Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES

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INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]  
INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES
INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES
We may enter into joint ventures as a means of accessing larger parcels of land, expanding our market opportunities, managing our risk profile and leveraging our capital base. While purchasing land through a joint venture can be beneficial, currently we do not view joint ventures as critical to the success of our homebuilding operations. Based on the structure of these joint ventures, they may or may not be consolidated into our results. Our joint venture partners generally are other homebuilders, land sellers or other real estate investors. We generally do not have a controlling interest in these ventures, which means our joint venture partners could cause the venture to take actions we disagree with, or fail to take actions we believe should be undertaken, including the sale of the underlying property to repay debt or recoup all or part of the partners' investments. In late 2016, we entered into our first new joint venture since 2008. As of December 31, 2017, we had three active equity-method land ventures.
As of December 31, 2017, we also participated in one mortgage joint venture, which is engaged in mortgage activities and primarily provides services to our homebuyers. Our investment in this mortgage joint venture as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was $2.2 million and $2.3 million, respectively.
Summarized condensed financial information related to unconsolidated joint ventures that are accounted for using the equity method was as follows (in thousands):
 
At December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
Assets:
 
 
 
Cash
$
8,942

 
$
7,446

Real estate
55,552

 
54,319

Other assets
4,323

 
6,461

Total assets
$
68,817

 
$
68,226

Liabilities and equity:
 
 
 
Accounts payable and other liabilities
$
7,516

 
$
7,339

Notes and mortgages payable
25,194

 
23,000

Equity of:
 
 
 
Meritage (1)
14,521

 
14,245

Other
21,586

 
23,642

Total liabilities and equity
$
68,817

 
$
68,226


 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
Revenue
$
45,475

 
$
72,486

 
$
35,510

Costs and expenses
(19,203
)
 
(34,080
)
 
(16,240
)
Net earnings of unconsolidated entities
$
26,272

 
$
38,406

 
$
19,270

Meritage’s share of pre-tax earnings (1) (2)
$
16,082

 
$
19,357

 
$
12,805


(1)
Balance represents Meritage’s interest, as reflected in the financial records of the respective joint ventures. This balance may differ from the balance reflected in our consolidated financial statements due to the following reconciling items: (i) timing differences for revenue and distributions recognition, (ii) step-up basis and corresponding amortization, (iii) capitalization of interest on qualified assets, (iv) income deferrals as discussed in Note (2) below and (v) the cessation of allocation of losses from joint ventures in which we have previously written down our investment balance to zero and where we have no commitment to fund additional losses. As discussed in Note 2 to these consolidated financial statements, the balances above do not include $517,000, $130,000 and $445,000 of capitalized interest that is a component of our investment balances at December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
(2)
Our share of pre-tax earnings is recorded in Earnings from financial services unconsolidated entities and other, net or Earnings/(loss) from other unconsolidated entities, net, as applicable, on our consolidated statement of operations and excludes joint venture profit related to lots we purchased from the joint ventures. Such profit is deferred until homes are delivered by us and title passes to a homebuyer.
The joint venture assets and liabilities noted in the table above represent the three active land ventures, one mortgage and various inactive ventures. Our total investment in all of these joint ventures is $17.1 million as of December 31, 2017. We believe these ventures are in compliance with their respective debt agreements, if applicable, and such debt is non-recourse to us.