ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS

 

Discussions of our business and operations included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be read together with the risk factors set forth below. These risk factors describe various material risks and uncertainties we are or may become subject to, many of which are difficult to predict or beyond our control. These risks and uncertainties, together with other factors described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, have the potential to affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, strategies or prospects in a material and adverse manner.

 

Risk Factors Summary

 

Our business is subject to a number of risks, including risks that may prevent us from achieving our business objectives or may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, strategies or prospects. These risks are discussed more fully below and include, but are not limited to, risks related to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operational Risks Related to Our Business

 

Our inability to successfully identify, secure and control an adequate inventory of lots at reasonable prices could adversely impact our operations.

 

The results of our homebuilding operations depend in part upon our continuing ability to successfully identify, control and acquire an adequate number of homebuilding lots in desirable locations. There can be no assurance that an adequate supply of homebuilding lots will continue to be available to us on terms similar to those available in the past, or that we will not be required to devote a greater amount of capital to controlling homebuilding lots than we have historically. In addition, because we employ an asset-light business model, we may have access to fewer and less attractive homebuilding lots than if we owned lots outright, like some of our competitors who do not operate under an asset-light model. An insufficient supply of homebuilding lots in one or more of our markets, an inability of our developers to deliver finished lots in a timely fashion due to their inability to secure financing to fund development activities, delays in recording deeds conveying controlled lots as a result of government shut downs or stay-at-home orders, or for other reasons, or our inability to purchase or finance homebuilding lots on reasonable terms could have a material adverse effect on our sales, profitability, stock performance, ability to service our debt obligations and future cash flows. Any land shortages or any decrease in the supply of suitable land at reasonable prices could limit our ability to develop new communities or result in increased lot deposit requirements or land costs. We may not be able to pass through to our customers any increased land costs, which could adversely impact our revenues, earnings and margins.

 

Our business and results of operations are dependent on the availability, skill and performance of subcontractors.

 

We engage subcontractors to perform the construction of our homes and, in many cases, to select and obtain the raw materials used in constructing our homes. Accordingly, the timing and quality of our construction depend on the availability and skill of our subcontractors. While we anticipate being able to obtain sufficient materials and reliable subcontractors and believe that our relationships with subcontractors are good, we do not have long-term contractual commitments with any subcontractors, and we can provide no assurance that skilled subcontractors will continue to be available at reasonable rates and in our markets. In addition, as we expand into new markets, we typically must develop new relationships with subcontractors in such markets, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so in a cost-effective and timely manner, or at all. The inability to contract with skilled subcontractors at reasonable rates on a timely basis could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Despite our quality control efforts, we may discover from time to time that our subcontractors have engaged in improper construction practices or have installed defective materials in our homes. When we discover these issues, we utilize our subcontractors to repair the homes in accordance with our new home warranty and as required by law. The adverse costs of satisfying our warranty and other legal obligations in these instances may be significant, and we may be unable to recover the costs of warranty-related repairs from subcontractors, suppliers and insurers, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. We may also suffer reputational damage from the actions of subcontractors, which are beyond our control.

 

A shortage of building materials or labor, or increases in materials or labor costs, could delay or increase the cost of home construction, which could materially and adversely affect us.

 

The residential construction industry experiences labor and raw material shortages from time to time, including shortages in qualified subcontractors, tradespeople and supplies of insulation, drywall, cement, steel and lumber. These labor and raw material shortages can be more severe during periods of strong demand for housing, during periods following natural disasters that have a significant impact on existing residential and commercial structures or a result of broader economic disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It is uncertain whether these shortages will continue as is, improve or worsen. Further, pricing for labor and raw materials can be affected by the factors discussed above and various other national, regional, local, economic and political factors, including changes in immigration laws, trends in labor migration and tariffs. For example, we import many of our appliances from China and a substantial amount of our lumber originates from Canada, both of which have been the subject of U.S. tariffs in recent years. The cost of lumber has been impacted by these government-imposed tariffs as well as supply-chain disruptions caused by the closing of lumber mills due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because we lock-in rates with our lumber suppliers on a quarterly basis, our business has not yet been adversely affected by this price volatility. However, the recent increases in lumber commodity prices may result in our renewal of our lumber contracts at more expensive rates, which may significantly impact the cost to construct our homes and to operate our business. Further, our success in recently-entered markets or those we may choose to enter in the future depends substantially on our ability to source labor and local materials on terms that are favorable to us. Our markets may exhibit a reduced level of skilled labor relative to increased homebuilding demand in these markets. In the event of shortages in labor or raw materials in such markets, local subcontractors, tradespeople and suppliers may choose to allocate their resources to homebuilders with an established presence in the market and with whom they have longer-standing relationships with. Labor and raw material shortages and price increases for labor and raw materials could cause delays in and increase our costs of home construction, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Increases in our home cancellation rate could have a negative impact on our home sales revenue and gross margins.

 

Our backlog reflects sales contracts with homebuyers for homes that have not yet been delivered. We have received a deposit from a homebuyer for most homes reflected in our backlog, and, generally, we have the right to retain the deposit if the homebuyer fails to comply with his or her obligations under the sales contract, subject to certain exceptions, including as a result of state and local law, the homebuyer’s inability to sell his or her current home or, in certain circumstances, the homebuyer’s inability to obtain suitable financing. Home order cancellations negatively impact the number of closed homes, net new home orders, home sales revenue and results of operations, as well as the number of homes in backlog. Home order cancellations can result from a number of factors, including declines or slow appreciation in the market value of homes, increases in the supply of homes available to be purchased, increased competition, higher mortgage interest rates, homebuyers’ inability to sell their existing homes, homebuyers’ inability to obtain suitable financing, including providing sufficient down payments, and adverse changes in economic conditions. An increase in the level of our home order cancellations could have a negative impact on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our business could be materially and adversely disrupted by an epidemic or pandemic (such as the current COVID-19 pandemic), or similar public threat, or fear of such an event, and the measures that federal, state and local governments and other authorities implement to address it.

 

An epidemic, pandemic or similar serious public health issue, and the measures undertaken by governmental authorities to address it, could significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period, and thereby, along with any associated economic and social instability or distress, have a material adverse impact on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which the World Health Organization declared a pandemic and the United States declared a national emergency in March 2020, has resulted in widespread adverse impacts on the global economy and financial markets, and on our employees, customers, suppliers and other parties with whom we have business relations. In response to these declarations and the rapid spread of COVID-19, federal, state and local governments have imposed varying degrees of restrictions on business and social activities to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, including social distancing, quarantine and “stay-at-home” or “shelter-in-place” orders in certain of our markets. There is considerable uncertainty regarding the extent to which COVID-19 and its variants will continue to spread, the widespread availability and efficacy of vaccines and the extent and duration of governmental and other measures implemented to try to slow the spread, such as large-scale travel bans and restrictions, border closures, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders and business and government shutdowns. We have experienced resulting disruptions to our business operations, which have resulted in significant changes to the way we conduct business, including expanding our digital marketing products and virtual home tours to provide our customers additional ways to safely visit our communities and tour our homes. Although we continue to build and sell homes in all of our markets, net new orders of our homes slowed significantly during March and April 2020. Though we experienced a resurgence in net new orders during May, June and July 2020, COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths increased significantly in certain parts of the country, including in Florida and Texas during June and July 2020, two states that account for a significant portion of our homebuilding business. If such trends continue, particularly in our core markets, there can be no assurance that this resurgence in net new orders will continue, and federal, state and local governments could impose additional, or extend existing, restrictions on business and social activities, and we could experience additional disruptions to, or suspension of, certain of our business operations as a result.

 

We have modified certain business and workforce practices (including those related to employee travel, employee work locations, and cancellation of physical participation in meetings, events and conferences) and implemented protocols to promote social distancing and enhance sanitary measures in our offices and facilities to conform to government restrictions and best practices encouraged by governmental and regulatory authorities. However, the quarantine of personnel or the inability to access our offices or other locations could adversely affect our operations. If a large proportion of our employees were to contract COVID-19 or be quarantined as a result of the virus, at the same time, we would rely upon our business continuity plans in an effort to continue operations, but there is no certainty that such measures will be sufficient to mitigate the adverse impact to our operations that could result from shortages of highly skilled employees. Many of our suppliers and other business counterparties have made similar modifications. The resources available to those of our employees who are working remotely may not enable them to maintain the same level of productivity and efficiency, and those and other employees may face additional demands on their time, such as increased responsibilities resulting from school closures or the illness of family members. Although we have experienced only limited absenteeism from employees who are required to be on-site to perform their jobs, absenteeism may increase in the future and may harm our productivity. Further, our increased reliance on remote access to our information systems increases our exposure to potential cybersecurity breaches. We may take further actions as government authorities require or recommend or as we determine to be in the best interests of our employees, customers, suppliers and other business counterparties.

 

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may be reduced by financial assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (the “CARES Act”) or other similar COVID-19 related federal and state programs. However, we cannot assure you that such programs will offset all or any of the adverse impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on our business. For example, in April 2020, we applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program loan (our “PPP Loan”) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) in the amount of $7.2 million. Under the terms of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), certain amounts of a PPP Loan may be forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act, which include payroll costs, costs used to continue group health care benefits, mortgage payments, rent, utilities and interest on other debt obligations incurred in the period beginning on February 15, 2020 and ending on December 31, 2020. As of July 31, 2020, we utilized 100% of our PPP Loan proceeds to retain staff and pay salaries and rent. We believe that our uses of our PPP Loan are qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act, making us eligible for forgiveness of certain amounts received pursuant to our PPP Loan. On April 23, 2020, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) stated that the SBA will perform a full review of any PPP loan over $2.0 million before forgiving such loan and, notwithstanding any such review, we cannot provide any assurance that we will be deemed eligible for loan forgiveness or that any amount of our PPP Loan will ultimately be forgiven by the SBA.

 

While we continue to assess the COVID-19 pandemic, at this time we cannot estimate with any degree of certainty the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our financial condition and future results of operations. The ultimate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related mitigation efforts will depend on future developments, including, among others, the ultimate geographic spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of governmental and other measures designed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of effective treatments for the COVID-19 virus, the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, actions taken by governmental authorities, customers, subcontractors, suppliers and other third parties in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, workforce availability and the timing and extent to which normal economic and operating conditions resume. To the extent that the COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacts our business, results of operations, liquidity or financial condition, it may also have the effect of increasing many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.

 

There is also uncertainty as to the effects of economic relief efforts on the U.S. economy, unemployment, consumer confidence, demand for our homes and the mortgage market, including lending standards and secondary mortgage markets. Our business could also be negatively impacted over the long term, as the disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic could impact customer behavior, lower demand for our products, impair our ability to sell and/or build homes in our normal manner and generate revenues and cash flows or increase our losses on land deposits. We are unable to predict the extent to which this will impact our operational and financial performance, including the impact of future developments such as the duration and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, corresponding governmental actions (including as a result of the change in the U.S. presidential administration) and the impact of such on our employees, customers and trade partners.

 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. The full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the U.S. economy and our operations remains highly uncertain and will ultimately depend on future developments that cannot be predicted at this time, including, but not limited to, the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, governmental reactions and policies and the length of time required for normal economic and operating conditions to resume. While the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic may eventually be mitigated, there is no guarantee that a future outbreak of this or any other widespread epidemics or pandemics will not occur, or that the U.S. economy will fully recover, either of which could materially and adversely affect our business.

 

We are subject to warranty and liability claims arising in the ordinary course of business that can be significant.

 

As a homebuilder and developer, we are subject to construction defect, product liability and home and other warranty claims, including moisture intrusion and related claims, arising in the ordinary course of business, such as witnessed in Dream Finders Homes, LLC and DFH Mandarin, LLC v. Weyerhaeuser NR Company. See “Business—Legal Proceedings” in this prospectus for additional information. These claims are common to the homebuilding industry and can be costly. For example, in recent years, we and certain of our subcontractors have received a growing number of claims from attorneys on behalf of individual owners of our homes, primarily in the Jacksonville market, that allege, pursuant to Chapter 558 of the Florida Statutes, various construction defects, with most relating to stucco and water-intrusion issues. There can be no assurance that any developments we undertake will be free from defects once completed, and any defects attributable to us may lead to significant contractual or other liabilities. We rely on subcontractors to perform the construction of our homes and, in some cases, to select and obtain building materials. Although we provide subcontractors with detailed specifications and perform quality control procedures, subcontractors may, in some cases, use improper construction processes or defective materials. Defective products used in the construction of our homes can result in the need to perform extensive repairs. The cost of performing such repairs, or litigation arising out of such issues, may be significant if we are unable to recover the costs from subcontractors, suppliers and/or insurers. Warranty and construction defect matters can also result in negative publicity, including on social media outlets, which could damage our reputation and negatively affect our ability to sell homes.

 

We maintain, and require our subcontractors to maintain, general liability insurance (including construction defect and bodily injury coverage) and workers’ compensation insurance and generally seek to require our subcontractors to indemnify us for liabilities arising from their work. While these insurance policies, subject to deductibles and other coverage limits, and indemnities protect us against a portion of our risk of loss from claims related to our land development and homebuilding activities, we cannot provide assurance that these insurance policies and indemnities will be adequate to address all our home and other warranty, product liability and construction defect claims in the future, or that any potential inadequacies will not have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Further, the coverage offered by, and the availability of, general liability insurance for completed operations and construction defects are currently limited and costly. We cannot provide assurance that coverage will not be further restricted, increasing our risks and financial exposure to claims, and/or become costlier.

 

If we are unable to develop our communities successfully or within expected time-frames, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

Although our preference is to acquire finished lots, from time to time, we may also acquire property that requires further development before we can begin building homes. When a community requires additional developments, we devote substantial time and capital in order to obtain development approvals, acquire land and construct significant portions of project infrastructure and amenities before the community generates any revenue. In addition, our land bank option contracts often include interest provisions under which delays caused by development cause us to incur additional cost. It can take several years from the time we acquire control of an undeveloped property to the time we make our first home sale on the site. Delays in the development of communities, including delays associated with subcontractors performing the development activities or entitlements, expose us to the risk of changes in market conditions for homes. A decline in our ability to develop and market one of our new undeveloped communities successfully and to generate positive cash flow from these operations in a timely manner could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations and on our ability to service our debt and to meet our working capital requirements. In addition, higher than expected absorption rates in existing communities may result in lower than expected inventory levels until the development for replacement communities is completed.

 

We may be unable to obtain suitable bonding for the development of our housing projects.

 

We are often required to provide bonds, letters of credit or guarantees to governmental authorities and others to ensure the completion of our projects. As a result of market conditions, some municipalities and governmental authorities have been reluctant to accept surety bonds and instead require credit enhancements, such as cash deposits or letters of credit, in order to maintain existing bonds or to issue new bonds. If we are unable to obtain required bonds in the future for our projects, or if we are required to provide credit enhancements with respect to our current or future bonds or in place of bonds, our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

We may suffer significant financial harm and loss of reputation if we do not comply, cannot comply or are alleged to have not complied with applicable laws, rules and regulations concerning our classification and compensation practices for independent contractors.

 

Each of our divisions retain various independent contractors, either directly or indirectly through third-party entities formed by these independent contractors for their business purposes, including, without limitation, some of our sales agents. With respect to these independent contractors, we are subject to the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) regulations and applicable state law guidelines regarding independent contractor classification. These regulations and guidelines are subject to judicial and agency interpretation, and it might be determined that the independent contractor classification is inapplicable to any sales agents, vendors or any other entity characterized as an independent contractor. Further, if legal standards for the classification of independent contractors change or appear to be changing, we may need to modify our compensation and benefits structure for such independent contractors, including by paying additional compensation or reimbursing expenses.

 

There can be no assurance that legislative, judicial, administrative or regulatory (including tax) authorities will not introduce proposals or assert interpretations of existing rules and regulations that would change the independent contractor classification of any individual or vendor currently characterized as independent contractors doing business with us. Although management believes that there are no proposals currently pending that would significantly change the independent contractor classification, potential changes, if any, with respect to such classification could have a significant effect on our operating model. Further, the costs associated with any such potential changes could have a significant effect on our results of operations and financial condition if we were unable to pass through to our customers an increase in price corresponding to such increased costs. Additionally, we could incur substantial costs, penalties and damages, including back pay, unpaid benefits, taxes, expense reimbursement and attorneys’ fees, in defending future challenges to our employment classification or compensation practices.

 

Poor relations with the residents of our communities could negatively impact sales, which could cause our revenues or results of operations to decline.

 

Residents of communities we develop rely on us to resolve issues or disputes that may arise in connection with the operation or development of their communities. Efforts made by us to resolve these issues or disputes could be deemed unsatisfactory by the affected residents, and subsequent actions by these residents could adversely affect our sales or our reputation. In addition, we could be required to make material expenditures related to the settlement of such issues or disputes or to modify our community development plans, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

 

Our joint venture investments could be adversely affected by our lack of sole decision-making authority, our reliance on the financial condition of our joint venture partners and disputes between us and our joint venture partners.

 

We have in the past and may in the future co-invest with third parties through partnerships, joint ventures or other entities, acquiring non-controlling interests in, or sharing responsibility for managing the affairs of, a land acquisition and/or a development. In this event, we would not be in a position to exercise sole decision-making authority regarding the acquisition and/or development, and our investment may be illiquid due to our lack of control. Investments in partnerships, joint ventures or other entities may, under certain circumstances, involve risks not present were a third party not involved, including the possibility that our joint venture partners might become bankrupt, fail to fund their share of required capital contributions, make poor business decisions or block or delay necessary decisions. Our joint venture partners may have economic or other business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our policies or objectives. Such investments may also have the potential risk of impasses on decisions, such as a sale, because neither we nor our joint venture partners would have full control over the land acquisition or development. Disputes between us and our joint venture partners may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and prevent our officers and/or directors from focusing their time and effort on our business. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of our joint venture partners.

 

We could be adversely affected by efforts to impose joint employer liability on us for labor law violations committed by our subcontractors.

 

Our homes are constructed by employees of subcontractors and other third parties. We do not have the ability to control what these parties pay their employees or the rules they impose on their employees. However, various governmental agencies have taken actions to hold parties like us responsible for violations of wage and hour laws and other labor laws by subcontractors. Governmental rulings that hold us responsible for labor practices by our subcontractors could create substantial exposures for us under our subcontractor relationships, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

There are various potential conflicts of interest in our relationship with DF Capital and certain of its managed funds, including with certain of our executive officers and director nominees who are investors in certain funds managed by DF Capital, which could result in decisions that are not in the best interest of our stockholders.

 

Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise in the future with DF Capital and certain of its managed funds, including with certain of our executive officers and director nominees who are also investors in certain funds managed by DF Capital. Once a potential lot acquisition is approved by our land acquisition committee that requires a significant upfront commitment of capital, we will seek a land bank partner. Historically, we have provided, and we expect to continue to provide, DF Capital with the opportunity to have one of its managed funds participate in transactions that require additional funding. Such transactions may not be on terms that are as attractive as those we might be able to achieve if we sought other partners. If DF Capital does not wish to participate in, and finance, the transaction, we turn to other potential financing sources. Conflicts with DF Capital and certain of its managed funds may include, without limitation: conflicts arising from the enforcement of agreements between us and DF Capital and/or certain of its managed funds; conflicts in determining whether to offer DF Capital the opportunity to participate in a potential lot acquisition financing and, if DF Capital does participate, the terms of the financing; and conflicts in future transactions that we may pursue with DF Capital and/or one of its managed funds.

 

Our future success depends upon our ability to successfully adapt our business strategy to changing home buying patterns and trends.

 

Future home buying patterns and trends could reduce the demand for our homes and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Part of our business strategy is to offer homes that appeal to a broad range of entry-level and move-up homebuyers based on each local market in which we operate. However, given the significant increases in average home sales prices across our markets and the anticipated increased demand for more affordable homes due to generational shifts, changing demographics and other factors, we have increased our focus on offering more affordable housing options in our markets. We believe that, due to anticipated generational shifts, changing demographics and other factors, the demand for more affordable homes will increase.

 

Industry and Economic Risks

 

Tightening of mortgage lending standards and mortgage financing requirements, untimely or incomplete mortgage loan originations for our homebuyers and rising mortgage interest rates could adversely affect the availability of mortgage loans for potential purchasers of our homes and thereby materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Almost all of our customers finance their purchases through lenders that provide mortgage financing. Mortgage interest rates have generally trended downward for the last several decades and reached historic lows in the summer of 2020, which has made the homes we sell more affordable. However, we cannot predict whether mortgage interest rates will continue to fall, remain low or rise. If mortgage interest rates increase, the ability of prospective homebuyers to finance home purchases may be adversely affected, and, as a result, our operating results may be significantly negatively impacted. Our homebuilding activities are dependent upon the availability of mortgage financing to homebuyers, which is expected to be impacted by continued regulatory changes and fluctuations in the risk appetites of lenders. The financial documentation, down payment amounts and income to debt ratio requirements are subject to change and could become more restrictive.

 

The federal government has a significant role in supporting mortgage lending through its conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both of which purchase or insure mortgage loans and mortgage loan-backed securities, and its insurance of mortgage loans through or in connection with the FHA, the VA and the USDA. FHA and VA backing of mortgage loans has been particularly important to the mortgage finance industry and to our business. Increased lending volume and losses insured by the FHA have resulted in a reduction of the FHA insurance fund. If either the FHA or VA raised their down payment requirements or lowered maximum loan amounts, our business could be materially affected. In addition, changes in governmental regulation with respect to mortgage lenders could adversely affect demand for housing.

 

The availability and affordability of mortgage loans, including mortgage interest rates for such loans, could also be adversely affected by a scaling back or termination of the federal government’s mortgage loan-related programs or policies. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, USDA and VA backed mortgage loans have been an important factor in marketing and selling many of our homes. Given that a majority of our customers’ mortgages conform with terms established by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and FHA, any limitations or restrictions in the availability of, or higher consumer costs for, such government-backed financing could adversely affect our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. The elimination or curtailment of state bonds to assist homebuyers could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

In addition, certain current regulations impose, and future regulations may strengthen or impose new, standards and requirements relating to the origination, securitization and servicing of residential consumer mortgage loans, which could further restrict the availability and affordability of mortgage loans and the demand for such loans by financial intermediaries and, as a result, adversely affect our home sales, financial condition and results of operations. Further, if, due to credit or consumer lending market conditions, reduced liquidity, increased risk retention or minimum capital level obligations and/or regulatory restrictions related to certain regulations, laws or other factors or business decisions, these lenders refuse or are unable to provide mortgage loans to our homebuyers, or increase the costs to borrowers to obtain such loans, the number of homes we close and our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

 

Entry-level and first-time move-up homebuyers are the primary sources of demand for our new homes. Entry-level homebuyers are generally more affected by the availability of mortgage financing than other potential homebuyers and many of our potential move-up homebuyers must sell their existing homes in order to buy a home from us. A limited availability of suitable mortgage financing could prevent customers from buying our homes and could prevent buyers of our customers’ homes from obtaining mortgages they need to complete such purchase, either of which could result in potential customers’ inability to buy a home from us. If potential customers or the buyers of our customers’ current homes are not able to obtain suitable financing, the result could have a material adverse effect on our sales, profitability, ability to service our debt obligations and future cash flows.

 

Interest rate changes, and the failure to hedge against them, may adversely affect us.

 

We have in the past and may in the future borrow money to finance acquisitions related to land, lots, home inventories or other companies. The borrowings may bear interest at variable rates. Interest rate changes could affect our interest payments, and our future earnings, results of operations and cash flows may be adversely affected, assuming other factors are held constant.

 

We currently do not hedge against interest rate fluctuations. We may in the future obtain one or more forms of interest rate protection in the form of swap agreements, interest rate cap contracts or similar agreements to hedge against the possible negative effects of interest rate fluctuations. However, we cannot assure you that any hedging will adequately relieve the adverse effects of interest rate increases or that counterparties under these agreements will honor their obligations thereunder. In addition, we may be subject to risks of default by hedging counterparties. Adverse economic conditions could also cause the terms on which we borrow to be unfavorable. We could be required to liquidate one or more of our assets at times which may not permit us to receive an attractive return on our assets in order to meet our debt service obligations.

 

The housing market may not continue to grow at the same rate, or may decline, and any decline in our markets or for the homebuilding industry generally may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

 

We cannot predict whether and to what extent the housing markets in the geographic areas in which we operate will continue to grow, particularly if interest rates for mortgage loans, land costs and construction costs rise. Other factors that might impact growth in the homebuilding industry include uncertainty in domestic and international financial, credit and consumer lending markets amid slow economic growth or recessionary conditions in various regions or industries around the world, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, tight lending standards and practices for mortgage loans that limit consumers’ ability to qualify for mortgage financing to purchase a home, including increased minimum credit score requirements, credit risk/mortgage loan insurance premiums and/or other fees and required down payment amounts, higher home prices, more conservative appraisals, changing consumer preferences, higher loan-to-value ratios and extensive buyer income and asset documentation requirements, changes to mortgage regulations, population decline or slower rates of population growth in our markets or U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Federal Reserve”) policy changes. Given these factors, we can provide no assurance that the present housing market will continue to be strong, whether overall or in our markets. Because we depend on a limited number of markets for substantially all of our home sales, if these markets experience downturns in the housing market, our business, prospects and results of operations would be adversely impacted even if conditions in the broader economy or housing market did not suffer such a decline.

 

If there is limited economic growth, declines in employment and consumer income, changes in consumer behavior, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and/or tightening of mortgage lending standards, practices and regulation in the geographic areas in which we operate, or if interest rates for mortgage loans or home prices rise, there could likely be a corresponding adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations, including, but not limited to, the number of homes we sell, our average sales price of homes closed and the amount of revenues or profits we generate, and such effect may be material.

 

Regional factors affecting the homebuilding industry in our current markets could materially and adversely affect us.

 

Our business strategy is focused on the acquisition of suitable land and the design, construction and sale of primarily single-family homes in residential subdivisions, including planned communities, in Florida, Texas, Colorado, Georgia, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, South Carolina and North Carolina. In addition, we have land purchase contracts for the right to purchase land or lots at a future point in time in all of these areas. A prolonged economic downturn in the future in one or more of these areas, or a particular industry that is fundamental to one or more of these areas, particularly within Florida, our largest market, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. To the extent the oil and gas industry, which can be very volatile, is negatively impacted by declining commodity prices, climate change, legislation or other factors, a result could be a reduction in employment or other negative economic consequences, which in turn could adversely impact our home sales and activities in Austin, Texas and Denver, Colorado.

 

Moreover, certain insurance companies doing business in Florida and Texas have restricted, curtailed or suspended the issuance of homeowners’ insurance policies on single-family homes. This has both reduced the availability of hurricane and other types of natural disaster insurance in Florida and Texas, in general, and increased the cost of such insurance to prospective purchasers of homes in Florida and Texas. Mortgage financing for a new home is conditioned, among other things, on the availability of adequate homeowners’ insurance. There can be no assurance that homeowners’ insurance will be available or affordable to prospective purchasers of our homes offered for sale in the Florida and Texas markets. Long-term restrictions on, or unavailability of, homeowners’ insurance in the Florida and Texas markets could have an adverse effect on the homebuilding industry in such markets in general, and on our business within such markets in particular. Additionally, the availability of permits for new homes in new and existing developments has been adversely affected by the significantly limited capacity of the schools, roads and other infrastructure in such markets.

 

If adverse conditions in these markets develop in the future, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, if buyer demand for new homes in these markets decreases, home prices could decline, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

The homebuilding industry is highly competitive and, if our competitors are more successful or offer better value to our customers, our business could decline.

 

We operate in a very competitive environment that is characterized by competition from a number of other homebuilders and land developers in each market in which we operate. Additionally, there are relatively low barriers to entry into our business. We compete with large national and regional homebuilding companies, some of which have greater financial and operational resources than us, and with smaller local homebuilders and land developers, some of which may have lower administrative costs than us. We may be at a competitive disadvantage with regard to certain of our large national and regional homebuilding competitors whose operations are more geographically diversified than ours, as these competitors may be better able to withstand any future regional downturns in the housing market. Furthermore, our market share in certain of our markets may be lower as compared to some of our competitors. Many of our competitors also have longer operating histories and longstanding relationships with subcontractors and suppliers in the markets in which we operate or to which we may expand. This may give our competitors an advantage in marketing their products, securing materials and labor at lower prices and allowing their homes to be delivered to customers more quickly and at more favorable prices. We compete for, among other things, homebuyers, desirable land parcels, financing, raw materials and skilled management and labor resources. Our competitors may independently develop land and construct homes that are substantially similar to our products.

 

Increased competition could hurt our business, as it could prevent us from acquiring attractive land parcels on which to build homes or make such acquisitions more expensive, hinder our market share expansion and cause us to increase our selling incentives and reduce our prices. An oversupply of homes available for sale or discounting of home prices could periodically adversely affect demand for our homes in certain markets and could adversely affect pricing for homes in the markets in which we operate.

 

If we are unable to compete effectively in our markets, our business could decline disproportionately to our competitors, and our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to continue to compete successfully in any of our markets. Our inability to continue to compete successfully in any of our markets could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Any limitation on, or reduction or elimination of, tax benefits associated with homeownership would have an adverse effect upon the demand for homes, which could be material to our business.

 

While tax laws generally permit significant expenses associated with homeownership, primarily mortgage interest expense and real estate taxes, to be deducted for the purpose of calculating an individual’s federal and, in many cases, state taxable income, the ability to deduct mortgage interest expense and real estate taxes for federal income tax purposes is limited. The federal government or a state government may change its income tax laws by eliminating, limiting or substantially reducing these income tax benefits without offsetting provisions, which may increase the after-tax cost of owning a new home for many of our potential homebuyers. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which became effective January 1, 2018, contained substantial changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), including (i) limitations on the ability of our homebuyers to deduct property taxes, (ii) limitations on the ability of our homebuyers to deduct mortgage interest and (iii) limitations on the ability of our homebuyers to deduct state and local income taxes. Any further future changes may have an adverse effect on the homebuilding industry in general. For example, the further loss or reduction of homeowner tax deductions could decrease the demand for new homes. Any such future changes could also have a material adverse impact on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Federal income tax credits currently available to certain builders of energy-efficient new homes may not be extended by future legislation.

 

On December 21, 2020, the U.S. Congress passed the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, which President Trump signed into law on December 27, 2020. Such act extended the availability of Code Section 45L credit for energy-efficient new homes (the “Federal Energy Credits”), which provides a tax credit of $2,000 per qualifying home ($1,600 after the benefit is deducted from cost of sales as required by the IRS) to eligible homebuilders, and made the Federal Energy Credits available for homes delivered through December 31, 2021. Legislation to extend the Federal Energy Credits beyond December 31, 2021 has not been adopted, and it is uncertain whether an extension or similar tax credit will be adopted in the future. For the year ended December 31, 2019, we claimed $3.5 million of Federal Energy Credits. If legislation to extend the Federal Energy Credits for periods after December 31, 2021 is not adopted, our effective income tax rates in future periods may increase, potentially materially.

 

Fluctuations in real estate values may require us to write-down the book value of our real estate assets.

 

The homebuilding and land development industries are subject to significant variability and fluctuations in real estate values. As a result, we may be required to write-down the book value of our real estate assets in accordance with GAAP, and some of those write-downs could be material. Any material write-downs of assets could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Any future government shutdowns or slowdowns may materially adversely affect our business or financial results.

 

Any future government shutdowns or slowdowns may materially adversely affect our business or financial results. We can make no assurances that potential home closings affected by any such shutdown or slowdown will occur after the shutdown or slowdown has ended.

 

Natural disasters, severe weather and adverse geologic conditions may increase costs, cause project delays and reduce consumer demand for housing, all of which could materially and adversely affect us.

 

Our homebuilding operations are located in many areas that are subject to natural disasters, severe weather or adverse geologic conditions. These include, but are not limited to, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, floods, brushfires, wildfires, prolonged periods of precipitation, landslides, soil subsidence, earthquakes and other natural disasters. For example, we operate in a number of locations in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast that were adversely impacted by severe weather conditions and hurricanes in 2017 and 2018. As a result, our operations in certain areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina experienced temporary disruptions and delays. Additionally, our corporate headquarters are located in Jacksonville, Florida, an area that is often impacted by severe weather events, and our operations may be substantially disrupted if our corporate headquarters are forced to close. The occurrence of any of these events could damage our land parcels and projects, cause delays in completion of our projects, reduce consumer demand for housing and cause shortages and price increases in labor or raw materials, any of which could affect our sales and profitability. In addition to directly damaging our land or projects, many of these natural events could damage roads and highways providing access to our assets or affect the desirability of our land or projects, thereby adversely affecting our ability to market homes or sell land in those areas and possibly increasing the costs of homebuilding completion. Furthermore, the occurrence of natural disasters, severe weather and other adverse geologic conditions has increased in recent years due to climate change and may continue to increase in the future. Climate change may have the effect of making the risks described above occur more frequently and more severely, which could amplify the adverse impact on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

There are some risks of loss for which we may be unable to purchase insurance coverage. For example, losses associated with hurricanes, landslides, prolonged periods of precipitation, earthquakes and other weather-related and geologic events may not be insurable and other losses, such as those arising from terrorism, may not be economically insurable. A sizeable uninsured loss could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

New and existing laws and regulations or other governmental actions may increase our expenses, limit the number of homes that we can build or delay completion of our projects.

 

We are subject to numerous local, state, federal and other statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning zoning, development, building design, construction, accessibility, anti-discrimination and other matters, which, among other things, impose restrictive zoning and density requirements, the result of which is to limit the number of homes that can be built within the boundaries of a particular area. We may encounter issues with entitlement, not identify all entitlement requirements during the pre-development review of a project site or encounter zoning changes that impact our operations. Projects for which we have not received land use and development entitlements or approvals may be subjected to periodic delays, changes in use, less intensive development or elimination of development in certain specific areas due to government regulations. We may also be subject to periodic delays or may be precluded entirely from developing in certain communities due to building moratoriums or zoning changes. Such moratoriums generally relate to insufficient water supplies, sewage facilities, delays in utility hook-ups or inadequate road capacity within specific market areas or subdivisions. Local governments also have broad discretion regarding the imposition of development fees for projects in their jurisdiction. Projects for which we have received land use and development entitlements or approvals may still require a variety of other governmental approvals and permits during the development process and can also be impacted adversely by unforeseen health, safety and welfare issues, which can further delay these projects or prevent their development. As a result of any of these statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations, the timing of our home sales could be delayed, the number of our home sales could decline and/or our costs could increase, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We and our subcontractors are subject to environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, which may increase our costs, result in liabilities, limit the areas in which we can build homes and delay completion of our projects.

 

We and our subcontractors are subject to a variety of local, state, federal and other environmental, health and safety laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations, including those governing storm water and surface water management, discharge and releases of pollutants and hazardous materials into the environment, including air, groundwater, subsurface and soil, remediation activities, handling of hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead paint and mold, protection of wetlands, endangered plants and species and sensitive habitats and human health and safety. The particular environmental requirements that apply to any given site vary according to multiple factors, including the site’s location and present and former uses, its environmental conditions, the presence or absence of endangered plants or species or sensitive habitats and environmental conditions at nearby or adjoining properties. There is no guarantee that we will be able to identify all of these considerations during any pre-acquisition or pre-development review of project sites or that such factors will not develop during our development and homebuilding activities. Environmental requirements and conditions may result in delays, may cause us to incur substantial compliance, remediation and other costs and can prohibit or severely restrict development and homebuilding activity in certain areas, including environmentally sensitive regions or areas contaminated by others before we commenced development. In addition, in those cases where an endangered or threatened plant or species is involved and agency rulemaking and litigation are ongoing, the outcome of such rulemaking and litigation can be unpredictable and, at any time, can result in unplanned or unforeseeable restrictions on, or the prohibition of development in, identified environmentally sensitive areas. In some instances, regulators from different governmental agencies do not concur on development, remedial standards or property use restrictions for a project, and the resulting delays or additional costs can be material for a given project.

 

Certain environmental laws and regulations also impose strict joint and several liability on former and current owners and operators of real property and in connection with third-party sites where parties have sent wastes. As a result, we may be held liable for environmental conditions we did not create on properties we currently or formerly owned or operated, including properties we have developed, or where we sent wastes. In addition, due to our wide range of historic and current ownership, operation, development, homebuilding and construction activities, we could be liable for future claims for damages as a result of the past or present use of hazardous materials, including building materials or fixtures known or suspected to contain hazardous materials, such as asbestos, lead paint and mold. A mitigation plan may be implemented during the construction of a home if a cleanup does not remove all contaminants of concern or to address a naturally occurring condition such as methane or radon. Some homebuyers may not want to purchase a home that is, or that may have been, subjected to a mitigation plan. In addition, we do not maintain separate insurance policies for claims related to hazardous materials, and insurance coverage for such claims under our general commercial liability insurance may be limited or nonexistent.

 

Pursuant to such environmental, health and safety laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations, we are generally required to obtain permits and other approvals from applicable authorities to commence and conduct our development and homebuilding activities. These permits and other approvals may contain restrictions that are costly or difficult to comply with, or may be opposed or challenged by local governments, environmental advocacy groups, neighboring property owners or other interested parties, which, in turn, may result in delays, additional costs and risks of non-approval of our activities.

 

From time to time, the EPA and similar federal, state or local agencies review land developers’ and homebuilders’ compliance with environmental, health and safety laws, statutes, ordinance, rules and regulations, including those relating to the control of storm water discharges during construction. Failure to comply with such laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations may result in civil and criminal fines and penalties, injunctions, suspension of our activities, remedial obligations, costs or liabilities, third-party claims for property or natural resource damages or personal injury, enforcement actions or other sanctions or in additional requirements for future compliance as a result of past failures. Any such actions taken with respect to us may increase our costs and result in project delays. We expect that increasingly stringent requirements will be imposed on land developers and homebuilders in the future. We cannot assure you that environmental, health and safety laws will not change or become more stringent in the future in a manner that would not have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We have provided environmental indemnities to certain lenders and other parties. These indemnities obligate us to reimburse the indemnified parties for damages related to environmental matters, and, generally, there is no term or damage limitations on these indemnities.

 

Environmental laws and regulations relating to climate change and energy can have an adverse impact on our activities, operations and profitability and on the availability and price of certain raw materials, such as lumber, steel and concrete.

 

There is a growing concern from advocacy groups and the general public that the emissions of greenhouse gases and other human activities have caused, and will continue to cause, significant changes in weather patterns and temperatures and the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Government mandates, standards and regulations enacted in response to these projected climate change impacts and concerns could result in restrictions on land development in certain areas or increased energy, transportation and raw material costs. On January 20, 2021, President Biden signed an instrument that will lead to the United States’ reentry into the Paris Agreement, which requires countries to review and “represent a progression” in their intended nationally determined contributions, which set greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, every five years. A variety of new legislation may be enacted or considered for enactment at the federal, state and local levels relating to climate change and energy, including in response to the United States’ reentry into the Paris Agreement. This legislation could relate to, for example, matters such as greenhouse gas emissions control and building and other codes that impose energy efficiency standards or require energy saving construction materials. New building or other code requirements that impose stricter energy efficiency standards or requirements for building materials could significantly increase our cost to construct homes. As climate change concerns continue to grow, legislation, regulations, mandates, standards and other requirements of this nature are expected to continue to be enacted and become costlier for us to comply with. Additionally, certain areas in the United States either have enacted or are considering a ban on the use of natural gas appliances and/or natural gas hookups, in new construction. Such bans, if enacted in areas in which we operate, could affect our cost to construct homes. Similarly, energy-related initiatives affect a wide variety of companies throughout the United States, and, because our operations are heavily dependent on significant amounts of raw materials, such as lumber, steel and concrete, these initiatives could have an adverse impact on our operations and profitability to the extent the manufacturers and suppliers of our materials are burdened with expensive cap and trade or similar energy-related regulations or requirements.

 

Because of the seasonal nature of our business, our quarterly operating results fluctuate.

 

As discussed under “Business—Seasonality,” we have historically experienced, and in the future expect to continue to experience, variability in our results of operations from quarter to quarter due to the seasonal nature of the homebuilding industry. We generally close more homes in our second, third and fourth quarters. Thus, our revenues may fluctuate on a quarterly basis, and we may have higher capital requirements in our second, third and fourth quarters in order to maintain our inventory levels. Accordingly, there is a risk that we will invest significant amounts of capital in the acquisition and development of land and construction of homes that we do not sell at anticipated pricing levels or within anticipated time frames. If, due to market conditions, construction delays or other causes, we do not complete home sales at anticipated pricing levels or within anticipated time frames, our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected. We expect this seasonal pattern to continue over the long term, but we can make no assurances as to the degree to which our historical seasonal patterns will occur in the future.

 

Changes to population growth rates in certain of the markets in which we operate or plan to operate could affect the demand for homes in these regions.

 

Slower rates of population growth or population declines in our markets in Jacksonville, Orlando, Colorado and Austin, or other key markets in the United States that we may decide to enter in the future, especially as compared to the high population growth rates in prior years, could affect the demand for housing, cause home prices in these markets to fall and adversely affect our plans for growth, business, financial condition and operating results. Furthermore, while we have recently observed an increase in our business as a result of people moving to the suburbs during the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot assure you that this trend will continue or not reverse.

 

Volatility in the credit and capital markets may impact our cost of capital and our ability to access necessary financing and the difficulty in obtaining sufficient capital could prevent us from acquiring lots for our development or increase costs and delays in the completion of our homebuilding expenditures.

 

If we require working capital greater than that provided by our operations and our credit facilities, we may be required to seek to increase the amount available under the facilities or to seek alternative financing, which might not be available on terms that are favorable or acceptable. If we are required to seek financing to fund our working capital requirements, volatility in credit or capital markets may restrict our flexibility to successfully obtain additional financing on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If we are at any time unsuccessful in obtaining sufficient capital to fund our planned homebuilding expenditures, we may experience a substantial delay in the completion of homes then under construction, or we may be unable to control or purchase finished building lots. Any delay could result in cost increases and could have a material adverse effect on our sales, profitability, stock performance, ability to service our debt obligations and future cash flows. Historically, we have supported our ongoing operations through the use of secured debt financing. In connection with the IPO, we entered into a new syndicated, unsecured revolving credit facility . Another source of liquidity includes our ability to use letters of credit and surety bonds that are generally issued. These letters of credit and surety bonds relate to certain performance-related obligations and serve as security for certain land option contracts. The majority of these letters of credit and surety bonds are in support of our land development and construction obligations to various municipalities, other government agencies and utility companies related to the construction of roads, sewers and other infrastructure. At December 31, 2020, we had outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds totaling $0.9 million and $28.0 million, respectively. These letters of credit and surety bonds are generally subject to certain financial covenants and other limitations. If we are unable to obtain letters of credit or surety bonds when required, or the conditions imposed by issuers increase significantly, our liquidity and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

Our industry is cyclical and adverse changes in general and local economic conditions could reduce the demand for homes and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Our business can be substantially affected by adverse changes in general economic or business conditions that are outside of our control, including changes in short-term and long-term interest rates; employment levels and job and personal income growth; housing demand from population growth, household formation and other demographic changes, among other factors; availability and pricing of mortgage financing for homebuyers; consumer confidence generally and the confidence of potential homebuyers in particular; consumer spending; financial system and credit market stability; private party and government mortgage loan programs (including changes in FHA, USDA, VA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conforming mortgage loan limits, credit risk/mortgage loan insurance premiums and/or other fees, down payment requirements and underwriting standards), and federal and state regulation, oversight and legal action regarding lending, appraisal, foreclosure and short sale practices; federal and state personal income tax rates and provisions, including provisions for the deduction of mortgage loan interest payments, real estate taxes and other expenses; supply of and prices for available new or resale homes (including lender-owned homes) and other housing alternatives, such as apartments, single-family rentals and other rental housing; homebuyer interest in our current or new product designs and new home community locations; general consumer interest in purchasing a home compared to choosing other housing alternatives; interest of financial institutions or other businesses in purchasing wholesale homes; and real estate taxes. Adverse changes in these conditions may affect our business nationally or may be more prevalent or concentrated in particular submarkets in which we operate. Inclement weather, natural disasters (such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, prolonged periods of precipitation, droughts and fires), other calamities and other environmental conditions can delay the delivery of our homes and/or increase our costs. Civil unrest or acts of terrorism can also have a negative effect on our business. If the homebuilding industry experiences another significant or sustained downturn, it would materially adversely affect our business and results of operations in future years.

 

The potential difficulties described above can cause demand and prices for our homes to fall or cause us to take longer and incur more costs to develop the land and build our homes. We may not be able to recover these increased costs by raising prices because of market conditions. The potential difficulties described above could also lead some homebuyers to cancel or refuse to honor their home purchase contracts altogether.

 

Inflation could adversely affect our business and financial results.

 

Inflation could adversely affect our business and financial results by increasing the costs of land, raw materials and labor needed to operate our business. If our markets have an oversupply of homes relative to demand, we may be unable to offset any such increases in costs with corresponding higher sales prices for our homes. Inflation may also accompany higher interest rates, which could adversely impact potential customers’ ability to obtain financing on favorable terms, thereby further decreasing demand. If we are unable to raise the prices of our homes to offset the increasing costs of our operations, our margins could decrease. Furthermore, if we need to lower the price of our homes to meet demand, the value of our land inventory may decrease. Inflation may also raise our costs of capital and decrease our purchasing power, making it more difficult to maintain sufficient funds to operate our business.

 

Difficulties with appraisal valuations in relation to the proposed sales price of our homes could force us to reduce the price of our homes for sale.

 

Each of our home sales may require an appraisal of the home value before closing. These appraisals are professional judgments of the market value of the property and are based on a variety of market factors. If our internal valuations of the market and pricing do not line up with the appraisal valuations, and appraisals are not at or near the agreed upon sales price, we may be forced to reduce the sales price of the home to complete the sale. These appraisal issues could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

If the market value of our inventory or controlled lot position declines, our profits could decrease and we may incur losses.

 

Inventory risk can be substantial for homebuilders. The market value of building lots and housing inventories can fluctuate significantly as a result of changing market conditions. In addition, inventory carrying costs can be significant and can result in losses in a poorly performing community or market. We must continuously seek and make acquisitions of lots for expansion into new markets, as well as for replacement and expansion within our current markets, which we generally accomplish by entering into finished lot option contracts or land bank option contracts. In the event of adverse changes in economic, market or community conditions, we may cease further building activities in certain communities, restructure existing land purchase option contracts or elect not to exercise our land purchase options. Such actions would result in our forfeiture of some or all of any deposits, fees or investments paid or made in respect of such arrangements. The forfeiture of land contract deposits or inventory impairments may result in a loss that could have a material adverse effect on our profitability, stock performance, ability to service our debt obligations and future cash flows.

 

A major health and safety incident relating to our business could be costly in terms of potential liabilities and reputational damage.

 

Building sites are inherently dangerous, and operating in the homebuilding and land development industry poses certain inherent health and safety risks. Due to health and safety regulatory requirements and the number of projects we work on, health and safety performance is critical to the success of all areas of our business.

 

Any failure in health and safety performance may result in penalties for non-compliance with relevant regulatory requirements or litigation, and a failure that results in a major or significant health and safety incident is likely to be costly in terms of potential liabilities incurred as a result. Such a failure could generate significant negative publicity and have a corresponding impact on our reputation and our relationships with relevant regulatory agencies, governmental authorities and local communities, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Strategic Risks Related to Our Business

 

We cannot make any assurances that our growth or expansion strategies will be successful, and we may incur a variety of costs to engage in such strategies, including through targeted acquisitions, and the anticipated benefits may never be realized.

 

We have expanded our business through selected investments in new geographic markets and by diversifying our products in certain markets. Investments in land, developed lots and home inventories can expose us to risks of economic loss and inventory impairments if housing conditions weaken or we are unsuccessful in implementing our growth strategies. Our long-term success and growth strategies depend in part upon continued availability of suitable land at acceptable prices. The availability of land, lots and home inventories for purchase at favorable prices depends on a number of factors outside of our control. We may compete for available land with entities that possess significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources. In addition, some state and local governments in markets where we operate have approved, and others may approve, slow-growth or no-growth initiatives and other ballot measures that could negatively impact the availability of land and building opportunities within those areas. Approval of these initiatives could adversely affect our ability to build and sell homes in the affected markets and/or could require the satisfaction of additional administrative and regulatory requirements, which could result in slowing the progress or increasing the costs of our homebuilding operations in these markets. Finally, our ability to begin new projects could be negatively impacted if we elect not to purchase land under our land banking option contracts.

 

We intend to grow our operations in existing markets, and we may expand into new markets or pursue opportunistic purchases of other homebuilders on attractive terms as, and if, such opportunities arise. We may be unable to achieve the anticipated benefits of any such growth or expansion, including through targeted acquisitions or through efficiencies that we may be unable to achieve, the anticipated benefits may take longer to realize than expected, or we may incur greater costs than expected in attempting to achieve the anticipated benefits. In such cases, we will likely need to employ additional personnel or consultants that are knowledgeable about such markets. There can be no assurance that we will be able to employ or retain the necessary personnel to successfully implement a disciplined management process and culture with local management, that our expansion operations will be successful or that we will be able to successfully integrate any acquired homebuilder. This could disrupt our ongoing operations and divert management resources that would otherwise focus on developing our existing business.

 

We may develop communities in which we build townhomes in addition to single-family homes or sell homes to investors or portfolio management companies. We can give no assurance that we will be able to successfully identify, acquire or implement these new strategies in the future. Accordingly, any such expansion, including through acquisitions, could expose us to significant risks beyond those associated with operating our existing business and may adversely affect our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We may not be able to complete or successfully integrate our recent acquisitions or any potential future acquisitions.

 

From time-to-time, we may evaluate possible acquisitions, some of which may be material. For example, in May 2019, we acquired Village Park Homes, in October 2020, we acquired H&H Homes, and, in February 2021, we acquired Century Homes, in each case to significantly expand our presence in new and existing geographic markets. These and potential future acquisitions may pose significant risks to our existing operations if they cannot be successfully integrated. These acquisitions would place additional demands on our managerial, operational, financial and other resources and create operational complexity requiring additional personnel and other resources. In addition, we may not be able to successfully finance or integrate H&H Homes, Century Homes or any businesses that we acquire. Furthermore, the integration of any acquisition may divert management’s time and resources from our core business and disrupt our operations. Moreover, even if we were successful in integrating newly acquired businesses or assets, expected synergies or cost savings may not materialize, resulting in lower than expected benefits to us from such transactions. We may spend time and money on projects that do not increase our revenue. Additionally, when making acquisitions, it may not be possible for us to conduct a detailed investigation of the nature of the business or assets being acquired due to, for instance, time constraints in making the decision and other factors. We may become responsible for additional liabilities or obligations not foreseen at the time of an acquisition. To the extent we pay the purchase price of an acquisition in cash, such an acquisition would reduce our cash reserves, and, to the extent the purchase price of an acquisition is paid with our stock, such an acquisition could be dilutive to our stockholders. To the extent we pay the purchase price of an acquisition with proceeds from the incurrence of debt, such an acquisition would increase our level of indebtedness and could negatively affect our liquidity and restrict our operations. Further, to the extent that purchase price of an acquisition is paid in the form of an earn out on future financial results, the success of such an acquisition will not be fully realized by us for a period of time as it is shared with the sellers. All of the above risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We may experience difficulties in integrating the operations of H&H Homes and Century Homes into our business and in realizing the expected benefits of each such acquisition.

 

The success of Recent Acquisitions will depend in part on our ability to realize the anticipated business opportunities from combining the operations of H&H Homes and Century Homes with our business in an efficient and effective manner. The integration process could take longer than anticipated and could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of each company’s ongoing businesses, tax costs or inefficiencies or inconsistencies in standards, controls, IT systems, procedures and policies, any of which could adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with customers, employees or other third parties, or our ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of the Recent Acquisitions, and could harm our financial performance. If we are unable to successfully or timely integrate the operations of H&H Homes and Century Homes with our business, we may incur unanticipated liabilities and be unable to realize the revenue growth, synergies and other anticipated benefits resulting from the Recent Acquisitions, and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

 

We have incurred significant costs in connection with the Recent Acquisitions. The substantial majority of these costs are non-recurring expenses related to the Recent Acquisitions. We may incur additional costs in the integration of H&H Homes and Century Homes and may not achieve cost synergies and other benefits sufficient to offset the incremental costs of the Recent Acquisitions.

 

Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure

 

We are a holding company, and we are accordingly dependent upon distributions from our subsidiaries to pay dividends, if any, taxes and other expenses.

 

We are a holding company and will have no material assets other than our ownership of equity interests in our subsidiaries. We have no independent means of generating revenue. Substantially all of our assets are held through subsidiaries of our predecessor, DFH LLC. DFH LLC’s cash flow is dependent on cash distributions from its subsidiaries, and, in turn, substantially all of our cash flow is dependent on cash distributions from DFH LLC. The creditors of each of our direct and indirect subsidiaries are entitled to payment of that subsidiary’s obligations to them, when due and payable, before distributions may be made by that subsidiary to its equity holders.

 

Therefore, DFH LLC’s ability to make distributions to us and to the holders of the Series B preferred units of DFH LLC depends on its subsidiaries’ ability first to satisfy their obligations to their creditors and then to make distributions to DFH LLC. We intend to cause DFH LLC to make distributions to us in an amount sufficient to cover our expenses, all applicable taxes payable and dividends, if any, declared by us. The holders of the Series B preferred units of DFH LLC are entitled to receive preferred distributions from DFH LLC before payment of distributions to us. Thus, our ability to cover our expenses, all applicable taxes payable and dividends, if any, declared by us depends on DFH LLC’s ability first to satisfy its obligations to its creditors and make distributions to holders of the Series B preferred units of DFH LLC and then to us.

 

In addition, our participation in any distribution of the assets of any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries upon any liquidation, reorganization or insolvency is only after the claims of such subsidiaries’ creditors, including trade creditors and preferred unitholders, are satisfied. As of December 31, 2020, the aggregate liquidation preference of the Series B preferred units DFH LLC is $9.2 million.

 

Furthermore, our future financing arrangements may contain negative covenants, limiting the ability of our subsidiaries to declare or pay dividends or make distributions. To the extent that we need funds, and our subsidiaries are restricted from declaring or paying such dividends or making such distributions under applicable law or regulations, or otherwise unable to provide such funds, for example, due to restrictions in future financing arrangements that limit the ability of our operating subsidiaries to distribute funds, our liquidity and financial condition could be materially harmed.

 

We depend on key management personnel and other experienced employees.

 

Our success depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of certain key management personnel, including, but not limited to, Patrick Zalupski, our founder, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors. Although we have entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Zalupski, there is no guarantee that Mr. Zalupski will remain employed by us. Our ability to retain our key management personnel or to attract suitable replacements should any members of our management team leave is dependent on the competitive nature of the employment market. The loss of services from key management personnel or a limitation in their availability could materially and adversely impact our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Further, such a loss could be negatively perceived in the capital markets. We have not obtained key man life insurance that would provide us with proceeds in the event of the death or disability of any of our key management personnel.

 

Experienced employees in the homebuilding, land acquisition, development and construction industries are fundamental to our ability to generate, obtain and manage opportunities. In particular, local knowledge and relationships are critical to our ability to source attractive land acquisition opportunities. Experienced employees working in the homebuilding, development and construction industries are highly sought after. Failure to attract and retain such personnel or to ensure that their experience and knowledge is not lost when they leave the business through retirement, redundancy or otherwise may adversely affect the standards of our service and may have an adverse impact on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our current financing arrangements contain, and our future financing arrangements likely will contain, restrictive covenants.

 

Our current financing agreements contain, and the financing arrangements we enter into in the future likely will contain, covenants that limit our ability to do certain things. Our Credit Agreement contains covenants that, among other things, require that we (i) maintain a maximum debt ratio of 65.0% in the first year, 62.5% in the second year and 60.0% thereafter; (ii) maintain an interest coverage ratio of 2.0 to 1.0; (iii) maintain a minimum liquidity equal to the ratio of (A) the sum of (1) unrestricted cash and (2) the amount immediately available but not yet drawn on the Credit Agreement and (B) interest incurred by us, of not less than 1.0 to 1.0; (iv) maintain a minimum tangible net worth equal to the sum of (A) 75% of the tangible net worth as of the last fiscal quarter prior to the closing date of the Credit Agreement, (B) 50% of net income from the last fiscal quarter prior to the closing date of the Credit Agreement and (C) 50% of net proceeds received from all equity issuances after the closing date of the Credit Agreement; (v) maintain a maximum risks assets ratio of (A) the sum of the GAAP net book value for all finished lots, lots under development, unentitled land and land held for future development to (B) tangible net worth, of no greater than 1.0 to 1.0; (vi) not allow aggregate investments in unconsolidated affiliates to exceed 15% of tangible net worth, as of the last day of any fiscal quarter; and (vii) may not incur indebtedness other than (A) the obligations under the Credit Agreement, (B) non-recourse indebtedness in an amount not to exceed 15% of tangible net worth, (C) our PPP Loan, (D) operating lease liabilities, finance lease liabilities and purchase money obligations for fixed or capital assets not to exceed $5.0 million in the aggregate, (E) indebtedness of financial services subsidiaries and VIEs and (F) indebtedness under hedge contracts entered into for purposes other than for speculative purposes.

 

If we fail to meet or satisfy any of these provisions, we would be in default under such financing agreement and our lenders could elect to declare outstanding amounts due and payable and terminate their commitments. A default also could limit significantly our financing alternatives, which could cause us to curtail our investment activities and/or dispose of assets when we otherwise would not choose to do so. In addition, future indebtedness we obtain may contain financial covenants limiting our ability to, for example, incur additional indebtedness, make certain investments, reduce liquidity below certain levels and pay dividends to our stockholders and otherwise affect our operating policies. If we default on one or more of our debt agreements, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Mr. Zalupski has the ability to direct the voting of a majority of the voting power of our common stock, and his interests may conflict with those of our other stockholders.

 

Our common stock consists of two classes: Class A and Class B. Holders of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share, and holders of Class B common stock are entitled to three votes per share. Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law or our certificate of incorporation. Mr. Zalupski, our founder, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, owns, through personal holdings and an entity that he controls, 100% of our Class B common stock (representing 84.8% of the total combined voting power of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock).

 

As a result, Mr. Zalupski is able to control matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election and removal of directors, changes to our organizational documents and significant corporate transactions, including any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. This concentration of ownership makes it unlikely that any holder or group of holders of our Class A common stock will be able to affect the way we are managed or the direction of our business. The interests of Mr. Zalupski with respect to matters potentially or actually involving or affecting us, such as future acquisitions, financings and other corporate opportunities and attempts to acquire us, may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders. Mr. Zalupski would have to approve any potential acquisition of us. The existence of significant stockholders may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers, delaying or preventing changes in control or changes in management or limiting the ability of our other stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in our best interests. Mr. Zalupski’s concentration of stock ownership may also adversely affect the trading price of our Class A common stock to the extent investors perceive a disadvantage in owning stock of a company with significant stockholders.

 

Certain of our directors have significant duties with, and spend significant time serving, entities that may compete with us in seeking acquisitions and business opportunities and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in pursuing business opportunities.

 

Certain of our directors hold positions of responsibility with other entities whose businesses are involved in certain aspects of the real estate industry, including in DF Capital, with which we partner for certain land banking opportunities. These directors may become aware of business opportunities that may be appropriate for presentation to us, as well as to the other entities with which they are or may become affiliated. Due to these existing and potential future affiliations, they may present potential business opportunities to other entities prior to presenting them to us, which could cause additional conflicts of interest. They may also decide that certain opportunities are more appropriate for other entities with which they are affiliated, and, as a result, they may elect not to present those opportunities to us. These conflicts of interest may not be resolved in our favor.

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.

 

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law , our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person or entity that purchases or otherwise acquires any interest in shares of our capital stock are deemed to have notice of, and consented to, the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation described in the preceding sentence. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and such persons. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment is if the price of our Class A common stock appreciates.

 

We do not plan to declare cash dividends on shares of our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment in us will be if you sell your Class A common stock at a price greater than you paid for it. There is no guarantee that the price of our Class A common stock that will prevail in the market will ever exceed the price that you pay in this offering.

 

Provisions in our charter documents or Delaware law, as well as Mr. Zalupski’s beneficial ownership of all of our outstanding Class B common stock, could discourage acquisition bids or merger proposals, which may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

 

Some provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change of control would be beneficial to our stockholders, including:

 

•

providing that the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to determine the size of our Board of Directors;

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limiting the ability of our stockholders to call special meetings;

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establishing advance notice provisions for stockholder proposals and nominations for elections to the Board of Directors to be acted upon at meetings of stockholders;

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providing that the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, or to alter or repeal, our bylaws; and

•

establishing advance notice and certain information requirements for nominations for election to our Board of Directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings.

 

Mr. Zalupski, through his beneficial ownership of all of our outstanding Class B common stock, controls approximately 84.8% of the total combined voting power of our outstanding Class A common stock and Class B common stock, which gives him the ability to prevent a potential takeover of our company. If a change of control or change in management is delayed or prevented, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline.

 

In addition, some of the restrictive covenants contained in our various financing agreements may delay or prevent a change in control.

 

Even though we may want to redeem the Series B preferred units of DFH LLC, we may not have the ability to redeem the Series B preferred units of DFH LLC, as the case may be.

 

DFH LLC has the right to redeem the Series B preferred units from time to time on or prior to September 30, 2022. As of December 31, 2020, the redemption price for all of the outstanding Series B preferred units of DFH LLC was $9.2 million. Any decision we may make at any time regarding whether to redeem the Series B preferred units of DFH LLC will depend upon a wide variety of factors, including our evaluation of our capital position, our capital requirements and general market conditions at that time. Even though we may want to redeem the Series B preferred units of DFH LLC, we may be restricted from doing so by our debt agreements or we might not have sufficient cash available to redeem such preferred units.

 

Non-U.S. holders may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized on the sale or disposition of shares of our Class A common stock.

 

Because of our holdings in U.S. real property interests, we believe we are a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized on a sale or disposition of shares of our Class A common stock unless our Class A common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and such non-U.S. holder did not actually or constructively hold more than 5% of our Class A common stock at any time during the shorter of (a) the five-year period preceding the date of the sale or disposition and (b) the non-U.S. holder’s holding period in such stock. In addition, if our Class A common stock is not regularly traded on an established securities market, a purchaser of the stock generally will be required to withhold and remit to the IRS 15% of the purchase price. A non-U.S. holder also will be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return for any taxable year in which it realizes a gain from the disposition of our Class A common stock that is subject to U.S. federal income tax.

For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of our Class A common stock that is not, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a partnership or any of the following:

 

 

No assurance can be given that our Class A common stock will remain regularly traded in the future. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of disposing of shares of our Class A common stock.

 

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Global Select Market rules, which allows us to rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.

 

Mr. Zalupski beneficially owns a majority of our outstanding voting interests. As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) corporate governance standards. Under the Nasdaq rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by another person or group of persons acting together is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:

 

 

 

These requirements will not apply to us as long as we remain a controlled company. Accordingly, you do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements. See “Management” in this prospectus for additional information.

 

The dual class structure of our common stock may adversely affect the trading market for our Class A common stock.

 

In July 2017, S&P Dow Jones Indices and FTSE International Limited announced changes to their eligibility criteria for the inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the Russell 2000, the S&P 500, the S&P MidCap 400 and the S&P SmallCap 600, to exclude companies with multiple classes of shares of common stock from being added to these indices. As a result, our dual class capital structure makes us ineligible for inclusion in any of these indices, and mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track these indices will not be investing in our stock. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that other stock indices will not take a similar approach to S&P Dow Jones or FTSE Russell in the future. Exclusion from indices could make our Class A common stock less attractive to investors, and, as a result, the market price of our Class A common stock could be adversely affected.

 

Changes in the method of determining LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate, may adversely affect interest expense related to outstanding debt.

 

Borrowings under our Credit Agreement bear interest at the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus an applicable margin. On July 27, 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR as a benchmark by the end of 2021. It is unclear whether new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021. Our existing vertical construction lines of credit facilities, which, at the present time, have terms that extends beyond 2021, provide for a mechanism to amend such financing agreements to reflect the establishment of an alternate rate of interest upon the occurrence of certain events related to the phase-out of any applicable interest rate. However, we have not yet pursued any amendments or other contractual alternatives to address this matter and are currently evaluating the potential impact of the eventual replacement of LIBOR on our existing vertical construction lines of credit facilities. In addition, the overall financial markets may be disrupted as a result of the phase-out or replacement of LIBOR. Uncertainty as to the nature of such potential phase-out and alternative reference rates or disruption in the financial market could have a material adverse effect on our cost of capital, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

 

Interest expense on debt we incur may limit our cash available to fund our growth strategies.

 

As of December 31, 2020, we had total outstanding borrowings of $289.9 million under our then-existing construction lines of vertical credit facilities, and we could borrow an additional $340.2 million under such financing arrangement. As of December 31, 2020, borrowings under our then-existing construction lines of vertical credit facilities bore interest at rates ranging from 3.5% to 10.5%. In addition, as of December 31, 2020, we had outstanding $9.7 million aggregate principal amount of non-recourse notes payable in relation to projects in our joint venture arrangements, which bear interest at rates ranging from 5.0% to 12.5%, and the $7.2 million PPP Loan. If our operations do not generate sufficient cash from operations at levels currently anticipated, we may seek additional capital in the form of debt financing. Our current indebtedness includes, and any additional indebtedness we subsequently incur may have, a floating rate of interest. Higher interest rates could increase debt service requirements on our current floating rate indebtedness, and on any floating rate indebtedness we subsequently incur, and could reduce funds available for operations, future business opportunities or other purposes. If we need to repay existing indebtedness during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to refinance our then-existing indebtedness on unfavorable terms or liquidate one or more of our assets to repay such indebtedness at times that may not permit realization of the maximum return on such assets and could result in a loss. The occurrence of either such event or both could materially and adversely affect our cash flows and results of operations.

 

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If our remediation of these material weaknesses is not effective, or if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Class A common stock.

 

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As of December 31, 2020, our management has determined that the following control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses.

 

We did not document the design or operation of an effective control environment commensurate with the financial reporting requirements of an SEC registrant. Specifically, we did not design and maintain adequate formal documentation of certain policies and procedures, controls over the segregation and duties within our financial reporting function and the preparation and review of journal entries. In addition, we did not design or maintain effective control activities that contributed to the following additional material weaknesses:

 

 

 

 

 

These IT deficiencies did not result in a material misstatement in our financial statements; however, the deficiencies, when aggregated, could impact maintaining effective segregation of duties, as well as the effectiveness of IT-dependent controls (such as automated controls that address the risk of material misstatement to one or more assertions, along with the IT controls and underlying data that support the effectiveness of system-generated data and reports) that could result in misstatements potentially impacting all financial statement accounts and disclosures that would not be prevented or detected. Accordingly, management has determined that these deficiencies in the aggregate constitute a material weakness.

 

Each of the above material weaknesses did not result in material misstatements in our financial statements; however, they could result in misstatements of our account balances or disclosures that would result in material misstatements of our annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected.

 

We are in the process of taking steps intended to address the underlying causes of the control deficiencies in order to remediate the material weaknesses. Our efforts to date have included: (i) formalization of our remediation plan and timelines to fully address the control deficiencies and segregation of duties controls and (ii) development of formal policies around general computer controls, including scheduled formal trainings prior to implementation of an IT general controls framework that addresses risks associated with user access and security, application change management and IT operations to help sustain effective control operations and comprehensive remediation efforts relating to strengthen user access controls and security.

 

While we believe these efforts will improve our internal controls and address the underlying causes of the material weaknesses, such material weaknesses will not be remediated until our remediation plan has been fully implemented, and we have concluded that our controls are operating effectively for a sufficient period of time.

 

We cannot be certain that the steps we are taking will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to our material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or prevent future material weaknesses or control deficiencies from occurring. In addition, we cannot be certain that we have identified all material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or that in the future we will not have additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.

 

In addition, neither our management nor an independent registered public accounting firm has performed an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act because no such evaluation has been required. Had we or our independent registered public accounting firm performed an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, additional material weaknesses may have been identified. If we fail to effectively remediate the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, or if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls when required to do so in the future, we may be unable to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations. In addition, if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, we may face restricted access to the capital markets and our stock price could be adversely affected.

 

General Risk Factors

 

We are subject to litigation, arbitration or other claims which could materially and adversely affect us.

 

We are subject to litigation and we may in the future be subject to enforcement actions, such as claims relating to our operations, securities offerings and otherwise in the ordinary course of business. Some of these claims may result in significant defense costs and potentially significant judgments against us, some of which are not, or cannot be, insured against. Although we have established warranty, claim and litigation reserves that we believe are adequate, we cannot be certain of the ultimate outcomes of any claims that may arise in the future, and legal proceedings may result in the award of substantial damages against us beyond our reserves. Resolution of these types of matters against us may result in our having to pay significant fines, judgments or settlements, which, if uninsured or in excess of insured levels, could adversely impact our earnings and cash flows, thereby materially and adversely affecting us. Furthermore, plaintiffs may in certain of these legal proceedings seek class action status with potential class sizes that vary from case to case. Class action lawsuits can be costly to defend, and if we were to lose any certified class action suit, it could result in substantial liability for us. Certain litigation or the resolution thereof may affect the availability or cost of some of our insurance coverage, which could materially and adversely impact us, expose us to increased risks that would be uninsured, and materially and adversely impact our ability to attract directors and officers.

 

Failure to comply with laws and regulations may adversely affect us.

 

We and our subcontractors are required to comply with laws and regulations governing many aspects of our business, such as land acquisition and development, home construction and sales and employment practices. Despite our oversight, contractual protections and other mitigation efforts, our employees or subcontractors could violate some of these laws or regulations, as a result of which we may incur fines, penalties or other liabilities, and our reputation with governmental agencies, customers, vendors or suppliers could be damaged.

 

We may suffer uninsured losses or material losses in excess of insurance limits.

 

We could suffer physical damage to property and liabilities resulting in losses that may not be fully recoverable by insurance. Insurance against certain types of risks, such as terrorism, earthquakes, floods or personal injury claims, may be unavailable, available in amounts that are less than the full market value or replacement cost of investment or underlying assets or subject to a large deductible or self-insurance retention amount. In addition, there can be no assurance that certain types of risks that are currently insurable will continue to be insurable on an economically feasible basis. Should an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occur or be subject to deductibles or self-insurance retention, we could sustain financial loss or lose capital invested in the affected property, as well as anticipated future income from that property. Furthermore, we could be liable to repair damage or meet liabilities caused by risks that are uninsured or subject to deductibles. We may also be liable for any debt or other financial obligations related to affected property.

 

Information system failures, cyber incidents or breaches in security could adversely affect us.

 

We rely on accounting, financial, operational, management and other information systems to conduct our operations. Our information systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, computer and telecommunication failures, computer viruses, security breaches, including malware and phishing, cyberattacks, natural disasters, usage errors by our employees and other related risks. Any cyber incident or attack or other disruption or failure in these information systems, or other systems or infrastructure upon which they rely, could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, any failure or security breach of information systems or data could result in a violation of applicable privacy and other laws, significant legal and financial exposure, damage to our reputation or a loss of confidence in our security measures, which could harm our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Although we have implemented systems and processes intended to secure our information systems, there can be no assurance that our efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our information systems will be effective or that future attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging.

 

Our business is subject to complex and evolving U.S. laws and regulations regarding privacy and data protection.

 

As part of our normal business activities, we collect and store certain information, including information specific to homebuyers, customers, employees, vendors and suppliers. We may share some of this information with third parties who assist us with certain aspects of our business. The regulatory environment surrounding data privacy and protection is constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change. Laws and regulations governing data privacy and the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information pose increasingly complex compliance challenges and potentially elevate our costs. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with applicable data protection laws could result in proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others, subject us to significant fines, penalties, judgments and negative publicity, require us to change our business practices, increase the costs and complexity of compliance and adversely affect our business. As noted above, we are also subject to the possibility of cyber incidents or attacks, which themselves may result in a violation of these laws. Additionally, if we acquire a company that has violated or is not in compliance with applicable data protection laws, we may incur significant liabilities and penalties as a result.

 

Increasing attention to environmental, social and governance matters may impact our business, financial results or stock price.

 

In recent years, increasing attention has been given to corporate activities related to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters in public discourse and the investment community. A number of advocacy groups, both domestically and internationally, have campaigned for governmental and private action to promote change at public companies related to ESG matters, including through the investment and voting practices of investment advisers, public pension funds, universities and other members of the investing community. These activities include increasing attention and demands for action related to climate change and promoting the use of energy saving building materials. A failure to comply with investor or customer expectations and standards, which are evolving, or if we are perceived to not have responded appropriately to the growing concern for ESG issues, regardless of whether there is a legal requirement to do so, could also cause reputational harm to our business and could have a material adverse effect on us.  In addition, organizations that provide information to investors on corporate governance and related matters have developed ratings systems for evaluating companies on their approach to ESG matters. These ratings are used by some investors to inform their investment and voting decisions. Unfavorable ESG ratings may lead to increased negative investor sentiment toward us and our industry and to the diversion of investment to other industries, which could have a negative impact on our stock price and our access to and costs of capital.

 

Acts of war or terrorism may seriously harm our business.

 

Acts of war, any outbreak or escalation of hostilities between the United States and any foreign power or acts of terrorism may cause disruption to the U.S. economy, or the local economies of the markets in which we operate, cause shortages of building materials, increase costs associated with obtaining building materials, result in building code changes that could increase costs of construction, result in uninsured losses, affect job growth and consumer confidence or cause economic changes that we cannot anticipate, all of which could reduce demand for our homes and adversely impact our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Negative publicity could adversely affect our reputation as well as our business, financial results and stock price.

 

Unfavorable media related to our industry, company, brands, marketing, personnel, operations, business performance or prospects may affect our stock price and the performance of our business, regardless of its accuracy or inaccuracy. The speed at which negative publicity can be disseminated has increased dramatically with the capabilities of electronic communication, including social media outlets, websites, blogs, newsletters and other digital platforms. Our success in maintaining, extending and expanding our brand image depends on our ability to adapt to this rapidly changing media environment. Adverse publicity or negative commentary from any media outlets could damage our reputation and reduce the demand for our homes, which would adversely affect our business.

 

Changes in accounting rules, assumptions and/or judgments could materially and adversely affect us.

 

Accounting rules and interpretations for certain aspects of our financial reporting are highly complex and involve significant assumptions and judgment. These complexities could lead to a delay in the preparation and dissemination of our financial statements. Furthermore, changes in accounting rules and interpretations or in our accounting assumptions and/or judgments, such as those related to asset impairments, could significantly impact our financial statements. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in restating prior period financial statements. Any of these circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations

 

Access to financing sources may not be available on favorable terms, or at all, especially in light of current market conditions, which could adversely affect our ability to maximize our returns.

 

Our access to additional third-party sources of financing will depend, in part, on:

 

 

 

The global credit and equity markets and the overall economy can be extremely volatile, which could have a number of adverse effects on our operations and capital requirements. For the past decade, the domestic financial markets have experienced a high degree of volatility, uncertainty and, during certain periods, tightening of liquidity in both the high yield debt and equity capital markets, resulting in certain periods when new capital has been both more difficult and more expensive to access. If we are unable to access the credit markets, we could be required to defer or eliminate important business strategies and growth opportunities in the future. In addition, if there is prolonged volatility and weakness in the capital and credit markets, potential lenders may be unwilling or unable to provide us with financing that is attractive to us or may increase collateral requirements or may charge us prohibitively high fees in order to obtain financing. Consequently, our ability to access the credit market in order to attract financing on reasonable terms may be adversely affected. Investment returns on our assets and our ability to make acquisitions could be adversely affected by our inability to secure additional financing on reasonable terms, if at all.

 

Depending on market conditions at the relevant time, we may have to rely more heavily on additional equity financings or on less efficient forms of debt financing that require a larger portion of our cash flow from operations, thereby reducing funds available for our operations, future business opportunities and other purposes. We may not have access to such equity or debt capital on favorable terms at the desired times, or at all.

 

We may change our operational policies, investment guidelines and our business and growth strategies without stockholder consent, which may subject us to different and more significant risks in the future.

 

Our Board of Directors will determine our operational policies, investment guidelines and our business and growth strategies. Our Board of Directors may make changes to, or approve transactions that deviate from, those policies, guidelines and strategies without a vote of, or notice to, our stockholders. This could result in us conducting operational matters, making investments or pursuing different business or growth strategies than those contemplated in this prospectus. Under any of these circumstances, we may expose ourselves to different and more significant risks in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Future offerings of debt securities, which would rank senior to our Class A common stock upon our bankruptcy or liquidation, and future offerings of equity securities that may be senior to our Class A common stock for the purposes of dividend and liquidation distributions, may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

 

In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by making offerings of debt securities or additional offerings of equity securities. Upon bankruptcy or liquidation, holders of our debt securities and shares of preferred stock and lenders with respect to other borrowings will receive a distribution of our available assets prior to the holders of our Class A common stock. Additional equity offerings may dilute the holdings of our existing stockholders or reduce the market price of our Class A common stock, or both. Our preferred stock will have a preference on liquidating distributions and dividend payments, which could limit our ability to make a dividend distribution to the holders of our Class A common stock. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control. As a result, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings, and purchasers of our Class A common stock in this offering bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the market price of our Class A common stock and diluting their ownership interest in our company.

 

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, they adversely change their recommendations regarding our Class A common stock or our operating results do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline.

 

The trading market for our Class A common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline. Moreover, if one or more of the analysts who cover our company downgrades our Class A common stock, or if our operating results do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline.

 

Cautionary Statement about Forward-Looking Statements

 

The information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K includes “forward-looking statements.” Many statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are not statements of historical fact, including statements concerning our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions. These statements are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Certain, but not necessarily all, of such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “predict,” “projection,” “should” or “will” or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

 

 

 

 

We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events based on information available to our management at the time the statements were made. While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Therefore, we cannot assure you that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, incident to the operation of our business. These risks include, but are not limited to, the risks described under “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

 

All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that we or persons acting on our behalf may issue.

 

Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.