and take possession of any collateral that secures their loans; and
•our default under any of our indebtedness with cross-default provisions could result in a default on other indebtedness.
If any one of these events occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be materially adversely affected. In addition, any foreclosure on our properties could create taxable income without the accompanying cash proceeds, which could adversely affect our ability to meet the REIT distribution requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
We intend to rely in part on external sources of capital to fund future capital needs and, if we encounter difficulty in obtaining such capital, we may not be able to meet maturing obligations or make additional acquisitions.
In order to qualify and maintain our qualification as a REIT under the Code, we are required, among other things, to distribute annually to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which does not equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP), determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding any net capital gain. Because of this dividend requirement, we may not be able to fund from cash retained from operations all of our future capital needs, including capital needed to refinance maturing obligations or make new acquisitions.
The capital and credit markets have experienced volatility and disruption as a result of the sharp rise in interest rates as a result of the Federal Reserve’s attempt to combat inflation. We believe that such volatility and disruption are likely to continue into the foreseeable future. Market volatility and disruption could hinder our ability to obtain new debt financing or refinance our maturing debt on favorable terms or at all or to raise debt and equity capital. Our access to capital will depend upon a number of factors, including:
•general market conditions;
•government action or regulation, including changes in tax law;
•the market’s perception of our future growth potential;
•the extent of stockholder interest;
•analyst reports about us and the REIT industry;
•the general reputation of REITs and the attractiveness of their equity securities in comparison to other equity securities, including securities issued by other real estate-based companies;
•our financial performance and that of our tenants;
•our current debt levels;
•our current and expected future earnings; and
•our cash flow and cash distributions, including our ability to satisfy the dividend requirements applicable to REITs.
If we are unable to obtain needed capital on satisfactory terms or at all, we may not be able to meet our obligations and commitments as they mature or make any new acquisitions.
High interest rates may make it difficult for us to finance or refinance assets, which could reduce the number of properties we can acquire and the amount of cash distributions we can make.
Interest rates may remain high in 2024 relative to historical levels. If interest rates remain elevated, we run the risk of being unable to finance or refinance our assets on favorable terms or at all. If interest rates are high when we desire to mortgage our assets or when existing loans come due and the assets need to be refinanced, we may not be able to, or may choose not to, finance the assets and we would be required to use cash to purchase or repay outstanding obligations. Our inability to use debt to finance or refinance our assets could reduce the number of assets we can acquire, which could reduce our operating cash flow and the amount of cash distributions we can make on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. Higher costs of capital also could negatively impact our operating cash flow and returns on our assets.
Increases in interest rates could increase the amount of our debt payments and adversely affect our ability to pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
We have incurred indebtedness, and in the future may incur additional indebtedness, that bears interest at a variable rate. A continued high interest rate environment, which is the economic environment that the Company expects to face in 2024, will result in increases in the variable rate component of our indebtedness. As of December 31, 2023, we have $153.2 million outstanding under the 2022 credit facility and $27.1 million outstanding under our junior subordinated notes, all of which bear interest at a variable rate. We have not hedged our interest rate with respect to variable rate indebtedness. As a result, increases in interest rates will increase the amounts payable under such indebtedness, which will reduce our operating cash flows and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. In addition, if our existing indebtedness matures or otherwise becomes payable during a period of rising interest rates, we could be required to liquidate one or more of our assets at times that may prevent realization of the maximum return on such assets.
We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our debt service obligations.
Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness, and to fund our operations, working capital and capital expenditures, depends on our ability to generate cash. To a certain extent, our cash flow is subject to general economic, industry, financial, competitive, operating, legislative, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
We cannot assure our stockholders that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future sources of cash will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay amounts due on our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs.
Additionally, if we incur additional indebtedness in connection with any future deployment of capital or development projects or for any other purpose, our debt service obligations could increase. We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness before maturity. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness or obtain additional financing will depend on, among other things:
•our financial condition and market conditions at the time;
•restrictions in the agreements governing our indebtedness;
•general economic and capital market conditions;
•the availability of credit from banks or other lenders; and
•our results of operations.
As a result, we may not be able to refinance our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations, and additional borrowings or refinancing or proceeds of asset sales or other sources of cash are not available to us, we may not have sufficient cash to enable us to meet all of our obligations. Accordingly, if we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as seeking additional equity, or delaying any strategic acquisitions and alliances or capital expenditures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to make distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
In connection with providing us financing, a lender could impose restrictions on us that affect our distribution and operating policies and our ability to incur additional debt. Loan documents we enter into may contain covenants that limit our ability to further mortgage the property or discontinue insurance coverage. These or other limitations imposed by a lender may adversely affect our flexibility and limit our ability to pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Interest-only indebtedness may increase our risk of default and ultimately may reduce our funds available for distribution on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
We may finance some of our property acquisitions using interest-only mortgage indebtedness. During the interest-only period, the amount of each scheduled payment will be less than that of a traditional amortizing mortgage loan. The principal balance of the mortgage loan will not be reduced (except in the case of prepayments) because there are no scheduled monthly payments of principal during this period. After the interest-only period, we will be required either to make scheduled payments of amortized principal and interest or to make a lump-sum or “balloon” payment at maturity. These required payments will increase the amount of our scheduled payments and may increase our risk of default under the related mortgage loan. If the mortgage loan has an adjustable interest rate, the amount of our scheduled payments also may increase at a time of rising
interest rates. Increased payments and substantial principal or balloon payments will reduce the funds available for distribution on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock because cash otherwise available for distribution will be required to pay principal and interest associated with these mortgage loans.
Our ability to make a balloon payment at maturity is uncertain and may depend upon our ability to obtain additional financing or our ability to sell the property. At the time the balloon payment is due, we may or may not be able to refinance the loan on terms as favorable as the original loan or sell the property at a price sufficient to make the balloon payment. The effect of a refinancing or sale could affect the rate of return to stockholders and the projected time of disposition of our assets. In addition, payments of principal and interest made to service our debts may leave us with insufficient cash to pay the distributions that we are required to pay to maintain our qualification as a REIT. Any of these results would have a significant, negative impact on the value of our securities.
We may in the future enter into hedging transactions that could expose us to contingent liabilities in the future and materially adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT, we may in the future enter into hedging transactions that could require us to fund cash payments in certain circumstances (e.g., the early termination of the hedging instrument caused by an event of default or other early termination event, or the decision by a counterparty to request margin securities it is contractually owed under the terms of the hedging instrument), which could in turn result in economic losses to us.
In addition, certain of the hedging instruments that we may enter into could involve additional risks if they are not traded on regulated exchanges, guaranteed by an exchange or our clearing house, or regulated by any U.S. or foreign governmental authorities. It cannot be assured that a liquid secondary market will exist for hedging instruments that we may enter into in the future, and we may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in significant losses.
We intend to record any derivative and hedging transactions we enter into in accordance with GAAP. However, we may choose not to pursue, or fail to qualify for, hedge accounting treatment relating to such derivative instruments. As a result, our operating results may suffer because losses, if any, on these derivative instruments may not be offset by a change in the fair value of the related hedged transaction or item. Any losses sustained as a result of our hedging transactions would be reflected in our results of operations, and our ability to fund these obligations will depend on the liquidity of our assets and access to capital at the time, and the need to fund these obligations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Risks Related to Our Lending Operations
Our lending operations expose us to a high degree of risk associated with real estate.
The performance and value of our loans depends upon many factors beyond our control. The ultimate performance and value of our loans are subject to risks associated with the ownership and operation of the properties which collateralize our loans, including the property owner’s ability to operate the property with sufficient cash flow to meet debt service requirements. The performance and value of the properties collateralizing our loans may be adversely affected by:
•changes in national or regional economic conditions;
•changes in real estate market conditions due to changes in national, regional or local economic conditions or property market characteristics;
•competition from other properties;
•changes in interest rates and the condition of the debt and equity capital markets;
•the ongoing need for capital repairs and improvements;
•increases in real estate tax rates and other operating expenses (including utilities);
•adverse changes in governmental rules and fiscal policies; acts of God, including earthquakes, hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters; pandemic outbreaks and other global health emergencies; disruptive global political events, including terrorist activity and war (including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, which has led to disruption, instability and volatility in global markets and industries); or a decrease in the availability of or an increase in the cost of insurance;
•adverse changes in zoning laws;
•the impact of environmental legislation and compliance with environmental laws; and
•other factors that are beyond our control or the control of the commercial property owners.
In the event that any of the properties underlying our loans experience any of the foregoing events or occurrences, the value of, and return on, such loans may be negatively impacted, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
There are significant risks related to loans originated under the SBA 7(a) Program.
Many of the borrowers under our SBA 7(a) Program are privately-owned businesses. There is typically no publicly available information about these businesses; therefore, we must rely on our own due diligence to obtain information in connection with our decisions. Our borrowers may not meet net income, cash flow and other coverage tests typically imposed by banks. A borrower’s ability to repay its loan may be adversely impacted by numerous factors, including a downturn in its industry or other negative local or macro-economic conditions. Deterioration in a borrower’s financial condition and prospects may be accompanied by deterioration in the collateral for the loan. In addition, small businesses typically depend on the management talents and efforts of one person or a small group of people for their success. The loss of services of one or more of these persons could have an adverse impact on the operations of the small business. Small companies are typically more vulnerable to customer preferences, market conditions and economic downturns and often need additional capital to maintain the business, expand or compete. These factors may have an impact on the ultimate recovery of our loans receivable from such businesses. Loans to small businesses, therefore, involve a high degree of business and financial risk, which can result in substantial losses and accordingly should be considered speculative. The factors described above could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Our loans secured by real estate and our REO properties are typically illiquid and their values may decrease.
Our loans secured by real estate and our real estate acquired through foreclosure are typically illiquid. Therefore, we may be unable to vary our portfolio promptly in response to changing economic, financial and investment conditions. As a result, the fair market value of these assets may decrease in the future and losses may result. The illiquid nature of our loans may adversely affect our ability to dispose of such loans at times when it may be advantageous or necessary for us to liquidate such assets, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Our lending operations have an industry concentration, which may negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.
A majority of our revenue from the lending operations is generated from loans collateralized by hospitality properties. As of December 31, 2023, all of our loans subject to credit risk were concentrated in the hospitality industry. Any factors that negatively impact the hospitality industry, including the outbreak of pandemics, recessions, severe weather events (such as hurricanes, blizzards, floods, etc.), depressed commercial real estate markets, travel restrictions, bankruptcies or other political or geopolitical events or the introduction of new concepts and products such as Airbnb®, Homeaway® and VRBO®, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Establishing loan loss reserves entails significant judgment and may negatively impact our results of operations.
We have a quarterly review process to identify and evaluate potential exposure to loan losses. The determination of whether significant doubt exists and whether a loan loss reserve is necessary requires judgment and consideration of the facts and circumstances existing at the evaluation date. Additionally, further changes to the facts and circumstances of the individual borrowers, the limited service hospitality industry and the economy may require the establishment of additional loan loss reserves and the effect to our results of operations would be adverse. If our judgments underlying the establishment of our loan loss reserves are not correct, our results of operations may be negatively impacted.
Whenever our borrowers experience significant operating difficulties and we are forced to liquidate the collateral underlying the loans, losses may be relatively substantial and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Our SBA 7(a) Program loans are subject to delinquency, foreclosure and loss, any or all of which could result in losses.
Our loans originated pursuant to the SBA 7(a) Program are collateralized by income-producing properties and typically have personal guarantees. These loans are predominantly to operators of limited service hospitality properties. As a
result, these operators are subject to risks associated with the hospitality industry, including the outbreak of pandemics, recessions, severe weather events, depressed commercial real estate markets, travel restrictions, bankruptcies or other political or geopolitical events.
Our SBA 7(a) loans that have real estate as collateral are subject to risks of delinquency and foreclosure. The ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by an income-producing property typically is dependent primarily upon the successful operation of such property rather than upon the existence of independent income or assets of the borrower. If the net operating income of and/or cash flow from the property is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Net operating income of and/or cash flow from an income-producing property can be affected by, among other things, tenant mix, success of tenant businesses, onsite property management decisions, property location and condition, competition from comparable types of properties, changes in laws that increase operating expenses or limit rents that may be charged, any need to address environmental contamination at the property, the occurrence of any uninsured casualty at the property, changes in national, regional or local economic conditions and/or specific industry segments, declines in regional or local real estate values, declines in regional or local rental or occupancy rates, increases in interest rates, real estate tax rates and other operating expenses, changes in governmental rules, regulations and fiscal policies, including environmental legislation, acts of God, terrorism, social unrest and civil disturbances.
In the event of a loan default, we will bear a risk of loss of principal to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral multiplied by our percentage ownership and the unguaranteed portion of the principal and accrued interest on the loan. In the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower, the loan to such borrower will be deemed collateralized only to the extent of the value of the underlying property at the time of the bankruptcy (as determined by the bankruptcy court). In addition to losses related to collateral deficiencies, during the foreclosure process we may incur costs related to the protection of our collateral including unpaid real estate taxes, legal fees, franchise fees, insurance and operating shortfalls to the extent the property is being operated by a court-appointed receiver.
Foreclosure and bankruptcy are complex and sometimes lengthy processes that are subject to federal and state laws and regulations. An action to foreclose on a property is subject to many of the delays and expenses of other lawsuits if the defendant raises defenses or counterclaims. In the event of a default by a mortgagor, these restrictions, among other things, may impede our ability to foreclose on or sell the mortgaged property or to obtain proceeds sufficient to repay all amounts due under the note. Further, borrowers have the option of seeking federal bankruptcy protection which could delay the foreclosure process. In conjunction with the bankruptcy process, the terms of the loan agreements may be modified. Typically, delays in the foreclosure process will have a negative impact on our results of operations and/or financial condition due to direct and indirect costs incurred and possible deterioration of the value of the collateral. After foreclosure has been completed, a lack of funds or capital may force us to sell the underlying property resulting in a lower recovery even though developing the property prior to a sale could result in a higher recovery.
As a result of the factors described above, defaults on SBA 7(a) Program loans could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Curtailment of our ability to utilize the SBA 7(a) Program by the federal government could adversely affect our results of operations.
We are dependent upon the federal government to maintain the SBA 7(a) Program. There can be no assurance that the program will be maintained or that loans will continue to be guaranteed at current levels. In addition, there can be no assurance that our SBA lending subsidiary, First Western SBLC, Inc. (“First Western”) will be able to maintain its status as a “Preferred Lender” under PLP (as defined below) or that we can maintain our SBA 7(a) license.
If we cannot continue originating and selling government guaranteed loans at current levels of profitability, we could experience a decrease in future servicing spreads and earned premiums. From time-to-time the SBA has reached its internal budgeted limits and ceased to guarantee loans for a stated period of time. In addition, the SBA may change its rules regarding loans or Congress may adopt legislation or fail to approve a budget that would have the effect of discontinuing, reducing availability of funds for, or changing loan programs. Non-governmental programs could replace government programs for some borrowers, but the terms might not be equally acceptable. If these changes occur, the volume of loans to small businesses that now qualify for government guaranteed loans could decline, as could the profitability of these loans.
First Western has been granted national preferred lender program (“PLP”) status and originates, sells and services small business loans and is authorized to place SBA guarantees on loans without seeking prior SBA review and approval. Being a national lender, PLP status allows First Western to expedite loans since First Western is not required to present applications to the SBA for concurrent review and approval. The loss of PLP status could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
If our lending operation fails to comply with SBA regulations in connection with the origination, servicing, or liquidation of an SBA 7(a) loan, liability on the SBA guaranty, in whole or part, could be transferred back to our lending operations.
Many of the loans originated by our lending operations are under the auspices of the SBA 7(a) program. If we fail to comply with SBA’s regulations in connection with the origination, servicing, or liquidation of an SBA 7(a) loan, the SBA may be released from liability on its guaranty of a 7(a) loan, and may refuse to honor a guaranty purchase request in full (referred to by SBA as a “denial”) or in part (referred to by SBA as a “repair”), or recover all or part of the funds already paid in connection with a guaranty purchase. In the event of a repair or denial, liability on the SBA guaranty, in whole or part, would be transferred back to our lending operations, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
We operate in a competitive market for real estate opportunities and future competition for commercial real estate collateralized loans may limit our ability to originate or dispose of our target loans and could also affect the yield of these loans.
We are in competition with a number of entities for the types of commercial real estate collateralized loans that we may originate. These entities include, among others, debt funds, specialty finance companies, savings and loan associations, banks and financial institutions. Some of these competitors may be substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. Some of these competitors may also have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that may not be available to us currently. In addition, many of our competitors may not be subject to operating constraints associated with REIT qualification or maintenance of exclusions from registration under the Investment Company Act. Furthermore, competition may further limit our ability to generate desired returns. Due to this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive opportunities from time to time, and can offer no assurance that we will be able to identify and deploy our capital in a manner consistent with our objective. We cannot guarantee that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
We may be subject to lender liability claims.
In recent years, a number of judicial decisions have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has either violated a duty, whether implied or contractual, of good faith and fair dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or our other creditors or stockholders. There can be no assurance that that such claims will not arise or that we will not be subject to significant liability if a claim of this type did arise.
U.S. Federal Income and Other Tax Risks
Failure to qualify and maintain our qualification as a REIT would have significant adverse consequences to us and the value of our securities.
We believe that we are organized and qualify as a REIT and intend to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT. However, we cannot guarantee that we are qualified as such, or that we will remain qualified as such in the future. This is because qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Code as to which there are only limited judicial and administrative interpretations and involves the determination of facts and circumstances not entirely within our control. Future legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions may significantly change the tax laws or the application of the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes or the federal income tax consequences of such qualification.
If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we could face serious tax consequences that could substantially reduce our funds available for payment of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock for each of the years involved because:
•we would not be allowed a deduction for dividends paid to stockholders in computing our taxable income and would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates;
•we also could be subject to increased state and local taxes; and
•unless we are entitled to relief under statutory provisions, we could not elect to be subject to be taxed as a REIT for four taxable years following the year during which we are disqualified.
Any such corporate tax liability could be substantial and would reduce our cash available for, among other things, our operations and distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. As a result of these factors, our failure to qualify as a REIT could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. If we fail to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and are able to avail ourselves of one or more of the relief provisions under the Code in order to maintain our REIT status, we might nevertheless be required to pay certain penalty taxes for each such failure.
Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates available for some dividends.
Income from “qualified dividends” payable to U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates are generally subject to tax at preferential rates. Dividends payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for the preferential tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income. Although these rules do not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, to the extent that the preferential rates continue to apply to regular corporate qualified dividends, investors that are individuals, trusts and estates may perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could materially and adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including the per share trading price of our securities. However, for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, non-corporate U.S. stockholders of REITs may deduct up to 20% of any “qualified REIT dividends.” A qualified REIT dividend is defined as any dividend from a REIT that is not a capital gain dividend or a dividend attributable to dividend income from U.S. corporations or certain non-U.S. corporations. A non-corporate U.S. stockholder’s ability to claim a deduction equal to 20% of qualified REIT dividends received may be limited by the stockholder’s particular circumstances.
Our ownership of and relationship with our taxable REIT subsidiaries will be limited, and a failure to comply with the limits would jeopardize our REIT status and may result in the application of a 100% excise tax.
Subject to certain restrictions, a REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”). A TRS may hold assets and earn income that would not be qualifying assets or income if held or earned directly by the REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a TRS. A corporation of which a TRS directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a TRS. Overall, no more than 20% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs. A TRS generally will pay income tax at regular corporate rates on any taxable income that it earns. In addition, the TRS rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT to assure that the TRS is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. The rules also impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis.
Our TRSs are subject to normal corporate income taxes. We continuously monitor the value of our investments in TRSs for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the rule that no more than 20% of the value of our assets may consist of TRS stock and securities (which is applied at the end of each calendar quarter). The aggregate value of our TRS stock and securities was less than 20% of the value of our total assets (including our TRS stock and securities) as of December 31, 2023. In addition, we scrutinize all of our transactions with our TRSs for the purpose of ensuring that they are entered into on arm’s-length terms in order to avoid incurring the 100% excise tax described above. There are no distribution requirements applicable to the TRSs and after-tax earnings may be retained. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to comply with the 20% limitation on ownership of TRS stock and securities on an ongoing basis so as to maintain REIT status or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax imposed on certain non-arm’s-length transactions.
We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes that could increase our tax liability or reduce our operating flexibility.
In recent years, numerous legislative, judicial and administrative changes have been made in the provisions of U.S. federal income tax laws applicable to investments similar to an investment in shares of our capital stock. Additional changes to the tax laws are likely to continue to occur, and we cannot assure our stockholders that any such changes will not adversely affect our taxation and our ability to continue to qualify as a REIT or the taxation of a stockholder. Any such changes could have an adverse effect on an investment in our shares or on the market value or the resale potential of our assets. Our stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the impact of recent legislation on their investment in our shares and the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our shares or on our ability to continue to qualify as a REIT. Even changes that do not impose greater taxes on us could potentially result in adverse consequences to our stockholders. Although REITs generally receive better tax treatment than entities taxed as regular corporations, it is possible that future legislation (such as a decrease in corporate tax rates) would result in a REIT having fewer tax advantages, and it could decrease the attractiveness of the REIT structure relative to companies that are not organized as REITs. As a result, our charter provides our Board of Directors with the power, under
certain circumstances, to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election and cause us to be taxed as a regular corporation, without the vote of our stockholders. Our Board of Directors has fiduciary duties to us and our stockholders and could only cause such changes in our tax treatment if it determines in good faith that such changes are in the best interests of our stockholders.
In certain circumstances, we may be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes as a REIT, which would reduce our cash available for distribution on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Even if we qualify and maintain our status as a REIT, we may be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes. For example, net income from the sale of properties that are “dealer” properties sold by a REIT (a “prohibited transaction” under the Code) will be subject to a 100% excise tax, and some state and local jurisdictions may tax some or all of our income because not all states and localities treat REITs the same as they are treated for federal income tax purposes. Any federal, state or local taxes we pay will reduce our cash available for distribution on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. Moreover, as discussed above, our TRSs are generally subject to corporate income taxes and excise taxes in certain cases. Additionally, if we are not able to make sufficient distributions to eliminate our REIT taxable income, we may be subject to tax as a corporation on our undistributed REIT taxable income. We may also decide to retain income we earn from the sale or other dispositions of our properties and pay income tax directly on such income. In that event, our stockholders would be treated as if they earned that income and paid the tax on it directly. However, stockholders that are tax-exempt, such as charities or qualified pension plans, would have no benefit from their deemed payment of such tax liability.
REIT annual distribution requirements may force us to forgo otherwise attractive opportunities or borrow funds during unfavorable market conditions. This could delay or hinder our ability to meet our objectives and reduce our stockholders’ overall return.
In order to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute annually to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which does not equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP), determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding any net capital gain. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our undistributed taxable income and net capital gain and to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which dividends we pay with respect to any calendar year are less than the sum of (i) 85% of our ordinary income, (ii) 95% of our capital gain net income and (iii) 100% of our undistributed income from prior years.
Further, to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must ensure that we meet the REIT gross income tests annually and that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified REIT real estate assets, including certain mortgage loans and certain kinds of mortgage-related securities. The remainder of our investment in securities (other than government securities, qualified real estate assets and stock of a TRS) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets (other than government securities, qualified real estate assets and stock of a TRS) can consist of the securities of any one issuer, no more than 20% of the value of our total assets can be represented by securities of one or more TRSs and no more than 25% of the value of our total assets can be represented by certain debt securities of publicly offered REITs. If we fail to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we must correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification and suffering adverse tax consequences.
The foregoing requirements could cause us to distribute amounts that otherwise would be spent on deploying capital in real estate assets and it is possible that we might be required to borrow funds, possibly at unfavorable rates, or sell assets to fund these dividends or make taxable stock dividends. Although we intend to make distributions sufficient to meet the annual distribution requirements and to avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes on our earnings, it is possible that we might not always be able to do so.
Non-U.S. stockholders may be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax and may be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon the disposition of our shares.
Gain recognized by a non-U.S. stockholder upon the sale or exchange of shares of our capital stock generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless such stock constitutes a “U.S. real property interest” (“USRPI”) under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”). Shares of our capital stock will not constitute a USRPI so long as we are a “domestically-controlled qualified investment entity.” A domestically-controlled qualified investment entity includes a REIT if at all times during a specified testing period, less than 50% in value of such REIT’s stock is held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. stockholders. We believe that we are a domestically-controlled qualified investment entity. However, because our capital stock is and will be freely transferable (other than restrictions on ownership and transfer that are intended to, among other purposes, assist us in maintaining our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes as described in the
risk factor “The share transfer and ownership restrictions applicable to REITs and contained in our charter may inhibit market activity in our shares of stock and restrict our business combination opportunities”), no assurance can be given that we are or will be a domestically-controlled qualified investment entity.
Even if we do not qualify as a domestically-controlled qualified investment entity at the time a non-U.S. stockholder sells or exchanges shares of our capital stock, gain arising from such a sale or exchange would not be subject to U.S. taxation under FIRPTA as a sale of a USRPI if: (i) the class of shares of capital stock sold or exchanged is “regularly traded,” as defined by applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, on an established securities market, and (ii) such non-U.S. stockholder owned, actually or constructively, 10% or less of the outstanding shares of such class of capital stock at all times during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the sale and the period that such non-U.S. stockholder owned such shares. If the class of shares of capital stock sold or exchanged is not “regularly traded,” gain arising from such sale or exchange would not be subject to U.S. taxation under FIRPTA as a sale of a USRPI if: (A) on the date the shares were acquired by the non-U.S. stockholder, such shares did not have a fair market value greater than the fair market value on that date of 5% of the “regularly traded” class of our outstanding shares of capital stock with the lowest fair market value, and (B) the test in clause (A) is also satisfied as of the date of any subsequent acquisition by such non-U.S. stockholder of additional shares of the same non-“regularly traded” class of our capital stock, including all such shares owned as of such date by such non-U.S. stockholder. Complex constructive ownership rules apply for purposes of determining the amount of shares held by a non-U.S. stockholder for these purposes.
Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge our liabilities effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities.
The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge our liabilities. Any income from a hedging transaction we enter into to manage risk of interest rate changes, price changes or currency fluctuations with respect to borrowings made or to be made to acquire or carry real estate assets or to offset certain other positions, if properly identified under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, does not constitute “gross income” for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, the income from those transactions will likely be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of one or both of the gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may need to limit our use of advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a TRS. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities because our TRSs would be subject to tax on gains or expose us to greater risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, losses in a TRS generally will not provide any tax benefit, except for being carried forward against future taxable income of such TRS.
Our property taxes could increase due to property tax rate changes or reassessment, which would impact our cash flows.
We will be required to pay some state and local taxes on our properties. The real property taxes on our properties may increase as property tax rates change or as our properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. Therefore, the amount of property taxes we pay in the future may increase substantially. If the property taxes we pay increase and if any such increase is not reimbursable under the terms of our lease, then our cash flows will be impacted, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
REIT stockholders can receive taxable income without cash distributions.
Under certain circumstances, REITs are permitted to pay required dividends in shares of their stock rather than in cash. If we were to avail ourselves of that option, our stockholders could be required to pay taxes on such stock distributions without the benefit of cash distributions to pay the resulting taxes.
The share transfer and ownership restrictions applicable to REITs and contained in our charter may inhibit market activity in our shares of stock and restrict our business combination opportunities.
In order to continue to qualify as a REIT, five or fewer individuals, as defined in the Code, may not own, actually or constructively, more than 50% in value of our issued and outstanding shares of stock at any time during the last half of each taxable year, other than the first year for which a REIT election is made. Attribution rules in the Code determine if any individual or entity actually or constructively owns our shares of stock under this requirement. Additionally, at least 100 persons must beneficially own our shares of stock during at least 335 days of a taxable year for each taxable year, other than the first year for which a REIT election is made. To help ensure that we meet these tests, among other purposes, our charter restricts the acquisition and ownership of our shares of stock.
Our charter, with certain exceptions, authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and advisable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. Unless exempted by the Board of Directors, for as long as we continue to qualify as a REIT, our charter prohibits, among other limitations on ownership and transfer of shares of our stock, any person from
beneficially or constructively owning (applying certain attribution rules under the Code) more than 6.25% (in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of our outstanding shares of capital stock and more than 6.25% (in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our Common Stock. The Board of Directors, in its sole discretion and upon receipt of certain representations and undertakings, may exempt a person (prospectively or retrospectively) from the ownership limits. However, the Board of Directors may not, among other limitations, grant an exemption from these ownership restrictions to any proposed transferee whose ownership, direct or indirect, in excess of the 6.25% ownership limit would result in the termination of our qualification as a REIT. These restrictions on transfer and ownership will not apply, however, if the Board of Directors determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT or that compliance with the restrictions is no longer required in order for us to continue to so qualify as a REIT.
These ownership limits could delay or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our capital stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock and Preferred Stock
There is no public market for our Preferred Stock, and we do not expect any such market to develop.
There is no public market for our Preferred Stock, and we currently have no plan to list any of these securities on a securities exchange or to include any of these shares for quotation on any national securities market. Additionally, our charter contains restrictions on the ownership and transfer of our securities, and these restrictions may inhibit your ability to sell our Preferred Stock promptly or at all. If you are able to sell shares of our Preferred Stock, you may only be able to sell them at a substantial discount from the price you paid. Therefore, you should purchase our Preferred Stock only as a long term investment.
None of our Preferred Stock has been rated.
We have not obtained, and currently do not intend to obtain, a rating for the Series A1 Preferred Stock, Series A Preferred Stock or Series D Preferred Stock, and it is likely that none of such Preferred Stock will ever be rated. No assurance can be given, however, that one or more rating agencies will not independently determine to issue such a rating or that we will not elect in the future to obtain such a rating. Such a rating, if issued, may adversely affect the market price and/or liquidity of our Preferred Stock. Ratings only reflect the views of the rating agency or agencies issuing the ratings and such ratings could be revised downward, placed on negative outlook or withdrawn entirely at the discretion of the issuing rating agency if, in its judgment, circumstances so warrant. While ratings do not reflect market prices or the suitability of a security for a particular investor, such downward revision or withdrawal of a rating could have an adverse effect on the market price and/or liquidity of our Preferred Stock.
We may issue shares of our Common Stock at prices below the then-current NAV per share of our Common Stock, which could materially reduce our NAV per share of our Common Stock.
Any sale or other issuance of shares of our Common Stock by us at a price below the then-current NAV per share will result in an immediate reduction of our NAV per share. This reduction would occur as a result of a proportionately greater decrease in a stockholder’s interest in our earnings and assets than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance. For example, if we issue a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 5% of our then-outstanding shares at a 2% discount from NAV, a holder of our Common Stock who does not participate in that offering to the extent of its proportionate interest in the Company will suffer NAV dilution of up to 0.1%, or $1 per $1,000 of NAV. Currently, the trading price of our Common Stock is substantially below our NAV.
Changes in market conditions could adversely affect the market prices of our Common Stock.
The market value of our Common Stock, as with other publicly traded equity securities, will depend on various market conditions, which may change from time to time. In addition to the economic environment and future volatility in the securities and credit markets in general, the market conditions described in the risk factor “We intend to rely in part on external sources of capital to fund future capital needs and, if we encounter difficulty in obtaining such capital, we may not be able to meet maturing obligations or make additional acquisitions” may affect the value of our Common Stock.
The market value of our Common Stock is based, among other things, upon the market’s perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future earnings and cash dividends and our capital structure. Consequently, our Common Stock may trade at prices that are higher or lower than our NAV per share of Common Stock. If our future earnings or cash distributions are less than expected, the market prices of our Common Stock could decline.
Interest rates may remain high in 2024 relative to historical levels, which may result in a decline in the market price of our Common Stock. We believe that one of the factors that will influence the market price of our Common Stock will be the distribution yield on the Common Stock (as a percentage of the market price of our Common Stock) relative to market interest rates.
A high interest rate environment may lead potential purchasers of our Common Stock to seek a higher annual dividend rate from other investments. Potential purchasers of our Common Stock may expect a higher distribution rate on their investment. Higher market interest rates would not, however, result in more funds for us to pay distributions and, to the contrary, would likely increase our borrowing costs and potentially decrease funds available for distributions. Thus, higher market interest rates could cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline.
Our Common Stock ranks, with respect to dividends, junior to our Preferred Stock.
The rights of the holders of shares of our Common Stock to receive dividends rank junior to those of the holders of shares of our Preferred Stock.
Unless full cumulative dividends on shares of our Preferred Stock for all past dividend periods have been declared and paid (or set apart for payment), we will not declare or pay dividends with respect to any shares of our Common Stock for any period.
Our Common Stock ranks, with respect to rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, junior to our Preferred Stock.
Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, the holders of shares of Preferred Stock are entitled to receive a liquidation preference equal to the applicable stated values of such shares, plus all accrued but unpaid dividends on such shares, prior and in preference to any distribution on our Common Stock. The stated value of the Series A Preferred Stock is $25.00 per share, subject to adjustment (the “Series A Preferred Stock Stated Value”), the stated value of the Series A1 Preferred Stock is $25.00 per share, subject to adjustment (the “Series A1 Preferred Stock Stated Value”) and the stated value of the Series D Preferred Stock is $25.00 per share, subject to adjustment (the “Series D Preferred Stock Stated Value”).
Holders of our securities may be required to recognize taxable income in excess of any cash or other distributions received from us, and non-U.S. stockholders could be subject to withholding tax on such amounts.
The agreement governing our warrants to purchase 0.25 shares of Common Stock, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events specified in such agreement (“Series A Preferred Warrants”), provides that adjustments may be made to the exercise price or the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Series A Preferred Warrants. In certain cases, such an adjustment could result in the recognition of a taxable dividend to holders of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock or Series A Preferred Warrants even if such holders do not receive any cash or other distribution from us.
The redemption price of shares of Preferred Stock may be paid, in our sole discretion in cash or in shares of Common Stock, which ranks junior to our Preferred Stock.
We have the right, at our option and in our sole discretion, to pay the redemption price of shares of Preferred Stock, whether redeemed at our option or at the option of a holder, in cash or in shares of Common Stock. The redemption price of shares of our Preferred Stock may be paid, in our sole discretion, in cash in U.S. dollars (“USD”) or in equal value through the issuance of shares of Common Stock, based on the volume-weighted average price of our Common Stock for the 20 trading days prior to the redemption.
The rights of the holders of shares of our Common Stock as to distributions rank junior to the rights of the holders of shares of our Preferred Stock. Unless full cumulative dividends on shares of our Preferred Stock for all past dividend periods have been declared and paid (or set apart for payment), we will not declare or pay dividends with respect to any shares of our Common Stock for any period.
The rights of the holders of shares of our Common Stock upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company also rank junior to the rights of the holders of our Preferred Stock.
We have the option to redeem shares of Preferred Stock under certain circumstances without the consent of their holders.
From and after the fifth anniversary of the date of original issuance of any share of our Preferred Stock, we have the right (but not the obligation) to redeem such share at a redemption price equal to 100% of the stated value of such share, plus any accrued but unpaid dividends in respect of such share as of the effective date of the redemption.
We may suffer from delays in deploying capital, which could adversely affect our ability to pay distributions on our Common Stock and Preferred Stock and the value of our securities.
We could suffer from delays in deploying capital, particularly if the capital we raise (including in our current equity offering described in “Item 7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources-Sources and Uses of Funds”) outpaces our Operator’s ability to identify acquisitions and or close on them. Such delays, which may be caused by a number of factors, including competition in the market for the same real estate opportunities, may adversely affect our ability to pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock and/or the value of their overall returns on investment in our securities.
The cash distributions received by holders of our Preferred Stock and Common Stock may be less frequent or lower in amount than expected by such holders.
Our Board of Directors will determine the amount and timing of distributions on our Preferred Stock and Common Stock. In making this determination, our Board of Directors will consider all relevant factors, including the amount of cash resources available for distributions, capital spending plans, cash flow, financial position, applicable requirements of the MGCL and any applicable contractual restrictions. We cannot assure you that we will be able to consistently generate sufficient available cash flow to fund distributions on our Preferred Stock and Common Stock, nor can we assure you that sufficient cash will be available to make distributions on our Preferred Stock and Common Stock (in each case, even to the extent of the Initial Dividend). While holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, if, as and when authorized by our Board of Directors and declared by us out of legally available funds, cumulative cash dividends on each share of Preferred Stock at a specified rate, we cannot predict with certainty the timing of the payment of such distributions and we may be unable to pay or maintain such distributions over time.
Our ability to redeem shares of our Preferred Stock, or to pay distributions on our Preferred Stock and Common Stock, may be limited by Maryland law.
Under applicable Maryland law, a corporation may redeem, or pay distributions on, stock as long as, after giving effect to the redemption or distribution, the corporation is able to pay its debts as they become due in the usual course (the equity solvency test) and its total assets exceed the sum of its total liabilities plus, unless its charter permits otherwise, the amount that would be needed, if the corporation were to be dissolved at the time of the redemption or distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of stockholders when preferential rights on dissolution are superior to those whose stock is being redeemed or on which the distributions are being paid (the balance sheet solvency test). If the Company is insolvent at any time we are required to redeem any shares of our Preferred Stock, or at any time we are required to make a distribution on our Preferred Stock or Common Stock, the Company may not be able to effect such redemption or distribution.
Holders of our securities are subject to inflation risk.
Inflation is the reduction in the purchasing power of money resulting from the increase in the price of goods and services. Inflation risk is the risk that the inflation-adjusted, or “real,” value of an investment in our Common Stock and Preferred Stock, or the income from that investment, will be worth less in the future. As discussed under “Inflation may adversely affect our Real Estate Operations,” the United States is currently experiencing a high level of inflation. As inflation occurs, the real value of our Common Stock and Preferred Stock and distributions payable on such shares may decline because the rate of distribution will remain the same (with respect to our Preferred Stock) or may not rise with the pace of inflation (with respect to our Common Stock).
The transfer and ownership restrictions applicable to our securities may impair the ability of stockholders to receive shares of our Common Stock upon exercise of the Series A Preferred Warrants and, if the Company elects to pay the redemption price in shares of Common Stock, upon redemption of the Preferred Stock.
Our charter contains restrictions on ownership and transfer of the Preferred Stock and Common Stock that are intended to assist us in maintaining our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes as described in the risk factor “The share transfer and ownership restrictions applicable to REITs and contained in our charter may inhibit market activity in our shares of stock and restrict our business combination opportunities.” Additionally, the agreement governing the Series A Preferred Warrants provides that such Series A Preferred Warrants may not be exercised to the extent such exercise would result in the holder’s beneficial or constructive ownership of more than 6.25%, in number or value, whichever is more restrictive, of our outstanding shares of Common Stock immediately after giving effect to the issuance of such shares. These restrictions may impair the ability of stockholders to receive shares of our Common Stock upon exercise of the Series A Preferred Warrants and, if the Company elects to pay the redemption price in shares of Common Stock, upon redemption of the Preferred Stock.
The terms of our Preferred Stock do not contain any financial covenants.
The terms of our Preferred Stock do not limit our ability to incur indebtedness or make distributions or contain any other restrictive financial covenants. The Preferred Stock ranks subordinate to all of our existing and future debt and liabilities. Our future debt agreements may restrict our ability to pay distributions on our Preferred Stock or to redeem shares of preferred stock in the event of a default under such debt agreements or in other circumstances. In addition, while our Preferred Stock ranks senior to our Common Stock with respect to payment of dividends and distributions upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, we are allowed to pay dividends on our Common Stock so long as we are current in the payment of dividends on shares of our Preferred Stock. Further, the terms of our Preferred Stock do not restrict our ability to repurchase shares of our Common Stock so long as we are current in the payment of dividends on shares of our Preferred Stock. Such dividends on or repurchases of our Common Stock may reduce the amount of cash on hand to pay the redemption price of our Preferred Stock in cash (if we so choose).
Holders of our Preferred Stock have no voting rights with respect to such shares.
The terms of our Preferred Stock do not entitle holders to voting rights. Our Common Stock is currently the only class of our capital stock that carries any voting rights. Unless and until a holder of our Preferred Stock acquires shares of Common Stock upon the redemption of such shares, such holder will have no rights with respect to the shares of our Common Stock issuable upon redemption of our Preferred Stock. If, at our discretion, a holder of our Preferred Stock is issued shares of our Common Stock upon redemption, such holder will be entitled to exercise the rights of holders of our Common Stock only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the effective date of redemption.
A stockholder’s ownership percentage in the Company may become diluted if we issue new shares of Common Stock or other securities, and issuances of additional preferred stock or other securities by us may further subordinate the rights of the holders of our Preferred Stock or Common Stock (which holders of Preferred Stock may become upon receipt of redemption payments in shares of Common Stock). Additionally, future issuances of Common Stock, including shares issued in exchange for consideration, upon redemption of Preferred Stock or upon exercise of any Series A Preferred Warrants, may cause the market price of our Common Stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.
Our Board of Directors is authorized, without stockholder approval, to cause us to issue additional shares of Common Stock or to raise capital through the issuance of shares of preferred stock and equity or debt securities convertible into Common Stock, preferred stock, options, warrants and other rights, on such terms and for such consideration as our Board of Directors in its sole discretion may determine. Any such issuance could result in dilution of the equity of our stockholders. In addition, our Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, authorize us to issue Common Stock or other equity or debt securities to persons from whom we purchase properties, as part or all of the purchase price of the property, or from whom we receive services (including the Operator or the Administrator), as part or all of the payment for such services. Our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, may determine the price of any Common Stock or other equity or debt securities issued in consideration of such properties or services provided, or to be provided, to us.
We may make redemption payments under the terms of our Preferred Stock in shares of our Common Stock. Although the dollar amounts of such payments are unknown, the number of shares of our Common Stock to be issued in connection with such payments may fluctuate based on the price of our Common Stock. Any sales or perceived sales in the public market of shares of our Common Stock issuable upon such redemption payments could adversely affect prevailing market prices of shares of our Common Stock. The existence of our Preferred Stock may encourage short selling by market participants because the possibility that redemption payments will be made in shares of our Common Stock could depress the market price of shares of our Common Stock. Further, any such issuance could result in dilution of the equity of our stockholders.
Our charter also authorizes our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, to classify or reclassify any unissued shares of Common Stock and preferred stock into other classes or series of stock and to amend our charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Company has authority to issue. Our Board of Directors may, without stockholder approval, designate and issue one or more classes or series of preferred stock in addition to our Preferred Stock and equity or debt securities convertible into preferred stock and to set the voting powers, conversion or other rights, preferences, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions and qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption of each class or series of shares so issued. If any additional preferred stock is publicly offered, the terms and conditions of such preferred stock (or other equity or debt securities convertible into preferred stock) will be set forth in a registration statement registering the issuance of such preferred stock or equity or debt securities convertible into preferred stock. Because our Board of Directors has the power to establish the preferences and rights of each class or series of preferred stock, it may afford the holders of any class or series of preferred stock preferences, powers, and rights senior to the rights of holders of our Preferred Stock or Common Stock. If we ever create and issue additional preferred stock or equity or debt securities convertible into preferred stock with a distribution preference over our Preferred Stock or
Common Stock, payment of any distribution preferences of such new outstanding preferred stock would reduce the amount of funds available for the payment of distributions on our Preferred Stock and Common Stock, as applicable. Further, holders of preferred stock are normally entitled to receive a preference payment if we liquidate, dissolve, or wind up before any payment is made to the holders of our Common Stock, likely reducing the amount the holders of our Common Stock would otherwise receive upon such an occurrence. In addition, under certain circumstances, the issuance of additional preferred stock may delay, prevent, render more difficult or tend to discourage, a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest, the assumption of control by a holder of a large block of our securities, or the removal of incumbent management.
No stockholders have rights to buy additional shares of stock or other securities if we issue new shares of stock or other securities. We may issue Common Stock, convertible debt or preferred stock pursuant to subsequent public offerings or private placements. Investors in our Common Stock who do not participate in any future stock issuances will experience dilution in the percentage of the issued and outstanding stock they own. In addition, depending on the terms and pricing of any future offerings and the value of our assets, such investors may experience dilution in the book value and fair market value of, and the amount of distributions paid on, their shares of Common Stock, if any.
The listing of our Common Stock on more than one stock exchange may result in price variations that could adversely affect liquidity of the market for our Common Stock.
Our Common Stock is listed on Nasdaq and the TASE. The dual-listing of our Common Stock may result in price variations of our securities between the two exchanges due to a number of factors. First, trading in our securities on these markets takes place in different currencies (USD on Nasdaq and ILS on the TASE). In addition, the exchanges are open for trade at different times of the day and on different days. For example, Nasdaq opens generally during U.S. business hours, Monday through Friday, while the TASE opens generally during Israeli business hours, Sunday through Thursday. The two exchanges also observe different public holidays. Differences in the trading schedules, as well as volatility in the exchange rate of the two currencies, among other factors, may result in different trading prices for our Common Stock on the two exchanges. Any decrease in the trading price of our Common Stock in one market could cause a decrease in the trading price of such security on the other market.
The dual-listing may adversely affect liquidity and trading prices for our Common Stock on one or both of the exchanges as a result of circumstances that may be outside of our control. For example, transfers by holders of our securities from trading on one exchange to the other could result in increases or decreases in liquidity and/or trading prices on either or both of the exchanges. In addition, holders could seek to sell or buy our Common Stock to take advantage of any price differences between the two markets through a practice referred to as arbitrage. Any arbitrage activity could create unexpected volatility in both the prices of and volumes of our Common Stock available for trading on either exchange.
The existing mechanism for the dual-listing of securities on Nasdaq and the TASE may be eliminated or otherwise altered such that we may be subject to additional regulatory burden and additional costs.
The existing Israeli regulatory regime provides a mechanism for the dual-listing of securities traded on Nasdaq and the TASE that does not impose any significant regulatory burden or significant costs on us. If this dual-listing regime is eliminated or otherwise altered such that we are unable or unwilling to comply with the regulatory requirements, we may incur additional costs and we may consider delisting of our Common Stock from the TASE.
Our NAV is an estimate of the fair value of our assets and may not necessarily reflect realizable value.
The determination of estimated NAV involves a number of subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments that may not be accurate or complete. Neither the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority nor the SEC provides rules on the methodology we must use to determine our estimated NAV per share. We believe there is no established practice among public REITs for calculating estimated NAV. Different firms using different property-specific, general real estate, capital markets, economic and other assumptions, estimates and judgments could derive an estimated NAV that is significantly different from our estimated NAV.
Our estimated NAV, as determined by us from time to time, is calculated by relying in part on appraisals of our real estate assets and the assets of our lending segment. However, valuations of these assets do not necessarily represent the price at which a willing buyer would purchase such assets; therefore, there can be no assurance that we would realize the values underlying our estimated NAVs if we were to sell our assets and distribute the net proceeds to our stockholders. The values of our assets and liabilities, and therefore our NAV, are likely to fluctuate over time based on changes in value, investment activities, capital activities, indebtedness levels, and other various activities.
General Risk Factors
We may be unable to pay or maintain cash distributions or increase distributions to stockholders over time.
Several factors may affect the availability and timing of cash distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock. Distributions are based primarily on anticipated cash flow from operations over time. The amount of cash available for distributions is affected by many factors, including the performance of our existing assets, including the selection of tenants and the amount of rental income, our operating expense levels, opportunities for acquisition identified by our Operator, the availability of financing arrangements as well as many other variables. We may not always be in a position to pay distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock and the amount of any distributions we do make may not increase over time. In addition, our actual results may differ significantly from the assumptions used by our Board of Directors in establishing our distribution policy. There also is a risk that we may not have sufficient cash flow from operations to fund distributions required to qualify as a REIT or maintain our REIT status.
We have paid, and may in the future pay, some or all of our distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock from sources other than cash flow from operations, including borrowings, proceeds from asset sales or the sale of our securities, which may reduce the amount of capital we ultimately deploy in our real estate operations and may negatively impact the value of our Common Stock.
To the extent that cash flow from operations has been or is insufficient to fully cover our distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock, we have paid, and may in the future pay, some or all of our distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations. Such sources may include borrowings, proceeds from asset sales or the sale of our securities. We have no limits on the amounts we may use to pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations. The payment of distributions from sources other than cash provided by operating activities may reduce the amount of proceeds available for acquisitions and operations or cause us to incur additional interest expense as a result of borrowed funds. This may negatively impact the market price of our Common Stock.
Distributions at any point in time may not reflect the current performance of our properties or our current operating cash flow.
We may make distributions from any source, including the sources described in the risk factor above. Because the amount we pay in distributions may exceed our earnings and our cash flow from operations, distributions may not reflect the current performance of our properties or our current operating cash flow.
Changes in accounting standards may adversely impact our financial condition and/or results of operations.
We are subject to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) related to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). Various changes to GAAP are constantly being considered, some of which could materially impact our reported financial condition and/or results of operations. Also, to the extent publicly traded companies in the United States would be required in the future to prepare financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards instead of the current GAAP, this change in accounting standards could materially affect our financial condition or results of operations.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties
As of December 31, 2023, our real estate portfolio consisted of 27 assets, all of which were fee-simple properties and five of which we own through investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. Our Unconsolidated Joint Ventures contain two office properties (one of which is being partially converted into multifamily units), one multifamily site currently under development, one multifamily property and one commercial development site. As of December 31, 2023, our 13 office properties, totaling approximately 1.3 million rentable square feet, were 83.8% occupied, and our one hotel with an ancillary parking garage, which has a total of 503 rooms, had RevPAR of $145.80 for the year ended December 31, 2023, and our three multifamily properties were 79.3% occupied. Additionally, as of December 31, 2023, we had nine development sites (three of which were being used as parking lots).
Office Portfolio Detail by Classification, Address, Market, and Submarket as of December 31, 2023
Classification / Market / Address Sub-Market Rentable Square Feet % Occupied % Leased (1)
Annualized Rent (in thousands) Annualized Rent Per Occupied Square Foot
Consolidated Office Portfolio
Oakland, CA
1 Kaiser Plaza Lake Merritt 537,339 83.2 % 83.2 % $ 23,068 $ 51.59
San Francisco, CA
1130 Howard Street South of Market 21,194 61.1 % 61.1 % 1,235 95.41
Los Angeles, CA
11620 Wilshire Boulevard West Los Angeles 196,928 78.8 % 79.9 % 7,854 50.61
11600 Wilshire Boulevard West Los Angeles 56,881 88.1 % 88.1 % 3,058 61.02
9460 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills 97,655 93.7 % 93.7 % 10,093 110.33
8944 Lindblade Street (2)
West Los Angeles 7,980 100.0 % 100.0 % 550 68.92
8960 & 8966 Washington Boulevard (2)
West Los Angeles 24,448 100.0 % 100.0 % 1,480 60.54
1037 N Sycamore Avenue Hollywood 5,031 100.0 % 100.0 % 293 58.24
Austin, TX
3601 S Congress Avenue (3)
South 228,545 80.6 % 82.0 % 9,196 49.92
1021 E 7th Street (4)
East 11,180 100.0 % 100.0 % 602 53.85
1007 E 7th Street (5)
East 1,352 100.0 % 100.0 % 69 51.04
Total Consolidated Office Portfolio 1,188,533 83.4 % 83.8 % 57,498 58.01
Unconsolidated Office Portfolio
Los Angeles, CA
4750 Wilshire Boulevard - 20% (6)
Mid-Wilshire 30,335 100.0 % 100.0 % 1,619 53.37
1910 Sunset Boulevard - 44% (7)
Echo Park 107,524 83.4 % 86.1 % 4,407 49.13
Total Unconsolidated Office Portfolio 137,859 87.1 % 89.2 % 6,026 50.19
Total Office Portfolio 1,326,392 83.8 % 84.4 % 63,524 57.17
Total Office Portfolio - CMCT Share of Annualized Rent 59,768
Development Pipeline Properties
Oakland, CA
2 Kaiser Plaza (8)
Lake Merritt N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Los Angeles, CA
4750 Wilshire Boulevard (Backlot) (9)
Mid-Wilshire N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
1015 Mansfield - 29% (10)
Hollywood
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total Development Pipeline Properties N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total Office and Development Portfolio 1,326,392 83.8 % 84.4 % $ 63,524 $ 57.17
(1)Based on leases signed as of December 31, 2023.
(2)The three buildings making up 8960 & 8966 Washington Boulevard and 8944 Lindblade Street were formerly known as Lindblade Media Center.
(3)3601 S Congress Avenue consists of twelve buildings. The Company is evaluating different development options including multifamily development.
(4)The Company is evaluating different development options including multifamily development.
(5)The property is located on a land site of approximately 7,450 square feet. The Company intends to complete pre-development and entitlement work to provide optionality for future multifamily development.
(6)In connection with the 4750 Wilshire Project (as defined below), the Company is no longer classifying approximately 110,000 square feet of vacant space at its property at 4750 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California as rentable office square footage as of December 31, 2023. We sold 80% of our interest in 4750 Wilshire Boulevard to three co-investors (the “4750 Wilshire JV Partners”) in February 2023 with our remaining 20% interest now invested in a newly-formed joint venture with the JV Partners. The 4750 Wilshire Project is in the process of converting two out of the building’s three floors into 68 for-lease multifamily units.
(7)CMCT and a CIM-managed separate account purchased the property in February 2022 through a joint venture. CMCT owns approximately 44% of the property. The amounts shown in the table represent 100% of the property.
(8)2 Kaiser Plaza Parking Lot is a 44,642 square foot parcel of land currently being used as a surface parking lot. We are entitled to develop an office building with a maximum of 800,000 rentable square feet. Alternatively, we are also evaluating a multifamily development.
(9)The Company owns 100% of the 4750 Wilshire Boulevard backlot land parcel. The site is being evaluated for potential multifamily development and currently is being utilized as a surface parking lot.
(10)The Company owns approximately 29% of the property. The amounts shown in the table represent 100% of the property. The property has a site area of approximately 44,141 square feet and currently contains a parking garage which is being leased to a third party. The site is being evaluated for different development options, including creative office space or other commercial space.
Classification / Market / Address Sub-Market Units
% Occupied Annualized Rent (in thousands) Monthly Rent Per Occupied Unit (1)
Consolidated Multifamily Portfolio
Oakland, CA
Channel House
Jack London District
333 71.8 % $ 9,192 $ 3,205
1150 Clay
Downtown
288 85.4 % $ 7,980 $ 2,703
Total Consolidated Multifamily Portfolio
621 78.1 % $ 17,172 $ 2,951
Unconsolidated Multifamily Portfolio
Los Angeles, CA
1902 Park Avenue - 50% (2)
Echo Park
75 89.3 % $ 1,407 $ 1,749
Total Unconsolidated Multifamily Portfolio
75 89.3 % $ 1,407 $ 1,749
Total Multifamily Portfolio
696 79.3 % $ 18,579 $ 2,805
Total Multifamily Portfolio - CMCT Share of Annualized Rent
17,876
Development Pipeline Properties
Los Angeles, CA
3101 S. Western Avenue (3)
Jefferson Park N/A N/A N/A N/A
3022 S. Western Avenue (3)
Jefferson Park N/A N/A N/A N/A
3109 S. Western Avenue (4)
Jefferson Park N/A N/A N/A N/A
1915 Park Avenue - 44% (5)
Echo Park
N/A
N/A N/A
N/A
Oakland, CA Land Site (6)
Jack London District
N/A N/A N/A N/A
466 Water Street Land Site (7)
Jack London District
N/A
N/A N/A
N/A
Total Multifamily and Development Portfolio
696 79.3 % $ 18,579 $ 2,805
(1)Represents gross monthly base rent under leases commenced as of December 31, 2023, divided by occupied units.
(2)The Company owns 50% of the property. The amounts shown in the table represent 100% of the property. The property is a 75-unit four-story building.
(3)The Company intends to develop a total of approximately 160 residential units across both properties.
(4)The Company intends to redevelop approximately seven commercial units totaling 5,635 rentable square feet and six parking stalls starting in 2024.
(5)The Company owns approximately 44% of the property. The 1910 Sunset JV plans to build 36 multifamily units on the 1915 Park Avenue land parcel adjacent to the 1910 Sunset Boulevard office building, for which the 1910 Sunset JV has received all necessary entitlements.
(6)Currently being utilized as a parking lot. The Company is evaluating future development options, including hotel development.
(7)The Company is evaluating the property for potential future multifamily development.
Hotel Portfolio Summary as of December 31, 2023
Revenue Per
% Available
Property Market Rooms Occupied (1)
Room
Sheraton Grand Hotel (2)
Sacramento, CA 503 75.1 % $ 145.80
Total Hotel (1 Property) 503 75.1 % $ 145.80
Other Ancillary Property within Hotel Portfolio
Rentable Annualized
Square % % Rent (Parking
Feet Occupied Leased and Retail)
Property Market (Retail) (Retail) (Retail) (3)
(in thousands)
Sheraton Grand Hotel Parking Garage & Retail (4)
Sacramento, CA 9,453 69.3 % 69.3 % $ 567
Total Ancillary Property (1 Property) 9,453 69.3 % 69.3 % $ 567
(1)Represents trailing 12-month occupancy as of December 31, 2023, calculated as the number of occupied rooms divided by the number of available rooms.
(2)The Sheraton Grand Hotel is part of the Sheraton franchise and is managed by Sheraton Operating Corporation, a subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc.
(3)Based on leases commenced as of December 31, 2023.
(4)The Company is evaluating the property for potential future development options including multifamily development over the existing parking garage.
Office Portfolio-Top 5 Tenants by Annualized Rental Revenue as of December 31, 2023
Credit
Rating % of
(S&P / Annualized % of Rentable Rentable
Moody’s / Lease Rent Annualized Square Square
Tenant Property Fitch) Expiration (in thousands) Rent Feet Feet
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. 1 Kaiser Plaza AA- / - / AA- 2024, 2025, 2027(1)
$ 18,250 28.7 % 366,777 27.7 %
U.S. Bank, N.A. 9460 Wilshire Boulevard A+ / Aa3 / A+ 2029 4,027 6.3 % 27,569 2.1 %
3 Arts Entertainment, Inc. 9460 Wilshire Boulevard - / - / - 2026 2,848 4.5 % 27,112 2.0 % Training Holdings, Inc. 3601 S Congress Avenue - / - / - 2030 2,492 3.9 % 44,171 3.3 %
Westwood One, Inc. Lindblade Media Center - / - / - 2025 2,030 3.2 % 32,428 2.4 %
Total for Top Five Tenants 29,647 46.6 % 498,057 37.5 %
All Other Tenants 33,877 53.4 % 613,034 46.3 %
Vacant - - % 215,301 16.2 %
Total Office Portfolio $ 63,524 100.0 % 1,326,392 100.0 %
Note: Represents 100% of the consolidated and unconsolidated office portfolios, regardless of our ownership percentage.
(1)We have commenced lease negotiations with the tenant to sign a long-term lease for 236,692 of the existing 366,777 rentable square feet. There can be no guarantee that a lease extension will be executed. Taking into account the early termination right exercised by the tenant in 2023, 130,085 rentable square feet will expire on July 31, 2024, 152,966 rentable square feet will expire on February 28, 2025 and 83,696 rentable square feet will expire on February 28, 2027. With respect to the 83,696 rentable square feet that will expire in 2027, from and after February 28, 2025, the tenant has the right to terminate all or any portions of its lease with us, effective as of any date specified by the tenant in a written notice given to us at least 15 months prior to the termination, in exchange for a termination penalty.
Office Portfolio-Diversification by Industry as of December 31, 2023
Annualized % of Rentable
Rent Annualized Square % of Rentable
Industry (in thousands) Rent Feet Square Feet
Health Care and Social Assistance $ 25,288 39.8 % 484,497 36.6 %
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 9,673 15.2 % 158,296 11.9 %
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 6,132 9.7 % 88,457 6.7 %
Finance and Insurance 5,946 9.4 % 61,736 4.7 %
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 4,097 6.4 % 78,478 5.9 %
Other Services (except Public Administration) 3,545 5.6 % 51,813 3.9 %
Public Administration 2,359 3.7 % 50,073 3.8 %
Retail Trade 1,930 3.0 % 42,555 3.2 %
Information 1,849 2.9 % 34,313 2.6 %
Other 2,705 4.3 % 60,873 4.5 %
Vacant - - % 215,301 16.2 %
Total Office $ 63,524 100.0 % 1,326,392 100.0 %
Note: Represents 100% of the consolidated and unconsolidated office portfolios, regardless of our ownership percentage.
Office Portfolio-Lease Expiration as of December 31, 2023
Square Feet % of Square Annualized % of Annualized Annualized Rent
Year of Lease of Expiring Feet Rent Rent Per Occupied
Expiration Leases Expiring (in thousands) Expiring Square Foot
2024 (1)
206,236 18.6 % 10,330 16.3 % 50.09
2025 330,042 29.7 % 17,774 28.0 % 53.85
2026 126,183 11.4 % 7,874 12.4 % 62.40
2027 164,257 14.8 % 8,860 13.9 % 53.94
2028 55,837 5.0 % 3,165 5.0 % 56.68
2029 53,985 4.9 % 5,624 8.9 % 104.18
2030 91,757 8.3 % 4,721 7.4 % 51.45
2031 26,409 2.4 % 1,177 1.9 % 44.57
2032 25,845 2.3 % 1,427 2.2 % 55.21
Thereafter 30,540 2.6 % 2,572 4.0 % 84.22
Total Occupied 1,111,091 100.0 % $ 63,524 100.0 % $ 57.17
Vacant 215,301
Total Office 1,326,392
Note: Represents 100% of the consolidated and unconsolidated office portfolios, regardless of our ownership percentage.
(1)Includes 8,286 square feet of month-to-month leases as of December 31, 2023.
Property Indebtedness as of December 31, 2023
Outstanding Balance Due
Principal At Maturity
Balance Interest Maturity Date
Property (in thousands) Rate Date (in thousands)
1 Kaiser Plaza (1)
$ 97,100 4.14% 7/1/2026 $ 97,100
Channel House
87,000 SOFR + 3.36% 7/7/2025 87,000
1150 Clay
66,600 6.25% 6/7/2024 66,600
1910 Sunset Boulevard (2) 23,925 SOFR + 2.95% 9/13/2025 23,925
4750 Wilshire Boulevard (3)
18,353 SOFR + 3.11% 4/1/2026 18,353
1902 Park Avenue (4)
9,580 SOFR + 2.86% 3/1/2026 9,580
Total $ 302,558 $ 302,558
(1)Loan is generally not prepayable prior to April 1, 2026.
(2)CMCT owns 44.2% of the property through its investment in an Unconsolidated Joint Venture. The outstanding principal balance shown here represents 100% of the Unconsolidated Joint Venture’s balance.
(3)CMCT owns 20.0% of the property through its investment in an Unconsolidated Joint Venture. The outstanding principal balance shown here represents 100% of the Unconsolidated Joint Venture’s balance.
(4)CMCT owns 50.0% of the property through its investment in an Unconsolidated Joint Venture. The outstanding principal balance shown here represents 100% of the Unconsolidated Joint Venture’s balance.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are not currently involved in any material pending or threatened legal proceedings nor, to our knowledge, are any material legal proceedings currently threatened against us, other than routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. In the normal course of business, we are periodically party to certain legal actions and proceedings involving matters that are generally incidental to our business. While the outcome of these legal actions and proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, in management’s opinion, the resolution of these legal proceedings and actions will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of
operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market For Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Marketplace Designation, Sales Price Information and Holders
Shares of our Common Stock trade on Nasdaq, under the ticker symbol “CMCT”, and on the TASE, under the ticker symbol “CMCT.”
On March 21, 2024, there were approximately 335 holders of record of our Common Stock, excluding stockholders whose shares were held by brokerage firms, depositories and other institutional firms in “street name” for their customers. The closing price of our Common Stock on March 21, 2024 was $3.71 as reported on Nasdaq.
Approximately 54.3% of our Common Stock as of March 21, 2024 was held by stockholders that are not our affiliates.
Holders of our Common Stock are entitled to receive dividends, if, as and when authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by us out of legally available funds. In determining our dividend policy, the Board of Directors considers many factors including the amount of cash resources available for dividend distributions, capital spending plans, cash flow, our financial position, applicable requirements of the MGCL, any applicable contractual restrictions, and future growth in NAV and cash flow per share prospects. Consequently, the dividend rate on a quarterly basis does not necessarily correlate directly to any individual factor. There can be no assurance that the future dividends declared by our Board of Directors will not differ materially from historical dividend levels. Risks inherent in our ability to pay dividends are further described in “Item 1A - Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table provides information as of December 31, 2023 with respect to shares of our Common Stock, either under options or in respect of restricted stock awards that may be issued under existing equity compensation plans, all of which have been approved by our stockholders.
Plan Category Number of shares of Common Stock to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options Weighted average exercise price of outstanding options Number of shares of Common Stock remaining available for future issuances under equity compensation plans (all in restricted shares of Common Stock)
Equity incentive plan - N/A 369,898
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities and Use of Proceeds
On December 20, 2022, we issued to the Operator an aggregate of 36,663 shares of our Series A1 Preferred Stock as payment, in lieu of cash, for $916,575 of asset management fees owed to the Operator under the Investment Management Agreement for the third quarter of 2022. Such securities were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock may be redeemed at our option or at the option of the holder for a redemption price payable in cash or shares of Common Stock as described in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In December 2022, the Company announced the redemption of all outstanding shares of its Series L Preferred Stock. In January 2023, the Company completed such previously-announced redemption of all outstanding shares of its Series L Preferred Stock in cash at its stated value of $28.37 per share (plus accrued and unpaid dividends of $1.56 per share, or $4.6 million in the aggregate). The total cost to complete the Series L Redemption, including transaction costs of $93,000 (or $0.03 per share), was $83.8 million.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. Reserved

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This section includes many forward-looking statements. For cautions about relying on such forward-looking statements, please see “Forward-Looking Statements” at the beginning of this report immediately prior to “Item 1 - Business” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
The following discussion focuses on recent developments expected to have material current and future impacts on the results of our business, trends and uncertainties within our industry and business model that may impact our financial results, our recent results of operations, and our liquidity and capital resources.
You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2021, see “Item
7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained in the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2022.
Executive Summary
Business Overview
Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation is a Maryland corporation and REIT. We primarily acquire, develop, own and operate both premier multifamily properties situated in vibrant communities throughout the United States and Class A and creative office real assets in markets with similar business and employment characteristics to our multifamily investments. We seek to apply the expertise of CIM Group to the acquisition, development and operation of premier multifamily properties and creative office assets that cater to rapidly growing industries such as technology, media and entertainment. All of our real estate assets are and will generally be located in communities qualified by CIM Group as described further below. These communities are located in areas that include traditional downtown areas and suburban main streets, which have high barriers to entry, high population density, positive population trends and a propensity for growth. We believe that the critical mass of redevelopment in such areas creates positive externalities, which enhance the value of real estate assets in the area. We believe that these assets will provide greater returns than similar assets in other markets, as a result of the population growth, public commitment and significant private investment that characterize these areas.
CIM is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, with offices in Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, London, UK, New York, NY, Orlando, FL, Phoenix, AZ, and Tokyo, Japan. CIM also maintains additional offices across the United States and in South Korea to support its platform.
Properties
As of December 31, 2023, our real estate portfolio consisted of 27 assets, all of which were fee-simple properties and five of which we own through investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. As of December 31, 2023, our 13 office properties, totaling approximately 1.3 million rentable square feet, were 83.8% occupied and our one 503-room hotel with an ancillary parking garage, had RevPAR of $145.80 for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our three multifamily properties were 79.3% occupied. Additionally, as of December 31, 2023, we had nine development sites (three of which were being used as parking lots).
Rental Rate Trends
Office Statistics: The following table sets forth occupancy rates and annualized rent per occupied square foot across our office portfolio as of the specified periods (includes 100% of our properties partially owned through Unconsolidated Joint Ventures):
As of December 31,
2023 2022
Occupancy (1)(2)
83.8 % 77.7 %
Annualized rent per occupied square foot (1)(3)
$ 57.17 $ 52.57
(1)The information presented in this table represents historical information as of the date indicated without giving effect to any property sales occurring thereafter.
(2)In connection with the 4750 Wilshire Project (as defined later), the Company no longer classified approximately 110,000 square feet of vacant space at its property at 4750 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California as rentable office square footage as of December 31, 2022. We sold 80% of our interest in 4750 Wilshire Boulevard to the JV Partners in February 2023 with our remaining 20% interest now invested in a newly-formed joint venture with the JV Partners. We are in the process of converting two out of the building’s three floors into for-lease multifamily units.
(3)Represents gross monthly base rent under leases commenced as of the specified periods, multiplied by twelve. This amount reflects total cash rent before abatements. Total abatements, representing lease incentives in the form of free
rent, for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $3.0 million and $2.8 million, respectively. Where applicable, annualized rent has been grossed up by adding annualized expense reimbursements to base rent. Annualized rent for certain office properties includes rent attributable to retail.
Over the next four quarters, we expect to see expiring cash rents as set forth in the table below (includes 100% of our properties partially owned through Unconsolidated Joint Ventures):
For the Three Months Ended
March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31,
2024 2024 2024 2024
Expiring Cash Rents:
Expiring square feet (1)
33,236 25,456 142,333 5,211
Expiring rent per square foot (2)
$ 60.03 $ 47.42 $ 47.89 $ 59.68
(1)Month-to-month tenants occupying a total of 8,286 square feet are included in the expiring leases in the first quarter listed.
(2)Represents gross monthly base rent, as of December 31, 2023, under leases expiring during the periods above, multiplied by twelve. This amount reflects total cash rent before abatements. Where applicable, annualized rent has been grossed up by adding annualized expense reimbursements to base rent.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we executed leases with terms longer than 12 months totaling 140,670 square feet. The table below sets forth information on certain of our executed leases during the year ended December 31, 2023, excluding space that was vacant for more than one year, month-to-month leases, leases with an original term of less than 12 months, related party leases, and space where the previous tenant was a related party:
New Cash Expiring Cash
Number of Rentable Rents per Square Rents per Square
Leases (1)
Square Feet Foot (2)
Foot (2)
Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2023 31 106,454 $ 48.82 $ 49.71
(1)Based on the number of tenants that signed leases.
(2)Cash rents represent gross monthly base rent, multiplied by twelve. This amount reflects total cash rent before abatements. Where applicable, annualized rent has been grossed up by adding annualized expense reimbursements to base rent.
Fluctuations in submarkets, buildings and terms of leases cause large variations in these numbers and make predicting the changes in rent in any specific period difficult. Our rental and occupancy rates are impacted by general economic conditions, including the pace of regional and economic growth, and access to capital. Therefore, we cannot give any assurance that leases will be renewed or that available space will be re-leased at rental rates equal to or above the current market rates. Additionally, decreased demand and other negative trends or unforeseeable events that impair our ability to timely renew or re lease space could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Multifamily Statistics: The following table sets forth occupancy rates and the monthly rent per occupied unit across our multifamily portfolio for the specified periods (includes 100% of our property partially owned through an Unconsolidated Joint Venture):
As of December 31,
2023 2022
Occupancy 79.3 % N/A
Monthly rent per occupied unit (1) $ 2,805 N/A
______________________
(1)Represents gross monthly base rent under leases commenced as of the specified period, divided by occupied units. This amount reflects total cash rent before concessions.
Hotel Statistics: The following table sets forth the occupancy, ADR and RevPAR for our hotel in Sacramento, California for the specified periods:
For the Year Ended
December 31,
2023 2022
Occupancy 75.1 % 73.0 %
ADR $ 194.12 $ 172.95
RevPAR $ 145.80 $ 126.19
Seasonality
Our revenues and expenses for our hotel property are subject to seasonality during the year. Generally, our hotel revenues are greater in the first and second quarters than the third and fourth quarters. This seasonality can be expected to cause quarterly fluctuations in revenues, segment net operating income, net income and cash provided by operating activities. In addition, the hotel industry is cyclical and demand generally follows, on a lagged basis, key macroeconomic factors.
Lending Segment
Through our loans originated under the SBA 7(a) Program, we are a national lender that primarily originates loans to small businesses. We identify loan origination opportunities through personal contacts, internet referrals, attendance at trade shows and meetings, direct mailings, advertisements in trade publications and other marketing methods. We also generate loans through referrals from real estate and loan brokers, franchise representatives, existing borrowers, lawyers and accountants.
The SBA 7(a) Loan Program is the SBA’s most common loan program. The maximum loan amount for an SBA 7(a) loan is $5.0 million. Key eligibility factors are based on what the business does to generate its income, its credit history, the liquidity of the borrower, size standards and where the business operates. We work with potential borrowers to identify the type of loan that would be appropriate for each such borrower’s needs. Our SBA 7(a) term loans have monthly repayment terms of principal and interest and are originated with variable interest rates based on the prime rate. Most of our SBA 7(a) loans have maturities of approximately 25 years.
While we have focused on originating real estate loans almost exclusively to the limited service and mid-scale hospitality industry, we intend to increase our efforts to originate other real estate collateralized loans. These loans are anticipated to be primarily concentrated in industries in which we previously had positive experience, including convenience store, RV park and single purpose building owner-occupied restaurant operations and may include owner-occupied industrial operations/warehouse buildings.
2023 Results of Operations
Net (Loss) Income and FFO
Year Ended
December 31, Change
2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Total revenues $ 119,258 $ 101,906 $ 17,352 17.0 %
Total expenses $ 170,163 $ 94,994 $ 75,169 79.1 %
Net (loss) income
$ (51,456) $ 5,945 $ (57,401) N/A
The Company had a net loss of $51.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, representing a decrease of $57.4 million compared to net income of $5.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to an increase of $32.1 million in depreciation and amortization expense (primarily due to an increase in acquired in-place lease intangible assets amortization at multifamily properties located in Oakland, California acquired during the first quarter of 2023 and which were fully amortized as of December 31, 2023) and an increase in interest expense not allocated to our operating segments of $22.4 million.
Funds from Operations
We believe that funds from operations (“FFO”), a non-GAAP measure, is a widely recognized and appropriate measure of the performance of a REIT and that it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of REITs, many of which present FFO when reporting their results. FFO represents net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, computed in accordance with GAAP, which reflects the deduction of redeemable preferred stock dividends accumulated, excluding gains (or losses) from sales of real estate, impairment of real estate, and real estate depreciation and amortization. We calculate FFO in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (the “NAREIT”).
Like any metric, FFO should not be used as the only measure of our performance because it excludes depreciation and amortization and captures neither the changes in the value of our real estate properties that result from use or market conditions nor the level of capital expenditures and leasing commissions necessary to maintain the operating performance of our properties, all of which have real economic effect and could materially impact our operating results. Other REITs may not calculate FFO in accordance with the standards established by the NAREIT; accordingly, our FFO may not be comparable to the FFOs of other REITs. Therefore, FFO should be considered only as a supplement to net income (loss) as a measure of our performance and should not be used as a supplement to or substitute measure for cash flows from operating activities computed in accordance with GAAP. FFO should not be used as a measure of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends.
The following table sets forth a historical reconciliation of net (loss) attributable to common stockholders to FFO attributable to holders of common stockholders:
Year Ended December 31,
2023 2022
(in thousands)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders (1)
$ (75,727) $ (25,785)
Depreciation and amortization 52,484 20,348
Noncontrolling interests’ proportionate share of depreciation and amortization
(2,090) -
Gain on sale of real estate
(1,104) -
FFO attributable to common stockholders (1)
$ (26,437) $ (5,437)
(1)During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we recognized $1.5 million and $13.1 million, respectively, of redeemable preferred stock redemptions on our consolidated statements of operations and $0 and $19,000 respectively, of redeemable preferred stock deemed dividends on our consolidated statements of operations. Of the $13.1 million of redeemable preferred stock redemptions recognized during the year ended December 31, 2022, $12.7 million resulted from amounts recognized in connection with the Series L Repurchase and Series L Redemption (defined below). Such amounts are included in, and have the effect of increasing the net loss attributable to common stockholders and FFO attributable to common stockholders because redeemable preferred stock redemptions are not an adjustment prescribed by NAREIT.
FFO attributable to common stockholders was $(26.4) million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $21.0 million compared to $(5.4) million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in FFO was primarily attributable to an increase in interest expense not allocated to our operating segments of $22.4 million and an increase in redeemable preferred stock dividends of $7.2 million. These were partially offset by a decrease in the consolidated statement of operations impact of redeemable preferred stock redemptions of $11.6 million (primarily resulting from $12.7 million recognized in connection with the Series L Repurchase and Series L Redemption during the year ended December 31, 2022).
Summary Segment Results
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we operated in four segments: office, hotel and multifamily properties and lending. Set forth and described below are summary segment results for our operating segments.
Year Ended
December 31, Change
2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Revenues:
Office $ 55,033 $ 55,928 $ (895) (1.6) %
Hotel $ 41,096 $ 35,213 $ 5,883 16.7 %
Multifamily
$ 11,224 $ - $ 11,224 N/A
Lending $ 11,458 $ 10,765 $ 693 6.4 %
Expenses:
Office $ 26,075 $ 26,762 $ (687) (2.6) %
Hotel $ 27,992 $ 24,099 $ 3,893 16.2 %
Multifamily
$ 9,464 $ - $ 9,464 N/A
Lending $ 7,899 $ 4,385 $ 3,514 80.1 %
(Loss) Income From Unconsolidated Entities
Office $ (582) $ 164 $ (746) N/A
Multifamily
$ 155 $ - $ 155 N/A
Non-Segment Revenue and Expenses:
Interest and other income $ 447 $ - $ 447 N/A
Asset management and other fees to related parties $ (2,627) $ (3,570) $ 943 (26.4) %
Expense reimbursements to related parties-corporate $ (2,342) $ (1,925) $ (417) 21.7 %
Interest expense $ (31,406) $ (9,052) $ (22,354) NM*
General and administrative $ (5,453) $ (4,630) $ (823) 17.8 %
Transaction costs $ (4,421) $ (223) $ (4,198) NM*
Depreciation and amortization $ (52,484) $ (20,348) $ (32,136) NM*
Gain on sale of real estate $ 1,104 $ - $ 1,104 N/A
Provision for income taxes $ (1,228) $ (1,131) $ (97) 8.6 %
______________________
(*)Percentage changes in excess of 100% are deemed to be not meaningful (“NM”)
Revenues
Office Revenue: Office revenue includes rental revenue, expense reimbursements and lease termination income from office properties. Office revenue decreased by 1.6% to $55.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $55.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease is primarily due to the disposition of an 80% interest in an office property in Los Angeles, California in February 2023. This was partially offset by higher rental revenues at an office property in Beverly Hills, California due to higher occupancy.
Hotel Revenue: Hotel revenue increased by 16.7% to $41.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $35.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is due to an increase in occupancy and average daily rate during 2023 as compared to the prior year.
Multifamily Revenue: Multifamily revenue was $11.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. As our multifamily properties were acquired during the year ended December 31, 2023, there was no comparable revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Lending Revenue: Lending revenue represents revenue from our lending subsidiaries, including interest income on loans and other loan related fee income. Lending revenue increased by 6.4% to $11.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $10.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is due to increased interest income from higher interest rates, partially offset by decreased premium income as a result of lower loan sale volume during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. Also partially offsetting the increase was a decrease in loan servicing income as a result of lower loan origination volume and higher loan payoff volume.
Income (Loss) From Unconsolidated Office Entities: Income from our office Unconsolidated Joint Ventures included in office segment net operating income decreased to a loss of $582,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to income of $164,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to an unrealized loss on the value of real estate at one of our office Unconsolidated Joint Ventures recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023 and an increase in mortgage interest expense at both of our office Unconsolidated Joint Ventures during the year ended December 31, 2023. These were partially offset by an unrealized gain on the value of real estate related to another one of our office Unconsolidated Joint Ventures recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Income From Unconsolidated Multifamily Entity: The income from our Unconsolidated Joint Venture included in multifamily segment net operating income was $155,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023. As our unconsolidated multifamily property was acquired during the year ended December 31, 2023, there was no comparable income for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Expenses
Office Expenses: Office expenses decreased by 2.6% to $26.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $26.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease is primarily a result of the disposition of an 80% interest in an office property in Los Angeles, California in February 2023. Additionally contributing to the decrease is a decrease in operating expenses at an office property in Austin, Texas, as a result of lower real estate tax expenses.
Hotel Expenses: Hotel expenses increased by 16.2% to $28.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $24.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, as a result of increased occupancy at the hotel.
Multifamily Expenses: Multifamily expenses were $9.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. As our multifamily properties were acquired during the year ended December 31, 2023, there were no comparable expenses for the nine months ended December 31, 2022.
Lending Expenses: Lending expenses represent expenses from our lending subsidiaries, including interest expense, general and administrative expenses and fees to related parties. Lending expenses increased by 80.1% to $7.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in interest expense related to the issuance of new SBA 7(a) loan-backed notes in connection with the securitization that closed in March 2023.
Asset Management and Other Fees to Related Parties: Asset management fees and other fees to related parties, which have not been allocated to our operating segments decreased by 26.4% to $2.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The lower fees reflect a decrease in the adjusted fair value of the Company’s assets in the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 due to a decrease in the aggregate fair value of the Company’s investments in real estate resulting from valuation changes at the end of 2022 and 2023.
Expense Reimbursements to Related Parties-Corporate: The Administrator receives reimbursement for performing certain services for the Company and its subsidiaries. Expense reimbursements to related parties-corporate increased by 21.7% to $2.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to increases in allocated payroll from transactions that occurred during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Interest Expense: Interest expense, which has not been allocated to our operating segments, increased to $31.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $9.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was attributable to two variable-rate mortgages assumed in connection with our multifamily acquisitions during the first quarter of 2023, higher outstanding principal balances on our 2022 Credit Facility Revolver (as defined below) for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to our 2018 revolving line of credit facility for the year ended December 31, 2022, and increases in the SOFR components of interest rates on our variable-rate debt for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
General and Administrative Expenses: General and administrative expenses, which have not been allocated to our operating segments, were $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $4.6 million for the year ended
December 31, 2022, an increase of 17.8%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in state and local tax expenses, legal fees, and certain nonrecurring consulting services.
Transaction Costs: Transaction costs were $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $223,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily due to related transfer tax expenses in connection with the acquisition of two multifamily properties in Oakland, California in the first quarter of 2023 as well as incremental non-recurring expenses related to potential real estate acquisitions.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense: Depreciation and amortization expense increased to $52.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $20.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is due to an increase in acquired in-place lease intangible assets amortization at multifamily properties located in Oakland, California acquired during the first quarter of 2023 (which were fully amortized as of December 31, 2023), as well as incremental increases to fixed asset depreciation expense related to such acquired properties.
Gain on Sale of Real Estate: Gain on sale of real estate of $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 was related to the sale of 80% of our interest in an office property in Los Angeles, California. There were no dispositions during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Provision for Income Taxes: Provision for income taxes increased by 8.6% to $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily due to higher taxable income at our taxable REIT subsidiaries during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
Cash Flow Analysis
Our cash flows from operating activities are primarily dependent upon the real estate assets owned, occupancy level of our real estate assets, the rental rates achieved through our leases, the occupancy and ADR of our hotel, the collectability of rent and recoveries from our tenants, and loan related activity. Our cash flows from operating activities are also impacted by fluctuations in operating expenses and other general and administrative costs. Net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $20.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the same period in 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in net income adjusted for depreciation and amortization expense and other non-cash items of $25.7 million and a $2.0 million increase resulting from a lower level of net working capital used, partially offset by a $1.5 million increase in net proceeds from the sale of loans, and a $1.2 million increase in return on investment from Unconsolidated Joint Ventures compared to the same period in 2022.
Our cash flows from investing activities are primarily related to property acquisitions and dispositions, expenditures for the development or repositioning of properties, capital expenditures and cash flows associated with loans originated at our lending segment. Net cash used in investing activities increased by $66.4 million to $88.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $22.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cash used in investing activities was primarily due to a $85.9 million increase in acquisitions of real estate, a $10.3 million decrease in distributions from Unconsolidated Joint Ventures, a $5.7 million decrease in principal collected on loans, and a $4.5 million increase in capital expenditures compared to the same period in 2022. Partially offsetting net cash used in investing activities are $33.3 million in proceeds from the sale of 80% of our interest in 4750 Wilshire to an Unconsolidated Joint Venture during the year ended December 31, 2023 and a decrease in cash outlays of $8.4 million related to our investments in the Unconsolidated Joint Ventures compared to the same period in 2022.
Our cash flows from financing activities are generally impacted by borrowings and capital activities. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $63.4 million compared to cash provided by financing activities of $13.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase of $49.8 million was primarily due to $56.5 million of net proceeds from our 2022 Credit Facility and mortgages during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $16.5 million of net paydowns during the year ended December 31, 2022, the issuance of unguaranteed SBA 7(a) loan-backed notes of approximately $54.1 million, and a $72.1 million decrease of cash used in the repurchase of Series L Preferred Stock and Common Stock during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. The aforementioned amounts of increasing net cash provided by financing activities were partially offset by an increase in $97.6 million of redemption of preferred stock during the year ended December 31, 2023, a $44.8 million decrease in net proceeds from issuance of Preferred Stock, as well as a $5.2 million increase in preferred dividend payments.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
General
On a short-term basis, our principal demands for funds will be for the acquisition of assets, development or repositioning of properties (as further described below) (including pre-construction costs such as obtaining entitlements and
permits and architectural work), or re-leasing of space in existing properties, capital expenditures, paying interest and principal on current and any future debt financings, SBA 7(a) loan originations, paying distributions on our Preferred Stock and Common Stock and making redemption payments on our Preferred Stock (of which $49.8 million could be redeemed without any redemption fee as of December 31, 2023 in cash and/or in shares of Common Stock in our sole discretion). We may finance our future activities through one or more of the following methods: (i) offerings of shares of Common Stock, preferred stock or other equity and/or debt securities of the Company; (ii) issuance of interests in our operating partnership in exchange for properties; (iii) credit facilities and term loans; (iv) the addition of senior recourse or non-recourse debt using target acquisitions as well as existing assets as collateral; (v) the sale of existing assets; (vi) partnering with co-investors; and/or (vii) cash flows from operations. In December 2022, we completed a refinancing of our 2018 credit facility, which was set to mature in October 2023, replacing it with a new facility (the “2022 Credit Facility”). The 2022 Credit Facility includes a $56.2 million term loan as well as a revolver allowing the Company to borrow up to $150.0 million, both of which are collectively subject to a borrowing base calculation. The 2022 Credit Facility matures in December 2025 and provides for two one-year extension options, subject to certain conditions being satisfied. In January 2023, the Company completed the previously-announced redemption of all outstanding shares of its Series L Preferred Stock in cash at its stated value of $28.37 (plus accrued and unpaid dividend of $1.56 per share, or $4.6 million in the aggregate). The total cost to complete the Series L Redemption, including transaction costs, was $83.8 million. The redemption was funded by a combination of proceeds from the sale of our Series A1 Preferred Stock, draws on our 2022 Credit Facility, and cash on hand.
Our long-term liquidity needs will consist primarily of funds necessary for acquisitions of assets, development or repositioning (pre-construction costs) of properties (as further described below), or re-leasing of space in existing properties, capital expenditures, paying interest and principal on debt financings, refinancing of indebtedness, SBA 7(a) loan originations, paying distributions on our Preferred Stock or any other preferred stock we may issue, any future repurchase of Common Stock and/or redemption of our Preferred Stock (if we choose, or are required, to pay the redemption price in cash instead of in shares of our Common Stock) and distributions on our Common Stock. Additionally, our outstanding commitments to fund loans were $12.6 million as of December 31, 2023, substantially all of which reflect prime-based loans to be originated by our subsidiary engaged in SBA 7(a) Small Business Loan Program lending. A majority of these commitments have government guarantees of 75% (as the government guarantee has now reverted to 75%) and we believe that we will be able to sell the guaranteed portion of these loans in a liquid secondary market upon fully funding these loans. Since some commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. Further, we are evaluating development of our development sites. To the extent we decide to proceed with development work on any of our development sites (in addition to those discussed below), we will have increased liquidity needs.
We own a 20% interest in an Unconsolidated Joint Venture (the “4750 Wilshire JV”) that is in the process of converting a portion of an office building in Los Angeles, California from office space into luxury for-rent residential units (the “4750 Wilshire Project”). The total cost of the 4750 Wilshire Project is expected to be approximately $31.0 million, which will be financed by a combination of equity contributions from us and co-investors as well as a mortgage loan from a third-party lender. In connection with the 4750 Wilshire JV, we received cash sales proceeds from our joint venture partners. Further, we have earned and will continue to earn management fees from co-investors in connection with their co-investment in the 4750 Wilshire Project.
In addition to the 4750 Wilshire Project, our long-term liquidity needs include our plan to renovate the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento, California, which renovation is expected to cost approximately $20.9 million, as well as the plan of one of the Unconsolidated Joint Ventures, in which we have a 50% ownership interest, to develop a multifamily apartment building at 1915 Park Avenue in Los Angeles, California, which development is expected to cost approximately $19.3 million (our share of which will be $9.7 million).
We may not have sufficient funds on hand or may not be able to obtain additional financing to cover all of our long-term cash requirements. The nature of our business, and the requirements imposed by REIT rules that we distribute a substantial majority of our REIT taxable income on an annual basis in the form of dividends, may cause us to have substantial liquidity needs over the long-term. While we will seek to satisfy such needs through one or more of the methods described in the first paragraph of this section, our ability to take such actions is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, and could be affected by various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in “Item 1A - Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. If we cannot obtain funding for our long-term liquidity needs, our assets may generate lower cash flows or decline in value, or both, which may cause us to sell assets at a time when we would not otherwise do so which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations or to maintain our level of distributions on our Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
Sources and Uses of Funds
Mortgages
We have mortgage loan agreements with outstanding balances of $250.7 million as of December 31, 2023 in the aggregate. Our mortgage loans mature on various dates from June 7, 2024 through July 1, 2026. We expect to exercise the extension option or refinance our fixed rate mortgage loan maturing on June 7, 2024 prior to maturity.
Revolving Credit Facilities
In October 2018, we entered into our 2018 revolving credit facility that, as amended, allowed us to borrow up to $209.5 million, subject to a borrowing base calculation. Our 2018 revolving credit facility was secured by properties in the Company’s real estate portfolio: eight office properties and one hotel property. In December 2022, the Company refinanced its 2018 credit facility and replaced it with a new 2022 Credit Facility, entered into with a bank syndicate, that includes a $56.2 million term loan (the “2022 Credit Facility Term Loan”) as well as a revolver allowing the Company to borrow up to $150.0 million (the “2022 Credit Facility Revolver”), both of which are collectively subject to a borrowing base calculation. The 2022 Credit Facility is secured by properties in the Company’s real estate portfolio: six office properties and one hotel property (as well as the hotel’s adjacent parking garage and retail property). The 2022 Credit Facility bears interest at (A) the base rate plus 1.50% or (B) SOFR plus 2.60%. As of December 31, 2023, the variable interest rate was 7.96%. The 2022 Credit Facility Revolver is also subject to an unused commitment fee of 0.15% or 0.25% depending on the amount of aggregate unused commitments. The 2022 Credit Facility is guaranteed by the Company and the Company is subject to certain financial maintenance covenants. The 2022 Credit Facility matures in December 2025 and provides for two one-year extension options, subject to certain conditions being satisfied, including providing notice of the election and paying an extension fee of 0.15% of each lender’s commitment being extended on the effective date of such extension. As of March 21, 2024, December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, $158.2 million, $153.2 million, and $56.2 million, respectively, was outstanding under the 2022 Credit Facility and approximately $48.0 million and $53.0 million, and $150.0 million, respectively, was available for future borrowings.
Other Financing Activity
On March 9, 2023, our lending division completed a securitization of the unguaranteed portion of certain of our SBA 7(a) loans receivable with the issuance of $54.1 million of unguaranteed SBA 7(a) loan-backed notes (with net proceeds of approximately $43.3 million, after payment of fees and expenses in connection with the securitization and the funding of a reserve account and an escrow account). The SBA 7(a) loan-backed notes are collateralized by the right to receive payments and other recoveries attributable to the unguaranteed portions of certain of our SBA 7(a) loans receivable. The SBA 7(a) loan backed notes mature on March 20, 2048, with monthly payments due as payments on the collateralized loans are received. The SBA 7(a) loan-backed notes bear interest at a per annum rate equal to the lesser of (i) 30-Day average compounded SOFR plus 2.90% and (ii) prime rate minus 0.35%. As of December 31, 2023, the variable interest rate was 8.15%. We reflect the SBA 7(a) loans receivable as assets on our consolidated balance sheet and the SBA 7(a) loan-backed notes as debt on our consolidated balance sheet.
We have junior subordinated notes with a variable interest rate that resets quarterly based on the three-month SOFR plus 3.51%, with quarterly interest-only payments. The junior subordinated balance is due at maturity on March 30, 2035. The junior subordinated notes may be redeemed at par at our option. The aggregate principal balance of the junior subordinated notes was $27.1 million as of December 31, 2023.
Securities Offerings
We conducted a continuous public offering of Series A Preferred Stock from October 2016 through January 2020, where one Series A Preferred Warrant was issued along with each issued share of Series A Preferred Stock. During the tenure of the offering, we issued 4,603,287 Series A Preferred Stock and Series A Preferred Warrants and received aggregate net proceeds of $105.2 million after commissions, fees and allocated costs.
The Series A Preferred Warrants are exercisable beginning on the first anniversary of the date of their original issuance until and including the fifth anniversary of the date of such issuance. At the time of issuance, the exercise price of each Series A Preferred Warrant was equal to a 15.0% premium to the per share estimated NAV of our Common Stock most recently published and designated as the applicable NAV by us at the time of issuance. However, in accordance with the terms of the Series A Preferred Warrants, the exercise price of each Series A Preferred Warrant issued prior to the reverse stock split in 2019 (the “Reverse Stock Split”) was automatically adjusted to reflect the effect of the Reverse Stock Split and, in the discretion of our Board of Directors, the exercise price and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of each Series A Preferred Warrant
issued prior to the special dividend in 2019 was adjusted to reflect the effect of the Special Dividend. As of December 31, 2023, there were 1,749,732 Series A Preferred Warrants to purchase 449,382 shares of Common Stock outstanding.
From February 2020 through June 2022, we conducted a continuous public offering of our Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock. In June 2022, we concluded the offering of our Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock and have since conducted a continuous public offering of our Series A1 Preferred Stock of up to approximately $692.3 million. We intend to use the net proceeds from the offerings for general corporate purposes, acquisitions of shares of our Common Stock and Preferred Stock, whether through one or more tender offers, share repurchases or otherwise, and acquisitions consistent with our acquisition and asset management strategies. As of December 31, 2023, we had issued 10,273,369 shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock, 8,251,657 shares of Series A Preferred Stock and 56,857 shares of Series D Preferred Stock and received aggregate net proceeds of $420.0 million after commissions, fees and allocated costs.
Dividends on and Redemptions of Preferred Stock
Holders of Series A1 Preferred Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, if, as and when authorized by our Board of Directors, and declared by us out of legally available funds, cumulative cash dividends on each share as follows: (1) at the of greater of (i) an annual rate of 6.0% of the Series A1 Preferred Stock Stated Value (i.e., the equivalent of $0.3750 per share per quarter) and (ii) the Federal Funds (Effective) Rate for such quarter and plus 2.5% of the Series A1 Preferred Stock Stated Value divided by four, up to a maximum of 2.5% of the Series A1 Preferred Stock Stated Value per quarter, (2) 5.50% of the Series A Preferred Stock Stated Value (i.e., the equivalent of $0.34375 per share per quarter), and (3) 5.65% of the Series D Preferred Stock Stated Value (i.e., the equivalent of $0.35313 per share per quarter), respectively.
We expect to pay dividends on the Series A1 Preferred Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock in arrears on a monthly basis, unless our results of operations, our general financing conditions, general economic conditions, applicable requirements of the MGCL or other factors make it imprudent to do so. The timing and amount of dividends declared and paid on our Preferred Stock will be determined by our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, and may vary from time to time.
Holders of our Common Stock are entitled to receive dividends, if, as and when authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by us out of legally available funds. In determining our dividend policy, the Board of Directors considers many factors including the amount of cash resources available for dividend distributions, capital spending plans, cash flow, our financial position, applicable requirements of the MGCL, any applicable contractual restrictions, and future growth in NAV and cash flow per share prospects. Consequently, the dividend rate on a quarterly basis does not necessarily correlate directly to any individual factor.
From the date of issuance until the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance, holders of Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock may require us to redeem such shares at a discount to the Series A1 Preferred Stock, Series A Preferred Stated Value and Series D Preferred Stated Value, respectively. From and after the fifth anniversary of the date of original issuance of any share of our Preferred Stock, we generally (subject to certain conditions) have the right (but not the obligation) to redeem, and the holder of such share may require us to redeem, such share at a redemption price equal to 100% of the stated value of such share, plus any accrued but unpaid dividends in respect of such share as of the effective date of the redemption. The redemption price in respect of any share of Preferred Stock, whether redeemed at our option or at the option of a holder, may be paid in cash or in shares of Common Stock in our sole discretion. As of December 31, 2023, we redeemed 1,388,499 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, 95,026 shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock, and 8,410 of Series D Preferred Stock.
On September 15, 2022, we repurchased 2,435,284 shares of our Series L Preferred Stock in a privately negotiated transaction (the “Series L Repurchase”). The shares were repurchased at a purchase price of $27.40 per share (a 3.4% discount to the stated value of $28.37 per share) plus $1.12 per share of accrued and unpaid dividends (or $2.7 million of accrued and unpaid dividends in aggregate). The total cost to complete the Series L Repurchase, including transactions costs of $700,000, was $70.1 million. In connection with the Series L Repurchase, we recognized redeemable preferred stock redemptions of $4.8 million on our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.
In December 2022, we announced the redemption of all outstanding shares of our Series L Preferred Stock. In January 2023, we completed such previously-announced redemption of all outstanding shares of our Series L Preferred Stock in cash at its stated value of $28.37 per share (plus accrued and unpaid dividend of $1.56 per share, or $4.6 million in the aggregate) (the “Series L Redemption”). The total cost to complete the Series L Redemption, including transaction costs of $93,000, was $83.8 million.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2023, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
The discussion and analysis of our historical financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. While we believe that our estimates are based on reasonable assumptions and judgments at the time they are made, some of our assumptions, estimates and judgments will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, actual results could differ from our estimates, and those differences could be material.
We believe the following critical accounting policy, among others, affects our more significant estimates and assumptions used in preparing our consolidated financial statements. For a discussion of recently issued accounting literature, see Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Recoverability of Investments in Real Estate
As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, investments in real estate are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If, and when, such events or changes in circumstances are present, the recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount to the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the assets and its eventual disposition. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the assets, an impairment is recognized to the extent the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets. Assets held for sale are reported at the lower of the asset’s carrying amount or fair value, less cost to sell.
Our process for evaluating real estate impairment requires management to make significant assumptions related to certain inputs, including rental rates, lease-up period, occupancy, estimated holding periods, capital expenditures, growth rates, market discount rates and terminal capitalization rates. These inputs require a subjective evaluation based on the specific property and market. Changes in the assumptions could have a significant impact on either the fair value, the amount of impairment charge, if any, or both.
FINRA Estimated Per Share Value
We have prepared an estimate of the per share value of each of our Series A Preferred Stock, Series A1 Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock as of December 31, 2023 in order to assist broker-dealers that are participating in our public offering of Series A1 Preferred Stock and broker-dealers that participated in our public offering of Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock in meeting their obligations under applicable FINRA rules. This estimate utilizes the fair values of our investments in real estate and certain lending assets as well as the carrying amounts of our other assets and liabilities, in each case as of December 31, 2023 (the “Calculated Assets and Liabilities”). Specifically, we divided (i) the fair values of our investments in real estate and certain lending assets and the carrying amounts of our other assets less the carrying amounts of our liabilities, in each case as of December 31, 2023, by (ii) the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series A1 Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock outstanding as of that date. The fair values of our investments in real estate and certain lending assets were determined with material assistance from third-party appraisal firms engaged to value our investments in real estate and certain lending assets, in each case in accordance with standards set forth by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. We believe our methodology of determining the Calculated Assets and Liabilities conforms to standard industry practices and is reasonably designed to ensure it is reliable.
The terms of the Series A Preferred Stock, Series A1 Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock expressly provide that the amount that a holder of Series A Preferred Stock, Series A1 Preferred Stock or Series D Preferred Stock, as the case may be, would be entitled to receive upon the redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock, Series A1 Preferred Stock or Series D Preferred Stock, as the case may be, or our liquidation would be equal to the Series A Preferred Stock Stated Value, Series A1 Preferred Stated Value or Series D Preferred Stock Stated Value, as the case may be, plus, in each case, all accumulated, accrued and unpaid dividends thereon (the “Maximum Value”), subject to any applicable redemption fee in the case of a redemption by such holder. As a result, in no event would a holder of Series A Preferred Stock, Series A1 Preferred Stock or Series D Preferred Stock, as the case may be, be entitled to receive an amount greater than the Maximum Value upon the redemption of such shares or our liquidation. Accordingly, although the estimated value of the Series A Preferred Stock, Series A1 Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock, calculated based on the Calculated Assets and Liabilities as described above,
exceeded the Maximum Value, we determined that the estimated value of each of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A1 Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock, as of December 31, 2023, was equal to $25.00 per share, plus accrued and unpaid dividends.
Dividends
As of December 31, 2023, there were 10,473,369 and 10,378,343 shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, respectively, 8,820,338 and 7,431,839 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, respectively, 56,857 and 48,447 shares of Series D Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, respectively, and 22,786,741 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. Additionally as of December 31, 2023, there were no shares of Series L Preferred Stock outstanding, all of which had been either repurchased during 2022 or reclassified to a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2023 in connection with the Series L Redemption.
Holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, if, as and when authorized by our Board of Directors, and declared by us out of legally available funds, cumulative cash dividends as follows:
Annual Rate of Dividend (as a % of stated value)
Series A1 Preferred Stock (1)
6.00%
Series A Preferred Stock 5.50%
Series D Preferred Stock 5.65%
Series L Preferred Stock 5.50%
(1)The terms of the Series A1 Preferred Stock provide for cumulative cash dividends (if, as and when authorized by the Board of Directors) on each share of Series A1 Preferred Stock at a quarterly rate of the greater of (i) an annual rate of 6.00% of the Series A1 Stated Value, divided by four (4) and (ii) the Federal Funds (Effective) Rate on the dividend determination date, plus 2.50%, of the Series A1 Stated Value, divided by four (4), up to a maximum of 2.50% of the Series A1 Stated Value per quarter. The annual rate of dividend of the Series A1 Preferred Stock during the first quarter of 2024 is 7.83%.
Dividends on each share of Preferred Stock begin accruing on, and are cumulative from, the date of issuance. We expect to timely pay dividends on the Preferred Stock in arrears on a monthly basis, unless our results of operations, our general financing conditions, general economic conditions, applicable requirements of the MGCL or other factors make it imprudent to do so. The timing and amount of dividends declared and paid on our Preferred Stock will be determined by our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, and may vary from time to time.
Holders of the Company’s Common Stock are entitled to receive dividends, if, as and when authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by the Company out of legally available funds. In determining the Company’s dividend policy, the Board of Directors considers many factors including the amount of cash resources available for dividend distributions, capital spending plans, cash flow, the Company’s financial position, applicable requirements of the MGCL, any applicable contractual restrictions, and future growth in NAV and cash flow per share prospects. Consequently, the dividend rate on a quarterly basis does not necessarily correlate directly to any individual factor.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Our future income, cash flow and fair values relevant to financial instruments are dependent upon prevalent market interest rates. Market risk refers to the risk of loss from adverse changes in market prices and interest rates. We are exposed to market risk in the form of changes in interest rates and the potential impact such changes may have on the cash flows from our floating rate debt or the fair values of our fixed rate debt. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022 (including our variable rate mortgage payable subject to an interest rate cap agreement and excluding premiums, discounts, and deferred loan costs), $250.7 million (or 52.7%) and $97.1 million (or 52.1%) of our debt, respectively, was fixed rate borrowings. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022 (excluding our variable rate mortgage payable subject to an interest rate cap agreement as well as premiums, discounts and deferred loan costs), $224.7 million (or 47.3%) and $89.3 million (or 47.9%), respectively, was floating rate borrowings. Based on the level of floating rate debt outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, a 50 basis point change in SOFR would result in an annual impact to our earnings of approximately $1.1 million and $446,000, respectively. We calculate interest rate sensitivity by multiplying the amount of floating rate debt by the respective change in rate.
As of December 31, 2023, we had one interest rate cap agreement outstanding with an aggregate notional amount of $87.0 million and an aggregate fair value of the net derivative assets of $491,000. As of December 31, 2023, an increase or decrease of 50 basis points in interest rates would not result in a significant change to the fair value of the derivative asset.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the Financial Statements and Auditors’ Report beginning on page.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of December 31, 2023, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, regarding the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) at the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded, as of that time, that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit to the SEC under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the SEC’s rules and forms and include controls and procedures designed to ensure the information required to be disclosed by us in such reports is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. We reviewed the results of management’s assessment with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). Based on their assessment, management determined that as of December 31, 2023, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria.
The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm as stated in their report which appears herein.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the stockholders and the Board of Directors of Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, of the Company and our report dated March 28, 2024, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Tempe, Arizona
March 28, 2024
Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls or our internal controls will prevent all errors and fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Controls can also be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with associated policies or procedures. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information
None of our officers or directors had any contract, instruction, or written plan for the purchase or sale of our securities that was intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c ) or any “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” in effect at any time during the three months ended December 31, 2023.

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) consists of seven directors. Each was appointed or elected to serve for a one-year term and until his or her successor is elected and qualifies, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal from office.
Set forth below are the names of the persons nominated as directors, their ages, their offices in the Company, if any, their principal occupations or employment for at least the past five years, the length of their tenure as directors of the Company and the names of other public companies in which such persons hold or have held directorships during the past five years.
Name Age Position
Douglas Bech 78 Director (independent)
John Hope Bryant 58 Director (independent)
Marcie Edwards 67 Director (independent)
Shaul Kuba 61 Director
Richard Ressler 65 Director and Chairman of the Board
Avraham Shemesh 62 Director
Elaine Wong 44 Director (independent)
Douglas Bech has served as a director of the Company since March 2014, and since 1997 as founder and Chief Executive Officer of Raintree Resorts International, a private enterprise engaged in vacation ownership and resort operations in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Prior to founding Raintree, Mr. Bech practiced securities and corporate finance law from 1970 to 1997. Mr. Bech also served as a director of J2 Global, Inc. from November 2000 to October 2021 and from August 1988 through November 2000, he served as a director of eFax.com, a company J2 Global, Inc. acquired in November 2000. In October 2021 Mr. Bech was appointed non-executive chairman of the board of directors of Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a company which was spun off to the J2 (now renamed Ziff-Davis) shareholders. Mr. Bech also served as presiding independent director of HollyFrontier Corporation from July 2011 until May 2021, when Mr. Bech retired from its board of directors. Mr. Bech had previously served as a director of Frontier Oil Corporation from 1993 until its merger with Holly Corporation in July 2011. Mr. Bech also served, from 2014 until February 1, 2016, as an independent trust manager of Moody National REIT II, Inc., a registered, non-traded real estate investment trust that acquires limited service hotels in the United States. Mr. Bech’s previous work as a securities and corporate finance lawyer, as a director of other diverse public companies, and his experience as a chief executive officer of a multi-national enterprise provides expertise on corporate governance, legal matters and finance, as well as a general business management perspective to the Board.
John Hope Bryant has served as a director of the Company since November 2022. Mr. Bryant is chairman and chief executive officer of Bryant Group Ventures and The Promise Homes Company (“TPHC”), the largest for-profit minority controlled owner of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the U.S. Bryant founded TPHC as a start-up idea in the summer of 2017, and, by the summer of 2021, it had become the largest minority controlled single family home rental company in the nation. Further, Mr. Bryant has served as a director of Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. since November 2021 and currently serves on its Nominating, Corporate Governance, and Corporate Responsibility Committee. Mr. Bryant is also the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Operation HOPE, Inc., the largest not-for-profit and best-in-class provider of financial literacy, financial inclusion, and economic empowerment tools and services in the United States for youth and adults. He has served as an advisor to three sitting U.S. presidents from both political parties. Mr. Bryant is a founding member of the Clinton Global Initiative and a member of the World Economic Forum’s “The Forum of Young Global Leaders.” In addition, he hosts a national podcast series on iHeart and is a regular guest on CNBC’s Squawk Box, a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and a contributor to Huffington Post and Black Enterprise. Mr. Bryant was selected to serve as a director
because of his experience as an entrepreneur and a real estate investor, his leadership skill and his deep connections to the community, all of which are expected to bring valuable insight to the Board.
Marcie Edwards has served as a director of the Company since her appointment by our Board on February 11, 2021. Ms. Edwards served as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) from 2014 to 2017. In that capacity, she managed a city agency with an annual budget of more than $6 billion and approximately 10,000 employees. As part of her role at LADWP, she served as a member of the board of the Water and Power Employees’ Retirement Plan, overseeing more than $12 billion in investments. Prior to her tenure at LADWP, Ms. Edwards was the City Manager of the City of Anaheim from 2013 to 2014, overseeing an annual budget of more than $1 billion with approximately 3,000 employees, including a fire department, a police department, and a public utility company. From 2000 to 2012, Ms. Edwards was the Utility General Manager of Anaheim Public Utilities and, prior to 2000, Ms. Edwards spent almost 25 years with LADWP in a variety of positions. From 2019 to 2021, she was Chair to the California Wildfire Safety Advisory Board as a gubernational appointee. Since 2019, Ms. Edwards has been a board member of S&C Electric Company in Chicago (and a member of the Audit Committee since 2021). In 2019, Ms. Edwards was invited to serve on the Southern California Gas Company’s Advisory Safety Council. Ms. Edwards has a Master in Public Administration degree from the University of LaVerne. Ms. Edwards’ extensive experience in public administration provides the Board with a strong resource on a variety of important strategic matters.
Shaul Kuba has served as a director of the Company since March 2014 and Chief Investment Officer of the Company since March 2023. Mr. Kuba is a Co-Founder, Principal and President of CIM’s Real Asset Services division with more than 30 years of active real estate, infrastructure and lending experience. Since co-founding CIM Group, L.P. in 1994, Mr. Kuba has been an integral part of building CIM Group, L.P.’s platforms. As a Principal and Head of CIM Group, L.P.’s Development Group, he is actively involved in the development, redevelopment and repositioning of CIM Group, L.P.’s real estate assets. Additionally, Mr. Kuba is instrumental in sourcing new opportunities and establishing and maintaining relationships with national and regional retailers, hospitality brands and restaurateurs. He serves on CIM Group, L.P.’s Investment, Allocation and Real Asset Management Committees and provides guidance on the diverse opportunities across CIM’s platforms. He also serves as an officer of various affiliates of CIM. Prior to CIM Group, L.P., Mr. Kuba was involved in a number of successful entrepreneurial real estate activities including co-founding Dekel Development, a developer of commercial and multifamily properties in Los Angeles. Mr. Kuba was selected to serve as a director because of his significant experience with the real estate development and sourcing new transactions as a result of his experience with CIM Group, including as Co-Founder thereof, as well as his leadership roles at CIM Group, all of which are expected to bring valuable insight to the Board of Directors.
Richard Ressler has served as director and chairman of the Company since March 2014. Mr. Ressler is the founder and President of Orchard Capital Corporation (“Orchard Capital”), a firm through which Mr. Ressler oversees companies in which Orchard Capital or its affiliates invest. Through his affiliation with Orchard Capital, Mr. Ressler serves in various senior capacities with, among others, CIM Group, L.P. (together with its controlled affiliates, “CIM”), a community-focused real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer, Orchard First Source Asset Management, LLC (together with its controlled affiliates, “OFSAM”), which provides personnel staffing to OFS Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser focusing primarily on investments in middle market and broadly syndicated US loans, debt and equity positions in collateralized loan obligations and other structured credit investments, OFS CLO Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser focusing primarily on investments in broadly syndicated US loans, and OCV Management, LLC (“OCV”), an investor, owner and operator of technology companies. Mr. Ressler also serves as a board member for various public and private companies in which Orchard Capital or its affiliates invest. Mr. Ressler served as non-executive chairman of the board of Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZD), formerly known as j2Global, Inc., from 1997 until May 2022. In addition, he has also served as the Chief Executive Officer and President and as a director of CIM Real Estate Finance Trust, Inc. (“CMFT”), a non-listed REIT operated by an affiliate of CIM that invests in net lease core real estate assets as well as real estate loans and other credit investments, since February 2018, and has served as Chairman of its board of directors since August 2018. Mr. Ressler has served as the chairman of the investment risk management committee of CMFT since April 2022 and served as a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee from August 2018 to March 2022. Mr. Ressler served as the Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of CIM Income NAV, Inc. (“CIM Income NAV”) from February 2018 to December
2021 and as Chairman of the board of directors of CIM Income NAV from August 2018 to December 2021 until CIM Income NAV’s merger with and into CMFT in December 2021. Mr. Ressler served as the Chief Executive Officer and President and as a director of Cole Office & Industrial REIT (CCIT III), Inc. (“CCIT III”) from February 2018 and as chairman of its board of directors from August 2018 until CCIT III’s merger with and into CMFT in December 2020. Mr. Ressler also served as a director of Cole Office & Industrial REIT (CCIT II), Inc. (“CCIT II”) from January 2019 until CCIT II’s merger with Griffin Realty Trust, Inc. (“GRT”) in March 2021 and as a director of Cole Credit Property Trust V, Inc. (“CCPT V”) from January 2019 to October 2019.
Mr. Ressler co-founded CIM Group, L.P. in 1994 and serves as the Executive Chairman of CIM and as an officer of various affiliates of CIM, including our manager. He chairs CIM's Executive, Investment, Allocation and Real Asset Management Committees. Mr. Ressler co-founded the predecessor of OFSAM in 2001 and chairs its executive committee. Mr. Ressler co-founded OCV in 2016 and chairs its executive committee. Prior to founding Orchard Capital, from 1988 until 1994, Mr. Ressler served as Vice Chairman of Brooke Group Limited, the predecessor of Vector Group, Ltd. (NYSE: VGR) and served in various executive capacities at VGR and its subsidiaries. Prior to VGR, Mr. Ressler was with Drexel Burnham Lambert, Inc., where he focused on merger and acquisition transactions and the financing needs of middle-market companies. Mr. Ressler began his career in 1983 with Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP, working on public offerings, private placements, and merger and acquisition transactions. Mr. Ressler holds a B.A. from Brown University, and J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Columbia University. Mr. Ressler was selected to serve as a director because of his extensive real estate, business management and finance experience and expertise, in addition to his leadership roles at several public companies, all of which are expected to bring valuable insight to the Board of Directors.
Avraham Shemesh has served as a director of the Company since March 2014. Mr. Shemesh is a Co-Founder, Principal and President of CIM’s Real Asset Management division with more than 30 years of active real estate, infrastructure and lending experience. Since co-founding CIM Group, L.P. in 1994, Mr. Shemesh has been instrumental in building CIM Group, L.P.’s real estate, infrastructure and debt platforms. He serves on CIM Group, L.P.’s Investment, Allocation, Real Assets Management and Valuation Committees as well as the ICCS, providing guidance on the diverse opportunities available across CIM’s various platforms. Mr. Shemesh is responsible for CIM’s long-time relationships with strategic institutions and oversees teams essential to acquisitions, portfolio management and internal and external communication. He serves as an officer of various affiliates of CIM. In addition, Mr. Shemesh served as a director of CMFT from March 2019 until February 2024. He served as a director of CIM Income NAV from January 2019 to December 2021 when CIM Income NAV merged with CMFT. He also served as the Chief Executive Officer and President and as a director of CCIT II from February 2018, and as Chairman of the board of directors of CCIT II from August 2018 until CCIT II’s merger with GRT in March 2021. Until the mergers of such entities with and into CMFT in December 2020, he served as the Chief Executive Officer and as a director of CCPT V beginning in March 2018, as Chairman of the board of directors of CCPT V beginning in August 2018, and as a director of CCIT III beginning in January 2019. Prior to CIM Group, L.P., Mr. Shemesh was involved in a number of successful entrepreneurial real estate activities, including co-founding Dekel Development, a developer of a wide variety of commercial and multifamily properties in Los Angeles. Mr. Shemesh was selected to serve as a director because of his significant experience with the real estate acquisition process and strategic planning as a result of his experience with CIM Group, including as Co-Founder thereof, as well as his leadership roles at CIM and CMFT, all of which are expected to bring valuable insight to the Board of Directors.
Elaine Wong has served as a director of the Company since May 2022. Ms. Wong was a Principal at CIM Group, L.P. and served as its Head of Marketing & Communications from May 2018 until her retirement from CIM at the end of June 2021. Ms. Wong was a member of CIM’s Investment Committee from February 2015 to June 2021. From February 2015 to April 2018, Ms. Wong served as CIM’s Global Head of Partner & Co-Investor Relations. She served at CIM from February 2012 to January 2015 as 1st Vice President, Global Head of Fundraising and Investor Relations, from February 2010 to January 2012 as Vice President, Fundraising & Investor Relations, and from April 2007 to January 2010 as Associate, Investor Relations. She was also a director of CMFT from October 2019 to December 2021, a director of CIM Income NAV from October 2019 until its merger with CMFT in December 2021, a director of CCPT V from October 2019 until its merger with CMFT in December 2020 and a director of CCIT II from October 2019 until its merger with GRT in March 2021. Prior to joining CIM, Ms. Wong served from May 2005 to March 2007 as an Associate at Perry Capital, LLC, and from July 2001 to April 2005 as an Analyst,
and then Associate in the Equities Division, Financial and Strategic Management, of Goldman Sachs & Co. Ms. Wong received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Ms. Wong was selected to serve as a director because of her financial background and experience and expertise in investor relations, marketing and communications strategy, and fundraising, all of which are expected to bring valuable insight to the Board.
Executive Officers
Set forth below are the names of the persons who are our executive officers as of the date hereof, their ages and their positions with the Company. Each executive officer will serve until his successor is duly appointed, or until his earlier death, resignation or removal from office.
Name Age Position
David Thompson 59 Chief Executive Officer
Barry N. Berlin 62 Chief Financial Officer and Secretary; Executive Vice President and Treasurer
David Thompson has been Chief Executive Officer of the Company since March 2019. Mr. Thompson served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company from March 2014 to March 2019. Mr. Thompson is also a Principal, Chief Financial Officer of CIM Group, L.P. and serves on CIM Group, L.P.’s Investment, Valuation Committee and the ICCS. He joined CIM Group, L.P. in 2009. In addition, Mr. Thompson has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of CIM Real Assets & Credit Fund, a closed-ended interval fund that seeks to invest in a mix of institutional-quality real estate and credit assets, since February 2019. Prior to joining CIM Group, L.P. in 2009, Mr. Thompson spent 15 years with Hilton Hotels Corporation, most recently as Senior Vice President and Controller, where he was responsible for worldwide financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, internal control and technical accounting compliance. Mr. Thompson’s experience includes billions of dollars of real estate acquisitions and dispositions in the office, retail, multifamily, hotel, gaming and timeshare sectors, as well as significant capital markets experience. Mr. Thompson began his career as a C.P.A. in the Los Angeles office of Arthur Andersen & Co. Mr. Thompson received a B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.
Barry N. Berlin has been Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company since August 2022. Mr. Berlin has been the Executive Vice President and Treasurer of the Company since October 2008 and was Chief Financial Officer of the Company’s predecessor from June 1993 to March 2014. He has been Chief Financial Officer of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary lending business since 1992 and has been the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of that business since 2020. In addition, Mr. Berlin has served in various finance and accounting roles within CIM Group and its affiliates since 2017 and is currently a Managing Director of CIM Group, Chief Financial Officer of CIM Real Assets & Credit Fund, a closed-ended interval fund advised by an affiliate of CIM Group that is registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Chief Financial Officer of CIM Capital, LLC, the Company’s operator and an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Berlin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Florida and is a certified public accountant. Mr. Berlin began his career in public accounting.
Corporate Governance
Company Leadership Structure; Board Role in Risk Oversight
Leadership Structure. The Board does not have a formal policy regarding the leadership structure of the Company and whether the roles of chairman and chief executive officer should be separated, but instead believes that these matters should be determined based on a number of different factors and circumstances, including the Company’s position, history, size, culture, stockholder base, board size and board composition and that, as a result, the appropriate structure may change from time to time as circumstances warrant. Currently, the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company are separated. Our Chairman of the Board is Mr. Ressler and our Chief Executive Officer is Mr. Thompson.
Risk Oversight. The Company is exposed to a variety of risks. The entire Board regularly assesses major risks facing the Company and reviews options for their mitigation. The Board may appoint a committee to address a specific risk or to oversee the Company’s response to a specific risk. In particular, the Audit Committee of the Board oversees the Company’s policies with respect to risk assessment and risk oversight and oversees risk with respect to financial reporting matters. The Board also relies on management to bring significant matters to its attention.
The Board believes that the Company’s current leadership structure, including the independent Audit Committee oversight function and the open access of the Board to the Company’s executive officers and senior management as the Board determines is appropriate, supports the oversight role of the Board in the Company’s risk management.
Statement on Corporate Governance
Governance Principles. The Board has adopted a set of Governance Principles that provides a framework for the governance of the Company. The Company’s Governance Principles may be found on the Company’s website at https://shareholders.creativemediacommunity.com/corporate-overview/corporate-governance in the section entitled “Governance Documents.”
Contacting the Board. The Board welcomes your questions and comments. If you would like to communicate directly with the Board, or if you have a concern related to the Company’s business ethics or conduct, financial statements, accounting practices or internal controls, then you may submit your correspondence to the Secretary of the Company, at 5956 Sherry Lane, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas 75225, or you may call the Ethics Hotline at 1-800-292-4496. All communications will be forwarded to the Audit Committee, which in turn may forward certain communications to the entire Board in its discretion.
Code of Ethics. The Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all directors, officers and employees of the Company, the Operator (as defined below) and the Administrator (as defined below), including the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer (the “Code of Ethics”).
If the Board amends any provisions of the Code of Ethics that applies to the Company’s principal executive officer or any other executive officer of the Company or grants a waiver in favor of any such persons, the Company intends to satisfy its disclosure requirements by disclosing the amendment or waiver in a Current Report on Form 8 K filed with the SEC within four business days following such amendment or waiver.
The Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics may be found on the Company’s website at https://shareholders.creativemediacommunity.com/corporate-overview/corporate-governance in the section entitled “Governance Documents.”
Meetings of the Board
The Board held a total of six meetings during the year ended December 31, 2023. Each director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate number of Board meetings and the meetings of committees on which he or she served during 2023. Directors are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company. All members of our Board virtually attended our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.
Independent Director Meetings
The independent directors have at least one regularly scheduled meeting or executive session per year without the presence of other directors and management. Any independent director can request that an additional executive session be scheduled.
Committees of the Board
The Board has the following standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee.
Audit Committee. The Company has a standing Audit Committee that oversees the accounting and financial reporting processes as well as legal, compliance and risk management matters. The Audit Committee consists of Ms. Wong (chairman), Mr. Bech and Ms. Edwards. The Audit Committee is comprised entirely of directors who meet the independence and financial literacy requirements of Nasdaq and applicable SEC rules. See “-Independence of Directors.” In addition, the Board has determined that Ms. Wong qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in SEC rules.
The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include providing assistance to the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities with respect to oversight of the integrity of the Company’s financial statements, the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications, performance and independence, and the performance of the Company’s internal audit function, if any. In accordance with its Audit Committee Charter, the Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment and oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm, who reports directly to the Committee, approval of the engagement fee of the independent registered public accounting firm and pre approval of the audit services and any permitted non audit services they may provide to the Company. In addition, the Audit Committee reviews the scope of audits as well as the annual audit plan and evaluates matters relating to the audit and internal controls of the Company. Further, the Audit Committee supervises the Company’s compliance with the cybersecurity rule promulgated by the SEC. The Audit Committee holds separate executive sessions, outside the presence of executive management, with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.
During 2023, the Audit Committee held five meetings.
The charter for the Audit Committee may be found on the Company’s website at https://shareholders.creativemediacommunity.com/corporate-overview/corporate-governance in the section entitled “Committee Charters.”
Compensation Committee. Our Compensation Committee consists of two of our independent directors: Mr. Bech, who serves as chairman, and Ms. Wong. Our Board has adopted a charter for the Compensation Committee that sets forth its specific functions, powers, duties and responsibilities. Among other things, the Compensation Committee charter calls upon the Compensation Committee to:
•In consultation with senior management, establish the Company’s general compensation philosophy and oversee the development, implementation and administration of compensation plans, policies and programs, if any;
•Oversee compliance of all compensation-related disclosure requirements, including producing an annual Compensation Committee Report for inclusion in the Company’s proxy statement in accordance with applicable SEC rules and regulations; and
•Review and make recommendations to the Board regarding any changes in compensation for directors.
During 2023, the Compensation Committee held two meetings.
The charter for the Compensation Committee may be found on the Company’s website at https://shareholders.creativemediacommunity.com/corporate-overview/corporate-governance in the section entitled “Committee Charters.”
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of two of our independent directors: Mr. Bech, who serves as chairman, and Ms. Edwards. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee was formed to establish and implement our corporate governance practices and to nominate individuals for election to the Board. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee operates pursuant to a written charter adopted by our Board. Among other things, the committee charter calls upon the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee to: (i) periodically review the size and composition of the Board and recommend to the Board such modifications to its size and/or composition as are determined by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to be necessary or desirable; (ii) recommend to the Board the director nominees for the next annual meeting of stockholders; and (iii) develop and recommend to the Board a set of corporate governance principles applicable to the Company.
During 2023, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held two meetings.
The charter for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may be found on the Company’s website at https://shareholders.creativemediacommunity.com/corporate-overview/corporate-governance in the section entitled “Committee Charters.”
Director Nomination Procedures
Director Qualifications. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes that each member of the Board must possess high personal and professional ethics, integrity and values, and be committed to representing the long term interests of the stockholders, as well as an inquisitive mind, an objective perspective, practical wisdom and mature judgment. In addition, directors must be willing to devote sufficient time to carry out their duties and responsibilities effectively. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is committed to diversity on the Board, values diversity and believes the Board should reflect an appropriate diversity of viewpoints, background, experience, ethnicity, gender, culture and other demographics.
Identifying and Evaluating Nominees. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may consider those factors it deems appropriate in evaluating director candidates as outlined above. The skills and personality of each director should fit with those of the other directors in building a Board that is effective, collegial and responsive to the needs of the Company. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may consider candidates for the Board from any reasonable source, including current board members, stockholders, professional search firms or other persons. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not evaluate candidates differently based on who has made the recommendation. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may hire and pay a fee to consultants or search firms to assist in the process of identifying and evaluating candidates; however, no such consultant or search firm was engaged in the year ended December 31, 2023.
Stockholder Nominees. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider properly submitted stockholder nominees for election to the Board and will apply the same evaluation criteria in considering such nominees as it would to persons nominated under any other circumstances. Any stockholder nominations proposed for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee should include the nominee’s name and sufficient biographical information to demonstrate that the nominee meets the qualification requirements for board service as set forth under “-Director Qualifications.” The nominee’s written consent to the nomination should also be included with the nomination submission, which should be sent in accordance with the provisions of our bylaws and addressed to: Mr. Barry Berlin, Secretary of the Company, 5956 Sherry Lane, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas 75225.
Additional information regarding submitting stockholder proposals is set forth in our bylaws. Stockholders may request a copy of our bylaws from the Company’s Secretary, Mr. Barry Berlin, Secretary of the Company, Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation, 5956 Sherry Lane, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas 75225.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities, to file reports of holdings and transactions in our securities with the SEC. Executive officers, directors and any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the shares of any class of our equity securities are required by applicable regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file with the SEC.
Based solely upon a review of these reports, and upon representations from certain of such persons, we believe that all SEC ownership reporting requirements applicable to our directors, executive officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our Common Stock were satisfied on a timely basis during and with respect to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation
Executive Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Background
This Compensation Discussion and Analysis relates to compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers during fiscal year 2023.
2023 Named Executive Officers
The following individuals were our named executive officers during 2023:
Name Title
David Thompson Chief Executive Officer
Barry N. Berlin Chief Financial Officer and Secretary; Executive Vice President and Treasurer
The Company is externally operated by the Operator, an affiliate of CIM Group, L.P. In addition, CIM Service Provider, LLC (the “Administrator”), a subsidiary of CIM Group, provides certain administrative services to the Company and its subsidiaries. Mr. Berlin was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company on August 10, 2022. Mr. Thompson, Chief Executive Officer is employed by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator and his compensation is determined by, and paid to them directly by, such affiliate. The Company did not pay Mr. Thompson any compensation in 2023 and 2022. Therefore, the compensation of Mr. Thompson is not discussed in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis.
While Mr. Berlin has an employment agreement with the Company as described below under “-Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control,” Mr. Berlin has been jointly employed by the Company and an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator. Mr. Berlin became the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company in August 2022. In addition, during 2022, Mr. Berlin was the Executive Vice President and Treasurer of the Company, Chief Financial Officer of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary lending business and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of that business. In each of 2023 and 2022, Mr. Berlin’s compensation was paid by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator. Such affiliate was then reimbursed by the Company. In each of 2023 and 2022, the amount of the reimbursement was based on Mr. Berlin’s time spent working on matters pertaining to the lending business of the Company; in 2022, the amount of the reimbursement was also based on Mr. Berlin’s role as Executive Vice President and Treasurer of the Company from January 1, 2022 to August 10, 2022 (when Mr. Berlin assumed the additional role of Chief Financial Officer and Secretary). In each of 2023 and 2022, such affiliate did not seek reimbursement from the Company for the time that Mr. Berlin spent in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
Role of Management and the Board in the Compensation Setting Process
Management of the Company and the Board had no role in setting the compensation of Mr. Berlin.
Stockholder Advisory Vote
Because stockholders expressed support for the Company’s executive compensation programs in 2023 by approving such programs, on an advisory basis, and because Mr. Berlin’s terms of employment are governed by the terms of his existing employment agreement, the Compensation Committee did not make any changes to the Company’s executive compensation programs in 2023.
Compensation Policies and Practices in Relation to Risk Management
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had five employees. Accordingly, the Compensation Committee does not believe that the Company’s compensation policies and practices are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Use of Independent Compensation Consultant
The Compensation Committee did not engage the services of an independent compensation consultant in 2023.
Determining 2023 Executive Compensation
As described above, Mr. Thompson is employed and paid by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator and did not receive any compensation from the Company. Therefore, his 2023 and 2022 compensation is not discussed herein. In each of 2023 and 2022, as described above under “-2023 Name Executive Officers,” Mr. Berlin’s compensation that was attributable to the time that he spent in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company was not borne by the Company but by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator. Accordingly, the Board did not play a role in determining Mr. Berlin’s compensation.
2023 Base Salary and Annual Cash Incentive
Mr. Berlin’s compensation that was attributable to the time that he spent in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company was not borne by the Company but by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator as described above under “-2023 Name Executive Officers.” Accordingly, the Board did not play a role in determining Mr. Berlin’s compensation.
Severance and Change in Control Agreements
Mr. Berlin’s employment agreement with the Company provides for a severance payment as specified therein and as described below.
Tax Considerations
Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) generally limits the deductibility of compensation paid to certain executive officers in excess of $1,000,000 in any one year. The Compensation Committee was aware of the impact of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m), but our named executive officers did not receive compensation from the Company in excess of the $1,000,000 limit. The Compensation Committee will continue to consider the tax consequences when determining named executive officer compensation. As in the past, the Board, upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, reserves the right to make compensation payments that are nondeductible.
Hedging and Pledging Restrictions
The Company believes it is inappropriate for any director, officer or employee of the Company to enter into speculative transactions in the Company’s equity securities. The Company’s Trading Policy prohibits all such persons, and members of their households or immediate family (spouse and minor children), from engaging in all speculative financial transactions involving securities of the Company, including buying and selling put and call options or engaging in short selling, and hedging transactions with respect to securities of the Company, including purchasing financial instruments or entering into transactions (such as prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds) designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of equity securities of the Company. Holding and exercising options or
other securities granted under any equity incentive plan of the Company are not prohibited by the Company’s Trading Policy.
Additionally, the Company’s Trading Policy permits pledging of securities of the Company only with the approval of an attorney designated by the Company.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
Our Compensation Committee is comprised of two of our independent directors. Neither of them (1) has at any time served as an officer or employee of the Company or (2) has or had any relationship requiring disclosure pursuant to the SEC’s rules regarding related party transactions (i.e., Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K). None of our executive officers has served as a director or member of the Compensation Committee of any entity that has one or more of its executive officers serving as a member of our Board or Compensation Committee.
Compensation Committee Report
The Compensation Committee has furnished the following report. The information contained in this “Compensation Committee Report” is not to be deemed “soliciting material” or “filed” with the SEC, nor is such information to be incorporated by reference into any future filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filings.
The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the above Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to our Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
Douglas Bech, Chairman
Elaine Wong
Summary Compensation Table
The table below sets forth information concerning compensation of each of our named executive officers for the years ended December 31, 2023 and, 2022, respectively. As described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, Mr. Thompson is employed by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator and his compensation is determined by, and paid to them directly by, such affiliate. The Company did not pay Mr. Thompson any compensation in 2023 or 2022.
Mr. Berlin has been jointly employed by the Company and an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator. Mr. Berlin has an employment agreement with the Company, which agreement is described below under “-Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.” Mr. Berlin became the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company in August 2022. Prior to that, Mr. Berlin has been the Executive Vice President and Treasurer of the Company since October 2008, Chief Financial Officer of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary lending business since 1992 and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of that business since 2020. In each of 2023 and 2022, Mr. Berlin’s compensation was paid by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator. Such affiliate was then reimbursed by the Company based on Mr. Berlin’s time spent working on matters pertaining to the lending business of the Company; during 2022, such reimbursement also included Mr. Berlin’s role as Executive Vice President and Treasurer of the Company from January 1, 2022 to August 10, 2022 (when Mr. Berlin assumed the additional role of Chief Financial Officer and Secretary). The amount of such reimbursement is provided in the table below. In each of 2023 and 2022, such affiliate did not seek reimbursement from the Company for the time that Mr. Berlin spent in his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
Name and Principal Position Year Salary Bonus (2)
Stock Awards All Other Compensation(3)
Total
David Thompson 2023 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Chief Executive Officer 2022 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Barry N. Berlin
2023 $ 87,500 $ 50,000 $ - $ 3,833 $ 141,333
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary; Executive Vice President and Treasurer(1), (3)
2022 $ 91,876 $ 58,770 $ - $ 3,507 $ 154,153
___________________
(1) Mr. Berlin was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company on August 10, 2022. Please see the disclosure under the first paragraph of “-Summary Compensation Table” regarding the information provided with respect to Mr. Berlin’s position.
(2) The bonus disclosure for 2022 has been updated to reflect $2,989 of reimbursement to CMCT relating to an amount paid to Mr. Berlin in 2023 as a discretionary allocation of incentive consideration relating to 2022, which was inadvertently omitted.
(3) See table below for a breakdown of all other compensation.
All other compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers in the table above consisted of the following:
Name Year Unused Vacation Pay Tax Qualified 401(k) Plan Automobile Allowance Other Total
Barry N. Berlin 2023 $ - $ 1,688 $ 1,650 $ 495 $ 3,833
Grants of Plan Based Awards
There were no grants of equity or other plan based awards to our named executive officers during 2023.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
There were no outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2023.
Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2023
There were no equity awards that were exercised or vested with respect to our named executive officers during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
Mr. Berlin is party to an executive employment agreement (an “Executive Employment Agreement”) with the Company, which became effective upon the consummation of a merger between the Company’s predecessor and a fund managed by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator on March 11, 2014. Under the Executive Employment Agreement, Mr. Berlin is entitled to a minimum annual salary of $350,000 (provided that, as discussed above under “-Summary Compensation Table,” Mr. Berlin’s compensation was paid by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator). The Executive Employment Agreement also entitles Mr. Berlin to health insurance coverage for himself, his wife and his dependent children, and a monthly automobile allowance of $550.
If Mr. Berlin is unable to perform his services due to illness or total incapacity (to be determined based on standards similar to those utilized by the U.S. Social Security Administration), the Executive Employment Agreement entitles Mr. Berlin to receive his full salary for up to one year of such incapacity, reduced by any amounts paid by any Company-provided insurance. If Mr. Berlin’s total incapacity continues beyond one year and he is not thereafter able to devote full time to his employment with the Company, then his employment and his Executive Employment Agreement will terminate.
If Mr. Berlin dies during his employment with the Company before reaching the age of seventy, his estate will be entitled to a payment of two times his annual salary plus unused vacation pay. The Company-paid amount of such death benefits will be made over the course of twelve months, and will be offset by any amounts paid under any group life insurance issued by the Company.
In the event that Mr. Berlin’s employment is terminated by the Company for Cause (as defined below), or if Mr. Berlin resigns his employment with the Company, he will be entitled to receive only his base salary then in effect through the date of termination, and all benefits accrued through the date of termination. If the Company terminates Mr. Berlin’s employment without Cause, Mr. Berlin will be entitled to receive a severance payment in an amount equal to his annual base salary then in effect, to be paid out in a lump sum on the 60th day following his termination date, conditioned upon the execution of a general release of claims.
For purposes of the Executive Employment Agreement, “Cause” means (1) the intentional, unapproved material misuse of corporate funds, (2) professional incompetence or (3) acts or omissions constituting gross negligence or willful misconduct of executive’s obligations or otherwise relating to the business of the Company.
Assuming all vacation days are taken and all reasonable business expenses have been reimbursed, based on the Company’s best estimate, assuming the applicable scenario occurred on December 31, 2023, the Company would have owed Mr. Berlin $700,000 (representing two times his annual base salary) if he died or $350,000 (representing his annual base salary) if he became disabled or if the Company terminated his employment without Cause.
Pay Versus Performance Table
In accordance with the rules adopted by the SEC, pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the following table and related disclosure provide information about (i) the “total compensation” of our principal executive officer (the “PEO”) and our other named executive officers (the “Other NEOs”) as presented in “-Summary Compensation Table” above (the “SCT Amounts”), (ii) the “compensation actually paid” to our PEO and our Other NEOs, as calculated pursuant to the SEC’s pay-versus-performance rules (the “CAP Amounts”) and (iii) certain financial performance measures.
Year Summary Compensation Table Total for PEO(1)
Compensation Actually Paid to PEO (1)
Summary Compensation Table Total for Other NEOs (2)
Average Compensation Actually Paid to Other NEOs (3)
Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based on Total Shareholder Return (4)
Net (Loss) Income
(in thousands)
2023 $ - $ - $ 141,333 $ 141,333 $ 30.33 $ (51,456)
2022 $ - $ - $ 154,153 $ 154,153 $ 37.09 $ 5,945
2021 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 53.48 $ (851)
___________________
(1) Our PEO for each of 2023, 2022 and 2021 was Mr. Thompson, our current Chief Executive Office. As discussed under “-Summary Compensation Table” above, Mr. Thompson is employed by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator and his compensation is determined by, and paid to them directly by, such affiliate. The Company did not pay Mr. Thompson any compensation in any of the foregoing years.
(2) Our other NEO for 2023 is Mr. Berlin and our other NEO for 2022 are Mr. Berlin, our current Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, and Mr. Nathan DeBacker, our prior Chief Financial Officer and Secretary. Our other NEO for 2021 was Mr. Nathan DeBacker. Mr. DeBacker was employed by an affiliate of the Operator through August 10, 2022 and the Administrator and his compensation was determined by, and paid to them directly by, such affiliate. The Company did not pay Mr. DeBacker any compensation in 2022 and 2021. In each of 2023 and 2022, Mr. Berlin’s compensation was paid by an affiliate of the Operator and the Administrator. Such affiliate was then reimbursed by the Company based on Mr. Berlin’s time spent working on matters pertaining to the lending business of the Company; during 2022, such reimbursement also included Mr. Berlin’s role as Executive Vice President and Treasurer of the Company from January
1, 2022 to August 10, 2022 (when Mr. Berlin assumed the additional role of Chief Financial Officer and Secretary). The amount of such reimbursement is provided in the table above, consistent with the amount reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable year.
(3) The SCT Amount and the CAP Amounts are the same because Mr. Berlin did not receive any equity awards or pension benefits as part of his compensation and therefore the adjustments provided by the applicable rules adopted by the SEC do not apply to Mr. Berlin’s compensation.
(4) Pursuant to applicable SEC disclosure rules, assumes $100 was invested on December 31, 2020.
Description of Relationship Between CAP Amounts and cumulative Total Shareholder Return and Net Income
Mr. Berlin became Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company in August 2022. Prior to that Mr. Berlin was not a “named executive officer” of the Company. Upon Mr. Berlin becoming Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company, his compensation was no longer charged to the Company for any services that he performed as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company. Further, the Company relies on CIM Group for its accounting and finance functions. As a result, the Company believes that any comparison between CAP Amounts and total shareholder returns or net income is not meaningful.
Director Compensation
The Company uses a combination of cash and share based compensation to attract and retain qualified candidates to serve on the Board. In setting compensation for the independent directors of the Board, the Compensation Committee considers, among other things, the substantial time commitment on the part of the directors in fulfilling their duties as well as the skill level it requires of directors. In addition, all members of the Board are reimbursed by the Company for their expenses related to attending meetings of the Board and its committees.
The cash component of each independent director’s compensation is set forth according to the following schedule:
Annual board retainer $55,000
Annual audit committee chairman retainer $20,000
The annual Board retainer and the annual Audit Committee chairman retainer are payable quarterly in advance. No separate retainer is paid for an independent director’s serving as chair of the Compensation Committee or the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
On an annual basis, each director is expected to receive restricted shares of Common Stock valued at $55,000 on the date of grant (based on the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of the grant). These shares vest on the anniversary of the grant if the grantee continues to serve as a director of the Company at such time.
The compensation arrangement for each independent director in 2024 is expected to be substantially the same as the annualized compensation arrangement for the independent directors in 2023, which is set forth in the table below:
Director Compensation in 2023
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to our director compensation during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023:
Name
Fees Earned
or Paid in
Cash Share
Awards (1)
Total
Douglas Bech $ 55,000 $ 54,999 $ 109,999
John Hope Bryant $ 55,000 $ 54,999 $ 109,999
Marcie Edwards $ 55,000 $ 54,999 $ 109,999
Elaine Wong $ 75,000 $ 54,999 $ 129,999
___________________
(1) Represents the grant date fair value of the restricted shares or share options, as the case may be, for purposes of ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. Each of Mr. Bech, Mr. Bryant, Ms. Edwards and Ms. Wong received a grant of 12,222 restricted shares of Common Stock on August 2, 2023. The grant date fair value of the restricted shares is based on the per share closing price of our Common Stock on August 2, 2023, which was $4.50. As of December 31, 2023, each of Mr. Bech, Mr. Bryant, Ms. Edwards and Ms. Wong held 12,222 unvested restricted shares of Common Stock.
Messrs. Kuba, Ressler and Shemesh did not receive any compensation (other than the reimbursement of expenses related to attending meetings of the Board and its committees) for their service as directors in the year ended December 31, 2023.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Directors and Executive Officers
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Series A Preferred Stock”) and Series A1 Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Series A1 Preferred Stock”) as of March 22, 2024 by (1) each named executive officer, (2) each current director and (3) all executive officers and directors as a group. In each case, the percent of class owned reflects the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 22, 2024. As of March 22, 2024, no named executive officer or director of the Company owned any Series D Preferred Stock, $0.001 per value per share (“Series D Preferred Stock”).
Common Stock Series A Preferred Stock Series A1 Preferred Stock
Name of Beneficial Owner No. of Shares Percent of Class No. of Shares Percent of Class No. of Shares Percent of Class
David Thompson 25,000 * - - - -
Barry N. Berlin 27,901 * - - - -
Richard Ressler 10,152,921 (1)(2)
44.56 % 568,681 8.22 % 200,000 1.81 %
Avraham Shemesh 10,075,713 (1)(3)
44.22 % 568,681 8.22 % 200,000 1.81 %
Shaul Kuba 10,075,713 (1)(3)
44.22 % 568,681 8.22 % 200,000 1.81 %
Douglas Bech 55,672 * - - - -
Marcie Edwards 26,051 * - - - -
John Hope Bryant 12,222 * - - - -
Elaine Wong 19,968 * - - - -
Directors and Executive Officers as a group (9 persons) 10,410,575 45.69 % 568,681 8.22 % 200,000 1.81 %
___________________
* Less than 1%.
(1) CIM Group, LLC is the indirect sole equity member of each of CIM Urban Sponsor, LLC, CIM CMCT MLP, LLC, CIM Capital Real Property Management, LLC. and CIM Capital IC Management, LLC. CIM Capital IC Management, LLC is the investment adviser of CIM Real Assets & Credit Fund. Because of their positions with CIM Group, LLC, Shaul Kuba, Richard Ressler and Avraham Shemesh, the founders of CIM Group, may be deemed to beneficially own the 9,168,916 shares of Common Stock and 568,681 shares of Series A Preferred Stock owned directly by CIM CMCT MLP, LLC, the 473,033 shares of Common Stock owned directly by CIM Urban Sponsor, LLC, the 388,344 shares of common stock directly owned by CIM Real Assets & Credit Fund and the 200,000 shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock owned directly by CIM Capital Real Property Management, LLC. Messrs. Ressler, Shemesh and Kuba have shared voting and investment power over all of these shares. Each of Messrs. Ressler, Shemesh and Kuba disclaims beneficial ownership of all of these shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.
(2) Mr. Ressler has sole voting and investment power over 122,628 shares of Common Stock held by a subsidiary of a trust formed by Mr. Ressler for the benefit of his family members.
(3) Each of Messrs. Shemesh and Kuba have shared voting and investment power over 45,420 shares of Common Stock held by each of their respective family trusts, with respect to which they were grantors.
Beneficial Owners of More than 5% of our Common Stock
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series A1 Preferred Stock based on filings with the SEC as of March 22, 2024 by each person known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our Common Stock. In each case, the percent of class owned reflects the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 22, 2024.
Common Stock Series A Preferred Stock Series A1
Preferred Stock
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner No. of Shares Percent of Class No. of Shares Percent of Class No. of Shares Percent of
Class
Richard Ressler(1)
10,152,921 (2)
44.56 % 568,681 8.22 % 200,000 1.81 %
Avraham Shemesh(1)
10,075,713 (3)
44.22 % 568,681 8.22 % 200,000 1.81 %
Shaul Kuba(1)
10,075,713 (3)
44.22 % 568,681 8.22 % 200,000 1.81 %
CIM CMCT MLP, LLC (1)
9,168,916 40.24 % - - - -
The 1 8 999 Trust, XYZ LLC, Daniel M. Negari, The Insight Trust and Michael R. Ambrose 13D Group 2121 E. Tropicana Avenue, Suite 2, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119(4) 1,381,045 6.06 % - - - -
___________________
(1) The business address of Messrs. Ressler, Shemesh and Kuba, for the purposes hereof, and the address of CIM CMCT MLP, LLC, is c/o CIM Group, LLC, 4700 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90010. CIM Group , LLC is the indirect sole equity member of each of CIM Urban Sponsor, LLC, CIM CMCT MLP, LLC, CIM Capital Real Property Management, LLC and CIM Capital IC Management, LLC. CIM Capital IC Management, LLC is the investment adviser of CIM Real Assets & Credit Fund. Because of their positions with CIM Group, LLC, Shaul Kuba, Richard Ressler and Avraham Shemesh, the founders of CIM Group, may be deemed to beneficially own the 9,168,916 shares of Common Stock and 568,681 shares of Series A Preferred Stock owned directly by CIM CMCT MLP, LLC, the 473,033 shares of Common Stock owned directly by CIM Urban Sponsor, LLC, the 388,344 shares of common stock directly owned by CIM Real Assets & Credit Fund and the 200,000 shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock owned directly by CIM Capital Real Property Management, LLC. Messrs. Ressler, Shemesh and Kuba have shared voting and investment power over all of these shares. Each of Messrs. Ressler, Shemesh and Kuba disclaims beneficial ownership of all of these shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.
(2) Mr. Ressler has sole voting and investment power over 122,628 shares of Common Stock held by a subsidiary of a trust formed by Mr. Ressler for the benefit of his family members.
(3) Each of Messrs. Shemesh and Kuba have shared voting and investment power over 45,420 shares of Common Stock held by each of their respective family trusts, with respect to which they were grantors.
(4) This information is based solely upon information contained in a Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on September 27, 2023. The 1 8 999 Trust directly beneficially owned 624,045 shares of Common Stock. XYZ, LLC directly beneficially owned 750,000 Shares. Mr. Negari, as trustee of the 1 8 999 Trust and a manager and an owner of XYZ LLC, may be deemed to beneficially own the 624,045 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the 1 8 999 Trust and the 750,000 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by XYZ, LLC. The Insight Trust directly beneficially owned 7,000 shares of Common Stock. Mr. Ambrose, as trustee of The Insight Trust and an owner of XYZ, LLC, may be deemed to beneficially own the 7,000 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by The Insight Trust and the 757,000 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by XYZ, LLC.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Transactions with Related Persons
Asset Management and Other Fees to Related Parties
CIM Urban and CIM Capital, LLC, an affiliate of CIM Group (“CIM Capital”) are parties to an Investment Management Agreement pursuant to which CIM Urban engaged CIM Capital to provide certain services to CIM Urban. CIM Capital has assigned its duties under the Investment Management Agreement to its four wholly owned subsidiaries: CIM Capital Securities Management, LLC, a securities manager, CIM Capital RE Debt Management, LLC, a debt manager, CIM Capital Controlled Company Management, LLC, a controlled company manager, and CIM Capital Real Property Management,
LLC, a real property manager. The “Operator” refers to CIM Capital and its four wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company and its subsidiaries are parties to a Master Services Agreement with the Administrator pursuant to which the Administrator provides or arranges for other service providers to provide management and administration services to the Company and its subsidiaries.
On January 5, 2022, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a Fee Waiver (the “Fee Waiver”) with the Operator and the Administrator with respect to fees that are payable to them under the Investment Management Agreement and the Master Services Agreement, respectively. The Fee Waiver is effective retroactively to January 1, 2022 (the “Effective Date”). Pursuant to the Fee Waiver, the Administrator agrees to voluntarily waive any fees in excess of those set forth in the Fee Waiver, to the extent it would otherwise have been entitled to such additional compensation under the Master Service Agreement, and the Operator agrees to voluntarily waive any fees in excess of those set forth in the Fee Waiver, to the extent it would otherwise have been entitled to such additional compensation under the Investment Management Agreement. Following the end of each quarter, the Administrator will deliver to the Company (i) a calculation of the cumulative fees earned by the Operator and the Administrator under the methodology prescribed by the Fee Waiver from the Effective Date through the end of such quarter and (ii) a calculation of the cumulative fees that would have been earned by the Operator and the Administrator during such period under the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement without giving effect to the Fee Waiver. If, in respect of any quarter, the aggregate fees that are payable under the methodology prescribed by the Fee Waiver exceed the aggregate fees that would have been payable under the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, without giving effect to the Fee Waiver, such quarter will be deemed an “Excess Quarter”. For any quarter following an Excess Quarter, the Company (upon the direction of the independent members of the Board) may, at its option and upon written notice to the Administrator, elect to calculate all fees due to the Administrator and the Operator in accordance with the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, without giving effect to the Fee Waiver, from and after such Excess Quarter. Any such election by the Company will be irrevocable, and all fees due to the Administrator and the Operator from and after such election will be calculated in accordance with the Master Services Agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, without giving effect to the Fee Waiver.
The fees payable to the Operator and the Administrator are determined as follows under the Fee Waiver.
1.Base Fee: A base asset management fee (the “Base Fee”) is payable quarterly in arrears to the Operator in an amount equal to an annual rate of 1% (or 0.25% per quarter) of the average of the “Net Asset Value Attributable to Common Stockholders” as of the first and last day of the applicable quarter. Net Asset Value Attributable to Common stockholders is defined as (a) the sum of the Company’s (1) investments in real estate at fair value, (2) cash, (3) loans receivable at fair value and (4) the book value of the other assets of the Company, excluding deferred costs and net of other liabilities at book value, less (b) the Company’s (i) debt at face value, (ii) outstanding preferred stock at stated value, and (iii) non-controlling interests at book value; provided, that, non-controlling interests in any UPREIT operating partnership relating to the Company shall not be excluded. It is likely that the Company will seek to pay some or part of the Base Fee due to the Operator in 2022 in shares of Series A Preferred Stock.
2.Incentive Fee: A revised incentive fee (the “Revised Incentive Fee”) is payable quarterly in arrears to the Administrator with respect to the quarterly core funds from operations in excess of a quarterly threshold equal to 1.75% (i.e., 7.00% on an annualized basis) of the Company’s “Adjusted Common Equity” (as defined below) for such quarter (“Excess Core FFO”) as follows: (i) no Incentive Fee in any quarter in which the Excess Core FFO is $0; (ii) 100% of any Excess Core FFO up to an amount equal to the product of (x) the average of the Adjusted Common Equity as of the first and last day of the applicable quarter and (y) 0.4375%; and (iii) 20% of any Excess Core FFO thereafter. Revised Incentive Fees payable for any partial quarter will be appropriately prorated.
“Adjusted Common Equity” means Common Equity plus Excluded Depreciation and Amortization. “Common Equity” means Total Stockholders’ Equity minus Excluded Equity. “Total Stockholders’ Equity” means the amount reflected as total stockholders’ equity in accordance with GAAP on the consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the last day of a given quarter. “Excluded Equity” means the sum of all preferred securities of the Company and its subsidiaries classified as permanent equity in accordance with GAAP on the
consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the last day of a given quarter. “Excluded Depreciation and Amortization” means, for a given quarter, the amount of all accumulated depreciation and amortization of (i) the Company and its subsidiaries and (ii) to the extent allocable to the Company and its subsidiaries, the unconsolidated affiliates, in each case as of the last day of such quarter that corresponds to the periodic depreciation and amortization expense calculated in each case in accordance with GAAP that is a permitted add back to net income calculated in accordance with GAAP when calculating funds from operations.
3.Capital Gains Fee: A capital gains fee (the “Capital Gains Fee”) is payable quarterly in arrears to the Administrator in an amount equal to (i) 15% of the cumulative aggregate realized capital gains minus the cumulative aggregate realized capital losses (in each case since the Effective Date), minus (ii) the aggregate capital gains fees paid since the Effective Date. Realized capital gains and realized capital losses are calculated by subtracting from the sales price of a property: (a) any costs incurred to sell such property, and (b) the current gross value of the property (meaning the property’s original acquisition price plus any subsequent, non-reimbursed capital improvements thereon paid for by the Company).
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Operator earned asset management fees of $2.6 million and $3.6 million, respectively. The Company issued to the Operator 110,285 shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock in lieu of cash payment for the asset management fees incurred during the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Affiliates of CIM Group (collectively, the “CIM Management Entities”) provide property management, leasing, and development services to CIM Urban. The CIM Management Entities earned property management fees, which are included in rental and other property operating expenses, totaling $2.1 million and $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company also reimbursed the CIM Management Entities $5.8 million and $2.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, for onsite management costs incurred on behalf of the Company, which are included in rental and other property operating expenses. The CIM Management Entities earned leasing commissions of $101,000 and $794,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which were capitalized to deferred charges. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the CIM Management Entities earned construction management fees of $308,000 and $398,000, respectively, and were reimbursed $1.3 million and $0 million, respectively, for development management reimbursements. The construction management fees and development management reimbursements were capitalized to investments in real estate.
Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement, we appointed an affiliate of CIM Group as the administrator of Urban Partners GP, LLC. Under the Master Services Agreement, for fiscal quarters prior to April 1, 2020, the Company paid a base service fee (the “Base Service Fee”) to the Administrator initially set at $1,000,000 per year (subject to an annual escalation by a specified inflation factor beginning on January 1, 2015), payable quarterly in arrears. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we issued to the Administrator 11,273 shares of Series A Preferred Stock in lieu of cash as payment of the Base Service Fee in respect of the first fiscal quarter. On May 11, 2020, the Master Services Agreement was amended to replace the Base Service Fee with an incentive fee pursuant to which the Administrator was entitled to receive, on a quarterly basis, 15.00% of the Company’s quarterly core funds from operations in excess of a quarterly threshold equal to 1.75% (i.e., 7.00% on an annualized basis) of the Company’s average adjusted common stockholders’ equity (i.e., common stockholders’ equity plus accumulated depreciation and amortization) for such quarter. The amendment was effective as of April 1, 2020 and was further modified by the Fee Waiver described above. No such incentive fee was paid by the Company.
In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Master Services Agreement, the Administrator may receive compensation and/or reimbursement for performing certain services for the Company and its subsidiaries that are not covered by the Base Service Fee or the incentive fee arrangement in place between May 11, 2020 and January 5, 2022, as the case may be. During the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, such services performed by the Administrator and its affiliates included accounting, tax, reporting, internal audit, legal, compliance, risk management, IT, human resources, corporate communications, operational and on-going support in connection with the Company’s offering of Preferred Stock. The Company will also reimburse the
Administrator for the Company’s share of broken deal expenses that are incurred by the Administrator and its affiliates (i.e., fees and expenses relating to investments that could have been made by the Company but that the Company did not make and/or transactions that could have been executed by the Company but the Company did not consummate, including fees and expenses associated with performing due diligence review and negotiating the terms of such investments or transactions). The Administrator’s compensation is based on the salaries and benefits of the employees of the Administrator and/or its affiliates who performed these services (allocated based on the percentage of time spent on the affairs of the Company and its subsidiaries). For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we expensed $2.3 million and $1.9 million, respectively, for such services, which are included in expense reimbursements to related parties-corporate.
The Company is a party to a Staffing and Reimbursement Agreement with CIM SBA Staffing, LLC, an affiliate of CIM Group, and our subsidiary, PMC Commercial Lending, LLC. The agreement provides that CIM SBA will provide personnel and resources to the Company and the Company will reimburse CIM SBA Staffing, LLC for the costs and expenses of providing such personnel and resources. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred expenses related to services subject to reimbursement by the Company under the agreement of $2.6 million and $1.9 million, respectively, for each such year, in each case included as expense reimbursements to related parties - lending segment.
CCO Capital, LLC (“CCO Capital”) became the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of the Series A Preferred Stock and Series A Preferred Warrants effective as of May 31, 2019. CCO Capital is a registered broker dealer and is under common control with the Operator and the Administrator. The Company’s offering of the Series A Preferred Warrants ended at the end of January 2020. On January 28, 2020, the Company entered into the Second Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, pursuant to which CCO Capital acted as the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of its Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock. The Second Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement was subsequently amended by the Company and CCO Capital to address changes to, among other things, selling commissions and dealer manager fees.
On June 16, 2022, the Company entered into the Third Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, pursuant to which CCO Capital has been acting as the exclusive dealer manager for the Company’s public offering of its Series A1 Preferred Stock. Thereunder, the Company agreed to compensate CCO Capital, as the dealer manager for the offering, as follows: (1) a dealer manager fee of up to 3.00% of the selling price of each share of Series A1 Preferred Stock sold and (2) selling commissions of up to 7.00% of the selling price of each share of Series A1 Preferred Stock sold. The Company has been informed that CCO Capital generally reallows 100% of the selling commissions on sales of Series A1 Preferred Stock and generally reallows substantially all of the dealer manager fee on sales of Series A1 Preferred Stock to participating broker-dealers. In addition, pursuant to the Third Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, CCO Capital will no longer solicit or make any offers for the sale of shares of Series A Preferred Stock or Series D Preferred Stock.
In connection with the offering of the Series A Units, Series A Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock, at December 31, 2023 and 2022, $2.5 million and $2.3 million, respectively, was included in deferred costs as reimbursable expenses incurred pursuant to the Master Services Agreement and the then applicable dealer manager agreement with CCO Capital, of which $61,000 and $17,000, respectively, was included in due to related parties. CCO Capital incurred non-issuance specific costs of $623,000 and $689,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2023, respectively.
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, upfront dealer manager and trailing dealer manager fees of $283,000 and $454,000, respectively, were included in due to related parties. CCO Capital earned upfront dealer manager and trailing dealer manager fees of $1.4 million and $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Investments with Affiliates of CIM Group
In February 2022, the Company invested with a CIM-managed separate account (the “1910 Sunset JV Partner”) in a joint venture (the “1910 Sunset JV”) which purchased an office property in Los Angeles, California for a gross purchase price of approximately $51.0 million, of which the Company initially contributed approximately $22.4 million and the 1910 Sunset JV Partner initially contributed the remaining balance.
In February 2023, the Company a CIM-managed interval fund (the “1902 Park JV Partner”) invested in a joint venture (the “1902 Park JV”) which purchased a multifamily property in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California for a gross purchase price of $19.1 million. The Company owns 50% of the 1902 Park JV. In connection with the closing in February 2023, the 1902 Park JV obtained financing of $9.6 million through the 1902 Park Mortgage Loan. The Company and the 1902 Park JV Partner both initially contributed $6.6 million to the 1902 Park JV.
In October 2023, the Company and a co-investor affiliate of CIM Group (the “1015 N Mansfield JV Partner”) acquired from an unrelated third party a 100% fee-simple interest in a plot of land located in the Sycamore media district of Los Angeles, California for a gross purchase price of $18.0 million (excluding transaction costs (the “1015 N Mansfield JV”)). The property has a site area of approximately 44,141 square feet and contains a parking garage that has been leased to a third-party tenant. The site is being evaluated for different creative office development options. The Company owns 28.8% of the 1015 N Mansfield JV.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company acquired an interest in four assets from entities indirectly wholly owned by a fund that is managed by affiliates of CIM Group for $282.9 million, excluding transactions costs.
Other
On May 15, 2019, an affiliate of CIM Group entered into an approximately 11-year lease for approximately 32,000 rentable square feet with respect to a property owned by the Company (“4750 Wilshire”). The lease was amended on August 7, 2019 to reduce the rentable square feet to approximately 30,000 rentable square feet. In February 2023, the Company sold an 80% interest in 4750 Wilshire and now holds its retained 20% interest in the property through an Unconsolidated Joint Venture (the “4750 Wilshire JV”). Prior to the sale, for the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recorded rental and other property income related to this tenant of $194,000, and for the year ended December 31, 2022, recorded rental and other property income from the tenant of $1.5 million. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company’s share of the income from the tenant earned by the 4750 Wilshire JV was $170,000.
Review, Approval and Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons
The Board has adopted a written related person transaction policy. Under the policy, a “Related Person Transaction” includes certain transactions, arrangements or relationships (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which the Company (including any of its subsidiaries) was, is or will be a participant, and in which a related person had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
A “Related Person” is:
Any person who was in any of the following categories during the applicable period:
•a director or nominee for director;
•any executive officer; or
•any immediate family member of a director or executive officer, or of any nominee for director, which means any child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, spouse, sibling, mother in law, father in law, son in law, daughter in law, brother in law, or sister in law of the director, executive officer, or nominee for director and any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the household of such security holder.
Any person who was in any of the following categories when a transaction in which such person had a direct or indirect material interest occurred or existed:
•any person who is known to the Company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our shares; and
•any immediate family member of any such security holder, which means any child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, spouse, sibling, mother in law, father in law, son in law, daughter in law, brother in law, or sister in law of such security holder and any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the household of such security holder.
A person who has a position or relationship within a firm, corporation or other entity that engages in a transaction with the Company will not be deemed to have an “indirect material interest” within the meaning of “Related Person Transaction” when:
The interest arises only:
•from such person’s position as a director of another corporation or organization that is a party to the transaction; or
•from the direct or indirect ownership by such person and all other persons specified in the definition of “Related Person” in the aggregate of less than 10% equity interest in another person (other than a partnership) which is a party to the transaction; or
•from both such position and ownership; or
•from such person’s position as a limited partner in a partnership in which the person and all other persons specified in the definition of “Related Person” have an interest of less than 10%, and the person is not a general partner of and does not hold another position in the partnership.
Each of the Company’s executive officers is encouraged to help identify any potential Related Person Transaction.
If a new Related Person Transaction is identified, it will initially be brought to the attention of the Chief Financial Officer, who will then prepare a recommendation to the Board and/or a committee thereof regarding whether the proposed transaction is reasonable and fair to the Company.
A committee comprised solely of independent directors, who are also independent of the Related Person Transaction in question, will determine whether to approve a Related Person Transaction. In general, the committee will only approve or ratify a Related Person Transaction if it determines, among other things, that the Related Person Transaction is reasonable and fair to the Company.
Independence of Directors
Under the corporate governance standards of Nasdaq, a majority of the members of the Board must be independent. In making independence determinations, the Board observes all criteria for independence established by the SEC and Nasdaq. As part of such review, the Board considers transactions and relationships between each director or any member of his or her immediate family and the Company, including (if applicable) those reported under “Related Person Transactions.” The purpose of such review is to determine whether any such relationships or transactions are inconsistent with a determination that a director is independent. Based on the foregoing, the Board has determined that each of Messrs. Bech and Bryant and Ms. Edwards and Ms. Wong are independent directors.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Principal Accounting Firm Fees
Aggregate fees for services rendered to the Company for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 by the Company’s principal accounting firm for such years, Deloitte & Touche, LLP (“Deloitte”), were as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
Type of Service
Audit fees (1)
$ 749,625 $ 751,625
Audit-related fees
- -
Tax fees
92,964 179,941
All other fees - -
Total
$ 842,589 $ 931,566
___________________
(1) Audit fees consisted of professional services performed in connection with (i) the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, (ii) the statutory audits of the financial statements of two subsidiaries of the Company in 2023 and 2022, (iii) the review of financial statements included in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, (iv) procedures related to consents and assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC, (v) other services related to (and necessary for) the audit of the Company’s financial statements and (vi) agreed-upon-procedures in 2023 in connection with a securitization completed by the lending division of the Company in 2023.
Pre-Approval Policies
The Audit Committee’s charter requires review and pre-approval by the Audit Committee of all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our outside auditors. The Audit Committee pre-approved all audit services provided by our outside auditors during fiscal years 2023 and 2022 and the fees paid for such services. The Audit Committee may, in its discretion, delegate to one or more of its members the authority to pre-approve any audit or non-audit services to be performed by the independent auditors, provided that any such approvals are presented to the Committee at its next scheduled meeting.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a) 1. Financial Statements
The list of the financial statements filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is set forth on page herein.
2. Financial Statement Schedules
The list of the financial statement schedules filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is set forth on page herein.
Note: Other schedules are omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are required or because the required information is given in the financial statements or notes thereto.
3. Exhibits
The following documents are included or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
Exhibit No. Document
3.1 Articles of Amendment and Restatement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 2, 2014).
3.1(a) Articles of Amendment (Name Change) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 2, 2014).
3.1(b) Articles of Amendment (Reverse Stock Split) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.5 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 2, 2014).
3.1(c) Articles of Amendment (Par Value Decrease) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.6 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 2, 2014).
3.1(d) Articles of Amendment (Reverse Stock Split) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 6, 2019).
3.1(e) Articles of Amendment (Par Value Decrease) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 6, 2019).
3.1(f) Articles of Amendment (Name Change) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 10, 2022).
3.2 Articles Supplementary, designating the Series A Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 27, 2016).
3.3 Amendment No. 1 to the Articles Supplementary, designating the Series A Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 31, 2020).
3.4 Articles Supplementary, designating the Series D Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 31, 2020).
3.5 Articles Supplementary, designating the Series L Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 to the Form S-11 Registration Statement (333-218019) filed with the SEC on November 15, 2017).
3.6 Articles Supplementary, designating the Series A1 Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 16, 2022).
3.7 Bylaws of Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.6 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2022).
*4.1 Description of Securities of Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation.
4.2 Purchase Agreement among PMC Commercial Trust, PMC Preferred Capital Trust-A and Taberna Preferred Funding I, Ltd. dated March 15, 2005 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2005).
4.3 Junior Subordinated Indenture between PMC Commercial Trust and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association as Trustee dated March 15, 2005 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2005).
4.4 Amended and Restated Trust Agreement among PMC Commercial Trust, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Chase Bank USA, National Association and The Administrative Trustees Named Herein dated March 15, 2005 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2005).
4.5 Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Note due 2035 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2005).
4.6 Warrant Agreement, dated June 28, 2016, between CIM Commercial Trust Corporation and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-11/A filed with the SEC on June 29, 2016).
4.7 First Amendment to Warrant Agreement, dated November 6, 2019, between CIM Commercial Trust Corporation and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 8, 2019).
4.8 Form of Warrant Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 filed with the SEC on June 29, 2016).
+10.1 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement related to its 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on April 17, 2015).
+10.2 Amended and Restated Executive Employment Contract with Barry N. Berlin dated August 30, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 30, 2013).
10.3 Master Services Agreement dated March 11, 2014 by and among PMC Commercial Trust, certain of its subsidiaries, and CIM Service Provider, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 11, 2014).
10.4 Service Agreement, dated as of August 7, 2014, by and among CIM Commercial Trust Corporation and CIM Service Provider, LLC, under the Master Services Agreement dated March 11, 2014, by and among PMC Commercial Trust, certain of its subsidiaries, and CIM Service Provider, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 11, 2014).
10.5 Form of Indemnification Agreement for directors and officers of CIM Commercial Trust Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 11, 2014).
10.6 Staffing and Reimbursement Agreement, dated as of January 1, 2015, by and among CIM SBA Staffing, LLC, PMC Commercial Lending, LLC and CIM Commercial Trust Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2015).
10.7 Investment Management Agreement, dated as of December 10, 2015, between CIM Urban Partners, L.P. and CIM Investment Advisors, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 15, 2016).
10.8 Assignment Agreement, dated as of January 1, 2019, by and among CIM Capital, LLC (formerly known as CIM Investment Advisors, LLC), CIM Capital Controlled Company Management, LLC, CIM Capital RE Debt Management, LLC, CIM Capital Real Property Management, LLC and CIM Capital Securities Management, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 18, 2019).
10.9 Third Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, dated as of June 16, 2022, by and among Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation, CIM Service Provider, LLC and CCO Capital, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 16, 2022).
10.10 Third Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Guaranty, dated as of June 16, 2022, by and among Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation, CIM Service Provider, LLC and CCO Capital, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 16, 2022).
10.11
Credit Agreement, dated as of December 16, 2022, by and among certain subsidiary borrowers of Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 20, 2022).
10.12
Credit Guaranty, dated as of December 16, 2022, by and among certain subsidiary borrowers of Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 16, 2022).
10.13
Modification Agreement, dated as of September 2, 2020, among certain subsidiary borrowers of CIM Commercial Trust Corporation, each Lender party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 3, 2020).
10.14
Lease Agreement, dated as of June 29, 2009, by and among CIM/Oakland 1 Kaiser Plaza, LP and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc, as amended by the First Amendment to Lease, dated as of June 15, 2012, as further amended by the Second Amendment to Lease, dated as of December 16, 2013, as further amended by the Third Amendment to Lease, dated as of July 8, 2015, and as further amended by the Fourth Amendment to Lease, dated as of November 18, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020).
10.15
Equity Distribution Agreement, dated as of March 16, 2020, by and among CIM Commercial Trust Corporation, CIM Capital, LLC, CIM Service Provider, LLC and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020).
10.16
Amendment No. 2, dated as of September 22, 2021, to Second Amended and Restated Dealer Manager Agreement, dated as of January 28, 2020, by and among CIM Commercial Trust Corporation, CIM Service Provider, LLC and CCO Capital, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on 8-K filed with the SEC on September 24, 2021)
10.17
Fee Waiver, dated January 5, 2022, by and among CIM Commercial Trust Corporation, CIM Service Provider, LLC, CIM Capital, LLC, CIM Capital Securities Management, LLC, CIM Capital Controlled Company Management, LLC, CIM Capital RE Debt Management, LLC, CIM Capital Real Property Management, LLC, CIM Urban Partners, L.P., PMC Funding Corp. and PMC Properties, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2022)
10.18
Equity Interest Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2023, by and between Jack London Square Development (Oakland) Holdings, LLC and Channel House (Oakland) Owner, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 3, 2023)
10.19
Equity Interest Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2023, by and between 466 Water Street (Oakland) Holdings, LLC, and Parcel D 466 Water Street (Oakland) Owner, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 3, 2023)
10.20
Equity Interest Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2023, by and between JLS (Oakland) Holdings, LLC, and Parcel (Oakland) Owner, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 3, 2023)
10.21
Equity Interest Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2023, by and between 1100 Clay Venture Holdings, LLC and CMCT 1100 Clay (Oakland) Owner, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 29, 2023)
10.22
Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement of 4750 Co-Investor, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to the Registrant's Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023)
*10.23
Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of CIM Urban Partners, L.P.
*10.24
Exchange Agreement, dated as of March 28, 2024, by and among Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation, CMCT NAV REIT and CIM Urban Partners, L.P.
10.25
Amendment to 2015 Equity Compensation Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement related to its 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on June 21, 2023)
*21.1 Subsidiaries of the Registrant.
*23.1 Consent of Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
*24.1 Powers of Attorney (included on signature page).
*31.1 Section 302 Officer Certification-Chief Executive Officer.
*31.2 Section 302 Officer Certification-Chief Financial Officer.
*32.1 Section 906 Officer Certification-Chief Executive Officer.
*32.2 Section 906 Officer Certification-Chief Financial Officer.
*97.1
Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation Clawback Policy dated October 31, 2023
* Filed herewith.
+ Management contract or compensatory plan
(b) Exhibits
The exhibits listed in Item 15(a) are incorporated by reference or attached hereto.
(c) Excluded Financial Statements
None.