As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on , 2004
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-4
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
iSTAR FINANCIAL INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
MARYLAND (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
6798 (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
95-6881527 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
1114 Avenue of the Americas, 27th Floor
New York, New York 10036
(212) 930-9400
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)
Jay Sugarman
Chief Executive Officer
1114 Avenue of the Americas, 27th Floor
New York, New York 10036
(212) 930-9400
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Kathleen L. Werner, Esq.
Clifford Chance US LLP
200 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10166
(212) 878-8000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective and all other conditions to the exchange offer pursuant to the registration rights agreement described in the enclosed prospectus have been satisfied or waived.
If the securities being registered on this form are being offered in connection with the formation of a holding company and there is compliance with General Instruction G, check the following box. o
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title Of Each Class Of Securities To Be Registered |
Amount To Be Registered |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Note(1) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1) |
Amount Of Registration Fee(2) |
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4.875% Series B Senior Notes due 2009 | $ | 350,000,000 | 100 | % | $ | 350,000,000 | $ | 44,345 | |||
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the SEC, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not offer these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated April 6, 2004
PROSPECTUS
OFFER TO EXCHANGE
4.875% Series B Senior Notes due 2009 which have been registered under the Securities
Act for any and all outstanding 4.875% Series A Senior Notes Due 2009
($350,000,000 principal amount outstanding at maturity)
iSTAR FINANCIAL INC.
The exchange offer and withdrawal rights will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on , 2004 (unless we extend the exchange offer).
We are offering to exchange our 4.875% Series B Senior Notes due 2009, referred to herein as the Series B Notes, for the identical principal amount of our 4.875% Series A Senior Notes due 2009, referred to herein as the Series A Notes. The aggregate principal amount at maturity of the Series A Notes, and therefore the principal amount at maturity of Series B Notes which would be issued if all the Series A Notes were exchanged, is $350,000,000. The terms of the Series B Notes will be identical with the terms of the Series A Notes, except that the issuance of the Series B Notes is being registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and therefore the Series B Notes will not be subject to restrictions on transfer which apply to the Series A Notes.
The Series A Notes were issued in transactions which were exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act solely to qualified institutional buyers, as that term is defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, or outside the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The exchange offer is being made in accordance with a registration rights agreement dated January 23, 2004 among us, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Banc of America Securities, LLC, Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. and Lehman Brothers Inc. Based on interpretations by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, we believe a holder (other than a broker-dealer who acquired Series A Notes directly from us for resale or an affiliate of ours) may offer and sell Series B Notes issued in exchange for Series A Notes without registration under the Securities Act and without the need to deliver a prospectus, if the holder acquired the Series B Notes in the ordinary course of its business and the holder has no arrangement to participate, and is not otherwise engaged, in a distribution of the Series B Notes.
Prior to the exchange offer, there has been no public market for the Series B Notes. We do not currently intend to list the Series B Notes on a securities exchange or seek approval for quotation of the Series B Notes on an automated quotation system. Therefore, it is unlikely that an active trading market for the Series B Notes will develop.
The exchange agent for the exchange offer is U.S. Bank Trust National Association.
See "Risk Factors," which begin on page 15, for a discussion of certain factors that should be considered in evaluating the exchange offer.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The date of this prospectus is April , 2004.
Creative Capital Solutions and the iStar Financial logo are
registered trade marks of iStar Financial Inc.
We make statements in this prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference that are considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are usually identified by the use of words such as "will," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "plans," "intends," "should" or similar expressions. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are including this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. We have discussed in this prospectus some important risks, uncertainties and contingencies which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the forward-looking statements we make in these documents.
We assume no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In evaluating forward-looking statements, you should consider these risks and uncertainties, together with the other risks described from time to time in our reports and documents filed with the SEC, and you should not place undue reliance on those statements.
i
This summary may not contain all the information that may be important to you. You should read the entire prospectus, as well as the documents incorporated by reference in it, before making an investment decision. All references to "we" or "us" in this prospectus refer to iStar Financial Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. For the definitions of "adjusted earnings" and "EBITDA" and for a detailed reconciliation of each of adjusted earnings and EBITDA to net income determined in accordance with GAAP, see "Prospectus SummaryAdjusted Earnings and EBITDA."
Overview
We are the leading publicly-traded finance company focused exclusively on the commercial real estate industry. We provide custom-tailored financing to high-end private and corporate owners of real estate nationwide, including senior and junior mortgage debt, senior, mezzanine and subordinated corporate capital, and corporate net lease financing. Our objective is to generate consistent and attractive returns on our invested capital by providing innovative and value-added financing solutions to our customers. We deliver customized financial products and "one-call" responsiveness post-closing to sophisticated real estate borrowers and corporate customers who require a high level of creativity and service. Our ability to provide value-added financial solutions has consistently enabled us to realize margins and returns on capital that are more attractive than those earned by many other commercial finance companies. As of December 31, 2003, our total enterprise value (market value of equity plus book value of preferred stock and debt, less cash balances) was $8.7 billion, and our EBITDA and net income for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $535.6 million and $292.2 million, respectively.
We began our business in 1993 through private investment funds formed to take advantage of the lack of well-capitalized lenders capable of servicing the needs of high-end customers in our markets. During our eleven-year history, we have structured or originated $9.4 billion of financing commitments.
By capitalizing on our competitive strengths, we have delivered consistent financial performance, developed a high-quality, diversified asset base and established ourselves as a reliable provider of financial solutions for our customers. We have maintained strong credit statistics and have consistently grown our EBITDA since the quarter ended June 1998, our first quarter as a public company. Between that quarter and the quarter ended December 31, 2003, we grew our EBITDA and net income from approximately $30.7 million and $19.9 million, respectively, to $140.5 million and $79.6 million, respectively.
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The graph below shows our EBITDA and net income since 1999.
Competitive Strengths
We believe the following competitive strengths distinguish our business model from other commercial finance enterprises and contribute to our ability to generate consistent returns on our invested capital.
Creative Capital Solutions We target markets where customers require a knowledgeable provider of capital that is capable of originating customized and flexible financial products. We provide our customers with a level of service and creativity generally unavailable from other lenders. We do not participate in distribution-based commercial finance businesses, such as conduit lending and mortgage-backed securities, which are typically characterized by intense price competition and lower profit margins. Instead, we target the customer-oriented premium-pricing segment of the market.
We believe that we have a reputation in the marketplace for delivering unique financing solutions and a high level of service to our customers in a reliable and credible fashion. Since beginning our business in 1993, we have provided $5.2 billion in financing to customers who have sought our expertise more than once.
As a result of our focus, we have generated consistent and attractive returns on our asset base. The graph below shows our returns on average book assets, after interest expense, since 1999.
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Return on Average Book Assets(1)
Asset Quality and Diversification Throughout our operating history, we have focused on maintaining diversification of our asset base by product line, asset type, obligor, property type and geographic region. Asset diversification is a key part of our risk management strategy. The pie charts below depict the diversification of our asset base based upon the total gross book value of our loan and Corporate Tenant Lease, or "CTL", assets of approximately $6.5 billion as of December 31, 2003.
Asset Type Diversification |
Property Type Diversification |
Geographic Diversification |
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Secured first mortgages and corporate tenant lease assets together comprise approximately 83.7% of our asset base. The weighted average "first dollar" and "last dollar" loan-to-value ratios on our loan assets were 25.3% and 67.5%, respectively, as of December 31, 2003. "First dollar" and "last dollar" loan-to-value ratios represent the average beginning and ending points of our lending exposure in the aggregate capitalization of the underlying assets or companies that we finance.
In addition, as of December 31, 2003, 86% of our corporate tenants, based on annual lease payments, were public companies or subsidiaries of public companies. Our corporate tenants include the U.S. Government and well-recognized national and international companies such as Accenture, Ltd., Charles Schwab Corporation, FedEx Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation, Nike, Inc., Nokia Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Verizon Communications, Inc., Volkswagen of America and Wells Fargo Bank.
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Match Funding Discipline Our objective is to match fund our liabilities and assets with respect to maturities and interest rates. This means that we seek to match the maturities of our financial obligations with the maturities of our investments. Match funding allows us to reduce the risk of having to refinance our liabilities prior to the maturities of our assets. In addition, we match fund interest rates with like-kind debt (i.e., fixed-rate assets are financed with fixed-rate debt, and floating-rate assets are financed with floating-rate debt), through the use of hedges such as interest rate swaps, or through a combination of these strategies. This allows us to reduce the impact of changing interest rates on our earnings. Our objective is to limit volatility from a 100 basis point move in short-term interest rates to no more than 2.5% of annual adjusted earnings per share. As of December 31, 2003, a 100 basis point change in short-term interest rates would have a minimal impact on our fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share.
Significant Equity Base We have approximately $2.4 billion of tangible book equity and a consolidated debt-to-book equity ratio of 1.7x as of December 31, 2003. We believe that we are one of the most strongly capitalized asset-based finance companies. Our tax-advantaged structure as a real estate investment trust and our ability to operate with less overhead, as a percentage of revenues, than many other commercial finance companies enable us to generate higher returns on our invested capital without excessive reliance on leverage.
Experienced Management The 15 members of our executive management team have an average of more than 20 years of experience in the fields of real estate finance, private investment, capital markets, transaction structuring, risk management, legal and loan servicing, providing us with significant expertise in the key disciplines required for success in our business. We emphasize long-term, incentive-based compensation, such as performance-based grants of restricted common stock, rather than cash compensation, and none of our employees is compensated based on the volume of investment originations. As of December 31, 2003, our directors and employees directly owned approximately 4.7% of our outstanding common stock on a diluted basis, which had a market value of approximately $218 million based upon the last reported sale price of our common stock on March 19, 2004. Our 15-member executive management team is supported by approximately 140 employees operating from six primary offices nationwide.
Tax-Advantaged Corporate Structure Because of our focus on commercial real estate finance, we are able to qualify as a real estate investment trust, or "REIT," under the Internal Revenue Code. Since we are taxed as a REIT, we do not pay corporate-level taxes in most circumstances. This tax-advantaged structure enables us to produce higher returns on our invested capital compared to taxable finance companies, while utilizing significantly less leverage than most taxable finance companies. The graph below shows our returns on average common book equity since 1999.
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Return on Average Common Book Equity(1)
Our Target Markets and Product Lines
We believe we are the largest dedicated participant in a $100-$150 billion niche of the approximately $2.1 trillion commercial real estate market, consisting of the $1.5 trillion commercial mortgage market and the $600 billion single-user market for corporate office and industrial facilities. Our primary product lines include structured finance, portfolio finance, corporate tenant leasing, corporate finance and loan acquisition. Our real estate lending assets consist of mortgages secured by real estate collateral, loans secured by equity interests in real estate assets, and secured and unsecured loans to corporations engaged in real estate or real estate-related businesses. Our corporate tenant lease assets consist of office and industrial facilities that we typically purchase from, and lease back to, a diversified group of creditworthy corporate tenants as a form of financing for their businesses. Our leases are generally long-term, and typically provide for all expenses at the facility to be paid by the corporate tenant on a "triple net" basis. Under a typical net lease agreement, the corporate customer agrees to pay a base monthly operating lease payment and all facility operating expenses, including taxes, maintenance and insurance.
The pie chart below shows the composition of our asset base by product line, based on the total gross book value of our loan and CTL assets of approximately $6.5 billion as of December 31, 2003.
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Product Line Diversification
Investment Strategy
Our investment strategy focuses on the origination of structured mortgage, corporate and lease financings backed by high-quality commercial real estate assets located in major U.S. metropolitan markets. Because we deliver the intensive structuring expertise required by our customers, we are able to avoid significant direct competition from other capital providers. We focus on developing direct relationships with borrowers and corporate tenants, as opposed to sourcing transactions through intermediaries, and offer our customers added value in the form of specific lending expertise, flexibility, certainty and post-closing support. We also take advantage of market anomalies in the real estate financing markets when we believe credit is mispriced by other providers of capital, such as the spread between lease yields and the yields on corporate tenants' underlying credit obligations. In addition, we have developed a disciplined process for screening potential investments prior to beginning our formal underwriting and commitment process called the "Six Point Methodologysm." We also have an intensive underwriting process in place for all potential investments.
Risk Management and Reserves
We have comprehensive, proactive and hands-on risk management systems centered around a fully-integrated risk management team of over 60 professionals, including dedicated expertise in asset management, corporate credit, loan servicing, project management and engineering. We manage our risk exposure by diversifying our asset base and using conservative assumptions during our underwriting of potential investments. We utilize information received from our risk management professionals on a real-time basis to monitor the performance of our asset base and to quickly identify and address potential credit issues.
We maintain and regularly evaluate financial reserves to protect against potential future losses. In addition to our general loss reserves, we also have asset-specific credit protection, including cash reserve accounts, cash deposits, letters of credit and allowances for doubtful accounts supporting our loan and CTL assets. Where appropriate, we typically require this incremental credit protection to be funded and/or posted at the closing of a transaction in accounts in which we have a security interest. As of December 31, 2003, accumulated loan loss reserves and other asset-specific credit protection represented an aggregate of approximately 6.73% of the gross book value of our loans. In aggregate, cash deposits, letters of credit, allowances for doubtful accounts and accumulated depreciation relating to corporate tenant lease assets represented 9.87% of the gross book value of our corporate tenant lease assets at that date.
Financing Strategy
Our financing strategy revolves around three primary principles. First, we maintain significantly lower leverage than other commercial finance companies and a large tangible equity capital base. Second, we maintain access to a broad array of capital resources from a diverse group of lending
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sources, such as committed secured and unsecured credit facilities, term loans, corporate bonds and our own proprietary matched funding program, iStar Asset Receivables, or "STARssm." In doing so, we seek to insulate our business from potential fluctuations in the availability of capital. Third, we seek to match fund our liabilities and assets to minimize the risk that we have to refinance our liabilities prior to the maturities of our assets, and to reduce the impact of changing interest rates on our earnings.
Adjusted Earnings and EBITDA
Adjusted earnings represents net income allocable to common shareholders and HPU holders computed in accordance with GAAP, before depreciation, amortization, gain from discontinued operations, extraordinary items and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures reflect our shares of adjusted earnings calculated on the same basis. EBITDA is calculated as net income plus the sum of interest expense, depreciation and amortization, minority interest in consolidated entities, cumulative effect of change in accounting principle and costs incurred in acquiring the former advisor minus income from discontinued operations and gain from discontinued operations. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003.
We believe that to facilitate a clear understanding of our historical operating results, adjusted earnings and EBITDA should be examined in conjunction with net income as shown in the "Consolidated Statements of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003. Adjusted earnings and EBITDA should not be considered as alternatives to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP), as indicators of our performance, or to cash flows from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP), as measures of our liquidity, nor are these measures indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs or available for distribution to our shareholders. We believe that adjusted earnings and EBITDA more closely approximate operating cash flow and are useful measures for investors to consider, in conjunction with net income and other GAAP measures. This is primarily because we are a commercial finance company that focuses on real estate lending and corporate tenant leasing; therefore, our net income (determined in accordance with GAAP) reflects significant non-cash depreciation expense on CTL assets and significant deferred financing costs. Several of our material borrowing arrangements contain covenants based on adjusted earnings, therefore, we must monitor adjusted earnings in order to ensure compliance with these
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covenants. It should be noted that our manner of calculating adjusted earnings and EBITDA may differ from the calculation of similarly-titled measures by other companies.
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For the Years Ended December 31, |
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2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
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(In thousands) (Unaudited) |
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Reconciliation of Adjusted Earnings to GAAP Net Income Allocable to Common Shareholders and HPU Holders: | |||||||||||||||||
Net income allocable to common shareholders and HPU holders | $ | 255,249 | $ | 178,362 | $ | 193,004 | $ | 180,678 | $ | 15,043 | |||||||
Add: Joint venture income | 593 | 991 | 965 | 937 | 1,603 | ||||||||||||
Add: Depreciation | 55,905 | 48,041 | 35,642 | 35,514 | 11,016 | ||||||||||||
Add: Joint venture depreciation and amortization | 7,417 | 4,433 | 4,044 | 3,662 | 365 | ||||||||||||
Add: Amortization of deferred financing costs | 27,180 | 31,676 | 21,303 | 13,528 | 6,121 | ||||||||||||
Less: Gain from discontinued operations | (5,167 | ) | (717 | ) | (1,145 | ) | (2,948 | ) | | ||||||||
Add: Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle(1) | | | 282 | | | ||||||||||||
Less: Net income allocable to class B shares(2) | | | | | (826 | ) | |||||||||||
Add: Cost incurred in acquiring former external advisor | | | | | 94,476 | ||||||||||||
Adjusted earnings allocable to common shareholders and HPU holders(3)(4)(5) | $ | 341,177 | $ | 262,768 | $ | 254,095 | $ | 230,371 | $ | 127,798 | |||||||
Weighted average common shares outstanding | 104,248 | 93,020 | 88,606 | 86,523 | 61,750 | ||||||||||||
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For the Years Ended December 31, |
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2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
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(In thousands) |
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Reconciliation of EBITDA to GAAP Net Income: | ||||||||||||||||
Net income | $ | 292,157 | $ | 215,270 | $ | 229,912 | $ | 217,586 | $ | 38,886 | ||||||
Add: Interest expense | 194,999 | 185,375 | 169,974 | 173,549 | 91,112 | |||||||||||
Add: Depreciation and amortization | 55,286 | 46,948 | 34,573 | 33,529 | 10,219 | |||||||||||
Add: Minority interest in consolidated entities | 249 | 162 | 218 | 195 | 41 | |||||||||||
Add: Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle | | | 282 | | | |||||||||||
Add: Costs incurred in acquiring former advisor | | | | | 94,476 | |||||||||||
Less: Income from discontinued operations | (1,916 | ) | (7,614 | ) | (10,429 | ) | (7,960 | ) | (853 | ) | ||||||
Less: Gain from discontinued operations | (5,167 | ) | (717 | ) | (1,145 | ) | (2,948 | ) | | |||||||
EBITDA | $ | 535,608 | $ | 439,424 | $ | 423,385 | $ | 413,951 | $ | 233,881 | ||||||
Recent Developments
On March 30, 2004, we issued $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of our 5.125% Senior Notes due 2011 in a private placement. We used the net proceeds to repay outstanding secured indebtedness which was used for general corporate purposes and to fund investment activity.
On March 12, 2004, we issued $175.0 million aggregate principal amount of our Senior Floating Rate Notes due 2007 in a private placement. The notes bear interest at a rate per annum equal to three month LIBOR plus 1.25%. We used the net proceeds from the sale of the notes to repay secured indebtedness.
On March 9, 2004, we issued $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of our 5.70% Senior Notes due 2014 in a private placement. We used the net proceeds from the sale of the notes to repay outstanding secured indebtedness.
On March 1, 2004, we issued 5,000,000 shares of our 7.50% Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, having a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share. We used the net proceeds of the offering to redeem $110.0 million aggregate principal amount of our 8.75% Senior Notes due 2008 on March 29, 2004.
On February 23, 2004, we redeemed all 2,000,000 outstanding shares of our 9.375% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock and all 1,300,000 outstanding shares of our 9.20% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock. The redemption price for the Series B Preferred Stock was $25.00 per share, plus accrued and unpaid dividends to the redemption date of $0.46 per share. The redemption price for the Series C Preferred Stock was $25.00 per share, plus accrued and unpaid dividends to the redemption date of $0.45 per share. The redemption was funded with the proceeds of the issuance of our Series H Variable Rate Preferred Stock, which was subsequently redeemed.
We sold the outstanding $350 million principal amount at maturity of 4.875% Series A Senior Notes due 2009 to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Banc of America Securities, LLC, Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. and Lehman Brothers Inc., as Initial Purchasers on January 23, 2004, pursuant to a purchase agreement, dated January 15, 2004, between the Initial Purchasers and us. The Initial Purchasers subsequently resold the Series A Notes in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and other available exemptions under the Securities Act. We and the Initial Purchasers also entered into a
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registration rights agreement pursuant to which we agreed to offer to exchange the Series B Notes which are registered under the Securities Act for the Series A Notes and also granted holders of Series A Notes rights under some circumstances to have resales of Series A Notes registered under the Securities Act. The exchange offer is intended to satisfy certain of our obligations under the registration rights agreement. See "The Exchange OfferPurpose and Effects."
We issued the Series A Notes under an indenture dated as of January 23, 2004, between iStar Financial Inc. and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as trustee. The Series B Notes also are being issued under the indenture and are entitled to the benefits of the indenture. The form and terms of the Series B Notes will be identical in all material respects with the form and terms of the Series A Notes, except that (1) the Series B Notes will have been registered under the Securities Act and, therefore, will not bear legends describing restrictions on transferring them, and (2) holders of Series B Notes will not be, and upon the consummation of the exchange offer, holders of Series A Notes will no longer be, entitled to certain rights under the registration rights agreement intended for the holders of unregistered securities. The exchange offer shall be deemed consummated upon the delivery by us to the exchange agent under the indenture of Series B Notes in the same aggregate principal amount as the aggregate principal amount of Series A Notes that are validly tendered by holders of them in response to the exchange offer. See "The Exchange OfferTermination of Certain Rights" and "Procedures for Tendering" and "Description of the Series B Notes."
The proceeds we received from the issuance of the Series A Notes were used to repay outstanding secured indebtedness. We will receive no proceeds from the exchange of Series B Notes for the Series A Notes pursuant to the exchange offer.
When we refer to "the Notes" in this prospectus, we refer to both the Series A Notes and the Series B Notes, unless it is clear from what we are saying that the term refers only to a particular series of Notes.
Throughout this offering memorandum, we refer to these offerings and redemptions as the "Subsequent Transactions."
First Quarter Earnings Charges
As we have previously announced, we expect to incur charges to adjusted earnings and GAAP earnings allocable to common shareholders and the HPU holders of $109.0 million in the first quarter of 2004. These charges include an estimated charge of $80.0 million relating to the full vesting of 2.0 million incentive shares awarded to our Chief Executive Officer under his March 2001 employment agreement with us. The first quarter charges include a charge of $10.0 million relating to a one-time award of common stock granted to our Chief Executive Officer in connection with a new three-year employment agreement with us that will go into effect when the current agreement expires on March 30, 2004. The first quarter charges also include $4.0 million related to the vesting of 100,000 restricted performance shares awarded to our Chief Financial Officer when she joined us in 2002. In addition, we will issue 155,000 shares of common stock to the principals of a company that we acquired in 2000. We estimate that the charge for the 155,000 shares will be approximately $6.2 million (assuming a common stock price of $40.00 on the vesting date).
Finally, the estimated first quarter charges include a charge of $9.0 million relating to the redemption of our 9.375% Series B and 9.20% Series C Preferred Stock. This amount reflects the discount at which we currently reflect the Series B and Series C Preferred Stock in our financial statements.
The estimated first quarter 2004 charges that we previously announced do not include the charge that we will recognize as a result of the redemption of a portion of our 8.75% Senior Notes due 2008 with the net proceeds of the offering of our 7.50% Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock. We expect to recognize an aggregate charge to first quarter 2004 net income and adjusted earnings of approximately $11.5 million and $9.6 million, respectively, in connection with the redemption, due to
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the redemption premium we will pay. The redemption was completed on March 29, 2004; accordingly, we will also recognize the charge in the first quarter of 2004.
Our principal executive offices are located at 1114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, and our telephone number is (212) 930-9400. Our website is www.istarfinancial.com. The information on our website is not considered part of this offering memorandum. Our six primary regional offices are located in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Hartford and San Francisco. iStar Asset Services, our loan servicing subsidiary, is located in Hartford, and iStar Real Estate Services, our corporate facilities management division, is headquartered in Atlanta.
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The Exchange Offer |
We are offering to exchange our 4.875% Series B Senior Notes due 2009 for identical principal amounts of our 4.875% Series A Senior Notes due 2009. At the date of this prospectus, $350 million principal amount at maturity of Series A Senior Notes are outstanding. See "The Exchange OfferTerms of the Exchange Offer." |
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Expiration of Exchange Offer |
5:00 p.m., New York time, on , 2004, unless the exchange offer is extended (the day on which the exchange offer expires being the expiration date). See "The Exchange OfferExpiration Date; Extension; Termination; Amendments." |
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Conditions of the Exchange Offer |
The exchange offer is not conditioned upon any minimum principal amount of Series A Notes being tendered for exchange. However, the exchange offer is subject to certain customary conditions, which we may waive. See "The Exchange OfferProcedures for Tendering." |
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Accrued Interest on the Series A Notes |
The Series B Notes will bear interest at the rate of 4.875% per annum from and including their date of issuance. When the first interest payment is made with regard to the Series B Notes, we will also pay interest on the Series A Notes which are exchanged, from the date they were issued or the most recent interest date on which interest had been paid (if applicable) to, but not including, the day the Series B Notes are issued. Interest on the Series A Notes which are exchanged will cease to accrue on the day prior to the day on which the Series B Notes are issued. The interest rate on the Series A Notes may increase under certain circumstances if we are not in compliance with our obligations under the registration rights agreement. See "Description of the Series B Notes." |
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Procedures for Tendering Series A Notes |
A holder of Series A Notes who wishes to accept the exchange offer must complete, sign and date a letter of transmittal, or a facsimile of one, in accordance with the instructions contained under "The Exchange OfferProcedures for Tendering" and in the letter of transmittal, and deliver the letter of transmittal, or facsimile, together with the Series A Notes and any other required documentation to the exchange agent at the address set forth in "The Exchange OfferExchange Agent." Series A Notes may be delivered physically or by confirmation of book-entry delivery of the Series A Notes to the exchange agent's account at The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"). By executing a letter of transmittal, a holder will represent to us that, among other things, the person acquiring the Series B Notes will be doing so in the ordinary course of the person's business, whether or not the person is the holder, that neither the holder nor any other person is engaged in, or intends to engage in, or has an arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in, the distribution of the Series B Notes and that neither the holder nor any such other person is an "affiliate," as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act, of ours. Each broker or dealer that receives Series B Notes for its own account in exchange for Series A Notes which were acquired by the broker or dealer as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of the Series B Notes. See "The Exchange OffeProcedures for Tendering" and "Sales of Series B Notes Received by Broker-Dealers." |
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Guaranteed Delivery Procedures |
Eligible holders of Series A Notes who wish to tender their Series A Notes and (1) whose Series A Notes are not immediately available or (2) who cannot deliver their Series A Notes or any other documents required by the letter of transmittal to the exchange agent prior to the expiration date (or complete the procedure for book-entry transfer on a timely basis), may tender their Series A Notes according to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the letter of transmittal. See "The Exchange OfferGuaranteed Delivery Procedures." |
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Acceptance of Series A Notes and Delivery of Series B Notes |
Upon satisfaction or waiver of all conditions to the exchange offer, we will accept any and all Series A Notes that are properly tendered in response to the exchange offer prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date. The Series B Notes issued pursuant to the exchange offer will be delivered promptly after acceptance of the Series A Notes. See "The Exchange OfferProcedures for Tendering." |
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Withdrawal Rights |
Tenders of Series A Notes may be withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date. See "The Exchange OfferWithdrawal of Tenders." |
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The Exchange Agent |
U.S. Bank Trust National Association is the exchange agent. The address and telephone number of the exchange agent are set forth in "The Exchange OfferExchange Agent." |
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Fees and Expenses |
We will bear all expenses incident to our consummation of the exchange offer and compliance with the registration rights agreement. We will also pay any transfer taxes which are applicable to the exchange offer (but not transfer taxes due to transfers of Series A Notes or Series B Notes by the holder). See "The Exchange OfferFees and Expenses." |
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Resales of the Series B Notes. |
Based on interpretations by the staff of the SEC set forth in no-action letters issued to third parties, we believe Series B Notes issued pursuant to the exchange offer in exchange for Series A Notes may be offered for resale, resold and otherwise transferred by the holder (other than (1) a broker-dealer who purchased the Series A Notes directly from us for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act or another exemption under the Securities Act or (2) a person that is an affiliate of ours, as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act), without registration or the need to deliver a prospectus under the Securities Act, provided that the holder is acquiring the Series B Notes in the ordinary course of business and is not participating, and has no arrangement or understanding with any person to participate, in a distribution of the Series B Notes. Each broker-dealer that receives Series B Notes for its own account in exchange for Series A Notes that were acquired by the broker as a result of market-making or other trading activities, must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of the Series B Notes. See "The Exchange OfferPurpose and Effects" and "Sales of Series B Notes Received By Broker-Dealers." |
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The exchange offer applies to $350 million aggregate principal amount at maturity of Series A Notes. The terms of the Series B Notes are identical in all material respects with those of the Series A Notes, except for certain transfer restrictions and rights relating to the exchange of the Series A Notes for Series B Notes. The Series B Notes will evidence the same debt as the Series A Notes and will be entitled to the benefits of the indenture under which both the Series A Notes were, and the Series B Notes will be, issued. See "Description of the Series B Notes."
Issuer |
iStar Financial Inc. |
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Securities Offered |
$350,000,000 principal amount of 4.875% Series B Senior Notes due 2009. |
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Maturity |
January 15, 2009. |
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Interest Rate |
4.875% per year (calculated using a 360-day year). |
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Interest Payment Dates |
Each January 15 and July 15 beginning on July 15, 2004. Interest will accrue from the date of issue. |
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Ranking |
The Notes are our unsecured senior obligations and rank pari passu to our existing and future unsecured senior indebtedness and, to the extent we incur subordinated indebtedness in the future, senior to such indebtedness. The Notes will be effectively subordinated to all of our secured indebtedness and all indebtedness of our subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2003, giving pro forma effect to this offering and the Subsequent Transactions and the use of proceeds from this offering and the Subsequent Transactions, the aggregate amount of outstanding indebtedness of our subsidiaries would have been approximately $2.2 billion. |
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Optional Redemption |
The Notes are redeemable prior to their maturity at a make-whole premium. |
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Change of Control Offer |
If a change in control of our Company occurs, we must give holders of the Notes the opportunity to sell us their Notes at 101% of their face amount, plus accrued interest. |
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Certain Indenture Provisions |
The indenture governing the Notes contains covenants limiting our and our subsidiaries' ability to: |
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incur indebtedness; |
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issue preferred stock of subsidiaries; |
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pay dividends or make other distributions; |
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repurchase equity interests or subordinated indebtedness; |
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enter into transactions with affiliates; |
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merge or consolidate with another person; or |
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sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets. |
These covenants are subject to a number of important limitations and exceptions. See "Description of NotesCertain Covenants." |
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Risk Factors |
Investing in the Notes involves substantial risks. See "Risk Factors" in this prospectus for a description of certain of the risks you should consider before investing in the Notes. |
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This section describes some, but not all, of the risks of purchasing Notes in the offering. You should carefully consider these risks, in addition to the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this document, before purchasing Notes. In connection with the forward-looking statements that appear in this document, you should carefully review the factors discussed below and the cautionary statements referred to in "Forward-Looking Statements."
If You Fail to Exchange Your Series A Notes, They Will Continue to be Restricted Securities and You May Experience Difficulty Selling Them Following the Exchange Offer
Series A Notes which you do not tender in the exchange offer will continue to be restricted securities. After the completion of the exchange offer, we will not have any further obligation to issue Series B Notes to you in exchange for your Series A Notes. You may not offer or sell Series A Notes except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Because we anticipate that most holders of Series A Notes will elect to exchange those notes for Series B Notes, and that most potential investors in the Notes will prefer to purchase registered Series A Notes rather than purchase unregistered Series B Notes, you may experience difficulty selling your Series A Notes following the exchange offer.
We Have Other Indebtedness
As of December 31, 2003, on a pro forma basis after giving effect to this offering and the Subsequent Transactions and the use of proceeds therefrom, our outstanding debt will be approximately $4.1 billion. Our ability to make scheduled payments of principal or interest on, or to refinance, our indebtedness depends on our future performance, which, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control.
The Notes Will Be Structurally Subordinated to Subsidiary Debt
The Notes are not guaranteed by any of our subsidiaries. Our subsidiaries hold a substantial portion of our assets. After giving pro forma effect to the offering and the Subsequent Transactions, our subsidiaries would have had approximately $2.2 billion of indebtedness outstanding at December 31, 2003. Creditors of a subsidiary are entitled to be paid what is due to them before assets of the subsidiary become available for creditors of its parent. In addition, if we were to become insolvent, the lenders on a credit facility, under which iStar Financial and one of its subsidiaries are co-borrowers, would receive payments from the stock of the co-borrower subsidiary and our leasing subsidiary that has been pledged as collateral under that facility before you receive payments.
Ability to Repurchase Notes Upon Change of Control May Be Limited
Upon a change of control, each holder of Notes will have the right to require us to repurchase the holder's Notes. If there were a change of control, but we did not have sufficient funds to pay the repurchase price for all of the Notes which were tendered, that failure would constitute an event of default under the indenture. Therefore, a change of control at a time when we could not pay for Notes which were tendered as a result of the change of control could result in holders of Notes receiving substantially less than the principal amount of the Notes.
As a REIT, We Must Distribute a Portion of Our Income to Our Stockholders and We Have Substantial Additional Capacity to Make Restricted Payments
We generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our taxable income to our stockholders to maintain our REIT status. As a result, those earnings will not be available to pay principal or interest
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on the Notes. Our taxable income has historically been lower than the cash flow generated by our business activities, primarily because our taxable income is reduced by non-cash expenses, such as depreciation and amortization. As a result, our dividend payout ratio as a percentage of free cash flow has generally been lower than our payout ratio as a percentage of taxable income. However, certain of our credit facilities and the indenture governing the Notes permit us to distribute up to 95% of our adjusted earnings. In addition, although our debt instruments contain limitations on our ability to make dividends in excess of these distributions or to repurchase our outstanding equity securities, as of December 31, 2003, after giving effect to the Subsequent Transactions, the restricted payments covenant in the indenture governing the Notes currently permits us to make approximately $778.8 million of such other distributions or repurchases.
There is No Public Market for the Notes
If the Notes are traded after their initial issuance, they may trade at a discount from their initial offering price, depending upon prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities, our performance and certain other factors. Historically, there has been substantial volatility in the prices of corporate debt securities, and the price of the Notes is likely to be affected by factors which affect the price of corporate debt securities generally. We do not intend to apply for listing of the Notes on any securities exchange or for inclusion of the Notes on any automated quotation system.
We Are Subject to Risks Relating to Our Lending Business.
We may suffer a loss if a borrower defaults on a non-recourse loan or on a loan that is not secured by underlying real estate. In the event of a default by a borrower on a non-recourse loan, we will only have recourse to the real estate assets securing the loan. For this purpose, we consider loans made to special purpose entities formed solely for the purpose of holding and financing particular assets to be non-recourse loans. If the underlying asset value is below the loan amount, we will suffer a loss. Conversely, we sometimes make loan investments that are unsecured or are secured by equity interests in the borrowing entities. These loans are subject to the risk that other lenders may be directly secured by the real estate assets of the borrower. In the event of a default, those secured lenders would have priority over us with respect to the proceeds of a sale of the underlying real estate.
In the cases described above, we may lack control over the underlying asset securing our loan or the underlying assets of the borrower prior to a default, and, as a result, their value may be reduced by acts or omissions by owners or managers of the assets. As of December 31, 2003, 88.1% of our loans are non-recourse, based upon the gross carrying value of our loan assets, and 11.9% of our total investments, based on gross carrying value, consist of loans that are unsecured or secured by equity interests in the borrowing entity.
We may suffer a loss in the event of a default or bankruptcy of a borrower, particularly in cases where the borrower has incurred debt that is senior to our loan. If a borrower defaults on our loan but does not have sufficient assets to satisfy our loan, we may suffer a loss of principal or interest. In the event of a borrower bankruptcy, we may not have full recourse to the assets of the borrower, or the assets of the borrower may not be sufficient to satisfy our loan. In addition, certain of our loans are subordinate to other debt of the borrower. If a borrower defaults on our loan or on debt senior to our loan, or in the event of a borrower bankruptcy, our loan will be satisfied only after the senior debt. Where debt senior to our loans exists, the presence of intercreditor arrangements may limit our ability to amend our loan documents, assign our loans, accept prepayments, exercise our remedies (through "standstill" periods) and control decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings relating to borrowers. Bankruptcy and borrower litigation can significantly increase the time needed for us to acquire underlying collateral in the event of a default, during which time the collateral may decline in value. In addition, there are significant costs and delays associated with the foreclosure process.
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We are subject to the risk that provisions of our loan agreements may be unenforceable. Our rights and obligations with respect to our loans are governed by written loan agreements and related documentation. It is possible that a court could determine that one or more provisions of a loan agreement are unenforceable, such as a loan prepayment provision or the provisions governing our security interest in the underlying collateral. If this were to happen with respect to a material asset or group of assets, we could be adversely affected.
We are subject to the risks associated with loan participations, such as less than full control rights. Some of our assets are participating interests in loans in which we share the rights, obligations and benefits of the loan with other participating lenders. We may need the consent of these parties to exercise our rights under such loans, including rights with respect to amendment of loan documentation, enforcement proceedings in the event of a default and the institution of, and control over, foreclosure proceedings. Similarly, a majority of the participants may be able to take actions to which we object but to which we will be bound if our participation interest represents a minority interest. We may be adversely affected by this lack of full control.
We Are Subject to Risks Relating to Our Corporate Tenant Lease Business.
Lease expirations, lease defaults and lease terminations may adversely affect our revenue. Lease expirations, lease defaults and lease terminations may result in reduced revenues if the lease payments received from replacement corporate tenants are less than the lease payments received from the expiring, defaulting or terminating corporate tenants. In addition, lease defaults by one or more significant corporate tenants, lease terminations by corporate tenants following events of casualty or takings by eminent domain, or the failure of corporate tenants under expiring leases to elect to renew their leases, could cause us to experience long periods with no revenue from a facility and to incur substantial capital expenditures in order to obtain replacement corporate tenants.
As of December 31, 2003, 12.8% of our annualized total revenues for the quarter ended December 31, 2003 were derived from our five largest corporate tenant customers. As of December 31, 2003, the percentage of our revenues (based on total revenues for the quarter ended December 31, 2003, annualized) that are subject to expiring leases during each year from 2004 through 2008 is as follows:
2004 | 3.0% | |
2005 | 1.6% | |
2006 | 4.6% | |
2007 | 2.8% | |
2008 | 2.1% |
We may need to make significant capital improvements to our corporate facilities in order to remain competitive. Our corporate facilities may face competition from newer, more updated facilities. In order to remain competitive, we may need to make significant capital improvements to our existing corporate facilities. In addition, in the event we need to re-lease a corporate facility, we may need to make significant tenant improvements, including conversions of single tenant buildings to multi-tenant buildings. The costs of these improvements could adversely affect our financial performance.
Our ownership interests in corporate facilities are illiquid, hindering our ability to mitigate a loss. Since our ownership interests in corporate facilities are illiquid, we may lack the necessary flexibility to vary our investment strategy promptly to respond to changes in market conditions. In addition, if we have to foreclose on an asset or if we desire to sell it in an effort to recover or mitigate a loss, we may be unable to do so at all, or only at a discount.
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We Are Subject to Risks Relating to Our Asset Concentration.
As of December 31, 2003, the average size of our lending investments was $33.7 million and the average size of our leasing investments was $24.3 million. No single investment represented more than 3.2% of our total revenues for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2003. While our asset base is diversified by product line, asset type, obligor, property type and geographic location, it is possible that if we suffer losses on a portion of our larger assets, our financial performance could be adversely impacted.
Because We Must Distribute a Portion of Our Income, We Will Continue to Need Additional Debt and/or Equity Capital to Grow.
We must distribute at least 90% of our taxable income to our stockholders to maintain our REIT status. As a result, those earnings will not be available to fund investment activities. We have historically funded our investments by borrowing from financial institutions and raising capital in the public and private capital markets. We expect to continue to fund our investments this way. If we fail to obtain funds from these sources, it could limit our ability to grow, which could have a material adverse effect on the value of our common stock and/or our ability to pay interest and principal on the Notes.
Our Growth Is Dependent on Leverage, Which May Create Other Risks.
Our success is dependent, in part, upon our ability to grow our assets through the use of leverage. Our ability to obtain the leverage necessary for execution of our business plan will ultimately depend upon our ability to maintain interest coverage ratios meeting market underwriting standards that will vary according to lenders' assessments of our creditworthiness and the terms of the borrowings. As of December 31, 2003, our debt-to-book equity ratio was 1.7x and our total debt obligations outstanding were approximately $4.11 billion. Our charter does not limit the amount of indebtedness which we may incur. Our Board of Directors has overall responsibility for our financing strategy. Stockholder approval is not required for changes to our financing strategy. If our Board of Directors decided to increase our leverage, it could lead to reduced or negative cash flow and reduced liquidity.
The percentage of leverage used will vary depending on our estimate of the stability of iStar Financial's cash flow. To the extent that changes in market conditions cause the cost of such financing to increase relative to the income that can be derived from the assets originated, we may reduce the amount of our leverage.
Leverage creates an opportunity for increased net income, but at the same time creates risks. For example, leveraging magnifies changes in our net worth. We will incur leverage only when there is an expectation that it will enhance returns, although there can be no assurance that our use of leverage will prove to be beneficial. Moreover, there can be no assurance that we will be able to meet our debt service obligations and, to the extent that we cannot, we risk the loss of some or all of our assets or a financial loss if we are required to liquidate assets at a commercially inopportune time.
We and our subsidiaries are parties to agreements and debt instruments that restrict future indebtedness and the payment of dividends, including indirect restrictions (through, for example, covenants requiring the maintenance of specified levels of net worth and earnings to debt service ratios) and direct restrictions. As a result, in the event of a deterioration in our financial condition, these agreements or debt instruments could restrict our ability to pay dividends. Moreover, if we fail to pay dividends as required by the Internal Revenue Code, whether as a result of restrictive covenants in our debt instruments or otherwise, we may lose our status as a REIT. For more information regarding the consequences of loss of REIT status, please read the risk factor entitled "We May Be Subject to Adverse Consequences if We Fail to Qualify as a Real Estate Investment Trust."
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We Utilize Interest Rate Hedging Arrangements Which May Adversely Affect Our Borrowing Cost and Expose Us to Other Risks.
We have variable rate lending assets and variable rate debt obligations. These assets and liabilities create a natural hedge against changes in variable interest rates. This means that as interest rates increase, we earn more on our variable rate lending assets and pay more on our variable rate debt obligations and, conversely, as interest rates decrease, we earn less on our variable rate lending assets and pay less on our variable rate debt obligations. When our variable rate debt obligations exceed our variable rate lending assets, we utilize derivative instruments to limit the impact of changing interest rates on our net income. We do not use derivative instruments to hedge assets or for speculative purposes. The derivatives instruments we use are typically in the form of interest rate swaps and interest rate caps. Interest rate swaps effectively change variable rate debt obligations to fixed rate debt obligations. Interest rate caps effectively limit the maximum interest rate on variable rate debt obligations.
The primary risks from our use of derivative instruments is the risk that a counterparty to a hedging arrangement could default on its obligation and the risk that we may have to pay certain costs, such as transaction fees or breakage costs, if a hedging arrangement is terminated by us. As a matter of policy, we enter into hedging arrangements with counterparties that are large, creditworthy financial institutions typically rated at least "AA/Aa2" by Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service, respectively. Our hedging strategy is monitored by our Audit Committee on behalf of our Board of Directors and may be changed by the Board of Directors without stockholder approval.
Developing an effective strategy for dealing with movements in interest rates is complex and no strategy can completely insulate us from risks associated with such fluctuations. There can be no assurance that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
We Face a Risk of Liability Under Environmental Laws.
Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous owner of real estate (including, in certain circumstances, a secured lender that succeeds to ownership or control of a property) may become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances at, on, under or in its property. Those laws typically impose cleanup responsibility and liability without regard to whether the owner or control party knew of or was responsible for the release or presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. The costs of investigation, remediation or removal of those substances may be substantial. The owner or control party of a site may be subject to common law claims by third parties based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from a site. Certain environmental laws also impose liability in connection with the handling of or exposure to asbestos-containing materials, pursuant to which third parties may seek recovery from owners of real properties for personal injuries associated with asbestos-containing materials. Absent succeeding to ownership or control of real property, a secured lender is not likely to be subject to any of these forms of environmental liability.
Adverse Changes in General Economic Conditions Can Adversely Affect Our Business.
Our success is dependent upon the general economic conditions in the geographic areas in which a substantial number of our investments are located. Adverse changes in national economic conditions or in the economic conditions of the regions in which we conduct substantial business likely would have an adverse effect on real estate values and, accordingly, our business.
We May Be Subject to Adverse Consequences If We Fail to Qualify as a Real Estate Investment Trust.
We intend to operate so as to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. We have received an opinion of our legal counsel, Clifford Chance US LLP, that, based on the assumptions and
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representations described in "Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences," our existing legal organization and our actual and proposed method of operation, enable us to satisfy the requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. Investors should be aware, however, that opinions of counsel are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or any court. The opinion only represents the view of our counsel based on their review and analysis of existing law, that includes no controlling precedents. Furthermore, both the validity of the opinion and our qualification as a REIT will depend on our continuing ability to meet various requirements concerning, among other things, the ownership of our outstanding stock, the nature of our assets, the sources of our income and the amount of our distributions to our stockholders. See "Certain Federal Income Tax ConsequencesTaxation of iStar FinancialGeneral."
If we were to fail to qualify as a REIT for any taxable year, we would not be allowed a deduction for distributions to our stockholders in computing our taxable income and would be subject to federal income tax, including any applicable minimum tax, on our taxable income with respect to any such taxable year for which the statute of limitations remains open at regular corporate rates. Unless entitled to relief under certain Internal Revenue Code provisions, we also would be disqualified from treatment as a real estate investment trust for the four subsequent taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost. As a result, cash available for payment of interest and principal on the Notes would be reduced for each of the years involved. Furthermore, it is possible that future economic, market, legal, tax or other considerations may cause the Board of Directors to revoke the REIT election. See "Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences."
Even if we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to certain state and local taxes on our income and property, and may be subject to certain federal taxes. See "Certain Federal Income Tax ConsequencesTaxation of iStar FinancialGeneral."
Quarterly Results May Fluctuate and May Not Be Indicative of Future Quarterly Performance.
Our quarterly operating results could fluctuate; therefore, you should not rely on past quarterly results to be indicative of our performance in future quarters. Factors that could cause quarterly operating results to fluctuate include, among others, variations in our investment origination volume, variations in the timing of prepayments, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions.
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We will not receive any proceeds from the exchange of Series B Notes for Series A Notes pursuant to the exchange offer. We used the net proceeds from the sale of the Series A Notes to repay outstanding secured indebtedness. Of the indebtedness repaid by that offering, $150.8 million was incurred during the past year for working capital purposes.
The Series B Notes will be new securities for which there is no established trading market. We currently do not intend to list the Series B Notes on any securities exchange or to arrange for the Series B Notes to be quoted on any quotation system. Although the Initial Purchasers have informed us that they currently intend to make a market in the Notes, they are not obligated to do so and they may discontinue market-making activity at any time without notice. In addition, market-making activities may be limited during the exchange offer or the pendency of a shelf registration statement required by the registration rights agreement, if it is filed. Accordingly, it is not likely that an active trading market for the Series B Notes will develop or, if such a market develops, that it will provide significant liquidity to holders of notes.
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Overview
We are the leading publicly-traded finance company focused exclusively on the commercial real estate industry. We provide custom-tailored financing to high-end private and corporate owners of high-quality real estate nationwide, including senior and junior mortgage debt, senior, mezzanine and subordinated corporate capital, and corporate net lease financing. Our objective is to generate consistent and attractive returns on our invested capital by providing innovative and value-added financing solutions to our customers. We deliver customized financial products and "one-call" responsiveness post-closing to sophisticated real estate borrowers and corporate customers who require a high level of creativity and service. Our ability to provide value-added financial solutions has consistently enabled us to realize margins and returns on capital that are more attractive than those earned by many other commercial real estate finance companies. As of December 31, 2003, our total enterprise value (market value of equity plus book value of preferred stock and debt, less cash balances) was $8.7 billion, and our EBITDA and net income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2003 were $535.6 million and $292.2 million, respectively.
We began our business in 1993 through private investment funds formed to take advantage of the lack of well-capitalized lenders capable of servicing the needs of high-end customers in our markets. During our eleven-year history we have structured or originated $9.4 billion of financing commitments.
By capitalizing on our competitive strengths, we have delivered consistent financial performance, developed a high-quality, diversified asset base and established ourselves as a reliable provider of financing solutions for our customers. Our disciplined approach to our business has enabled us to adapt to adverse economic and real estate market conditions while consistently delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns on our invested capital. We have maintained strong credit statistics and have consistently grown our EBITDA since the quarter ended June 1998, our first quarter as a public company. Between that quarter and the quarter ended December 31, 2003, we grew our EBITDA and net income from approximately $30.7 million and $19.9 million, respectively, to $140.5 million and $79.6 million, respectively.
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The graph below shows our EBITDA and net income since 1999.
Competitive Strengths
We believe the following competitive strengths distinguish our business model from other commercial finance enterprises and contribute to our ability to generate consistent returns on our invested capital.
Creative Capital Solutions We target markets where customers require a knowledgeable provider of capital that is capable of originating customized and flexible financial products. We provide our customers with a level of service and creativity generally unavailable from other lenders. We do not participate in distribution-based commercial finance businesses such as conduit lending and mortgage-backed securities, which are typically characterized by intense price competition and lower profit margins. Instead, we target the customer-oriented premium-pricing segment of the market.
We believe that we have a reputation in the marketplace for delivering unique financing solutions and a high level of service to our customers in a reliable and credible fashion. Since beginning our business in 1993, we have provided $5.2 billion in financing to customers who have sought our expertise more than once.
As a result of our focus, we have generated consistent and attractive returns on our asset base. The graph below shows our returns on average book assets, after interest expense, since 1999.
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Return on Average Book Assets(1)
Asset Quality and Diversification Throughout our operating history, we have focused on maintaining diversification of our asset base by product line, asset type, obligor, property type and geographic region. Asset diversification is a key part of our risk management strategy. The pie charts below depict the diversification of our asset base, based upon the gross book value of our loan and CTL assets of approximately $6.5 billion as of December 31, 2003.
Asset Type Diversification |
Property Type Diversification |
Geographic Diversification |
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The table below reflects the diversification of our asset base as represented by our 25 largest assets by revenue. The table shows the percentage these assets represent of our total revenues for the three months ended December 31, 2003.
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Top 25 Assets % Revenue |
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Collateral Type | |||
Office |
16 |
% |
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Hotel | 8 | % | |
Residential | 6 | % | |
Industrial/R&D | 3 | % | |
Retail | 1 | % | |
Other | 4 | % | |
Asset Type |
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Corporate Tenant Leases |
19 |
% |
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First Mortgages | 11 | % | |
Corporate/Partnership Loans | 8 | % | |
Second Mortgages | 0 | % | |
Geographic Region |
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West | 7 | % | |
South | 6 | % | |
Southeast | 5 | % | |
Northeast | 8 | % | |
Mid-Atlantic | 4 | % | |
Northwest | 2 | % | |
Other | 7 | % |
Secured first mortgages and corporate tenant lease assets together comprise approximately 83.7% of our asset base. The weighted average "first dollar" and "last dollar" loan-to-value ratios on our loan assets were 25.3% and 67.5%, respectively, as of December 31, 2003. "First dollar" and "last dollar" loan-to-value ratios represent the average beginning and ending points of our lending exposure in the aggregate capitalization of the underlying assets or companies that we finance.
In addition, as of December 31, 2003, 86% of our corporate tenants, based on annual lease payments were public companies or subsidiaries of public companies. Our corporate tenants include the U.S. Government and well-recognized national and international companies such as Accenture, Ltd., Charles Schwab Corporation, FedEx Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation, Nike, Inc., Nokia Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Verizon Communications, Inc., Volkswagen of America and Wells Fargo Bank.
We assign two separate quarterly risk ratings to our structured finance assets using a "one" to "five" scale. We assign a rating representing our evaluation of the risk of principal loss, and a rating representing performance compared to original underwriting. Corporate tenant lease risk ratings reflect our assessment of the quality and longevity of the cash flow yield from the asset. Assets with risk ratings of "four" and "five" indicate management time and attention is required, and a risk rating of "five" denotes a potential problem asset. Each newly-originated asset is typically assigned an initial rating of "three," or average. In addition to the rating system, we maintain a "watch list" of assets that require highly proactive asset management.
Based upon our fourth quarter 2003 review, the weighted average risk ratings of our structured finance assets was 2.67 for risk of principal loss and 3.15 for performance compared to original
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underwriting. The weighted average risk rating for corporate tenant lease assets was 2.62 at the end of the fourth quarter.
Match Funding Discipline Our objective is to match fund our liabilities and assets with respect to maturities and interest rates. This means that we seek to match the maturities of our financial obligations with the maturities of our investments. Match funding allows us to reduce the risk of having to refinance our liabilities prior to the maturities of our assets. In addition, we match fund interest rates with like-kind debt (i.e., fixed-rate assets are financed with fixed-rate debt, and floating-rate assets are financed with floating-rate debt), through the use of hedges such as interest rate swaps, or through a combination of these strategies. This allows us to reduce the impact of changing interest rates on our earnings. Our objective is to limit volatility from a 100 basis point move in short-term interest rates to no more than 2.5% of annual adjusted earnings per share. As of December 31, 2003, a 100 basis point change in short-term interest rates would have a minimal impact on our fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share.
Significant Equity Base We have approximately $2.4 billion of tangible book equity and a consolidated debt-to-book equity ratio of 1.7x as of December 31, 2003. We believe that we are one of the most strongly capitalized asset-based finance companies. Our tax-advantaged structure as a REIT and our ability to operate with less overhead, as a percentage of revenues, than many other commercial finance companies enable us to generate higher returns on our invested capital without excessive reliance on leverage.
Experienced Management The 15 members of our executive management team have an average of more than 20 years of experience in the fields of real estate finance, private investment, capital markets, transaction structuring, risk management, legal and loan servicing, providing us with significant expertise in the key disciplines required for success in our business. Our culture is also highly-focused toward on-going asset risk management. We emphasize long-term, incentive-based compensation, such as performance based grants of restricted common stock, rather than cash compensation, and none of our employees is compensated based on the volume of investment originations. As of December 31, 2003 our directors and employees directly owned approximately 4.7% of our outstanding common stock on a diluted basis, which had a market value of approximately $218 million based upon the last reported sales price of our common stock on March 19, 2004. Our 15-member executive management team is supported by approximately 140 employees operating from six primary offices nationwide.
Tax-Advantaged Corporate Structure Because of our focus on commercial real estate finance, we are able to qualify as a REIT. Since we are taxed as a REIT, we do not pay corporate-level taxes in most circumstances. This tax-advantaged structure enables us to produce higher returns on our invested capital compared to taxable finance companies while utilizing significantly less leverage than most taxable finance companies. The graph below shows our returns on average common book equity since 1999.
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Return on Average Common Book Equity(1)
Asset Base
The table below sets forth certain financial characteristics of our asset base as of December 31, 2003.
Financial Characteristics of Our Asset Base
|
Loans |
Leases |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
|
(In millions) |
|||
Gross Carrying Value | $3,736 | $2,790 | ||
Total Financing Commitments | $3,945 | Not applicable | ||
Number of Investments |
111 |
115 |
||
Number of Underlying Properties | 2,370 | 179 | ||
Average Asset Size per Investment | $33.7 | $24.3 | ||
Average Asset Size per Property | $30.1 | $15.6 | ||
Weighted Average Maturity/Lease Term |
3.7 years |
9.9 years |
||
Average First Dollar Loan-to-Value(1) | 25.3% | Not applicable | ||
Average Last Dollar Loan-to-Value(2) | 67.5% | Not applicable | ||
Percentage Investment Grade Credits(3) |
Not available |
56.5% |
Our Target Markets and Product Lines
We believe we are the largest dedicated participant in a $100-$150 billion niche of the approximately $2.1 trillion commercial real estate market, consisting of the $1.5 trillion commercial
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mortgage market and the $600 billion single-user market for corporate office and industrial facilities. Our primary product lines include structured finance, portfolio finance, corporate tenant leasing, corporate finance and loan acquisition. Our real estate lending assets consist of mortgages secured by real estate collateral, loans secured by equity interests in real estate assets, and secured and unsecured loans to corporations engaged in real estate or real estate-related businesses. Our corporate tenant lease assets consist of office and industrial facilities that we typically purchase from, and lease-back to, a diversified group of creditworthy corporate tenants as a form of financing for their businesses. Our leases are generally long-term, and typically provide for all expenses at the facility to be paid by the corporate tenant on a "triple net" basis. Under a typical net lease agreement, the corporate customer agrees to pay a base monthly operating lease payment and all facility operating expenses, including taxes, maintenance and insurance.
The pie chart below shows the composition of our asset base by product line, based on the total gross book value of our loan and CTL assets of approximately $6.5 billion as of December 31, 2003.
Structured Finance We provide senior and subordinated loans that typically range in size from $20 million to $100 million to borrowers holding high-quality real estate. These loans may be either fixed or variable rate and are structured to meet the specific financing needs of the borrowers, including the acquisition or financing of large, high-quality real estate. We offer borrowers a wide range of structured finance options, including first mortgages, second mortgages, partnership loans, participating debt and interim facilities. Our structured finance transactions have maturities generally ranging from three to ten years. As of December 31, 2003, based on gross carrying values, our structured finance assets represented 26.0% of our total asset base.
Portfolio Finance We provide funding to regional and national borrowers who own multiple facilities in geographically diverse portfolios. Loans are cross-collateralized to give us the benefit of all available collateral and underwritten to recognize inherent portfolio diversification. Property types include multifamily, suburban office, hotels and other property types where individual property values are less than $20 million on average. Loan terms are structured to meet the specific requirements of the borrower and typically range in size from $25 million to $150 million. Our portfolio finance transactions have maturities generally ranging from three to ten years. As of December 31, 2003, based on gross carrying values, our portfolio finance assets represented 15.5% of our total asset base.
Corporate Tenant Leasing We provide capital to corporations and borrowers who control facilities leased to single creditworthy tenants. Our net leased assets are generally mission-critical headquarters or distribution facilities that are subject to long-term leases with rated corporate tenants, and which provide for all expenses at the property to be paid by the corporate tenant on a triple net lease basis. Corporate tenant lease transactions have terms generally ranging from ten to 20 years and typically range in size from $20 million to $150 million. As of December 31, 2003, based on gross carrying values, our corporate tenant lease assets represented 41.9% of our total asset base.
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We pursue the origination of corporate tenant lease transactions by structuring purchase/leasebacks and by acquiring facilities subject to existing long-term net leases. In a purchase/ leaseback transaction, we purchase the property from the corporate tenant and lease it back to the tenant on a triple-net basis. The purchase/leaseback structure allows the corporate customer to reinvest the proceeds from the sale of its facilities into its core business, while we capitalize on our structured financing expertise.
Our corporate tenant lease investments primarily represent a diversified portfolio of mission-critical headquarters or distribution facilities subject to net lease agreements with creditworthy corporate tenants. By "mission-critical" we mean the tenant views our facility as being of strategic and operational importance to its business activities. In our experience, tenants tend to first vacate and reject leases on their non-core facilities when they experience financial distress, but continue to occupy and remain current on their lease payments for mission-critical facilities because these facilities are needed to continue to run the business. The corporate tenant lease investments we target generally involve: (1) high-quality, general-purpose real estate with residual values that represent a discount to current market values and replacement costs; and (2) corporate tenants that are established companies with stable core businesses or market leaders in growing industries with investment-grade credit strength or appropriate credit enhancements if corporate credit strength is not sufficient.
Since acquiring our leasing subsidiary in November 1999, we have increased the weighted average lease term of our corporate tenant lease assets from 5.6 to 9.9 years. During that time we have also executed over 21.4 million square feet of new and renewal leases in 189 total transactions with a weighted average lease term of 11.9 years. Throughout this leasing activity, we have emphasized early lease renewals. Of the 5.1 million square feet of leases renewed since June 1999, approximately 62% represented early renewals where there were more than 12 months left on the primary lease term. As of December 31, 2003, our corporate tenant lease portfolio was 93% leased.
As of December 31, 2003, we had more than 100 corporate customers operating in 39 different Standard Industrial Classification codes, including aerospace, energy, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, technology, government services, manufacturing and telecommunications. These customers include the U.S. Government and well-recognized national and international companies, such as Accenture, Ltd., Charles Schwab Corporation, FedEx Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation, Nike, Inc., Nokia Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Verizon Communications, Inc., Volkswagen of America and Wells Fargo Bank.
The pie chart below summarizes our corporate tenant lease customers by Standard Industrial Classification code as of December 31, 2003 (by percentage of CTL revenue).
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Corporate Tenant Lease Portfolio by SIC Code
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The table below illustrates our corporate tenant lease expirations as of December 31, 2003.
Lease Expirations
Year of Lease Expiration |
Number of Leases Expiring |
Annualized Fourth Quarter 2003 Expiring GAAP Operating Lease Revenue ($ in thousands) |
% of Annualized Fourth Quarter 2003 Total Revenue |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | 20 | $ | 19,599 | 3.0 | % | |||
2005 | 16 | 10,723 | 1.6 | % | ||||
2006 | 27 | 30,073 | 4.6 | % | ||||
2007 | 23 | 18,448 | 2.8 | % | ||||
2008 | 17 | 13,714 | 2.1 | % | ||||
2009 | 12 | 13,478 | 2.1 | % | ||||
2010 | 6 | 8,557 | 1.3 | % | ||||
2011 | 7 | 6,131 | 0.9 | % | ||||
2012 | 11 | 17,367 | 2.6 | % | ||||
2013 and thereafter | 50 | 155,617 | 23.7 | % | ||||
Total | 189 | $ | 293,706 | 44.7 | % | |||
Corporate Finance We provide senior and subordinated capital to corporations engaged in real estate or real estate-related businesses. Financings may be either secured or unsecured and typically range in size from $20 million to $150 million. Our corporate finance transactions have maturities generally ranging from five to ten years. As of December 31, 2003, based on gross carrying values, our corporate finance assets represented 8.3% of our total asset base.
Loan Acquisition We acquire whole loans and loan participations that present attractive risk-reward opportunities. Loans are generally acquired at a small discount to the principal balance outstanding. Loan acquisitions typically range in size from $5 million to $100 million and are collateralized by all major property types. Our loan acquisition transactions have maturities generally ranging from three to ten years. As of December 31, 2003, based on gross carrying values, our loan acquisition assets represented 6.3% of our total asset base.
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Our objective is to generate consistent and attractive returns on our invested capital by providing innovative and value-added financing solutions to our customers. We believe we have established a market leadership position for highly structured mortgage, corporate and mezzanine financing backed by high-quality commercial real estate nationwide. We deliver customized financial products to sophisticated real estate borrowers and corporate customers who require a high level of creativity and service. Our ability to provide value-added financial solutions has consistently enabled us to realize margins and returns on capital that are more attractive than those earned by many other commercial real estate lenders.
Investment Strategy
In order to accomplish our objective, we have implemented the following investment strategy:
We source our investment transactions from our existing relationships with real estate owners, through other direct relationships within the real estate and corporate finance communities, and from other capital providers and advisors who refer customers to us. We also utilize information obtained from our risk management group to generate leads on potential investment opportunities. We have completed over $5.2 billion of financing transactions with borrowers who have sought our expertise more than once.
We discuss and analyze investment opportunities during regular weekly meetings which are attended by all of our investment professionals, as well as representatives from our legal, risk management and capital markets areas. We have developed a process for screening potential investments called the Six Point Methodologysm. The Six Point Methodologysm reflects the six fundamental criteria by which we evaluate an investment opportunity prior to beginning our formal underwriting and commitment process.
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We have an intensive underwriting process in place for all potential investments. This process provides for comprehensive feedback and review by all the disciplines within our company, including investments, credit, risk management, legal/structuring and capital markets. Participation is encouraged from all professionals throughout the entire origination process, from the initial consideration of the opportunity, through the Six Point Methodologysm and into the preparation and distribution of a comprehensive memorandum for our internal and Board of Directors investment committees.
Commitments of less than $30 million require the unanimous consent of our internal investment committee, consisting of senior management representatives from each of our key disciplines. For commitments between $30 million and $50 million, the further approval of our Board of Directors' investment committee is also required. All commitments of $50 million or more must be approved by our full Board of Directors.
Risk Management
In addition to mitigating risk through the careful underwriting and structuring of our investments, we further proactively manage risk by: (1) generating, analyzing and distributing information on-line to all our employees about our collateral and our customers on a continuous, real-time basis; (2) holding weekly company-wide meetings to identify and address risk management issues; (3) applying a comprehensive risk rating process; (4) establishing loan loss reserves and asset impairment procedures; and (5) managing our assets and liabilities through match funding. We believe these risk management measures enable us to effectively manage our asset base and minimize our risk of loss. More than 60 of our approximately 155 employees are dedicated to our risk management platform.
Collateral and Customer Monitoring We have comprehensive real-time risk management systems that enable us to proactively monitor the performance of our asset base and to quickly identify and address potential issues with any of our assets. Risk management information, which is generated from numerous collateral-level controls, extensive customer reporting requirements and on-site asset monitoring programs, is accessible to all our employees nationwide via computer.
Our comprehensive risk management systems require the active participation of each of our senior professionals and other employees within our regional office infrastructure. Every employee nationwide has access, via our computer network, to various risk management reports which provide real-time information regarding the performance of our asset base. These reports, which are continually updated as new customer information is received, are based on information that is: (1) required to be provided by our customers; (2) generated by our risk management professionals; and (3) obtained from the public domain. Examples of risk management reports include daily payment reports, monthly covenant reviews, monthly reserve balance reports, monthly budget-versus-actual analyses of collateral and corporate customer performance, leasing activity reports and quarterly risk ratings reviews. This process
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ensures that risk management issues are quickly identified and that decisions are based on the most current information available.
iStar Asset Services, or "iSAS," our rated loan servicing subsidiary, and iStar Real Estate Services, or "iRES," our corporate tenant lease asset management division, are critical to our asset and customer monitoring efforts. Together, they are principally responsible for managing our asset base, including monitoring our customers' compliance with their respective loan and leasing agreements, collecting customer payments, and efficiently analyzing and distributing customer performance information throughout our company on a real-time basis. iSAS and iRES provide daily information on the performance and condition of our asset base. iSAS is currently rated "strong" by Standard & Poor's and CMS2- by Fitch as a master servicer. In addition to servicing our asset base, iSAS also provides loan servicing to third-party institutional owners of loan portfolios.
Our loan customers are required to comply with periodic covenant tests, and typically must submit extensive collateral performance information such as monthly operating statements and operating budgets. We also may require customers to deposit cash into escrow accounts to cover major capital expenditures, such as expected re-tenanting costs, and we typically require approval rights over major decisions impacting collateral cash flows. In many cases, collateral cash receipts must be deposited into lock-box bank accounts that we control. We then distribute the net cash, after our debt service, to our customers.
We furnish on-site asset management services for most of our corporate customers, providing us with daily information regarding the condition of our assets. In addition, we have a formal annual inspection program that ensures that our corporate tenant lease customers are complying with their lease terms. Customer lease payments are deposited directly into lock-box accounts managed by our treasury group, and corporate customers are required to submit financial statements on a regular basis to our corporate credit professionals. In addition, our risk management group monitors the wire services for important news on our customers, including press releases, earnings announcements, credit ratings changes, research reports relating to our corporate customers and local market conditions, and distributes this information via email to all of our employees. All new corporate tenant leases must be approved by our Chief Operating Officer who evaluates, with the assistance of our credit professionals, the creditworthiness and appropriate security, if any, required by us.
Weekly Risk Management Meetings We hold weekly company-wide meetings to identify current issues, and conduct monthly meetings to review actual collateral performance compared to our customers' budgets. During the weekly meetings, our regional offices connect via videoconference with our headquarters and we review asset-specific issues in detail. At these meetings, we develop an action plan to resolve any issues which arise. We also conduct systematic, asset-specific reviews of both our loan and corporate tenant lease assets on a quarterly basis, as discussed below.
Risk Rating Process We have a comprehensive risk rating process that enables us to evaluate, monitor and pro-actively manage asset-specific credit issues and identify credit trends on a portfolio-wide basis. We conduct a detailed credit review of each asset on a quarterly basis, and we assign risk ratings to each asset ranging from "one" to "five." Attendance is mandatory for all of our professionals, including those in our regional offices. We assign two separate quarterly risk ratings to our structured finance assets using a "one" to "five" scale. We assign a rating representing our evaluation of the risk of principal loss, and a rating representing performance compared to original underwriting. Corporate tenant lease risk ratings reflect our assessment of the quality and longevity of the cash flow yield from the asset. Assets with risk ratings of "four" and "five" indicate management time and attention is required, and a risk rating of "five" denotes a potential problem asset. Each newly-originated asset is typically assigned an initial rating of "three," or average. In addition to the rating system, we maintain a "watch list" of assets that require highly proactive asset management.
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Risk ratings provide a common language and uniform framework by which we can discuss and evaluate risk and relative levels of risk across our asset base. This is our primary early warning system and provides us with a means of identifying assets that warrant a greater degree of monitoring and senior management attention. In addition, this process provides a useful forum to identify assets or markets that may offer opportunities for new business. Lastly, the risk ratings process serves as a basis for determining our quarterly loan loss provision and evaluating the adequacy of our reserves.
Based upon our fourth quarter 2003 review, the weighted average risk rating of our structured finance assets was 2.67 for risk of principal loss and 3.15 for performance compared to original underwriting. The weighted average risk rating for our corporate tenant lease assets was 2.62 as of December 31, 2003.
We consider several primary variables in determining which rating to assign to an asset. For our loans, the seven primary risk attributes are:
For our corporate tenant leases, the five primary risk attributes are:
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Credit Loss Reserve Policy and Asset Impairment Procedures Our policy for establishing loan loss reserves and our asset impairment procedures are consistent with established accounting standards. Our reserve levels reflect our judgment of loss potential and are evaluated based upon the quarterly risk rating review process. The overall factors in this evaluation include:
In addition to our general loan loss reserves, we also have asset-specific credit protection, including cash reserve accounts, cash deposits and letters of credit which totaled $218.1 million for our loan assets as of December 31, 2003. Where appropriate, we typically require this incremental credit protection to be funded and/or posted at the closing of a transaction in accounts in which we have a security interest. As of December 31, 2003, accumulated loan loss reserves and other asset-specific credit protection represented an aggregate of approximately 6.73% of the gross book value of our loans.
During the quarter ended September 30, 2003, we wrote off a $3.3 million premium that we recorded on a $30.4 million loan when we acquired it in 1998 (as part of our acquisition of a portfolio of loans). We wrote off the premium against our loan loss reserves. In addition, as of December 31, 2003, we had only three assets on non-accrual status with an aggregate carrying value of $40.3 million (0.62% of the gross book value of our investments).
As required under generally accepted accounting principles, we accumulate depreciation against our CTL assets, which reduces our book basis in those assets relative to our original purchase price. In addition, where appropriate, we also require certain CTL customers to post additional security for their lease obligations in the form of cash deposits and/or letters of credit. These cash deposits and letters of credit, which serve as additional asset-specific credit protection for our CTL assets, totaled $95.4 million as of December 31, 2003. In aggregate, cash deposits, letters of credit, allowances for doubtful accounts and accumulated depreciation relating to corporate tenant lease assets represented 9.87% of the gross book value of our corporate tenant lease assets at that date.
Asset/Liability Management Our objective is to match fund our liabilities and assets with respect to maturities and interest rates. This means that we seek to match the maturities of our financial obligations with the maturities of our investments. Match funding allows us to reduce the risk of having to refinance our liabilities prior to the maturity of our assets. In addition, we match fund interest rates with like-kind debt (i.e., fixed-rate assets are financed with fixed-rate debt, and floating-rate assets are financed with floating-rate debt), through the use of hedges such as interest rate swaps, or through a combination of these strategies. This allows us to reduce the impact of changing interest rates on our earnings. Our objective is to limit volatility from a 100 basis point move in short-term interest rates to no more than 2.5% of annual adjusted earnings per share. As of December 31, 2003, a 100 basis point change in short-term interest rates would have a minimal impact on our fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share.
Financing Strategy
Our financing strategy revolves around three primary principles that are key to our business model:
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Lower Leverage and a Large Tangible Equity Capital Base Our business model is premised on operating at significantly lower leverage and maintaining a larger tangible equity capital base than many other commercial finance companies. At December 31, 2003, our consolidated debt-to-book equity ratio was 1.7x.
Access to a Deep and Broad Array of Reliable Capital Sources We seek to develop a deep and broad array of reliable debt and equity capital sources to fund our business. Accordingly, we maintain a diverse range of short and long-term financing sources from both the secured and unsecured lending and capital markets. We also believe that our track record as a private and public company and our investor base, comprised of leading institutional investors and high net worth individuals, will enable us to continue to access the public and private equity capital markets. At December 31, 2003, we had $826.6 million outstanding under our five primary revolving credit facilities, which total $2.7 billion in committed capacity.
Match Funding We primarily execute our match funding strategy through issuing corporate unsecured senior notes having five-, seven-, and 10-year maturities, our own proprietary matched funding program, iStar Asset Receivables or "STARssm," as well as through term lending relationships with over a dozen large financial institutions. Using STARssm, we can access the securitized debt markets by issuing investment-grade rated securities collateralized by pools of our structured finance and corporate tenant lease assets. The STARssmbond maturities match the maturities of the underlying collateral, thereby eliminating refinancing risk. We continue to service the assets in the collateral pool through our loan servicing subsidiary, iStar Asset Services. Because STARssm is an on-balance sheet financing program, we recognize no gain on sale in our financial statements when utilizing this vehicle.
We completed our latest STARssm transaction in May 2003, and issued approximately $646 million of investment-grade rated bonds backed by approximately $738 million of collateral. The weighted average interest rate on the offered bonds, expressed on an all-floating rate basis, was approximately LIBOR + 47 basis points. The proceeds from this transaction were used to repay outstanding borrowings under our secured credit facilities.
We believe that the STARssm program provides us significantly more flexibility in managing our collateral and match funding our liabilities and assets than other securitization structures, and that both the strong performance of our initial two STARssm transactions and the execution of our third STARssm transaction should positively impact future debt issuances under this program. In addition, we view the securitized debt markets as a very reliable source of debt capital, even when macroeconomic conditions make other lending markets unavailable or unattractive. As of December 31, 2003, we had $1.3 billion of STARssm bonds outstanding.
We also use term debt to match fund our investments, and we maintain term lending relationships with over a dozen major commercial banks and insurance companies. As part of these term lending relationships, we have developed an innovative debt facility with a commercial bank that match funds certain of our corporate finance investments. We believe that the STARssm program and our relationships with various term lenders provide us with a reliable, cost-effective and diverse source of capital for match funding our liabilities and assets. As of December 31, 2003, we had 19 individual term loans with a total outstanding balance of $842.3 million.
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The following table sets forth the names and the positions of our senior officers:
Name |
Title |
|
---|---|---|
Jay Sugarman | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | |
Catherine D. Rice | Chief Financial Officer | |
Timothy J. O'Connor | Chief Operating Officer | |
Nina B. Matis | Executive Vice President and General Counsel | |
Barbara Rubin | PresidentiStar Asset Services, Inc. | |
Daniel S. Abrams | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
Steven R. Blomquist | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
Roger M. Cozzi | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
Jeffrey R. Digel | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
R. Michael Dorsch, III | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
Barclay G. Jones, III | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
H. Cabot Lodge, III | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
Michelle M. Mackay | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
Diane Olmstead | Executive Vice PresidentInvestments | |
Andrew C. Richardson | Executive Vice PresidentCapital Markets | |
Jeffrey N. Brown | Senior Vice PresidentRisk Management | |
James D. Burns | Senior Vice President and Treasurer | |
Chase S. Curtis, Jr. | Senior Vice PresidentCredit | |
Geoffrey M. Dugan | Senior Vice PresidentHuman Resources, Assistant General Counsel and Secretary | |
John F. Kubicko | Senior Vice PresidentRisk Management | |
Elizabeth B. Smith | Senior Vice PresidentRisk Management | |
Colette J. Tretola | Senior Vice PresidentController |
Senior Management
Jay Sugarman is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of iStar Financial. Mr. Sugarman has served as a director of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since 1996 and Chief Executive Officer since 1997. During that time, Mr. Sugarman has built iStar Financial into one of the leading providers of custom-tailored financial solutions to high-end private and corporate owners of real estate in the United States, growing its market capitalization from under $50 million to over $9 billion. Previously, Mr. Sugarman founded and was co-general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P., a private investment partnership specializing in structured real estate finance. Prior to forming Starwood Mezzanine, Mr. Sugarman managed diversified investment funds on behalf of the Burden family, a branch of the Vanderbilts, and the Ziff family. While in that position, he was jointly responsible for the formation of Starwood Capital Group LLC, a leading private real estate investment firm, and the formation of HBK Investments, one of the nation's largest multi-strategy trading operations. Mr. Sugarman received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Princeton University, where he was nominated for valedictorian and received the Paul Volcker Award in Economics, and his M.B.A. with highest distinction from Harvard Business School, graduating as a Baker Scholar and recipient of the school's academic prizes for both finance and marketing. Mr. Sugarman is a director of WCI Communities, Inc., a residential developer in South Florida.
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Catherine D. Rice has served as Chief Financial Officer of iStar Financial since November 2002. Ms. Rice is responsible for managing all of iStar Financial's capital-raising initiatives, financial reporting and investor relations activities, as well as overseeing all other finance, treasury and accounting functions. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Ms. Rice served as managing director in both the financial sponsors group and the real estate investment banking group of Banc of America Securities. Prior to Banc of America Securities, Ms. Rice was a managing director at Lehman Brothers, where she was responsible for the firm's West Coast real estate investment banking effort. She spent the first ten years of her career at Merrill Lynch in its real estate investment banking group. Ms. Rice has over 17 years of experience in the public and private capital markets, and has been involved in over $15 billion of capital-raising and financial advisory transactions, including public and private debt and equity offerings, mortgage financings, merger and acquisition assignments, leveraged buyouts, asset dispositions, debt restructurings and rating advisory assignments. Ms. Rice received a bachelor degree from the University of Colorado and an M.B.A from Columbia University.
Timothy J. O'Connor has served as Chief Operating Officer of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since March 1998 and Executive Vice President since March 2000. Mr. O'Connor is responsible for developing and managing iStar Financial's risk management and due diligence operations, participating in the evaluation and approval of new investments and coordinating iStar Financial's information systems. Previously, Mr. O'Connor was a vice president of Morgan Stanley & Co. responsible for the performance of more than $2 billion of assets acquired by the Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. O'Connor was a vice president of Greystone Realty Corporation involved in the firm's acquisition and asset management operations. Previously, Mr. O'Connor was employed by Exxon Co. USA in its real estate and engineering group. Mr. O'Connor is a former vice president of the New York City/Fairfield County chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks. Mr. O'Connor received a B.S. degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School.
Nina B. Matis has served as General Counsel of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since 1996 and Executive Vice President since November 1999. Ms. Matis is responsible for legal, tax, structuring and regulatory aspects of iStar Financial's operations and investment and financing transactions. Ms. Matis is a partner in the law firm of KMZ Rosenman, one of our principal outside law firms. From 1984 through 1987, Ms. Matis was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law where she taught real estate transactions. Ms. Matis is a director of New Plan Excel Realty Trust, Inc. and a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International, the Chicago Finance Exchange, the Urban Land Institute, REFF, the Chicago Real Estate Executive Women, The Chicago Network and The Economic Club of Chicago, and she is listed in both The Best Lawyers of America and Sterling's Who's Who. Ms. Matis received a B.A. degree, with honors, from Smith College and a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law.
Barbara Rubin has served as President of iStar Asset Services, Inc., our Hartford-based loan asset management and servicing operation since September 1998. She has more than 20 years of real estate investment experience, including loan and real estate equity origination, portfolio management, loan servicing, and capital markets activities. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Ms. Rubin was president and chief operating officer of Phoenix Realty Securities, Inc., a real estate advisory operation which managed portfolios of real estate securities (including mortgage loan investments and real estate equity securities). She is currently Chair of the Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority, a member of the Board of Governors of the Mortgage Bankers Association and a member of the Board of Commercial Mortgage Securities Association. Ms. Rubin received a B.A. degree from Williams College and an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut.
Daniel S. Abrams has served as an Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial since November 2001. Previously, Mr. Abrams was a founding principal of Citadel Realty Group, LLC, a New York based boutique investment bank specializing in advisory work and debt and equity
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placements for all forms of commercial real estate properties and companies in North America and Europe. Prior to forming Citadel, Mr. Abrams was a managing director at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette, where he was responsible for the hospitality and leisure practice, focusing on debt originations, equity offerings and advisory assignments to public and private companies in that area. Before DLJ, Mr. Abrams was a managing director and the head of the Hospitality Finance Group of Nomura Capital. While at Nomura Capital, Mr. Abrams led the financing of over $6.5 billion in the hospitality sector and over $600 million in the office, multifamily and retail sectors. Before joining Nomura Capital in 1993, Mr. Abrams had been a partner at Rosenman & Colin, a major New York City law firm. He received an LL.M. in Taxation from the New York University of Law; a JD from the National Law Center of the George Washington University, where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review; and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School. He has served as a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC) and the ULI's Hotel Development Council.
Steven R. Blomquist has served as Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial since January 2003. Prior to that he was Senior Vice PresidentInvestments since September 1998. Mr. Blomquist is responsible for the origination and acquisition of new financings with borrowers in the Phoenix Home Life-serviced mortgage loan portfolio and related loan correspondents. He also shares responsibility in managing several of iStar Financial's relationships with financial institutions and other loan correspondents. Mr. Blomquist has over 16 years of loan origination and investment management experience. Previously, Mr. Blomquist was executive vice president and chief investment officer of Phoenix Realty Securities, a Phoenix Home Life subsidiary specializing in providing real estate securities investment advisory services. Mr. Blomquist directed the origination of over $1.5 billion of mortgage loans and maintains strong correspondent and borrower relations. Prior to his current position, Mr. Blomquist was responsible for the debt and equity management of a $750 million Phoenix Home Life portfolio in the Western United States. Mr. Blomquist is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association, and received both his bachelors degree and an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut.
Roger M. Cozzi has served as an Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial since January 2002 and is co-head of our internal Investment Committee. Since joining iStar Financial and its predecessor in 1995, Mr. Cozzi has been responsible for the origination of structured financing transactions and has successfully closed over $1 billion of first mortgage, mezzanine and corporate finance investments. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Cozzi was an investment officer at Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P. and Starwood Opportunity Fund IV, two private investment funds that specialized in structured real estate finance and opportunistic equity investments. Prior to joining Starwood, Mr. Cozzi spent three years at Goldman, Sachs & Co. While at Goldman Sachs, he spent two years in the real estate department, where he focused on securitizing and selling investment grade and non-investment grade securities backed by pools of commercial mortgages, evaluating performing commercial mortgage loans for potential principal investment by the Whitehall funds and consulting large corporate tenants on lease alternatives. After two years in real estate, Mr. Cozzi transferred into the investment management industry group, where he worked on several merger transactions, created a conduit to lend directly to mutual funds, and helped create a vehicle to securitize 12b-1 financing fees. Mr. Cozzi graduated magna cum laude from the Wharton School with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics (with concentrations in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management).
Jeffrey R. Digel has served as an Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial since March 2000 and is co-head of our internal Investment Committee. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice PresidentInvestments since May 1998. Mr. Digel is responsible for the origination of new structured financing transactions, focusing on iStar Financial's financial institution and loan correspondent relationships. Previously, Mr. Digel was a vice president-mortgage finance at Aetna Life Insurance Company responsible for commercial mortgage securitizations, management of Aetna's mortgage
40
correspondent network, management of a $750 million real estate equity portfolio for Aetna's pension clients and origination of new equity investments. Prior to joining Aetna, Mr. Digel was a member of Hart Advisors, responsible for the development and supervision of the portfolio, asset management and client communications functions for Hart's real estate pension advisory business. In addition, Mr. Digel is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Mr. Digel received a B.A. degree from Middlebury College and an M.M. from Northwestern University.
R. Michael Dorsch, III has served as an Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial since March 2000, focusing on our corporate tenant leasing business. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Mr. Dorsch was a principal of ACRE Partners LLC, a privately held firm focused on providing public and private corporations with highly-structured, value-added financing solutions for their corporate real estate facilities. Mr. Dorsch was a founder and managing partner of Corporate Realty Capital, a Boston-based real estate investment bank from 1990 to 1997. CRC was formed as an affiliate of Corporate Property Investors and focused on originating, structuring and financing net lease transactions. Prior to the formation of CRC, Mr. Dorsch was a partner in a Boston-based real estate development, ownership and management concern. From 1984 to 1986, Mr. Dorsch was a vice president of Winthrop Financial Associates, private real estate syndication, where he structured and placed equity interests in transactions capitalized at over $1 billion. Mr. Dorsch graduated with a Sc.B. in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University and earned honors while receiving an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Barclay G. Jones, III has served as an Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial since March 2000, focusing on our corporate tenant leasing business. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Mr. Jones was a principal of ACRE Partners LLC, a privately held firm focused on providing public and private corporations with highly-structured, value-added financing solutions for their corporate real estate facilities. Prior to that, Mr. Jones served in a variety of capacities, including vice chairman and chief acquisitions officer, for W.P. Carey & Co., Inc. from 1982 to 1998. During that period, Mr. Jones was responsible for originating in excess of $2 billion of sale-leaseback financings and over $1 billion of mortgage placements. During his tenure at W.P. Carey, the firm grew from fewer than ten employees to over 70, and from approximately $100 million in assets to over $2.5 billion. Mr. Jones holds a B.S. degree in economics from the Wharton School.
H. Cabot Lodge, III has served as an Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial since March 2000 and he also served as a Director from May 2000 through June 2003. Mr. Lodge has primary responsibility for jointly overseeing iStar Financial's corporate tenant lease investment activity. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Mr. Lodge was a founder and principal of ACRE Partners LLC, a privately held firm focused on providing public and private corporations with highly structured, value-added financing for their corporate real estate facilities. Mr. Lodge served as chairman of Superconducting Core Technologies, Inc., a wireless communications company from 1995 to 1997, and prior to that was managing director and co-head of investments for W.P. Carey & Co., Inc. from 1983 to 1995. Mr. Lodge is a director of Meristar Hospitality Corporation, High Voltage Engineering Corporation and TelAmerica Media, Inc. Mr. Lodge graduated with honors from Harvard College and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Michelle M. Mackay has served as Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial since February 2003. She joined iStar Financial from UBS Warburg, where she was an Executive Director in commercial real estate and a senior member of the commercial real estate approval committee. She originated and closed over $1 billion of first mortgage and mezzanine real estate transactions while at UBS. Ms. Mackay was also responsible for mezzanine structuring and distribution. From 1996 to 1998, Ms. Mackay was Vice President at Chase Bank where she was part of a two-person team hired to establish the commercial mortgage-backed securities trading desk and real estate products distribution. In addition, she managed the new issue processes including rating agency interaction, mortgage finance
41
assignments, new issue syndication and pricing. Prior to Chase, Ms. Mackay created and managed a $1.8 billion portfolio of real estate investments at The Hartford (HIMCO). Her responsibilities included analyzing and investing in CMBS, CMBS IO, unsecured REIT debt, FNMA multifamily, credit tenant lease structures and non-investment grade real estate companies. She was also a member of The Hartford's real estate equity acquisition group, which invested in a variety of real estate properties. Ms. Mackay holds an M.B.A. from the University of Hartford and a B.A. from the University of Connecticut.
Diane Olmstead has served as an Executive Vice PresidentInvestments of iStar Financial in our San Francisco office since September 2000, and is responsible for the origination of new financing transactions. Prior to joining us, Ms. Olmstead was executive vice president of institutional ventures for Redbricks.com, an Internet start-up focused on the commercial real estate market. Previously, Ms. Olmstead was a partner at Arthur Andersen where she founded and ran the real estate capital markets (RECM) group for the western region. The RECM group executed private equity and debt placements, portfolio and company sales, REIT IPO advisory and M&A transactions in excess of $4.7 billion. Ms. Olmstead is a graduate of SUNY at Buffalo with a B.A. in English. She is a member of Urban Land Institute and National Association of Industrial and Office Park Owners, Fisher Center For Real Estate and Urban Economics Policy Advisory Board, Lambda Alpha and Mortgage Bankers Association.
Andrew C. Richardson has served as Executive Vice PresidentCapital Markets of iStar Financial since January 2003. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice PresidentCapital Markets since March 2000. He joined iStar Financial from Salomon Smith Barney, where he was a vice president in the global real estate and lodging investment banking group, providing merger and acquisition advisory services and raising debt and equity capital for public and private real estate companies. Mr. Richardson's experience at Salomon Smith Barney also included working in its mergers and acquisitions group, advising clients in a wide range of industries. Prior to joining Salomon Smith Barney, Mr. Richardson worked for Ernst & Young and was a certified public accountant. Mr. Richardson holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and a B.B.A. in accountancy from the University of Notre Dame.
Jeffrey N. Brown has served as Senior Vice PresidentRisk Management of iStar Financial since October 2000. Prior to that, he was Vice PresidentRisk Management since November 1999. Previously, he served as a vice president at TriNet. Mr. Brown is responsible for our East Region corporate tenant lease assets, including lease negotiations, corporate-level customer relations, lease compliance, portfolio-level analysis and reporting and market research activities. Mr. Brown's prior professional experience includes director of property management for Insignia Commercial Group (San Francisco), regional director (West Coast) with PM Realty Group and various project/property management positions with Eastover Corporation. Mr. Brown holds a B.S. degree from Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi.
James D. Burns joined iStar Financial's New York office as Senior Vice President and Treasurer in July 2003. Prior to joining iStar Financial, he was Vice President and Global Treasurer at Cantor Fitzgerald where he was responsible for all treasury functions and the management of the department's New York and London locations. Mr. Burns has also served as Treasurer of the Asia-Pacific and Americas regions for Morgan Stanley and Global Head of Cash Management for PepsiCo. Inc. Mr. Burns has 20 years of experience in treasury and finance. He received his M.B.A in Finance from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business and his A.B. in Economics from Harvard College.
Chase S. Curtis, Jr. has served as a Senior Vice PresidentCredit of iStar Financial since June 2001, and is responsible for coordinating the initial and on-going underwriting of corporate credit, with a particular emphasis on corporate tenant risk assessment. He joined iStar Financial from Bank of America following a 16-year career in credit risk management and structured corporate finance. Immediately prior to joining iStar Financial, he was senior vice president and chief credit officer of
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Bank of America Commercial Finance responsible for its credit approvals, risk policy and risk process controls. Prior to that, he spent three years in Hong Kong as an executive credit risk review officer overseeing portfolio and transactional risk assessments across Asia. Mr. Curtis holds an M.S. from the University of Arizona and he received a B.S. degree (with high honors) from Bates College. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Geoffrey M. Dugan has served as Secretary since June 2003, Senior Vice President of iStar Financial since January 2000 and Assistant General Counsel since November 1999. Previously, he served as vice president, administration and general counsel of TriNet, and in that capacity was responsible for corporate and securities laws compliance matters, corporate governance matters, and legal issues associated with administrative, human resources and employee benefit functions, including the oversight of outside legal counsel. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Mr. Dugan was in private law practice for over 20 years, where his practice emphasized corporate finance, securities and commercial transactions for real estate investment trusts and other business entities. Mr. Dugan received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Harvard College. Mr. Dugan is a Member of the New York Bar and the State Bar of California.
John F. Kubicko has served as Senior Vice PresidentRisk Management of iStar Financial since January 2002, and prior to that served as Vice PresidentRisk Management since April 1998. Mr. Kubicko has over 14 years of experience in real estate investment and finance, asset management and lending. Prior to joining iStar Financial, he was a senior associate at Greystone Realty, where he was responsible for managing a portfolio of debt investments. Previously, Mr. Kubicko was a loan officer at Shawmut Bank. Mr. Kubicko received a B.S. from Sacred Heart University.
Elizabeth B. Smith has served as Senior Vice PresidentRisk Management of iStar Financial since August 1999. Ms. Smith manages our Dallas office and is directly responsible for our Central Region corporate tenant lease assets. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Ms. Smith was a vice president for MBL Life Assurance Corporation, managing the rehabilitation and disposition of a $3 billion debt and equity portfolio located throughout the United States. Previously, Ms. Smith worked at J.E. Robert Companies, Inc., and for Sunbelt Savings, FSB, specializing in debt and equity portfolio management. Ms. Smith holds a B.B.A. degree from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi.
Colette J. Tretola has served as Senior Vice President and Controller of iStar Financial since January 2003. Prior to that, she was Vice President and Controller since January 1999. Mrs. Tretola is responsible for the oversight of all accounting functions, financial reporting and budgeting. Prior to joining iStar Financial, she was a senior accountant at Starwood Capital Group, where she was responsible for the accounting and financial reporting for the firm's two largest investment funds. Previously, Mrs. Tretola worked for Copley Real Estate Advisors, where she was responsible for the accounting of four public real estate limited partnerships. She received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Boston University.
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Non-Employee Directors
The following table sets forth the names and current affiliations of our non-employee directors:
Name |
Affiliation |
|
---|---|---|
Willis Andersen, Jr. | Real estate industry consultant | |
Robert W. Holman, Jr. | National Warehouse Investment Co.Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | |
Robin Josephs | Ropasada, LLCManaging Director | |
Matthew J. Lustig | Lazard Frères Real Estate Investors L.L.C.Managing Principal | |
John G. McDonald | Stanford UniversityIBJ Professor of Finance in the Graduate School of Business | |
George R. Puskar | Lend Lease Real Estate InvestmentsFormer Chairman of the Board | |
Jeffrey A. Weber | William A.M. Burden & Co., L.P.President and Chief Executive Officer |
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DESCRIPTION OF OTHER INDEBTEDNESS
The table below reflects our debt obligations under various arrangements with financial institutions as of December 31, 2003. All of the indebtedness shown below which has not subsequently been repaid is non-recourse to iStar Financial, the parent company; except that, iStar Financial is the co-borrower under the unsecured revolving credit facility shown below; iStar Financial is the issuer of the 8.75%, 7.0%, 6.50% and 6.0% unsecured notes shown below and the $48 million term loan due July 2008; iStar Financial is the obligor under $10 million of the "Other Debt Obligations" shown below; and iStar Financial has provided limited guarantees of certain subsidiary borrowings. Specifically, iStar Financial is a guarantor of the $60 million term loan due June 2004, and a guarantor of borrowings under secured revolving credit facilities as follows: (1) up to $30 million under the $700 million secured facility due January 2007; and (2) up to 10% of outstanding borrowings under each of the $500 million secured facilities due August and September, 2005. In addition, iStar Financial provides guarantees under non-recourse subsidiary borrowings for customary carve-out matters such as fraud, misappropriation and voluntary bankruptcy proceedings. In January 2004 we issued $350 million aggregate principal amount of 4.875% Senior Notes due 2009 and in March 2004 we issued $250 million aggregate principal amount of 5.70% Senior Notes due 2014 and $175.0 million of Senior Floating Rate Notes due 2007, all of which are unsecured and issued by iStar Financial. See "Prospectus SummaryRecent Developments." In January 2004, we repaid the $60 million term loan due June 2004 and iStar Financial provided a guarantee for a $177.5 million subsidiary financing due 2006. In February 2004, we called for redemption of $110 million aggregate principal amount of our 8.75% Senior Notes due 2008. On March 12, 2004, in conjunction with the reduction of one of our $700 million credit facilities to $250 million, we guaranteed up to 15% of total outstanding borrowings.
We are subject to a number of covenants in our borrowing arrangements. These covenants are both financial and non-financial in nature. Significant financial covenants include limitations on our ability to incur indebtedness beyond specified levels, restrictions on our ability to incur liens on assets and limitations on the amount and type of restricted payments, such as repurchases of our own equity securities, that we may make. Significant non-financial covenants include a requirement in our publicly-held debt securities that we offer to repurchase those securities at a premium if we undergo a change of control.
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Carrying Value as of |
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|
Maximum Amount Available |
December 31, 2003 |
December 31, 2002 |
Stated Interest Rates(1) |
Scheduled Maturity Date |
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|
(In thousands) |
|
|
||||||||||||
Secured revolving credit facilities: | |||||||||||||||
Line of credit | $ | 700,000 | $ | 88,640 | $ | 412,550 | LIBOR + 1.75% - 2.25% | March 2005(2) | |||||||
Line of credit | 700,000 | 310,364 | 462,920 | LIBOR + 1.40% - 2.15% | January 2007(2) | ||||||||||
Line of credit | 500,000 | 117,211 | 283,884 | LIBOR + 1.50% - 1.75% | August 2005(2)(3) | ||||||||||
Line of credit | 500,000 | 180,376 | 114,400 | LIBOR + 1.50% - 2.25% | September 2005 | ||||||||||
Unsecured revolving credit facilities: |
|||||||||||||||
Line of credit | 300,000 | 130,000 | | LIBOR + 2.125% | July 2004(4) | ||||||||||
Total revolving credit facilities | $ | 2,700,000 | $ | 826,591 | $ | 1,273,754 | |||||||||
Secured term loans: | |||||||||||||||
Secured by corporate tenant lease assets | 193,000 | 193,000 | LIBOR + 1.85% | July 2006(5) | |||||||||||
Secured by corporate tenant lease assets | 140,440 | 144,114 | 7.44% | March 2009 | |||||||||||
Secured by corporate tenant lease assets | 135,000 | | LIBOR + 1.75% | October 2008(6) | |||||||||||
Secured by corporate tenant lease assets | 92,876 | 95,074 | 6.00% - 11.38% | Various through 2022 | |||||||||||
Secured by corporate lending investments | 77,938 | 79,126 | 6.55% | November 2005 | |||||||||||
Secured by corporate lending investments | 60,874 | 61,537 | 6.41% | January 2013 | |||||||||||
Secured by corporate lending investments | 60,000 | 60,000 | LIBOR + 2.50% | June 2004(7) | |||||||||||
Secured by corporate lending investments | | 50,000 | LIBOR + 0.60% | October 2003(8) | |||||||||||
Secured by corporate lending investments | 48,000 | | LIBOR + 2.125% | July 2008(9) | |||||||||||
Total term loans | 808,128 | 682,851 | |||||||||||||
Less: debt discount | (128 | ) | (236 | ) | |||||||||||
Total secured term loans | 808,000 | 682,615 | |||||||||||||
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iStar Asset Receivables secured notes: |
|||||||||||||||
STARs Series 2002-1: | |||||||||||||||
Class A1 | 40,011 | 236,694 | LIBOR + 0.26% | June 2004(10) | |||||||||||
Class A2 | 381,296 | 381,296 | LIBOR + 0.38% | December 2009(10) | |||||||||||
Class B | 39,955 | 39,955 | LIBOR + 0.65% | April 2011(10) | |||||||||||
Class C | 26,637 | 26,637 | LIBOR + 0.75% | May 2011(10) | |||||||||||
Class D | 21,310 | 21,310 | LIBOR + 0.85% | January 2012(10) | |||||||||||
Class E | 42,619 | 42,619 | LIBOR + 1.235% | January 2012(10) | |||||||||||
Class F | 26,637 | 26,637 | LIBOR + 1.335% | January 2012(10) | |||||||||||
Class G | 21,309 | 21,309 | LIBOR + 1.435% | January 2012(10) | |||||||||||
Class H | 26,637 | 26,637 | 6.35% | January 2012(10) | |||||||||||
Class J | 26,637 | 26,637 | 6.35% | May 2012(10) | |||||||||||
Class K | 26,637 | 26,637 | 6.35% | May 2012(10) | |||||||||||
Total iStar Asset Receivables secured notes | 679,685 | 876,368 | |||||||||||||
Less: debt discount | (4,090 | ) | (4,425 | ) | |||||||||||
STARs Series 2003-1: |
|||||||||||||||
Class A1 | 235,808 | | LIBOR + 0.25% | October 28, 2005(11) | |||||||||||
Class A2 | 248,206 | | LIBOR + 0.35% | August 28, 2010(11) | |||||||||||
Class B | 18,452 | | LIBOR + 0.55% | July 28, 2011(11) | |||||||||||
Class C | 20,297 | | LIBOR + 0.65% | April 28, 2012(11) | |||||||||||
Class D | 12,916 | | LIBOR + 0.75% | October 28, 2012(11) | |||||||||||
Class E | 14,762 | | LIBOR + 1.05% | May 28, 2013(11) | |||||||||||
Class F | 14,762 | | LIBOR + 1.10% | June 28, 2013(11) | |||||||||||
Class G | 12,916 | | LIBOR + 1.25% | June 28, 2013(11) | |||||||||||
Class H | 12,916 | | 4.97% | June 28, 2013(11) | |||||||||||
Class J | 14,761 | | 5.07% | June 28, 2013(11) | |||||||||||
Class K | 25,833 | | 5.56% | June 28, 2013(11) | |||||||||||
Total STARS Series 2003-1 | 631,629 | | |||||||||||||
Total iStar Asset Receivables secured notes | 1,307,224 | 871,943 | |||||||||||||
Unsecured notes: |
|||||||||||||||
6.00% Senior Notes(12)(13) | 350,000 | | 6.10% | December 2010 | |||||||||||
6.50% Senior Notes(12)(14) | 150,000 | | 6.60% | December 2013 | |||||||||||
6.75% Dealer Remarketable Securities(15)(16) | | 125,000 | 6.75% | March 2013 | |||||||||||
7.00% Senior Notes(13)(15) | 185,000 | | 7.00% | March 2008 | |||||||||||
7.70% Notes(13)(16) | 100,000 | 100,000 | 7.70% | July 2017 | |||||||||||
7.95% Notes(13)(16) | 50,000 | 50,000 | 7.95% | May 2006 | |||||||||||
8.75% Notes | 350,000 | 350,000 | 8.75% | August 2008 | |||||||||||
Total unsecured notes | 1,185,000 | 625,000 | |||||||||||||
Less: debt discount | (47,921 | ) | (11,603 | ) | |||||||||||
Plus: impact of pay-floating swap agreements(17) | 690 | 3,920 | |||||||||||||
Total unsecured notes | 1,137,769 | 617,317 | |||||||||||||
Other debt obligations |
34,148 |
15,961 |
Various |
Various |
|||||||||||
Total debt obligations | $ | 4,113,732 | $ | 3,461,590 | |||||||||||
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47
We issued the Series A Notes, and will issue the Series B Notes, under an Indenture (the "Indenture") dated January 23, 2004, between us and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as trustee (the "Trustee"). The form and terms of the Series B Notes will be identical in all material respects with the form and terms of the Series A Notes, except that (1) the Series B Notes will have been registered under the Securities Act and, therefore, will not bear legends describing restrictions on transferring them, and (2) holders of Series B Notes will not be, and upon the consummation of the exchange offer, holders of Series A Notes will no longer be, entitled to certain rights under the registration rights agreement intended for the holders of unregistered securities. We have summarized in this section the principal terms of the Notes and the Indenture under which they were issued. This summary is not complete. You should read the Indenture and the Series B Notes for additional information before you decide to invest in the Series B Notes because they, and not this description, define your rights as holders of the Series B Notes. You may request copies of these documents at our address shown under the caption "Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference" on page [92] of this prospectus. The Indenture is subject to, and governed by, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "TIA"). Any Series A Notes that remain outstanding after the completion of the exchange offer, together with the Series B Notes, will be treated as a single class of securities under the Indenture. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this section have the meanings specified in the Indenture. For purposes of this "Description of the Series B Notes," "iStar," "we," "our" or "us" refers to iStar Financial Inc. and does not include our subsidiaries.
The Notes will be unsecured obligations of the Company, ranking pari passu in right of payment with all other senior unsecured obligations of the Company.
The Company will issue the Notes in fully registered form in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof. The Trustee will initially act as Paying Agent and Registrar for the Notes. The Notes may be presented for registration or transfer and exchange at the offices of the Registrar. The Company may change any Paying Agent and Registrar without notice to holders of the Notes (the "Holders"). The Company will pay principal (and premium, if any) on the Notes at the Trustee's corporate office in New York, New York. At the Company's option, interest may be paid at the Trustee's corporate trust office or by check mailed to the registered address of Holders.
Principal, Maturity and Interest
The Notes are a series of securities issued under the Indenture. The Indenture permits the Company to "reopen" this series without the consent of the Holders, and issue additional Notes at any time on the same terms and conditions and with the same CUSIP number as the Notes being issued in this offering. The Notes will mature on January 15, 2009. Interest on the Notes will accrue at the rate of 4.875% per annum and will be payable semiannually in cash on each January 15 and July 15, commencing on July 15, 2004 to the persons who are registered Holders at the close of business on the January 1 and July 1 immediately preceding the applicable interest payment date. Interest on the Notes will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from and including the date of issuance.
The Notes will not be entitled to the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund.
Redemption
At any time on or prior to January 15, 2009, the Notes may be redeemed or purchased in whole but not in part at the Company's option at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof plus the Applicable Premium as of, and accrued but unpaid interest, if any, to the date of the redemption or purchase (the "Redemption Date") (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date). Such redemption or purchase may
48
be made upon notice mailed by first-class mail to each Holder's registered address, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date.
"Applicable Premium" means, with respect to a Note at any Redemption Date, the greater of: (1) 1.0% of the principal amount of such Note; and (2) the excess of (a) the present value at such Redemption Date of (i) the principal amount of such Note on January 15, 2009 plus (ii) all required remaining scheduled interest payments due on such Note through January 15, 2009, computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate plus 50 basis points; over (b) the principal amount of such Note on such Redemption Date. Calculation of the Applicable Premium will be made by the Company or on behalf of the Company by such Person as the Company shall designate; provided, however, that such calculation shall not be a duty or obligation of the Trustee.
"Treasury Rate" means, with respect to a Redemption Date, the yield to maturity at the time of computation of United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15(519) that has become publicly available at least two Business Days prior to such Redemption Date (or, if such Statistical Release is no longer published, any publicly available source of similar market data)) most nearly equal to the period from such Redemption Date to April 1, 2011 provided, however, that if the period from such Redemption Date to January 15, 2009 is not equal to the constant maturity of the United States Treasury security for which a weekly average yield is given, the Treasury Rate shall be obtained by linear interpolation (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth of a year) from the weekly average yields of United States Treasury securities for which such yields are given, except that if the period from such Redemption Date to January 15, 2009 is less than one year, the weekly average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year shall be used.
Change of Control
Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each Holder will have the right to require that the Company purchase all or a portion of such Holder's Notes pursuant to the offer described below (the "Change of Control Offer"), at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued interest to the date of purchase.
Within 30 days following the date upon which the Change of Control occurred, the Company must send, by first class mail, a notice to each Holder, with a copy to the Trustee, which notice shall govern the terms of the Change of Control Offer. Such notice shall state, among other things, the purchase date, which must be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed, other than as may be required by law (the "Change of Control Payment Date"). Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required to surrender the Note, with the form entitled "Option of Holder to Elect Purchase" on the reverse of the Note completed, to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the third business day prior to the Change of Control Payment Date.
If a Change of Control Offer is made, we cannot assure you that the Company will have available funds sufficient to pay the Change of Control purchase price for all the Notes that might be delivered by Holders seeking to accept the Change of Control Offer. In the event the Company is required to purchase outstanding Notes pursuant to a Change of Control Offer, the Company expects that it would seek third party financing to the extent it does not have available funds to meet its purchase obligations. However, we cannot assure you that the Company would be able to obtain such financing.
Neither the Board of Directors of the Company nor the Trustee may waive the covenant relating to a Holder's right to redemption upon a Change of Control. Restrictions in the Indenture described herein on the ability of the Company and its Subsidiaries to incur additional Indebtedness, to grant liens on its property and to make Restricted Payments may also make more difficult or discourage a takeover of the Company, whether favored or opposed by the management of the Company. Consummation of any such transaction in certain circumstances may require redemption or repurchase
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of the Notes, and we cannot assure you that the Company or the acquiring party will have sufficient financial resources to effect such redemption or repurchase. Such restrictions and the restrictions on transactions with Affiliates may, in certain circumstances, make more difficult or discourage any leveraged buyout of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by the management of the Company. While such restrictions cover a wide variety of arrangements that have traditionally been used to effect highly leveraged transactions, the Indenture may not afford the Holders protection in all circumstances from the adverse aspects of a highly leveraged transaction, reorganization, restructuring, merger or similar transaction.
The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of Notes pursuant to a Change of Control Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the "Change of Control" provisions of the Indenture, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under the "Change of Control" provisions of the Indenture by virtue thereof.
Certain Covenants
The Indenture will contain, among others, the following covenants; provided that the Indenture will provide that the "Limitation on Liens," "Limitation on Restricted Payments," "Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Subsidiaries," "Limitation on Preferred Stock of Subsidiaries," "Limitation of Guarantees by Subsidiaries," "Conduct of Business" and "Limitations on Transactions with Affiliates" covenants will not be applicable in the event, and only for so long as, the Notes are rated Investment Grade and no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.
Limitation on Incurrence of Additional Indebtedness. The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume, guarantee, become liable, contingently or otherwise, with respect to, or otherwise become responsible for payment of (collectively, "incur") any Indebtedness (including, without limitation, Acquired Indebtedness) other than Permitted Indebtedness.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of or as a consequence of the incurrence of any such Indebtedness, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries may incur Indebtedness (including, without limitation, Acquired Indebtedness), in each case if on the date of the incurrence of such Indebtedness, after giving effect to the incurrence thereof:
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company will not permit TriNet Corporate Realty Trust, Inc. ("TriNet") or any of its Subsidiaries to incur Indebtedness (as defined in the indenture governing TriNet's outstanding publicly held debt securities on the Measurement Date) if, immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Indebtedness and the application of the proceeds thereof, the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Indebtedness of TriNet and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis determined in accordance with GAAP is greater than 55% of the sum of (without duplication): (1) the Total Assets (as defined in the indenture governing TriNet's outstanding
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publicly-held debt securities on the Measurement Date) of TriNet and its Subsidiaries as of the end of the calendar quarter covered in TriNet's Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as the case may be, most recently filed with the Commission (or, if such filing is not permitted under the Exchange Act, with the Trustee) prior to the incurrence of such additional Indebtedness; and (2) the purchase price of any real estate assets or mortgages receivable acquired, and the amount of any securities offering proceeds received (to the extent that such proceeds were not used to acquire real estate assets or mortgages receivable or used to reduce Indebtedness), by TriNet or any Subsidiary of TriNet since the end of such calendar quarter, including those proceeds obtained in connection with the incurrence of such additional Indebtedness. The above limitation shall terminate immediately upon TriNet ceasing to exist as a Subsidiary of the Company as a result of a merger or consolidation of TriNet with the Company or the sale, transfer, disposition or distribution of all or substantially all of TriNet's assets to the Company.
Limitation on Restricted Payments. The Company will not, and will not cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:
if at the time of such action (each, a "Restricted Payment") or immediately after giving effect thereto,
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The foregoing provisions do not prohibit:
In determining the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments made subsequent to the Measurement Date in accordance with clause (iii) of the immediately preceding paragraph, amounts expended pursuant to clauses (1), (2) (ii), 3 (ii) (a), (4), (5) and (7) shall be included in such calculation.
Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Subsidiaries. The Company will not, and will not cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or permit to exist or become effective any encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Subsidiary of the Company to:
except for such encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of:
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Limitation on Preferred Stock of Subsidiaries. The Company will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to issue any Preferred Stock (other than to the Company or to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Company) or permit any Person (other than the Company or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Company) to own any Preferred Stock of any Subsidiary of the Company, other than Preferred Stock outstanding on the Measurement Date of Subsidiaries formed to facilitate maintaining the Company's REIT status.
Limitation on Liens. The Company will not, and will not cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume or permit or suffer to exist any Liens of any kind on the assets of the Company securing Indebtedness of the Company unless:
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Maintenance of Total Unencumbered Assets. The Company and its Subsidiaries will maintain Total Unencumbered Assets of not less than 125% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Unsecured Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case on a consolidated basis.
Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets. The Company will not, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, consolidate or merge with or into any Person, or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of (or cause or permit any Subsidiary of the Company to sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of) all or substantially all of the Company's assets (determined on a consolidated basis for the Company and the Company's Subsidiaries) whether as an entirety or substantially as an entirety to any Person unless:
For purposes of the foregoing, the transfer (by lease, assignment, sale or otherwise, in a single transaction or series of transactions) of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of one or more Subsidiaries of the Company the Capital Stock of which constitutes all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company, shall be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company.
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The Indenture will provide that upon any consolidation or merger or any transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with the foregoing, in which the Company is not the continuing corporation, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under the Indenture and the Notes with the same effect as if such surviving entity had been named as such.
Limitations on Transactions with Affiliates. The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into or permit to exist any transaction or series of related transactions (including, without limitation, the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of any property or the rendering of any service) with, or for the benefit of, any of its Affiliates (each an "Affiliate Transaction"), other than: (1) Affiliate Transactions permitted as described below; and (2) Affiliate Transactions on terms that are no less favorable than those that might reasonably have been obtained in a comparable transaction at such time on an arm's-length basis from a Person that is not an Affiliate of the Company or such Subsidiary.
All Affiliate Transactions (and each series of related Affiliate Transactions which are similar or part of a common plan) involving aggregate payments or other property with a fair market value in excess of $5.0 million shall be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, such approval to be evidenced by a Board Resolution stating that such Board of Directors has determined that such transaction complies with the foregoing provisions. If the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company enters into an Affiliate Transaction (or a series of related Affiliate Transactions related to a common plan) that involves an aggregate fair market value of more than $10.0 million, the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, shall, prior to the consummation thereof, obtain a favorable opinion as to the fairness of such transaction or series of related transactions to the Company or the relevant Subsidiary, as the case may be, from a financial point of view, from an Independent Financial Advisor and file the same with the Trustee.
The restrictions set forth in the first paragraph of this covenant shall not apply to:
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Limitation of Guarantees by Subsidiaries. The Company will not permit any of its Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, by way of the pledge of any intercompany note or otherwise, to assume, guarantee or in any other manner become liable with respect to any Indebtedness of the Company, unless, in any such case:
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any such Guarantee by a Subsidiary of the Notes shall provide by its terms that it shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged, without any further action required on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, upon:
Conduct of Business. The Company and its Subsidiaries will engage primarily in the financing and real-estate related businesses contemplated by Article III(b) of the Company's Amended and Restated Charter as in effect on the Measurement Date and other activities related to or arising out of those activities.
Reports to Holders. Whether or not required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, so long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company will furnish the Holders of Notes:
In addition, whether or not required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, the Company will file a copy of all such information and reports with the Commission for public availability within the time periods specified in the Commission's rules and regulations (unless the Commission will not accept such a filing) and make such information available to securities analysts and prospective investors upon request. In addition, the Company has agreed that, for so long as any Notes remain outstanding, it will furnish to the Holders and to securities analysts and prospective investors, upon
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their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act.
Events of Default
The following events are defined in the Indenture as "Events of Default":
If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (6) above with respect to the Company) shall occur and be continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of outstanding Notes may declare the principal of and accrued interest on all the Notes to be due and payable by notice in writing to the Company and the Trustee specifying the respective Event of Default and that it is a "notice of acceleration" (the "Acceleration Notice"), and the same shall become immediately due and payable.
If an Event of Default specified in clause (6) above with respect to the Company occurs and is continuing, then all unpaid principal of, and premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on all of the outstanding Notes shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
The Indenture will provide that, at any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to the Notes as described in the preceding paragraph, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes may rescind and cancel such declaration and its consequences:
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The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes may waive any existing Default or Event of Default under the Indenture, and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Notes.
Holders of the Notes may not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture and under the TIA. Subject to the provisions of the Indenture relating to the duties of the Trustee, the Trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders, unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity. Subject to all provisions of the Indenture and applicable law, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee.
Under the Indenture, the Company is required to provide an officers' certificate to the Trustee promptly upon any such officer obtaining knowledge of any Default or Event of Default (provided that such officers shall provide such certification at least annually whether or not they know of any Default or Event of Default) that has occurred and, if applicable, describe such Default or Event of Default and the status thereof.
Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
The Company may, at its option and at any time, elect to have its obligations discharged with respect to the outstanding Notes ("Legal Defeasance"). Such Legal Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the outstanding Notes, except for:
In addition, the Company may, at its option and at any time, elect to have the obligations of the Company released with respect to certain covenants that are described in the Indenture ("Covenant Defeasance") and thereafter any omission to comply with such obligations shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes. In the event Covenant Defeasance occurs, certain events
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(not including non-payment, bankruptcy, receivership, reorganization and insolvency events) described under "Events of Default" will no longer constitute an Event of Default with respect to the Notes.
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance:
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the opinion of counsel required by clause (2) above with respect to a Legal Defeasance need not be delivered if all Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (1) have become due and payable or (2) will become due and payable on the maturity date within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company.
Satisfaction and Discharge
The Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect (except as to surviving rights or registration of transfer or exchange of the Notes, as expressly provided for in the Indenture) as to all outstanding Notes when:
Modification of the Indenture
From time to time, the Company and the Trustee, without the consent of the Holders, may amend the Indenture for certain specified purposes, including curing ambiguities, defects or inconsistencies, so long as such change does not, in the opinion of the Trustee, adversely affect the rights of any of the Holders in any material respect. In formulating its opinion on such matters, the Trustee will be entitled to rely on such evidence as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, solely on an opinion of counsel. Other modifications and amendments of the Indenture may be made with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes issued under the Indenture, except that, without the consent of each Holder affected thereby, no amendment may:
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suit to enforce such payment, or permitting Holders of a majority in principal amount of Notes to waive Defaults or Events of Default;
Governing Law
The Indenture will provide that it and the Notes will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York but without giving effect to applicable principles of conflicts of law to the extent that the application of the law of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.
The Trustee
The Indenture will provide that, except during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Trustee will perform only such duties as are specifically set forth in the Indenture. During the existence of an Event of Default, the Trustee will exercise such rights and powers vested in it by the Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.
The Indenture and the provisions of the TIA contain certain limitations on the rights of the Trustee, should it become a creditor of the Company, to obtain payments of claims in certain cases or to realize on certain property received in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. Subject to the TIA, the Trustee will be permitted to engage in other transactions; provided that if the Trustee acquires any conflicting interest as described in the TIA, it must eliminate such conflict or resign.
Certain Definitions
Set forth below is a summary of certain of the defined terms used in the Indenture. Reference is made to the Indenture for the full definition of all such terms, as well as any other terms used herein for which no definition is provided.
"Acquired Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of a Person or any of its Subsidiaries existing at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary of the Company or at the time it merges or consolidates with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or assumed in connection with the acquisition of assets from such Person and in each case whether or not incurred by such Person in connection with, or in anticipation or contemplation of, such Person becoming a Subsidiary of the Company or such acquisition, merger or consolidation.
"Affiliate" means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person who directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person. The term "control" means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative of the foregoing.
"Asset Acquisition" means: (1) an Investment by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in any other Person pursuant to which such Person shall become a Subsidiary of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or shall be merged with or into the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company; or (2) the acquisition by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company of the assets of any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company) that constitute all or substantially all of the assets of such Person or comprises any division or line of business of such Person or any other properties or assets of such Person other than in the ordinary course of business.
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"Asset Sale" means any direct or indirect sale, issuance, conveyance, transfer, lease (other than operating leases entered into in the ordinary course of business), assignment or other transfer for value by us or any of our Subsidiaries (including any sale and leaseback transaction) to any Person other than us or our Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of:
"Board of Directors" means, as to any Person, the board of directors of such Person or any duly authorized committee thereof.
"Board Resolution" means, with respect to any Person, a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of such Person to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of such Person and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
"Capitalized Lease Obligation" means, as to any Person, the obligations of such Person under a lease that are required to be classified and accounted for as capital lease obligations under GAAP and, for purposes of this definition, the amount of such obligations at any date shall be the capitalized amount of such obligations at such date, determined in accordance with GAAP.
"Capital Stock" means:
"Cash Equivalents" means:
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"Change of Control" means the occurrence of one or more of the following events:
"Common Stock" of any Person means any and all shares, interests or other participations in, and other equivalents (however designated and whether voting or non-voting) of such Person's common stock, whether outstanding on the Measurement Date or issued after the Measurement Date, and includes, without limitation, all series and classes of such common stock.
"Consolidated Adjusted Earnings" with respect to any Person, for any period, means the Consolidated Net Income, less dividend payments on Preferred Stock, plus depreciation and amortization (including the Company's share of joint venture depreciation and amortization).
"Consolidated EBITDA" means, with respect to any Person, for any period, the sum (without duplication) of:
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all as determined on a consolidated basis for such Person and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP.
"Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio" means, with respect to any Person, the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA of such Person during the four full fiscal quarters (the "Four Quarter Period") ending prior to the date of the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for which financial statements are available (the "Transaction Date") to Consolidated Fixed Charges of such Person for the Four Quarter Period. In addition to and without limitation of the foregoing, for purposes of this definition, "Consolidated EBITDA" and "Consolidated Fixed Charges" shall be calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis for the period of such calculation to:
"Consolidated Fixed Charges" means, with respect to any Person for any period, the sum, without duplication, of:
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"Consolidated Interest Expense" means, with respect to any Person for any period, the sum of, without duplication:
"Consolidated Net Income" means, with respect to any Person, for any period, the aggregate net income (or loss) of such Person and its Subsidiaries before the payment of dividends on Preferred Stock for such period on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with GAAP; providedthat there shall be excluded therefrom:
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"Consolidated Net Worth" of any Person means the consolidated stockholders' equity of such Person, as of the end of the last completed fiscal quarter ending on or prior to the date of the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate Consolidated Net Worth determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, less (without duplication) amounts attributable to Disqualified Capital Stock of such Person and interests in such Person's Consolidated Subsidiaries not owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
"Consolidated Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, a Subsidiary of such Person, the financial statements of which are consolidated with the financial statements of such Person in accordance with GAAP.
"Currency Agreement" means any foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement designed to protect the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company against fluctuations in currency values.
"Default" means an event or condition the occurrence of which is, or with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.
"Disqualified Capital Stock" means that portion of any Capital Stock that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable at the option of the holder thereof), or upon the happening of any event (other than an event which would constitute a Change of Control), matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is redeemable at the sole option of the holder thereof (except, in each case, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control) on or prior to the final maturity date of the Notes.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor statute or statutes thereto.
"Existing Credit Agreements" mean: (1) the Credit Agreement dated as of July 26, 2001, between the Company, the lenders party thereto in their capacities as lenders thereunder and Bank of America, N.A., as agent; (2) the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of December 28, 2000 between SFI II, Inc. and Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc., as lender; (3) the credit facility between Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch, and iStar DB Seller LLC, dated as of January 11, 2001; (4) the credit facility, dated as of August 12, 1998, between Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. and SFT Whole Loan A, Inc.; and (5) the Master Repurchase Agreement dated September 30, 2002 between Goldman Sachs Mortgage Company and iStar Finance Sub V LLC in each case, together with the related documents thereto (including, without limitation, any security documents), in each case as such agreements may be amended (including any amendment and restatement thereof), supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, including any agreement extending the maturity of, refinancing, replacing or otherwise restructuring (including increasing the amount of available borrowings thereunder (provided that such increase in borrowings is permitted by the "Limitation on Incurrence of Additional Indebtedness" covenant above) or adding Subsidiaries of the Company as additional borrowers or guarantors thereunder) all or any portion of the Indebtedness under such agreement or any successor or replacement agreement and whether by the same or any other agent, lender or group of lenders.
"fair market value" means, with respect to any asset or property, the price which could be negotiated in an arm's-length, free market transaction, for cash, between a willing seller and a willing and able buyer, neither of whom is under undue pressure or compulsion to complete the transaction. Fair market value shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company acting reasonably and
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in good faith and shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company delivered to the Trustee.
"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession of the United States, which are in effect as of the Measurement Date. For the avoidance of doubt, revenues, expenses, gains and losses that are included in results of discontinued operations because of the application of SFAS No. 144 will be treated as revenues, expenses, gains and losses from continuing operations.
"Guarantor" means: each of the Company's Subsidiaries that in the future executes a supplemental indenture in which such Subsidiary agrees to be bound by the terms of the Indenture as a Guarantor; provided that any Person constituting a Guarantor as described above shall cease to constitute a Guarantor when its respective Guarantee is released in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.
"Indebtedness" means with respect to any Person, without duplication:
For purposes hereof, the "maximum fixed repurchase price" of any Disqualified Capital Stock which does not have a fixed repurchase price shall be calculated in accordance with the terms of such Disqualified Capital Stock as if such Disqualified Capital Stock were purchased on any date on which Indebtedness shall be required to be determined pursuant to the Indenture, and if such price is based upon, or measured by, the fair market value of such Disqualified Capital Stock, such fair market value shall be determined reasonably and in good faith by the Board of Directors of the issuer of such Disqualified Capital Stock.
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"Independent Financial Advisor" means a firm: (1) that does not, and whose directors, officers and employees or Affiliates do not, have a direct or indirect financial interest in the Company; and (2) that, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company, is otherwise independent and qualified to perform the task for which it is to be engaged.
"Interest Swap Obligations" means the obligations of any Person pursuant to any arrangement with any other Person, whereby, directly or indirectly, such Person is entitled to receive from time to time periodic payments calculated by applying either a floating or a fixed rate of interest on a stated notional amount in exchange for periodic payments made by such other Person calculated by applying a fixed or a floating rate of interest on the same notional amount and shall include, without limitation, interest rate swaps, caps, floors, collars and similar agreements.
"Investment" means, with respect to any Person, any direct or indirect loan or other extension of credit (including, without limitation, a guarantee), or corporate tenant lease to or capital contribution to (by means of any transfer of cash or other property to others or any payment for property or services for the account or use of others), or any purchase or acquisition by such Person of any Capital Stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities or evidences or Indebtedness issued by, any Person. "Investment" shall exclude extensions of trade credit by us and our Subsidiaries on commercially reasonable terms in accordance with our or our Subsidiaries' normal trade practices, as the case may be.
"Investment Grade" means a rating of the Notes by both S&P and Moody's, each such rating being one of such agency's four highest generic rating categories that signifies investment grade (i.e. BBB- (or the equivalent) or higher by S&P and Baa3 (or the equivalent) or higher by Moody's); provided, in each case, such ratings are publicly available; provided, further, that in the event Moody's or S&P is no longer in existence for purposes of determining whether the Notes are rated "Investment Grade," such organization may be replaced by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (as defined in Rule 436 under the Securities Act) designated by the Company, notice of which shall be given to the Trustee.
"Lien" means any lien, mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, security interest, charge or encumbrance of any kind (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof and any agreement to give any security interest).
"Measurement Date" means August 16, 2001.
"Non-Recourse Indebtedness" means any of our or any of our Subsidiaries' Indebtedness that is:
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time the obligations with respect to any such customary carve-out shall not be considered Non-Recourse Indebtedness, to the extent that such claim is a liability of the Company for GAAP purposes) and upon complete or partial liquidation of which the loan must be correspondingly completely or partially repaid, as the case may be; or
"Obligations" means all obligations for principal, premium, interest, penalties, fees, indemnification, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
"Permitted Holder(s)" means SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C., Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. and each of their respective Affiliates.
"Permitted Indebtedness" means, without duplication, each of the following:
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For purposes of determining compliance with the "Limitation on Incurrence of Additional Indebtedness" covenant, in the event that an item of Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of Permitted Indebtedness described in clauses (1) through (11) above or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to the second paragraph of such covenant, the Company shall, in its sole discretion, classify (or later reclassify) such item of Indebtedness in any manner that complies with this covenant. Accrual of interest, accretion or amortization of original issue discount, the payment of interest on any Indebtedness in the form of additional Indebtedness with the same terms, and the payment of dividends on Disqualified Capital Stock in the form of additional shares of the same class of Disqualified Capital Stock will not be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness or an issuance of Disqualified Capital Stock for purposes of the "Limitations on Incurrence of Additional Indebtedness" covenant.
"Permitted Liens" means the following types of Liens:
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"Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, unincorporated organization, trust or joint venture, or a governmental agency or political subdivision thereof.
"Preferred Stock" of any Person means any Capital Stock of such Person that has preferential rights to any other Capital Stock of such Person with respect to dividends or redemptions or upon liquidation.
"Qualified Capital Stock" means any Capital Stock that is not Disqualified Capital Stock.
"Refinance" means, in respect of any security or Indebtedness, to refinance, extend, renew, refund, repay, prepay, redeem, defease or retire, or to issue a security or Indebtedness in exchange or replacement for, such security or Indebtedness in whole or in part. "Refinanced" and "Refinancing" shall have correlative meanings.
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"Refinancing Indebtedness" means any Refinancing by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company of Indebtedness incurred in accordance with the "Limitation on Incurrence of Additional Indebtedness" covenant (other than pursuant to clauses (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9) or (11) of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness), in each case that does not:
"REIT" means Real Estate Investment Trust.
"Secured Indebtedness" means any Indebtedness secured by a Lien upon the property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
"Senior Recourse Indebtedness" means all Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness that is Non-Recourse Indebtedness and other than Subordinated Indebtedness).
"Significant Subsidiary," with respect to any Person, means any Subsidiary of such Person that satisfies the criteria for a "significant subsidiary" set forth in Rule 1.02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.
"Subordinated Indebtedness" means all of our and our Subsidiaries' Indebtedness that expressly provides that such Indebtedness shall be subordinated in right of payment to any other Indebtedness and matures or is mandatorily redeemable pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is redeemable at the sole option of the holder thereof (except, in each case, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control) on or after the final maturity date of the Notes.
"Subsidiary," with respect to any Person, means:
"Total Unencumbered Assets" as of any date means the sum of:
"Undepreciated Real Estate Assets" means, as of any date, the cost (being the original cost to the Company or any of Subsidiaries plus capital improvements) of real estate assets of the Company and its
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Subsidiaries on such date, before depreciation and amortization of such real estate assets, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
"Unsecured Indebtedness" means any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is not Secured Indebtedness.
"Weighted Average Life to Maturity" means, when applied to any Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing: (1) the then outstanding aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness into; (2) the sum of the total of the products obtained by multiplying (i) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payment of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof, by (ii) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) which will elapse between such date and the making of such payment.
"Wholly Owned Subsidiary" of any Person means any Subsidiary of such Person of which all the outstanding voting securities (other than in the case of a foreign Subsidiary, directors' qualifying shares or an immaterial amount of shares required to be owned by other Persons pursuant to applicable law) are owned by such Person or any Wholly Owned Subsidiary of such Person.
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EXCHANGE OFFER; REGISTRATION RIGHTS
Purpose and effects
We issued the Series A Notes on January 23, 2004 to the initial purchasers, who resold the Series A Notes to "qualified institutional buyers" (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) and certain non-U.S. persons in accordance with Regulation S of the Exchange Act. In connection with the sale of the Series A Notes, we and the initial purchasers entered into the registration rights agreement pursuant to which we agreed to file with the SEC a registration statement with respect to an offer to exchange Series B Notes for the Series A Notes within 75 days after the Series A Notes were issued. In addition, we agreed to use our reasonable best efforts to cause the registration statement to become effective under the Securities Act within 180 days after the Series A Notes were issued and to issue the Series B Notes pursuant to the exchange offer. A copy of the registration rights agreement has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
The exchange offer is being made pursuant to the registration rights agreement. Holders of Series A Notes who do not tender their Series A Notes or whose Series A Notes are tendered but not accepted would have to rely on exemptions from registration requirements under the securities laws, including the Securities Act, if they wish to sell their Series A Notes.
Based on interpretations by the staff of the SEC set forth in no-action letters issued to persons unrelated to us, we believe the Series B Notes issued pursuant to the exchange offer in exchange for Series A Notes may be offered for sale, sold and otherwise transferred by any holder (other than a person that is an "affiliate" of ours within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act and except as set forth in the next paragraph) without registration or the delivery of a prospectus under the Securities Act, provided the holder acquires the Series B Notes in the ordinary course of the holder's business and the holder is not participating and does not intend to participate, and has no arrangement or understanding with any person to participate, in the distribution of the Series B Notes.
If a person were to participate in the exchange offer for the purpose of distributing securities in a manner not permitted by the SEC's interpretation, (1) the position of the staff of the SEC enunciated in the no-action letters would not be applicable to the person and (2) the person would be required to comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act in connection with a sale of the Series B Notes.
Each broker-dealer that receives Series B Notes for its own account in exchange for Series A Notes which the broker-dealer acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any sale of those Series B Notes. See "Sales of Series B Notes Received by Broker-Dealers."
The exchange offer is not being made to, nor will we accept surrenders for exchange from, holders of Series B Notes with addresses in any jurisdiction in which the exchange offer or the issuance of Series B Notes pursuant to it would violate applicable securities or blue sky laws. Prior to the exchange offer, however, we will register or qualify, or cooperate with the holders of the Series A Notes and their respective counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of, the Series B Notes for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as are necessary to permit consummation of the exchange offer and do anything else which is necessary or advisable to enable the offer and issuance of the Series B Notes in those jurisdictions.
Terms of the exchange offer
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this prospectus and in the accompanying letter of transmittal, we will issue Series B Notes in exchange for all Series A Notes which are validly tendered prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date (as defined below) and not withdrawn. The principal amount of the Series B Notes issued in the exchange will be the same as the
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principal amount of the Series A Notes for which they are exchanged. Holders may tender some or all of their Series A Notes in response to the exchange offer.
However, Series A Notes may be tendered only in multiples of $1,000. See "Description of the Series B Notes."
The form and terms of the Series B Notes will be the same in all material respects as the form and terms of the Series A Notes, except that (1) the Series B Notes will be registered under the Securities Act and hence will not bear legends regarding restrictions on transfer and (2) because the Series B Notes will be registered, holders of Series B Notes will not be, and upon the consummation of the exchange offer, except under limited circumstances, holders of Series A Notes will no longer be, entitled to rights under the registration rights agreement intended for holders of unregistered securities.
Series A Notes which are not tendered for exchange or are tendered but not accepted in the exchange offer will remain outstanding and be entitled to the benefits of the indenture, but will not be entitled to any registration rights under the registration rights agreement.
We will be deemed to accept all the Series A Notes which are validly tendered and not withdrawn when we give oral or written notice to that effect to the exchange agent. The exchange agent will act as agent for the tendering holders for the purpose of receiving Series B Notes from us.
If any tendered Series A Notes are not accepted for exchange because of an invalid tender or otherwise, certificates for those Series A Notes will be returned, without expense, to the tendering holder as promptly as practicable after the expiration date.
Holders who tender Series A Notes in response to the exchange offer will not be required to pay brokerage commissions or fees or, except as described in the instructions in the letter of transmittal, transfer taxes. We will pay all charges and expenses, other than certain taxes described below, in connection with the exchange offer. See "Fees and Expenses."
Expiration date; extension; termination; amendments
The exchange offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on , 2004, unless we extend it by notice to the exchange agent. We reserve the right to extend the exchange offer at its discretion. If we extend the exchange offer, the term "expiration date" will mean the time and date on which the exchange offer as extended will expire. We will notify the exchange agent of any extension by oral or written notice and will make a public announcement of any extension, not later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the business day after the previously scheduled expiration date.
Termination of certain rights
If we fail to meet the targets listed above, then additional interest (the "Additional Interest") shall become payable in respect of the Notes as follows:
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provided, however, that the Additional Interest rate on the Notes may not under any circumstance accrue under more than one of the foregoing clauses (1)-(3) at any one time and at no time shall the aggregate amount of Additional Interest accruing pursuant to the foregoing clauses (1)-(3) exceed in the aggregate 1.0% per annum; and provided, further, however, that (a) upon the filing of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or a shelf registration statement (in the case of clause (1) above), (b) upon the effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or a shelf registration statement (in the case of clause (2) above), or (c) upon the exchange of Exchange Notes for all Notes tendered (in the case of clause (3)(A) above), or upon the effectiveness of the shelf registration statement which had ceased to remain effective (in the case of clause (3)(B) above), Additional Interest on the Notes as a result of that clause (or the relevant subclause thereof), as the case may be, will cease to accrue. Additional Interest will be payable when, and to the person to whom, stated interest is due (including, if applicable, upon redemption of Notes or when Notes are tendered following a change in control).
Holders of Series B Notes will not be and, upon consummation of the exchange offer, holders of Series A Notes will no longer be, entitled to rights under the registration rights agreement intended for holders of Series A Notes which are restricted as to transferability. The exchange offer will be deemed consummated when we deliver to the exchange agent Series B Notes in the same aggregate principal amount as that of the Series A Notes which are validly tendered and not withdrawn.
Procedures for tendering
Only a holder of Series A Notes may tender Series A Notes in response to the exchange offer. To tender Series A Notes, the holder must complete, sign and date the letter of transmittal, or a facsimile of one, have the signatures guaranteed if required by the letter of transmittal, and mail or otherwise deliver the letter of transmittal or facsimile of one, together with the Series A Notes (unless the tender is being effected using the procedure for book-entry transfer described below) and any other required documents, to the exchange agent prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date.
Any financial institution that is a participant in DTC's Book-Entry Transfer Facility System may make book-entry delivery of Series A Notes by causing DTC to transfer the Series A Notes into the
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exchange agent's account in accordance with DTC's transfer procedure. Although delivery of Series A Notes may be effected through book-entry transfer into the exchange agent's account at DTC, the letter of transmittal (or a facsimile of one), with any required signature guarantees and any other required documents, must be transmitted to and received or confirmed by the exchange agent at its addresses as set forth under the caption "Exchange Agent" below prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date. DELIVERY OF A DOCUMENT TO DTC DOES NOT CONSTITUTE DELIVERY TO THE EXCHANGE AGENT.
A tender of Series A Notes by a holder will constitute an agreement by the holder to transfer the Series A Notes to us in exchange for Series B Notes on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this prospectus and in the letter of transmittal.
The method of delivering Series A Notes and the letter of transmittal and any other required documents to the exchange agent is at the election and risk of the holder. It is recommended that holders use overnight or hand delivery services. In all cases, sufficient time should be allowed to assure delivery to the exchange agent before the expiration time. No letter of transmittal or Series A Notes should be sent to us. Holders may ask their brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies or nominees to assist them in effecting tenders.
Signatures on a letter of transmittal or a notice of withdrawal, as the case may be, must be guaranteed by an eligible institution unless the Series A Notes are being tendered for the account of an eligible institution. An eligible institution is a bank, broker, dealer, credit union, savings association or other entity which is a member in good standing of the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program.
If the letter of transmittal or any Series A Notes or bond powers are signed by trustees, executors, administrators, guardians, attorneys-in-fact, officers of corporations or others acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, they should so indicate when signing, and we may require that evidence satisfactory to us of their authority to sign be submitted with the letter of transmittal.
All questions as to the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt) and acceptance and withdrawal of tendered Series A Notes will be determined by us in our sole discretion, and that determination will be final and binding. We reserve the right to reject any Series A Notes which are not properly tendered or the acceptance of which we believe might be unlawful. We also reserve the right to waive any defects, irregularities or conditions of tender as to particular Series A Notes, without being required to waive the same defects, irregularities or conditions as to other Series A Notes. Our interpretation of the terms and conditions of the exchange offer (including the instructions in the letter of transmittal) will be final and binding on all parties. Unless waived, any defects or irregularities in connection with tenders of Series A Notes must be cured by the expiration date, or by such later time as we may determine. Although we intend to request the exchange agent to notify holders of defects or irregularities with respect to tenders of Series A Notes, neither we, the exchange agent nor any other person will incur any liability for failure to give such notification. Tenders of Series A Notes will not be deemed to have been made until all defects and irregularities have been cured or waived. Any Series A Notes received by the exchange agent that are not properly tendered and as to which the defects or irregularities have not been cured or waived will be returned by the exchange agent to the tendering holders, unless otherwise provided in the letter of transmittal, as soon as practicable following the expiration date.
We have the right (subject to limitations contained in the indenture) (1) to purchase or make offers for any Series A Notes that remain outstanding after the expiration date and (2) to the extent permitted by applicable law, to purchase Series A Notes in privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. The terms of any such purchases or offers could differ from the terms of the exchange offer.
By tendering, a holder will be representing to us that the person who will acquire the Series B Notes being issued as a result of the exchange offer (whether or not that is the holder) will be
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acquiring them in the ordinary course of that person's business and that neither the holder nor any such other person has an arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in a distribution of the Series B Notes or is an "affiliate" of ours (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act). If the holder is a broker-dealer that will receive Series B Notes for its own account in exchange for Series A Notes that were acquired as result of market-making activities or other trading activities, the holder will, by tendering, acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of those Series B Notes.
Guaranteed delivery procedures
Holders who wish to tender their Series A Notes and (1) whose Series A Notes are not immediately available, or (2) who cannot deliver their Series A Notes or any other required documents to the exchange agent or cannot complete the procedure for book-entry transfer prior to the expiration date, may effect a tender if:
Upon request to the exchange agent, a form of notice of guaranteed delivery will be sent to holders who wish to use the guaranteed delivery procedures described above.
Withdrawal of tenders
Except as otherwise described below, tenders of Series A Notes may be withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date, unless the Series A Notes have already been accepted for exchange.
To withdraw a tender of Series A Notes, a written or facsimile transmission notice of withdrawal must be received by the exchange agent prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date, and before the Series A Notes have been accepted for exchange by us. Any notice of withdrawal must (i) specify the name of the person who deposited the Series A Notes to be withdrawn, (ii) identify the Series A Notes to be withdrawn (including the certificate numbers and principal amounts of the Series A Notes), (iii) be signed by the depositor in the same manner as the signature on the letter of transmittal by which the Series A Notes were tendered (including any required signature guarantees) or be accompanied by documents of transfer sufficient to have the trustee register the transfer of the Series A Notes into the name of the person who withdraws the tender, and (iv) specify the name in which the withdrawn Series A Notes are to be registered, if different from that of the depositor. All questions as to the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) of withdrawal notices will be determined by us in our sole discretion, and that determination will be final and binding on all parties.
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Any Series A Notes which are withdrawn will be deemed not to have been validly tendered for purposes of the exchange offer, and no Series B Notes will be issued with respect to those Series A Notes unless they are validly re-tendered. Any Series A Notes which have been tendered but which are not accepted for exchange or which are withdrawn will be returned to the holder without cost to the holder as soon as practicable after withdrawal, rejection of tender or termination of the exchange offer. Properly withdrawn Series A Notes may be re-tendered at any time prior to the expiration date.
Fees and expenses
We will bear the expenses of soliciting tenders pursuant to the exchange offer. The principal solicitation of tenders is being made by mail. However, solicitations also may be made by telecopy, telephone or in person by officers and regular employees of ours and our affiliates.
We have not retained any dealer-manager in connection with the exchange offer and will not make any payments to brokers, dealers or others for soliciting acceptances of the exchange offer. We will, however, pay the exchange agent reasonable and customary fees for its services and reimburse it for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the exchange offer. We may also reimburse brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses they incur in forwarding copies of this prospectus, letters of transmittal and related documents to the beneficial owners of the Series A Notes and in handling or forwarding tenders for exchange. We will pay the other expenses incurred in connection with the exchange offer, including fees and expenses of the trustee, accounting and legal fees and printing costs.
We will pay all transfer taxes, if any, applicable to the exchange of Series A Notes for Series B Notes pursuant to the exchange offer. If, however, certificates representing Series B Notes or Series A Notes for principal amounts which are not tendered or accepted for exchange are to be delivered to, or are to be issued in the name of, a person other than the registered holder of the Series A Notes tendered, or if tendered Series A Notes are registered in the name of a person other than the person who signs the letter of transmittal, or if a transfer tax is imposed for any other reason, other than the exchange of Series A Notes for Series B Notes pursuant to the exchange offer, the tendering holder must pay the transfer taxes (whether imposed on the registered holder or any other person). Unless satisfactory evidence of payment of transfer taxes or exemption from the need to pay them is submitted with the letter of transmittal, the amount of the transfer taxes will be billed directly to the tendering holder. We may refuse to issue Series B Notes in exchange for Series A Notes, or to return certificates evidencing Series A Notes which are not exchanged, until we receive evidence satisfactory to us that any transfer taxes payable by the holder have been paid.
Certain federal income tax considerations
The exchange of the Series A Notes for the Series B Notes in the exchange offer should not constitute an exchange for federal income tax purposes. Consequently, (1) no gain or loss should be realized by a U.S. Holder upon receipt of a Series B note; (2) the holding period of the Series B note should include the holding period of the Series A note for which it is exchanged; and (3) the adjusted tax basis of the Series B note should be the same as the adjusted tax basis of the Series A note for which it is exchanged, immediately before the exchange. Even if the exchange of a Series A note for a Series B note were treated as an exchange, the exchange should constitute a tax-free recapitalization for federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, a Series B note should have the same issue price as a Series A note and a U.S. Holder should have the same adjusted basis and holding period in the Series B note as it had in the Series A note immediately before the exchange. A "U.S. Holder" means a person who is, for United States federal income tax purposes, (1) a citizen or resident of the United States; (2) a corporation, partnership or other entity created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision of the United States; or (3) an estate or trust the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source.
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Consequences of failure to exchange Series A Notes
If a holder does not exchange Series A Notes for Series B Notes in response to the exchange offer, the Series A Notes will continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer described in the legend on the certificate evidencing the Series A Notes, and will not have the benefit of any agreement by us to register Series A Notes under the Securities Act. In general, notes may not be offered or sold, unless the sale is registered under the Securities Act, or unless the offer and sale are exempt from, or not subject to, the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws.
Participation in the exchange offer is voluntary and holders should carefully consider whether to accept the exchange offer and tender their Series A Notes. Holders of Series A Notes are urged to consult their financial and tax advisors in making their own decisions on what action to take.
Accounting treatment
The Series B Notes will be recorded in our accounting records at the same carrying value as the Series A Notes on the date of the exchange. Accordingly, we will not recognize any gain or loss for accounting purposes as a result of the exchange offer. We will amortize the expenses of the exchange offer over the term of the Series B Notes.
Exchange agent
U.S. Bank Trust National Association has been appointed as exchange agent for the exchange offer. All correspondence in connection with the exchange offer and the letter of transmittal should be addressed to the exchange agent, as follows:
BY FACSIMILE: | BY OVERNIGHT COURIER: | BY REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL: | ||
U.S. Bank Trust National Association Attn: Specialized Finance (651) 495-8158 To Confirm Receipt: (800) 934-6802 |
U.S. Bank Trust National Association Corporate Trust Services EP-MN-WS-2N 60 Livingston Avenue St. Paul MN 55107 Attn: Specialized Finance |
U.S. Bank Trust National Association Corporate Trust Services EP-MN-WS-2N 60 Livingston Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107 Attn: Specialized Finance |
Requests for additional copies of this prospectus or the letter of transmittal should be directed to the exchange agent.
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The certificates representing the Series B Notes will be issued in fully registered form without interest coupons.
The Series B Notes sold in reliance on Rule 144A will initially be represented by permanent global Series B Notes in fully registered form without interest coupons (each a "Restricted Global Note") and will be deposited with the Trustee as a custodian for The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") and registered in the name of a nominee of such depositary.
Upon the issuance of a Global Note, DTC or its nominee will credit the accounts of persons holding through it with the respective principal amounts of the Series B Notes represented by such Global Note received by such persons in the exchange offer. Such accounts shall be designated by the initial purchasers. Ownership of beneficial interests in a Global Note will be limited to persons that have accounts with DTC ("participants") or persons that may hold interests through participants. Any person acquiring an interest in a Global Note through an offshore transaction in reliance on Regulation S of the Securities Act may hold such interest through Cedel or Euroclear. Ownership of beneficial interests in a Global Note will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership interest will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to participants' interests) and such participants (with respect to the owners of beneficial interests in such Global Note other than participants). The laws of some jurisdictions require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such limits and such laws may impair the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a Global Note.
Payment of principal of and interest on Series B Notes represented by a Global Note will be made in immediately available funds to DTC or its nominee, as the case may be, as the sole registered owner and the sole holder of the Series B Notes represented thereby for all purposes under the indenture. We have been advised by DTC that upon receipt of any payment of principal of or interest on any Global Note, DTC will immediately credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the accounts of participants with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the principal or face amount of such Global Note as shown on the records of DTC. Payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a Global Note held through such participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices as is now the case with securities held for customer accounts registered in "street name" and will be the sole responsibility of such participants.
A Global Note may not be transferred except as a whole by DTC or a nominee of DTC to a nominee of DTC or to DTC. A Global Note is exchangeable for certificated Series B Notes only if (a) DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for such Global Note or if at any time DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, (b) we in our discretion at any time determine not to have all the Series B Notes represented by such Global Note, or (c) there shall have occurred and be continuing a default or an event of default with respect to the Series B Notes represented by such Global Note. Any Global Note that is exchangeable for certificated Series B Notes pursuant to the preceding sentence will be exchanged for certificated Series B Notes in authorized denominations and registered in such names as DTC or any successor depositary holding such Global Note may direct. Subject to the foregoing, a Global Note is not exchangeable, except for a Global Note of like denomination to be registered in the name of DTC or any successor depositary or its nominee. In the event that a Global Note becomes exchangeable for certificated Series B Notes, (a) certificated Series B Notes will be issued only in fully registered form in denominations of $1,000 or integral multiples thereof, (b) payment of principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, the certificated Series B Notes will be payable, and the transfer of the certificated Series B Notes will be registerable, at our office or agency maintained for such purposes and (c) no service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of the certificated Series B Notes, although we may
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require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.
The Global Notes
We expect that pursuant to procedures established by DTC (i) upon the issuance of the Global Notes, DTC or its custodian will credit, on its internal system, the principal amount at maturity of the individual beneficial interests represented by such Global Notes to the respective accounts of persons who have accounts with such depositary and (ii) ownership of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC or its nominee (with respect to interests of participants) and the records of participants (with respect to interests of persons other than participants). Such accounts initially will be designated by or on behalf of the initial purchasers and ownership of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be limited to persons who have accounts with DTC ("participants") or persons who hold interests through participants. Holders may hold their interests in the Global Notes directly through DTC if they are participants in such system, or indirectly through organizations which are participants in such system.
So long as DTC, or its nominee, is the registered owner or holder of the Series B Notes, DTC or such nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the Series B Notes represented by such Global Notes for all purposes under the Indenture. No beneficial owner of an interest in the Global Notes will be able to transfer that interest except in accordance with DTC's procedures, in addition to those provided for under the Indenture with respect to the Series B Notes.
Payments of the principal of, premium (if any), interest (including Additional Interest) on, the Global Series B Notes will be made to DTC or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner thereof. None of the Company, the Trustee or any Paying Agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the Global Notes or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interest.
We expect that DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, if any, interest (including Additional Interest) on the Global Notes, will credit participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the principal amount of the Global Notes as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. The Company also expects that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes held through such participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practice, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers registered in the names of nominees for such customers. Such payments will be the responsibility of such participants.
Transfers between participants in DTC will be effected in the ordinary way through DTC's same-day funds system in accordance with DTC rules and will be settled in same day funds. If a holder requires physical delivery of a Certificated Security for any reason, including to sell the Series B Notes to persons in states which require physical delivery of the Series B Notes, or to pledge such securities, such holder must transfer its interest in a Global Note, in accordance with the normal procedures of DTC and with the procedures set forth in the Indenture.
DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a holder of Notes (including the presentation of the Series B Notes for exchange as described below) only at the direction of one or more participants to whose account the DTC interests in the Global Notes are credited and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate principal amount of the Series B Notes as to which such participant or participants has or have given such direction. However, if there is an Event of Default under the Indenture, DTC will exchange the Global Notes for Certificated Securities, which it will distribute to its participants.
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DTC has advised us as follows: DTC is a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a "clearing corporation" within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code and a "Clearing Agency" registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). DTC was created to hold securities for its participants and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between participants through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of its participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates. Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and clearing corporations and certain other organizations. Indirect access to the DTC system is available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a participant, either directly or indirectly ("indirect participants").
Although DTC has agreed to the foregoing procedures in order to facilitate transfers of interests in the Global Note among participants of DTC, it is under no obligation to perform such procedures, and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor the Trustee will have any responsibility for the performance by DTC or its participants or indirect participants of their respective obligations under the rules and procedures governing their operations.
Certificated Securities
Certificated Securities shall be issued in exchange for beneficial interests in the Global Notes (i) if requested by a holder of such interests or (ii) if DTC is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for the Global Notes and a successor depositary is not appointed by us within 90 days.
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CERTAIN FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following discussion is a summary of the United States federal income tax consequences anticipated to be material to an investor in iStar Financial, including a summary of (i) the United States federal income tax consequences expected to result from the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes by holders who acquire the Notes on original issue for the issue price (the first price at which a substantial amount of the Notes is sold to purchasers other than bond houses, brokers or similar persons or organizations acting in the capacity as underwriters, placement agents or wholesalers) and who hold the Notes as "capital assets" (generally, property held for investment) within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and (ii) the United States federal income tax consequences related to our qualification as a REIT under the Code.
This discussion is based on the Code, current, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code, the legislative history of the Code, current administrative interpretations and practices of the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS"), and court decisions, all as of the date of this prospectus. The administrative interpretations and practices of the IRS upon which this summary is based include its practices and policies as expressed in private letter rulings which are not binding on the IRS, except with respect to the taxpayers who requested and received such rulings. Future legislation, Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations and practices, and court decisions may affect the tax consequences contained in this summary, possibly on a retroactive basis. We have not requested, and do not plan to request, any rulings from the IRS concerning our tax treatment or the tax consequences contained in this summary, and the statements in this prospectus are not binding on the IRS or a court. Thus, we can provide no assurance that the tax consequences contained in this summary will not be challenged by the IRS or sustained by a court if so challenged.
The United States federal income tax treatment of a holder of Notes may vary depending upon such holder's particular situation. Certain holders (including, but not limited to, banks, certain financial institutions, persons who mark-to-market the Notes, partnerships or other passthrough entities, insurance companies, broker-dealers, expatriates and persons holding the Notes as part of a "straddle," "hedge" or "conversion transaction") may be subject to special rules not discussed below.
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS AS TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF THE NOTES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN OR OTHER TAX LAWS OR TAX TREATIES.
As used herein, the term "U.S. Holder" means a beneficial owner of Notes that is for United States federal income tax purposes:
As used herein, the term "Non-U.S. Holder" means a beneficial owner of Notes that is, for United States federal tax purposes, either a nonresident alien or a corporation, estate or trust that is not a U.S. Holder.
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Taxation of U.S. Holders
Payments of Interest. Interest on a Note generally will be taxable to a U.S. Holder as ordinary income at the time it accrues or is received, in accordance with the U.S. Holder's regular method of accounting for United States federal income tax purposes.
Sale, Retirement or Other Taxable Disposition. In general, a U.S. Holder of a Note will recognize gain or loss upon the sale, retirement or other taxable disposition of a Note in an amount equal to the difference between:
A U.S. Holder's adjusted tax basis in a Note generally will be equal to the price paid for such Note. Capital gain recognized by a non-corporate U.S. Holder from the sale of a capital asset that has been held for more than one year generally will be subject to tax at a rate not to exceed 15% (or 20% for dispositions after 2008), whereas capital gain recognized by a non-corporate U.S. Holder from the sale of a capital asset held for one year or less generally will be subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates. Capital gain recognized by a corporate U.S. Holder will be subject to tax at the ordinary income tax rates applicable to corporations regardless of the corporation's holding period.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Holders
A Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to United States federal income or withholding tax on payments of interest on a Note if such payments are not effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business, unless such Non-U.S. Holder (i) owns directly, or by attribution, 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock entitled to vote, (ii) is a controlled foreign corporation related to us, or (iii) is a bank as to which the interest represents interest received on an extension of credit made pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business, in which case such interest will be subject to a 30% withholding tax (unless reduced or eliminated by an applicable treaty). To qualify for the exemption from the withholding tax (or to claim the elimination or reduction of the withholding tax under a treaty), the last United States payor in the chain of payment prior to payment to a Non-U.S. Holder (the "Withholding Agent") must have received, before payment, a statement that:
The statement may be made on an IRS Form W-8BEN or a substantially similar form, and the Non-U.S. Holder must inform the Withholding Agent of any change in the information on the statement within 30 days of such change. If a Note is held through a securities clearing organization or certain other financial institutions, the beneficial owner of the Note must provide the above statement to such organization or institution and the organization or institution must provide to the Withholding Agent a certificate stating that such organization or institution has been provided with a valid IRS Form W-8BEN (or substantially similar form) and a copy of such form.
In addition, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to United States federal withholding tax on any amount which constitutes gain upon retirement or disposition of a Note. Such gain generally will also not be subject to United States federal income tax unless the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States by the Non-U.S. Holder or, in the case of a
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Non-U.S. Holder who is an individual, the Non-U.S. Holder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the sale and certain other conditions are met. Certain other exceptions may be applicable, and a Non-U.S. Holder should consult its tax advisor in this regard.
If interest and other payments received by a Non-U.S. Holder with respect to the Notes (including proceeds from a sale, retirement or other disposition of the Notes) are effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Holder of a trade or business within the United States, such Non-U.S. Holder will generally not be subject to United States federal withholding tax (provided the Non-U.S. Holder has provided a valid IRS Form W-8ECI) and will generally be subject to the rules described above for a U.S. Holder (subject to any modification provided under an applicable income tax treaty). Such Non-U.S. Holder may also be subject to the "branch profits tax" if such holder is a corporation.
Backup Withholding
Certain non-corporate U.S. Holders may be subject to backup withholding on payments of principal and interest on, and the proceeds of the disposition of, the Notes, if the U.S. Holder:
In addition, such payments of principal, interest and disposition proceeds to U.S. Holders will generally be subject to information reporting. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their qualification for exemption from backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining such an exemption, if applicable.
We must report annually to the IRS and to each Non-U.S. Holder any interest on the Notes that is subject to withholding or that is exempt from U.S. withholding tax pursuant to a tax treaty or the "portfolio interest" exemption. Copies of these information returns may also be made available under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement to the tax authorities of the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides.
Backup withholding and other information reporting generally will not apply to payments of interest made to a Non-U.S. Holder of a Note who provides a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN (or a substantially similar form) or otherwise establishes an exemption from backup withholding. Payments of principal or the proceeds of a disposition of the Notes by or through a United States office of a broker generally will be subject to backup withholding and information reporting unless the Non-U.S. Holder certifies its status as a Non-U.S. Holder under penalties of perjury (and certain other conditions are met) or otherwise establishes an exemption. Payments of principal or the proceeds of a disposition of the Notes by or through a foreign office of a United States broker or foreign broker with certain relationships to the United States generally will be subject to information reporting (but not backup withholding). However, the holder may be required to establish an exemption.
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a beneficial owner would be allowed as a refund or a credit against such beneficial owner's United States federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to the IRS.
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Taxation of iStar FinancialGeneral
We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 1998. We believe that we have been organized and have operated in a manner which allows us to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Code and we intend to continue to be organized and operate in this manner. Our qualification and taxation as a REIT, however, depend upon our ability to meet, through actual annual operating results, asset requirements, distribution levels, diversity of stock ownership, and the various other qualification tests imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we have operated or will continue to operate in a manner so as to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT. See "Failure to Qualify."
In the opinion of Clifford Chance US LLP, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 1998, iStar Financial was organized and has operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification as a REIT, and its present and proposed method of operation, as represented by iStar Financial, will enable it to meet the requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Code. It must be emphasized that this opinion is based and conditioned upon certain assumptions and representations made by us as to factual matters (including our representations concerning our income and properties and the past, present, and future conduct of our business operations as set forth in this prospectus and one or more factual certificates provided by our officers). The opinion is expressed as of its date and Clifford Chance US LLP has no obligation to advise of any subsequent change in the matters stated, represented or assumed or any subsequent change in the applicable law. Moreover, such qualification and taxation as a REIT depends upon our ability to meet, through actual annual operating results, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership, the various qualification tests imposed under the Code as discussed below, the results of which will not be reviewed by Clifford Chance US LLP. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of our operation for any one taxable year will satisfy such requirements. See "Failure to Qualify." An opinion of counsel is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service, and no assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service will not challenge our eligibility for taxation as a REIT.
The sections of the Code that relate to the qualification and taxation of REITs are highly technical and complex. The following describes the material aspects of the sections of the Internal Revenue Code that govern the federal income tax treatment of a REIT and its stockholders. This summary is qualified in its entirety by the applicable Code provisions, rules and regulations promulgated under the Code, and administrative and judicial interpretations of the Code.
Provided we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal corporate income tax on our net income that is currently distributed to our stockholders. This treatment substantially eliminates the "double taxation" that generally results from an investment in a corporation. Double taxation means taxation once at the corporate level when income is earned and once again at the stockholder level when such income is distributed. The Jobs and Growth Tax Reconciliation Act of 2003 (or the 2003 Act) was recently enacted by Congress and signed by President Bush. Among other provisions, the 2003 Act generally lowers the rate at which stockholders who are individual U.S. stockholders (as defined herein) are taxed on corporate dividends to a maximum of 15% (the same as long-term capital gains), for the 2003 through 2008 tax years, thereby substantially reducing, though not completely eliminating, the double taxation that has historically applied to corporate dividends. With limited exceptions, however, dividends received from us or other entities that are taxed as REITs will continue to be taxed at rates applicable to ordinary income, which pursuant to the 2003 Act, will be as high as 35% through 2010.
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Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, however, we will be subject to federal income taxation as follows:
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Requirements for Qualification as a Real Estate Investment Trust
General The Code defines a REIT as a corporation, trust or association:
The Code provides that conditions (1) to (4) must be met during the entire year and that condition (5) must be met during at least 335 days of a year of twelve months, or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Conditions (5) and (6) do not apply to the first taxable year for which an election is made to be taxed as a REIT.
We believe that we currently satisfy conditions (1) through (7) above. In addition, our Charter provides for restrictions regarding ownership and transfer of our stock. These restrictions are intended to assist us in satisfying the share ownership requirements described in (5) and (6) above. These restrictions, however, may not ensure that we will, in all cases, be able to satisfy the share ownership requirements described in (5) and (6) above. If we fail to satisfy these share ownership requirements, our status as a REIT would terminate. If, however, we comply with the rules contained in applicable Treasury regulations that require us to determine the actual ownership of our shares and we do not know, or would not have known through the exercise of reasonable diligence, that we failed to meet the requirement described in condition (6) above, we would not be disqualified as a REIT.
In addition, a corporation may not qualify as a REIT unless its taxable year is the calendar year. We have and will continue to have a calendar taxable year.
Ownership of a Partnership Interest The Treasury regulations provide that if we are a partner in a partnership, we will be deemed to own our proportionate share of the assets of the partnership, and we will be deemed to be entitled to our proportionate share of the gross income of the partnership. The character of the assets and gross income of the partnership generally retains the same character in our hands for purposes of satisfying the gross income and asset tests described below.
Qualified REIT Subsidiaries A "qualified REIT subsidiary" is a corporation, all of the stock of which is owned by a REIT. Under the Code, a qualified REIT subsidiary is not treated as a separate corporation from the REIT. Rather, all of the assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of the qualified REIT subsidiary are treated as the assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of the REIT for purposes of the REIT income and asset tests described below.
Taxable REIT Subsidiaries. A "taxable REIT subsidiary" is a corporation which, together with a REIT, which owns an interest in such corporation, makes an election to be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. A taxable REIT subsidiary may earn income that would be nonqualifying income if earned directly by a REIT and is generally subject to full corporate level tax. A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of a taxable REIT subsidiary.
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Certain restrictions imposed on taxable REIT subsidiaries are intended to ensure that such entities will be subject to appropriate levels of federal income taxation. First, a taxable REIT subsidiary may not deduct interest payments made in any year to an affiliated REIT to the extent that such payments exceed, generally, 50% of the taxable REIT subsidiary's adjusted taxable income for that year (although the taxable REIT subsidiary may carry forward to, and deduct in, a succeeding year the disallowed interest amount if the 50% test is satisfied in that year). In addition, if a taxable REIT subsidiary pays interest, rent or another amount to a REIT that exceeds the amount that would be paid to an unrelated party in an arm's length transaction, the REIT generally will be subject to an excise tax equal to 100% of such excess.
Income Tests We must meet two annual gross income requirements to qualify as a REIT. First, each year we must derive at least 75% of our gross income, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, from investments relating to real property or mortgages on real property, including "rents from real property" and mortgage interest, or from specified temporary investments. Second, each year we must derive at least 95% of our gross income, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, from investments meeting the 75% test described above, or from dividends, interest and gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities. For these purposes, the term "interest" generally does not include any interest of which the amount received depends on the income or profits of any person. An amount will generally not be excluded from the term "interest," however, if such amount is based on a fixed percentage of gross receipts or sales.
Any amount includable in gross income by us with respect to a regular or residual interest in a REMIC is generally treated as interest on an obligation secured by a mortgage on real property for purposes of the 75% gross income test. If, however, less than 95% of the assets of a REMIC consist of real estate assets, we will be treated as receiving directly our proportionate share of the income of the REMIC, which would generally include non-qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test. In addition, if we receive interest income with respect to a mortgage loan that is secured by both real property and other property and the principal amount of the loan exceeds the fair market value of the real property on the date we made the mortgage loan, interest income on the loan will be apportioned between the real property and the other property, which apportionment would cause us to recognize income that is not qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test.
We may make loans that have shared appreciation provisions. To the extent interest on a loan is based on the cash proceeds from the sale or value of property, income attributable to such provision would be treated as gain from the sale of the secured property, which generally should qualify for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests.
We may employ, to the extent consistent with the REIT provisions of the Code, forms of securitization of our assets under which a "sale" of an interest in a mortgage loan occurs, and a resulting gain or loss is recorded on our balance sheet for accounting purposes at the time of sale. In a "sale" securitization, only the net retained interest in the securitized mortgage loans would remain on our balance sheet. We may elect to conduct certain of our securitization activities, including such sales, through one or more taxable subsidiaries, or through qualified REIT subsidiaries, formed for such purpose. To the extent consistent with the REIT provisions of the Code, such entities could be treated as taxable mortgage pools, or could elect to be taxed as REMICs or financial asset securitization investment trusts.
Lease income we receive will qualify as "rents from real property" only if the following conditions are met:
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amount. Any amount received or accrued that is attributable to any such participation or similar rights would cause all rents received or accrued by us with respect to such lease to fail to qualify as "rents from real property." We have not received or accrued and do not expect to receive or accrue any amount attributable to any participation or similar rights with respect to these leases which, together with other nonqualifying income (for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests) received or accrued during the same taxable year, would have caused or would cause us to violate the 75% or 95% gross income test for that taxable year.
We intend to maintain our REIT status by carefully monitoring any potential nonqualifying income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests discussed above. If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% or 95% gross income tests for any year, we may still qualify as a REIT if we are entitled to relief under the Internal Revenue Code. Generally, we may be entitled to relief if:
It is not possible to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to rely on these relief provisions. If these relief provisions do not apply to a particular set of circumstances, we would not qualify as a REIT. As discussed above in "Taxation of iStar FinancialGeneral," even if these relief provisions apply, and we retain our status as a REIT, a tax would be imposed with respect to our income that does not meet the gross income tests. We may not always be able to maintain compliance with the gross income tests for REIT qualification despite periodically monitoring our income.
Foreclosure Property Net income realized by us from foreclosure property would generally be subject to tax at the maximum federal corporate tax rate (currently 35%). Foreclosure property means real property and related personal property that: (1) is acquired by us through foreclosure following a default on a lease of such property or a default on indebtedness owed to us that is secured by the property; and (2) for which we make an election to treat the property as foreclosure property.
Prohibited Transaction Income Any gain realized by us on the sale of any property, other than foreclosure property, held as inventory or otherwise held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business will be prohibited transaction income, and subject to a 100% penalty tax. Prohibited transaction income may also adversely affect our ability to satisfy the gross income tests for qualification as a REIT. Whether property is held as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business depends on all the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular transaction. While the Internal Revenue Code provides standards which, if met, would not result in prohibited transaction income, we may not be able to meet these standards in all circumstances.
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Hedging Transactions We may enter into hedging transactions with respect to one or more of our assets or liabilities. Our hedging transactions could take a variety of forms, including interest rate swaps or cap agreements, options, futures contracts, forward rate agreements, or similar financial instruments. To the extent that we enter into hedging transactions to reduce our interest rate risk on indebtedness incurred to acquire or carry real estate assets, any income, or gain from the disposition of hedging transactions should be qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test, but not the 75% gross income test.
Asset Tests At the close of each quarter of each of our taxable years, we must satisfy four tests relating to the nature and diversification of our assets. First, at least 75% of the value of our total assets must be real estate assets, cash, cash items and government securities. For purposes of this test, real estate assets include real estate mortgages, real property, interests in other REITs and stock or debt instruments held for one year or less that are purchased with the proceeds of a stock offering or a long-term public debt offering. In addition, any regular or residual interests we hold in a REMIC are generally treated as a real estate asset for purposes of the asset tests described above. If, however, less than 95% of the assets of a REMIC consist of real estate assets, we will be treated as holding our proportionate share of the assets of the REMIC which generally would include assets not qualifying as real estate assets. Second, not more than 25% of our total assets may be represented by securities, other than those securities includable in the 75% asset class. Third, of the investments included in the 25% asset class and, except for investments in REITs, qualified REIT subsidiaries and taxable REIT subsidiaries, the value of any one issuer's securities that we hold may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets, and we may not own more than 10% of the total vote or value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer except in the case of the 10% value test, certain "straight debt" securities). Fourth, not more than 20% of the value of our total assets may be represented by securities in one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries.
We expect that any real property and temporary investments that we acquire will generally be qualifying assets for purposes of the 75% asset test, except to the extent that less than 95% of the assets of a REMIC in which we own an interest consists of "real estate assets." Mortgage loans will generally be qualifying assets for purposes of the 75% asset test to the extent that the principal balance of each mortgage loan does not exceed the value of the associated real property.
The asset tests must be satisfied not only on the last day of the calendar quarter in which we acquire securities in the applicable issuer, but also on the last day of the calendar quarter in which we increase our ownership of securities of such issuer. After initially meeting the asset tests at the close of any quarter, we will not lose our status as a REIT for failure to satisfy the asset tests at the end of a later quarter solely by reason of changes in asset values. If we fail to satisfy an asset test because we acquire securities or other property during a quarter, we can cure this failure by disposing of sufficient non-qualifying assets within 30 days after the close of the quarter. Although we plan to take steps to ensure that we satisfy such tests for any quarter with respect to which testing is to occur, there can be no assurance that such steps will always be successful. If we fail to timely cure any noncompliance with the asset tests, we would cease to qualify as a REIT.
Annual Distribution Requirements To qualify as a REIT, we are required to distribute dividends, other than capital gain dividends, to our stockholders in an amount at least equal to the sum of: (1) 90% of our "REIT taxable income"; and (2) 90% of our after tax net income, if any, from foreclosure property; minus (3) the excess of the sum of certain items of non-cash income over 5% of our "REIT taxable income". In general, "REIT taxable income" means taxable ordinary income without regard to the dividends paid deduction.
We are required to distribute income in the taxable year in which it is earned, or in the following taxable year if such dividend distributions are declared in October, November or December of the taxable year, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date during such period and paid during
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January of the following year. Such distributions are treated as paid by us and received by our shareholders on December 31 of the year in which they are declared. In addition, at our election, a distribution for a taxable year may be declared before we timely file our tax return and paid on or before our first regular dividend payment following such declaration, provided such payment is made during the twelve-month period following the close of our taxable year. These distributions are taxable to holders of common stock in the year in which paid, even though these distributions relate to our prior year for purposes of our 90% distribution requirement. To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gain or distribute at least 90%, but less than 100% of our "REIT taxable income," we will be subject to tax at regular corporate tax rates.
From time to time we may not have sufficient cash or other liquid assets to meet the above distribution requirements due to timing differences between the actual receipt of cash and payment of expenses, and the inclusion of income and deduction of expenses in arriving at our taxable income. If these timing differences occur, in order to meet the REIT distribution requirements, we may need to arrange for short-term, or possibly long-term, borrowings, or to pay dividends in the form of taxable stock dividends.
Under certain circumstances, we may be able to rectify a failure to meet a distribution requirement for a year by paying "deficiency dividends" to our stockholders in a later year, which may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. Thus, we may be able to avoid being subject to tax on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends. We will be required, however, to pay interest based upon the amount of any deduction claimed for deficiency dividends. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the amounts actually distributed if we should fail to distribute each year at least the sum of 85% of our ordinary income for the year, 95% of our capital gain income for the year, and any undistributed taxable income from prior periods.
Recordkeeping Requirements We are required to maintain records and request on an annual basis information from specified stockholders. These requirements are designed to assist us in determining the actual ownership of our outstanding stock and maintaining our qualifications as a REIT.
Failure To Qualify If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year, and the relief provisions of the Internal Revenue Code described above do not apply, we will be subject to tax, including any applicable alternative minimum tax, and possibly increased state and local taxes, on our taxable income for any such taxable year for which the statute of limitations remains open at regular corporate rates. Distributions to our stockholders in any year in which we fail to qualify as a REIT will not be deductible by us and we will not be required to distribute any amounts to our stockholders. Unless entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions, we would also be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we lost our qualification. It is not possible to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to statutory relief.
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SALES OF SERIES B NOTES RECEIVED BY BROKER-DEALERS
Each broker-dealer that receives Series B Notes for its own account pursuant to the exchange offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such Series B Notes. The prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with sales of Series B Notes received in exchange for Series A Notes which were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities. We have agreed that, starting on the expiration date and ending on the close of business on the first anniversary of the expiration date, we will make this prospectus, as amended or supplemented, available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale. In addition, until , 2004, all dealers effecting transactions in the Series B Notes may be required to deliver a prospectus.
We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of Series B Notes by broker-dealers. Series B Notes received by broker-dealers for their own account pursuant to the exchange offer may be sold from time to time in one or more transactions in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated transactions, through the writing of options on the Series B Notes or a combination of those methods of resale, at prices which may or may not be based upon market prices prevailing at the time of the sale. Any such sale may be made directly to purchasers or to or through brokers or dealers who may receive compensation in the form of commissions or concessions from the selling broker-dealer and/or the purchasers of the Series B Notes. Any broker-dealer that sells Series B Notes that were received by it for its own account pursuant to the exchange offer and any broker or dealer that participates in a distribution of such Series B Notes may be deemed to be an "underwriter" within the meaning of the Securities Act and any profit from sale of the Series B Notes and any commissions or concessions received by any such persons may be deemed to be underwriting compensation. The letter of transmittal states that a broker-dealer will not, by delivering a prospectus, be deemed to admit that it is an "underwriter" within the meaning of the Securities Act.
For a period of one year after the expiration date, we will promptly send additional copies of this prospectus and any amendment or supplement to this prospectus to any broker-dealer that requests such documents in the letter of transmittal. We have agreed to pay all expenses incident to the exchange offer (including the expenses of one counsel for the holders of the Series A Notes other than commissions or concessions of any brokers or dealers, and we will indemnify the holders of the Series A Notes (including any broker-dealers) against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
The legality of the Notes offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Clifford Chance US LLP, New York, New York. Chance US LLP will rely upon the opinion of Venable LLP with respect to certain matters of Maryland law.
The financial statements as of December 31, 2003 and 2002 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003, included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, incorporated by reference in this prospectus have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, as stated in their report appearing therein.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
We disclose important information to you by referring you to documents that we have previously filed with the SEC or documents that we will file with the SEC in the future. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and information in documents
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that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede information in this prospectus, and any future filings made by us with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, until we close this offering. The documents we incorporate by reference are:
We will, upon request, provide to each person to whom a copy of this offering memorandum is delivered a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in this offering memorandum, but not delivered with this offering memorandum. We will provide this information at no cost to the requestor upon written or oral request addressed to iStar Financial Inc., 1114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, attention: Investor Relations Department (Telephone: (212) 930-9400).
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We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or represent anything to you other than the information contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on unauthorized information or representations.
This prospectus does not offer to sell or ask for offers to buy any of the securities in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful, where the person making the offer is not qualified to do so, or to any person who cannot legally be offered the securities.
The information in this prospectus is current only as of the date on its cover, and may change after that date. For any time after the cover date of this prospectus, we do not represent that our affairs are the same as described or that the information in this prospectus is correct, nor do we imply those things by delivering this prospectus or selling securities to you.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page |
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Prospectus Summary | 1 | |
Risk Factors | 15 | |
Use of Proceeds | 21 | |
Absence of Public Market | 21 | |
iStar Financial Inc. | 22 | |
Our Strategy | 32 | |
Management | 38 | |
Description of Other Indebtedness | 45 | |
Description of Notes | 48 | |
Exchange Offer; Registration Rights | 74 | |
Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences | 84 | |
Legal Matters | 94 | |
Independent Accountants | 94 | |
Incorporation of Certain Documents By Reference | 94 |
PROSPECTUS
$350,000,000
4.875% Senior Series B Notes due 2009
Offer to exchange 4.875% Series B Senior Notes due 2009 which have been registered under the Securities Act for any and all outstanding 4.875% Series A Senior Notes due 2009.
April , 2004
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 20. Indemnification Of Directors And Officers.
As permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Maryland ("MGCL"), our Amended and Restated Charter ("Charter") provides that an officer, director, employee or agent of our company is entitled to be indemnified for the expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him by reason of any action, suit or proceeding brought against him by virtue of his acting as such officer, director, employee or agent, provided he acted in good faith or in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of our company and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, except that in any action or suit by or in the right of our company that person shall be indemnified only for the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him and, if that person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct, he shall not be indemnified unless and only to the extent that a court of appropriate jurisdiction shall determine that such indemnification is fair and reasonable.
Item 21. Exhibits And Financial Statement Schedules.
1.1 | Purchase Agreement, dated January 15, 2004, by and among iStar Financial Inc. (the "Company") and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Banc of America Securities, LLC, Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Lehman Brothers Inc. (the "Initial Purchasers"). | |
4.1 | Indenture, dated as of January 23, 2004, by and among the Company and U.S. Bank Trust National Association (the "Trustee"), including Form of 4.875% Series A Senior Notes due 2009 and Form of 4.875% Series B Senior Notes due 2009. | |
4.2 | Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of January 23, 2004, by and among the Company and the Initial Purchasers. | |
5.1 | Opinion of Clifford Chance US LLP. | |
12.1 | Computation of Ratio of Earnings to fixed charges and Earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividends. | |
21.1 | List of subsidiaries (Incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003.) | |
23.1 | Consent of Clifford Chance US LLP (Contained in Exhibit 5.1). | |
23.2 | Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. | |
24.1 | Power of Attorney (Included on signature page). | |
25.1 | Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification, under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, of U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as trustee. | |
99.5 | Form of Letter of Transmittal. | |
99.6 | Form of Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. | |
99.7 | Form of Exchange Agent Agreement. | |
(b) | Financial Statement Schedule: |
(a) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other
than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(b) The undersigned registrants hereby undertake to respond to requests for information that is incorporated by reference into the prospectus pursuant to Items 4, 10(b), 11, or 13 of this Form, within one business day of receipt of such request, and to send the incorporated documents by first class mail or other equally prompt means. This includes information contained in documents filed subsequent to the effective date of the registration statement through the date of responding to the request.
(c) The undersigned registrants hereby undertake to supply by means of a post-effective amendment all information concerning a transaction, and the company being acquired involved therein, that was not the subject of and included in the registration statement when it became effective.
(d) The undersigned registrants hereby undertake:
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the undersigned registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, New York, on April 6, 2004.
iSTAR FINANCIAL INC. | ||||
By: |
/s/ JAY SUGARMAN |
|||
Name: | Jay Sugarman | |||
Title: | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirement of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Name |
Title |
Date |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
/s/ JAY SUGARMAN Jay Sugarman |
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) | April 6, 2004 | ||
/s/ CATHERINE D. RICE Catherine D. Rice |
Chief Financial Officer and Director (principal financial and accounting officer) |
April 6, 2004 |
||
/s/ WILLIS ANDERSEN, JR. Willis Andersen, Jr. |
Director |
April 6, 2004 |
||
/s/ ROBERT W. HOLMAN, JR. Robert W. Holman, Jr. |
Director |
April 6, 2004 |
||
/s/ ROBIN JOSEPHS Robin Josephs |
Director |
April 6, 2004 |
||
/s/ MATTHEW J. LUSTIG Matthew J. Lustig |
Director |
April 6, 2004 |
||
/s/ JOHN G. MCDONALD John G. McDonald |
Director |
April 6, 2004 |
||
/s/ GEORGE R. PUSKAR George R. Puskar |
Director |
April 6, 2004 |
||
/s/ BARRY S. STERNLICHT Barry S. Sternlicht |
Director |
April 6, 2004 |
||
/s/ JEFFREY A. WEBER Jeffrey A. Weber |
Director |
April 6, 2004 |
Exhibit Number |
Description |
|
---|---|---|
1.1 |
Purchase Agreement, dated January 15, 2004, by and among iStar Financial Inc. (the "Company") and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Banc of America Securities, LLC, Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Lehman Brothers Inc. (the "Initial Purchasers"). |
|
4.1 |
Indenture, dated as of January 23, 2004, by and among the Company and U.S. Bank Trust National Association (the "Trustee"), including Form of 4.875% Series A Senior Notes due 2009 and Form of 4.875% Series B Senior Notes due 2009. |
|
4.2 |
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of January 23, 2004, by and among the Company and the Initial Purchasers. |
|
5.1 |
Opinion of Clifford Chance US LLP |
|
12.1 |
Computation of Ratio of Earnings to fixed charges and Earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividends. |
|
21.1 |
List of subsidiaries (Incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003). |
|
23.1 |
Consent of Clifford Chance US LLP (Contained in Exhibit 5.1). |
|
23.2 |
Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. |
|
24.1 |
Power of Attorney (Included on signature page.) |
|
25.1 |
Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification, under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, of U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as trustee. |
|
99.5 |
Form of Letter of Transmittal. |
|
99.6 |
Form of Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. |
|
99.7 |
Form of Exchange Agent Agreement. |