KB HOME (KBH)
SIC breadcrumb: Construction > Building Construction General Contractors And Operative Builders > SIC 1531 Operative Builders
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=795266. Latest filing source: 0000795266-26-000017.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read KBH's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read KBH's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Peer comparisons including KBH
- Homebuilders: peer review · market-risk page
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 6,236,214,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-01-23 |
| Net income | 428,789,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-01-23 |
| Assets | 6,680,252,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-01-23 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-01-23. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000795266.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | 5,131,624,000 | 5,041,515,000 | 5,073,571,000 | 5,015,482,000 | 5,356,442,000 | 5,835,918,000 | 6,651,930,000 | 6,648,362,000 | 6,936,169,000 | 6,680,252,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 7,370,000 | 40,459,000 | 28,841,000 | 39,399,000 | 45,234,000 | 35,468,000 | 39,311,000 | 48,400,000 | ||
| Cost of revenue | 5,058,660,000 | |||||||||
| Dividends paid | 8,586,000 | 8,642,000 | 8,892,000 | 20,370,000 | 38,065,000 | 54,052,000 | 52,452,000 | 56,831,000 | 71,554,000 | 68,574,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 1.12 | 1.85 | 1.71 | 2.85 | 3.13 | 6.01 | 9.09 | 7.03 | 8.45 | 6.15 |
| Stockholders' equity | 1,723,145,000 | 1,926,311,000 | 2,087,500,000 | 2,383,122,000 | 2,665,769,000 | 3,019,475,000 | 3,660,795,000 | 3,810,140,000 | 4,060,616,000 | 3,900,858,000 |
| Free cash flow | 214,142,000 | 210,583,000 | 281,837,000 | -76,695,000 | 138,184,000 | 1,047,231,000 | 323,411,000 | 287,282,000 | ||
| Gross margin | 18.88% | |||||||||
| Gross profit | 1,177,554,000 | |||||||||
| Net income | 105,615,000 | 180,595,000 | 170,365,000 | 268,775,000 | 296,243,000 | 564,746,000 | 816,666,000 | 590,177,000 | 655,018,000 | 428,789,000 |
| Operating cash flow | 188,655,000 | 513,219,000 | 221,512,000 | 251,042,000 | 310,678,000 | -37,296,000 | 183,418,000 | 1,082,699,000 | 362,722,000 | 335,682,000 |
| Revenue | 4,368,529,000 | 4,547,002,000 | 4,552,747,000 | 4,183,174,000 | 5,724,930,000 | 6,903,776,000 | 6,410,629,000 | 6,930,086,000 | 6,236,214,000 | |
| Share buybacks | 85,938,000 | 0.00 | 35,039,000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 188,175,000 | 150,000,000 | 411,438,000 | 353,698,000 | 541,303,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liabilities / equity | 1.98 | 1.62 | 1.43 | 1.10 | 1.01 | 0.93 | 0.82 | 0.74 | 0.71 | 0.71 |
| Net margin | 4.13% | 3.75% | 5.90% | 7.08% | 9.86% | 11.83% | 9.21% | 9.45% | 6.88% | |
| Return on assets | 2.06% | 3.58% | 3.36% | 5.36% | 5.53% | 9.68% | 12.28% | 8.88% | 9.44% | 6.42% |
| Return on equity | 6.13% | 9.38% | 8.16% | 11.28% | 11.11% | 18.70% | 22.31% | 15.49% | 16.13% | 10.99% |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0000795266-26-000017; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0000795266-26-000017; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0000795266-26-000017; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: filing-table component sum: CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold. Source concepts: filing-table component sum: CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold (filing-table extracted, revenue-reconciled).
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: (revenue - filing-table component sum: CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold) / revenue. Source concepts: revenue; filing-table component sum: CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold (filing-table extracted, revenue-reconciled).
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: revenue - filing-table component sum: CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold. Source concepts: revenue; filing-table component sum: CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold (filing-table extracted, revenue-reconciled).
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-11-30; accession 0000795266-26-000017; filed 2026-01-23. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-07-09. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000795266.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-08-31 | 2.86 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-02-28 | 1.45 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-05-31 | 1.94 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-08-31 | 1,587,011,000 | 149,933,000 | 1.80 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-11-30 | 1,673,988,000 | 150,302,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-02-29 | 1,467,766,000 | 138,665,000 | 1.76 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-05-31 | 1,709,813,000 | 168,419,000 | 2.15 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-08-31 | 1,752,608,000 | 157,329,000 | 2.04 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-11-30 | 1,999,899,000 | 190,605,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-02-28 | 1,391,777,000 | 109,557,000 | 1.49 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-05-31 | 1,529,585,000 | 107,883,000 | 1.50 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-08-31 | 1,620,474,000 | 109,828,000 | 1.61 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-11-30 | 1,694,378,000 | 101,521,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-02-28 | 1,077,011,000 | 33,424,000 | 0.52 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-05-31 | 1,112,435,000 | 27,349,000 | 0.43 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-05-31; accession 0000795266-26-000063; filed 2026-07-09. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-05-31; accession 0000795266-26-000063; filed 2026-07-09. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-05-31; accession 0000795266-26-000063; filed 2026-07-09. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0000795266-26-000063.
Item 2.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Results of Operations
OVERVIEW
Revenues are generated from our homebuilding and financial services operations. The following table presents a summary of our consolidated results of operations (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
| Three Months Ended May 31, | Six Months Ended May 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | Variance | 2026 | 2025 | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding | $ | 1,107,107 | $ | 1,524,716 | (27) | % | $ | 2,179,166 | $ | 2,911,757 | (25) | % | |||||||||
| Financial services | 5,328 | 4,869 | 9 | 10,280 | 9,605 | 7 | |||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 1,112,435 | $ | 1,529,585 | (27) | % | $ | 2,189,446 | $ | 2,921,362 | (25) | % | |||||||||
| Pretax income: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding | $ | 30,584 | $ | 134,222 | (77) | % | $ | 65,373 | $ | 266,053 | (75) | % | |||||||||
| Financial services | 6,665 | 8,161 | (18) | 12,200 | 15,687 | (22) | |||||||||||||||
| Total pretax income | 37,249 | 142,383 | (74) | 77,573 | 281,740 | (72) | |||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | (9,900) | (34,500) | 71 | (16,800) | (64,300) | 74 | |||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 27,349 | $ | 107,883 | (75) | % | $ | 60,773 | $ | 217,440 | (72) | % | |||||||||
| Diluted earnings per share | $ | .43 | $ | 1.50 | (71) | % | $ | .96 | $ | 3.00 | (68) | % |
In the 2026 second quarter, the housing market continued to be negatively affected by a combination of persistent affordability pressures, elevated mortgage interest rates, and cautious buyer sentiment, which softened further during the period due to rising inflation, heightened macroeconomic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, including the military conflict in the Middle East. At the same time, underlying demand drivers, such as favorable demographic trends, an ongoing structural undersupply of homes, and the appeal of new, personalized energy‑efficient homes, drove healthy traffic at our communities and interest in our product offerings.
We generated 3,317 net orders in the 2026 second quarter, a 4% decrease from the year-earlier quarter, with a monthly net order pace per community of 4.0, compared to 4.5 for the prior-year period. Our average community count increased 9% year over year to 278, and our ending community count rose 11% to 280, reflecting our continued investments in land and land development to support future growth. The value of net orders for the quarter was $1.55 billion, down 4% from the year-earlier period, reflecting the lower net order volume, as their $466,800 average selling price was nearly even with the year-ago quarter.
Within this operating environment during the 2026 first half, we maintained the simplified sales approach we implemented more than a year ago. With this approach, we provide a straightforward, transparent base price with limited, if any, concessions or incentives, designed to offer customers a compelling value competitive with area resale home prices. Additionally, while selling through our existing inventory, we continued to emphasize sales of our Built to Order® homes, which are a key industry differentiator for us and typically generate higher gross margins than inventory homes. Our goal is to bring the mix of Built to Order homes delivered to within our historical range of 60% to 70%, compared to approximately 55% in 2025.
Our Built to Order homes are our core competency and their value proposition to prospective customers has increased with the meaningful reduction in our build times over the past few years. Reflecting this demand – and supported in part by our achieving year-over-year build time improvements for Built to Order homes of 22% in the 2026 first quarter and 24% in the 2026 second quarter – we generated predominantly Built to Order net orders in both quarters of our 2026 first half. We believe this momentum will enable us to accomplish our homes delivered mix goal in the 2026 second half and beyond. While our ending backlog at May 31, 2026 was down 5% on a year-over-year basis, our renewed focus on Built to Order contributed to sequential growth in our ending backlog for both the 2026 first and second quarters, with the number of homes at May 31, 2026 up 45% from November 30, 2025. Among other benefits, our larger backlog of Built to Order homes generally provides us with greater visibility into future deliveries and enhanced predictability of housing gross profit margins compared to inventory homes, as the selling price and cost to build are usually known prior to starting the home.
Our strategic shift toward a higher mix of Built to Order home sales contributed to an anticipated temporary trough in deliveries during the 2026 first half, partly due to both the inherent time between sale and delivery of Built to Order homes and our intentional moderation of inventory starts. We expect the higher level of Built to Order sales generated during this period to
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benefit our homes delivered and housing gross profit margins in the third and fourth quarters of the year as well as position us to be a stronger company.
Homebuilding revenues for the three months ended May 31, 2026 were generated from housing operations and nominal land sales. For the three months ended May 31, 2025, homebuilding revenues were generated solely from housing operations. Housing revenues for the 2026 second quarter decreased 27% year over year to $1.11 billion, due to a 23% decrease in the number of homes delivered to 2,395 and a 5% decline in their average selling price to $461,900. Approximately 50% of our homes delivered in the 2026 second quarter were to first-time homebuyers. Our homes delivered as a percentage of backlog at the beginning of the quarter were 66% for the 2026 second quarter, compared to 70% for the year-earlier quarter. This decrease reflects growth in our backlog since the beginning of the year, as well as a lower percentage of homes sold and delivered within the same quarter.
Homebuilding operating income for the three months ended May 31, 2026 was $28.2 million, compared to $131.5 million for the year-earlier period. As a percentage of revenues, homebuilding operating income was 2.5% for the 2026 second quarter, compared to 8.6% for the corresponding 2025 period, reflecting a lower housing gross profit margin and higher selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues. Operating income in both periods included $5.6 million of inventory-related charges. Our housing gross profit margin was 15.2%, compared to 19.3% for the year-earlier quarter, primarily due to price reductions we implemented in conjunction with our simplified sales strategy to stimulate demand, higher relative land costs and reduced operating leverage. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues increased 200 basis points year over year to 12.7%, mainly due to a decrease in operating leverage from lower housing revenues. Net income and diluted earnings per share for the three months ended May 31, 2026 were $27.3 million and $.43, respectively, compared to $107.9 million and $1.50, respectively, for the three months ended May 31, 2025. Our diluted earnings per share for the 2026 second quarter reflected lower net income, partly offset by a 12% reduction in our weighted-average diluted share count reflecting the impact of our common stock repurchases over the past several quarters.
We continue to take a balanced approach to capital allocation, guided by market conditions and our priorities of investing in land and land development to support future growth and returning capital to our stockholders. Our investments in land and land development for the 2026 second quarter totaled $495.8 million, a 4% decrease compared to the year-earlier quarter. During the 2026 second quarter, we repurchased 1.4 million shares of our common stock at a total cost of $75.0 million, compared to 3.7 million shares at a total cost of $200.0 million in the year-earlier quarter. For the 2026 first half, we invested $1.06 billion in land and land development, representing a 26% decrease from the corresponding year-earlier period, and repurchased 2.2 million shares of our common stock at a total cost of $125.0 million. We ended the 2026 second quarter with total liquidity of $1.12 billion, including cash and cash equivalents and $923.4 million of available capacity under the Credit Facility. We had $275.0 million of cash borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility at May 31, 2026.
Although our ending backlog value at May 31, 2026 decreased 7% year over year to approximately $2.14 billion, we believe we are well positioned to achieve our projections for the 2026 third quarter and full year, as described below under “Outlook.”
HOMEBUILDING
Financial Results. The following table presents a summary of certain financial and operational data for our homebuilding operations (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Three Months Ended May 31, | Six Months Ended May 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | |||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Housing | $ | 1,106,252 | $ | 1,524,716 | $ | 2,177,726 | $ | 2,911,757 | ||||||
| Land | 855 | — | 1,440 | — | ||||||||||
| Total | 1,107,107 | 1,524,716 | 2,179,166 | 2,911,757 | ||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | ||||||||||||||
| Construction and land costs | ||||||||||||||
| Housing | (937,629) | (1,230,055) | (1,845,142) | (2,337,469) | ||||||||||
| Land | (780) | — | (1,296) | — | ||||||||||
| Total | (938,409) | (1,230,055) | (1,846,438) | (2,337,469) | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (140,547) | (163,198) | (271,591) | (315,486) | ||||||||||
| Total | (1,078,956) | (1,393,253) | (2,118,029) | (2,652,955) | ||||||||||
| Operating income | 28,151 | 131,463 | 61,137 | 258,802 |
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| Three Months Ended May 31, | Six Months Ended May 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | |||||||||||
| Interest income | 1,164 | 1,679 | 2,445 | 3,758 | ||||||||||
| Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures | 1,269 | 1,080 | 1,791 | 3,493 | ||||||||||
| Homebuilding pretax income | $ | 30,584 | $ | 134,222 | $ | 65,373 | $ | 266,053 | ||||||
| Homes delivered | 2,395 | 3,120 | 4,765 | 5,890 | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 461,900 | $ | 488,700 | $ | 457,000 | $ | 494,400 | ||||||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 15.2 | % | 19.3 | % | 15.3 | % | 19.7 | % | ||||||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 15.7 | % | 19.7 | % | 15.6 | % | 20.0 | % | ||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues | 12.7 | % | 10.7 | % | 12.5 | % | 10.8 | % | ||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 2.5 | % | 8.6 | % | 2.8 | % | 8.9 | % |
Revenues. Homebuilding revenues for the three months ended May 31, 2026 consisted of housing revenues and nominal land sale revenues. In the three months ended May 31, 2025, homebuilding revenues were generated solely from housing operations. Housing revenues for the 2026 second quarter declined 27% from the year-earlier quarter due to decreases of 23% in the number of homes delivered and 5% in their overall average selling price. Each of our homebuilding reporting segments posted year-over-year decreases in second quarter housing revenues, ranging from 17% in our Southeast segment to 47% in our Southwest segment. The decline in the overall number of homes delivered primarily resulted from our having 19% fewer homes in backlog at the be
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our discussion and analysis below is primarily focused on our 2025 and 2024 financial results, including comparisons of
our year-over-year performance between these years. Discussion and analysis of our 2023 fiscal year specifically, as well as the
year-over-year comparison of our 2024 financial performance to 2023, are located under Part II, Item 7 – 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 November 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on January 24, 2025, which is available on our investor relations website at
investor.kbhome.com and the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview. Revenues are generated from our homebuilding and financial services operations. The following table presents
a summary of our consolidated results of operations (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2025 vs 2024 | 2024 vs 2023 | |||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||
| Homebuilding | $6,211,905 | $6,902,239 | $6,381,106 | (10)% | 8% | ||||
| Financial services | 24,309 | 27,847 | 29,523 | (13) | (6) | ||||
| Total | $6,236,214 | $6,930,086 | $6,410,629 | (10)% | 8% | ||||
| Pretax income: | |||||||||
| Homebuilding | $519,210 | $802,028 | $731,783 | (35)% | 10% | ||||
| Financial services | 34,979 | 48,890 | 39,494 | (28) | 24 | ||||
| Total | 554,189 | 850,918 | 771,277 | (35) | 10 | ||||
| Income tax expense | (125,400) | (195,900) | (181,100) | 36 | (8) | ||||
| Net income | $428,789 | $655,018 | $590,177 | (35)% | 11% | ||||
| Earnings per share: | |||||||||
| Basic | $6.28 | $8.70 | $7.25 | (28)% | 20% | ||||
| Diluted | $6.15 | $8.45 | $7.03 | (27)% | 20% |
Housing market conditions in 2025 were challenging despite solid underlying drivers, mainly favorable demographic
trends in population growth and household formation, along with relatively steady employment levels and an ongoing structural
undersupply of new homes. Compared to 2024, demand was softer as tepid consumer confidence, macroeconomic and
geopolitical uncertainties, affordability challenges and persistently elevated mortgage loan interest rates over the course of the
year limited the pool of actionable buyers and caused many of those buyers to hesitate on making purchase decisions. At the
same time, during 2025, we believe we executed well operationally, maintaining high customer satisfaction levels, further
improving build times, lowering construction costs and balancing pace and price to optimize each asset. Additionally, to help
navigate the current environment, we implemented a simplified sales strategy focused on providing a straightforward,
transparent base price, with limited, if any, concessions or incentives, that is intended to offer to our customers a compelling
value competitive with area resale home prices. With this strategy, which we began instituting on a community-by-community
basis in mid-February 2025 to stimulate demand, we both reduced selling prices relative to applicable market conditions and
lowered or eliminated other homebuyer concessions.
With these market dynamics, our net orders in 2025 decreased 11% year over year to 11,596, and the pace of monthly net
orders per community was 3.7 compared to 4.4 in 2024. Reflecting the price reductions we put in place per our sales strategy,
and expanded on in certain underperforming communities to align with local demand, the value of our net orders for 2025 was
down 17% year over year as a result of the decline in net orders and a 6% decrease in the overall average selling price of net
orders to $463,200.
In the 2025 fourth quarter, our net orders and net order value decreased 10% and 17%, respectively, year over year. Our
cancellation rate as a percentage of gross orders for the 2025 fourth quarter was 18%, compared to 17% for the 2024 fourth
quarter and, together with our improved build times compared to a year ago, our homes delivered as a percentage of backlog at
the beginning of the quarter increased to 84% for the 2025 fourth quarter from 69% for the year-earlier quarter.
30
Homebuilding revenues for 2025 and 2024 were comprised of housing revenues and nominal land sale revenues. Our 2025
housing revenues of $6.21 billion declined 10% from the previous year due to a 9% decrease in the number of homes delivered
to 12,902 and a slight decrease in the overall average selling price of those homes to $481,400. Approximately 50% of our
homes delivered in 2025 were to first-time homebuyers. Homebuilding operating income for 2025 was $507.1 million,
compared to $763.9 million for 2024 and, as a percentage of homebuilding revenues was 8.2%, compared to 11.1%. Our
homebuilding operating income margin for 2025 primarily reflected a lower housing gross profit margin and an increase in
selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues. Our housing gross profit margin for 2025
was 18.6%, compared to 21.0% for 2024, due to price reductions, higher relative land costs, geographic mix, and an increase in
inventory-related charges, partly offset by lower construction costs. Our selling, general and administrative expenses as a
percentage of housing revenues of 10.4% for 2025 increased 40 basis points year over year, primarily reflecting higher
marketing expenses associated with our expanded community count, higher relative general and administrative expenses, and
decreased operating leverage from lower housing revenues. General and administrative expenses for 2025 included
$16.0 million of stock-based compensation expense recognized on an accelerated basis for certain equity awards granted in
October 2025 that included new provisions for accelerated vesting of restricted stock and continued vesting of PSUs for long-
tenured employees upon retirement. Total pretax income for 2025 decreased to $554.2 million from $850.9 million for 2024,
which included a $12.5 million gain associated with the sale of our ownership interest in a privately held technology company.
Net income and diluted earnings per share for 2025 were $428.8 million and $6.15, respectively, compared to $655.0 million
and $8.45, respectively for 2024. Our diluted earnings per share for 2025 reflected lower net income, partly offset by the
favorable impact of our common stock repurchases over the past several quarters.
We believe our strong balance sheet and liquidity position helped provide us with flexibility to operate effectively while
navigating the evolving market conditions throughout the year. We continue to take a disciplined and balanced approach in
allocating capital, guided by market conditions and our priorities of investing in land and land development to support future
growth and returning capital to our stockholders. Given the prevailing environment and our land pipeline, we began
moderating our investments in land and land development in the 2025 second quarter while increasing our share repurchases.
Even with this shift, we maintained our land investments at a level that we believe will support our current growth projections.
For 2025, our investments in land and land development totaled $2.61 billion, an 8% decrease year over year. During this same
period, we repurchased approximately 9.4 million shares of our common stock at a total cost of $538.5 million, compared to 4.7
million shares at a total cost of $350.0 million in 2024.
On November 12, 2025, we obtained an upsized $1.20 billion five-year Credit Facility, refinancing and replacing our prior
$1.09 billion unsecured revolving credit facility, which we voluntarily terminated on the same date. We also extended the
maturity of our $360.0 million Term Loan to 2029. Our next senior note maturity is on June 15, 2027. We ended 2025 with
total liquidity of $1.43 billion, comprised of $228.6 million of cash and cash equivalents and nearly $1.20 billion of available
capacity under our Credit Facility. We had no cash borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility at November 30, 2025.
Reflecting our investments in land and land development, we ended 2025 with 271 active communities, up 5% year over
year. The number of homes in our ending backlog at November 30, 2025 was down 29% year over year to 3,128, partly due to
an 18% improvement in our 2025 average build time. At the same time, with our planned new community openings in 2026,
we believe we are well-positioned to achieve our projections for the 2026 first quarter and full year, as described below under
“Outlook.”
31
HOMEBUILDING
Financial Results. The following table presents a summary of certain financial and operational data for our homebuilding
operations (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Revenues: | |||||
| Housing | $6,210,560 | $6,898,667 | $6,370,421 | ||
| Land | 1,345 | 3,572 | 10,685 | ||
| Total | 6,211,905 | 6,902,239 | 6,381,106 | ||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||
| Construction and land costs | |||||
| Housing | (5,057,312) | (5,449,382) | (5,020,783) | ||
| Land | (1,348) | (2,101) | (9,492) | ||
| Total | (5,058,660) | (5,451,483) | (5,030,275) | ||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (646,182) | (686,848) | (632,094) | ||
| Total | (5,704,842) | (6,138,331) | (5,662,369) | ||
| Operating income | 507,063 | 763,908 | 718,737 | ||
| Interest income and other | 7,386 | 32,101 | 13,759 | ||
| Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures | 5,715 | 6,019 | (713) | ||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | (954) | — | — | ||
| Homebuilding pretax income | $519,210 | $802,028 | $731,783 | ||
| Homes delivered | 12,902 | 14,169 | 13,236 | ||
| Average selling price | $481,400 | $486,900 | $481,300 | ||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 18.6% | 21.0% | 21.2% | ||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 19.1% | 21.1% | 21.4% | ||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues | 10.4% | 10.0% | 9.9% | ||
| Operating income as a percentage of homebuilding revenues | 8.2% | 11.1% | 11.3% |
Revenues. Homebuilding revenues for 2025 and 2024 were comprised of housing revenues and land sale revenues. In
2025, homebuilding revenues totaled $6.21 billion, representing a 10% decrease from the prior year mostly due to lower
housing revenues.
In 2025, housing revenues declined 10% from the previous year, reflecting a 9% decrease in the number of homes
delivered and a slight decrease in their overall average selling price. Our 2025 housing revenues were down year over year in
each of our homebuilding reporting segments, ranging from 5% in our Southwest segment to 19% in our Central segment. The
slightly lower average selling price primarily reflected a combination of product and geographic mix factors, as well as the
strategic price reductions we implemented in response to softer market conditions in 2025.
We generated $1.3 million of land sale revenues in 2025, compared to $3.6 million of such revenues in 2024. Generally,
land sale revenues fluctuate with our decisions to maintain or decrease our land ownership position in certain markets based
upon the volume of our holdings, our business strategy, the strength and number of developers and other land buyers in
particular markets at given points in time, the availability of opportunities to sell land at acceptable prices and prevailing market
conditions.
Operating Income. Our homebuilding operating income decreased 34% in 2025, as compared to the previous year,
primarily reflecting lower housing gross profits, partly offset by lower selling, general and administrative expenses. In 2025
and 2024, homebuilding operating income included total inventory-related charges of $32.1 million and $4.6 million,
respectively, as discussed in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to
32
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. As a percentage of homebuilding revenues, our homebuilding operating
income for 2025 decreased 290 basis points year over year to 8.2%, mainly due to a lower housing gross profit margin and
higher selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues. Excluding inventory-related charges
for both periods, our homebuilding operating income margin declined 240 basis points to 8.7% in 2025 from 11.1% in 2024.
•Housing Gross Profits – In 2025, housing gross profits of $1.15 billion were down 20% from the previous year,
reflecting both lower housing revenues and a decrease in our housing gross profit margin. Housing gross profits for
2025 and 2024 included inventory-related charges associated with housing operations of $32.1 million and $4.6
million, respectively.
Our housing gross profit margin for 2025 was 18.6%, down 240 basis points from the previous year due to price
reductions, higher relative land costs, geographic mix, and an increase in inventory-related charges, partly offset by
lower construction costs. As a percentage of housing revenues, the amortization of previously capitalized interest
associated with housing operations, which is included in construction and land costs, was 1.8% for 2025 and 1.7% for
2024. Excluding the above-mentioned inventory-related charges associated with housing operations, our adjusted
housing gross profit margin decreased 200 basis points year over year to 19.1% in 2025. The calculation of adjusted
housing gross profit margin, which we believe provides a clearer measure of the performance of our business, is
described below under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
•Land Sale Profits – Land sales generated break-even results in 2025. Land sale profits for 2024 totaled $1.5 million.
•Selling, General and Administrative Expenses – The following table presents the components of our selling, general
and administrative expenses (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | % of Housing Revenues | 2024 | % of Housing Revenues | 2023 | % of Housing Revenues | ||||||
| Marketing expenses | $163,469 | 2.6% | $158,108 | 2.3% | $143,577 | 2.2% | |||||
| Commission expenses (a) | 211,643 | 3.4 | 238,327 | 3.5 | 222,743 | 3.5 | |||||
| General and administrative expenses | 271,070 | 4.4 | 290,413 | 4.2 | 265,774 | 4.2 | |||||
| Total | $646,182 | 10.4% | $686,848 | 10.0% | $632,094 | 9.9% |
(a)Commission expenses include sales commissions on homes delivered paid to internal sales counselors and
external real estate brokers.
Reflecting our continued focus on prudently managing our costs and generally aligning our overhead structure with
our volume of homes delivered, selling, general and administrative expenses for 2025 decreased 6% from the prior
year. As a percentage of housing revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses for 2025 increased 40 basis
points, compared to 2024, primarily reflecting decreased operating leverage from lower housing revenues. General
and administrative expenses for 2025 included $16.0 million of stock-based compensation expense recognized on an
accelerated basis for certain equity awards granted in October 2025 that included new provisions for accelerated
vesting of restricted stock and continued vesting of PSUs for long-tenured employees upon retirement.
Interest Income/Expense and Other. In 2025, interest income and other was comprised solely of interest income. In 2024,
interest income and other was comprised of interest income and a $12.5 million gain associated with the sale of our ownership
interest in a privately held technology company. Further information regarding this gain is provided in Note 11 – Other Assets
in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Interest income, which is generated from short-term investments, was $7.4 million in 2025, compared to $19.6 million in
2024 due to our lower average balance of cash equivalents and a lower average interest rate in 2025. Generally, increases and
decreases in interest income are attributable to changes in the interest-bearing average balances of short-term investments and
fluctuations in interest rates.
We incur interest principally from borrowings used to finance land acquisitions, land development, home construction and
other operating and capital needs. The amount of interest incurred generally fluctuates based on the average amount of debt
outstanding for the period and the interest rate on that debt. In 2025, total interest incurred was $113.9 million, compared to
$105.6 million in 2024, primarily due to borrowings during 2025 under the unsecured revolving credit facility we had in place
prior to entering into the Credit Facility in November. As of November 30, 2025, no cash borrowings were outstanding under
the Credit Facility. All interest incurred in 2025 and 2024 was capitalized, as the average amount of inventory qualifying for
interest capitalization exceeded the average debt level for each period. Consequently, we had no interest expense for 2025 or
33
2024. Further information regarding our interest incurred and capitalized is provided in Note 6 – Inventories in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Equity in Income of Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. Our equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures was $5.7
million for 2025, compared to $6.0 million for 2024. Further information regarding our investments in unconsolidated joint
ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in this report.
Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt. In 2025, we recognized a $1.0 million loss on the early extinguishment of debt in
connection with our obtaining a $1.20 billion Credit Facility, which refinanced and replaced our prior $1.09 billion unsecured
revolving credit facility that had a February 18, 2027 maturity date, and the amendment of our Term Loan, extending its
maturity to 2029. Further information regarding these transactions is provided in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Net Orders, Backlog and Community Count. The following table presents information about our net orders, cancellation
rate, ending backlog, and community count for the years ended November 30, 2025 and 2024 (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Net orders | 11,596 | 13,093 | ||
| Net order value (a) | $5,371,005 | $6,473,895 | ||
| Cancellation rate (b) | 17% | 14% | ||
| Ending backlog — homes | 3,128 | 4,434 | ||
| Ending backlog — value | $1,403,352 | $2,242,907 | ||
| Ending community count | 271 | 258 | ||
| Average community count | 260 | 248 |
(a)Net order value represents potential future housing revenues associated with net orders generated during the period, as well
as homebuyer selections of lot and product premiums and design choices and options for homes in backlog during the same
period.
(b)Cancellation rate represents the total number of contracts for new homes cancelled during a period divided by the total
(gross) orders for new homes generated during the same period.
Net Orders. Net orders from our homebuilding operations for the year ended November 30, 2025 decreased 11% from the
previous year, and the pace of monthly net orders per community was 3.7 in 2025, compared to 4.4 in 2024. The decreases in
our net orders and monthly pace per community reflected softer market conditions in 2025.
In navigating the current environment, we implemented a simplified sales strategy focused on providing a straightforward,
transparent base price, with limited, if any, concessions or incentives, that is intended to offer to our customers a compelling
value competitive with area resale home prices. With this strategy, which we began instituting on a community-by-community
basis in mid-February 2025 to stimulate demand, we both reduced selling prices relative to applicable market conditions and
lowered or eliminated other homebuyer concessions. Reflecting the price reductions we put in place per our sales strategy, and
expanded on in certain underperforming communities to align with local demand, the value of our net orders for 2025 was
down 17% year over year as a result of the decline in net orders and a 6% decrease in the overall average selling price of net
orders to $463,200. In 2025, the year-over-year decline in our overall net order value reflected decreases in each of our
homebuilding reporting segments, ranging from 3% in our Southeast segment to 27% in our Central segment.
Our cancellation rate as a percentage of gross orders for the year ended November 30, 2025 was 17% compared to 14% in
the previous year.
Backlog. The number of homes in our backlog at November 30, 2025 decreased 29% from the previous year mainly due to
an 18% improvement in our 2025 average build time as well as the decrease in our net orders. The potential future housing
revenues in our backlog at November 30, 2025 were down 37% year over year, reflecting fewer homes in our backlog and an
11% decrease in the average selling price of those homes. Backlog value decreased in each of our four homebuilding reporting
segments, ranging from 21% in our Southeast segment to 59% in our Southwest segment. Based on our historical experience, a
portion of the homes in backlog will not result in homes delivered due to cancellations.
34
Community Count. In 2025, our average community count and our ending community count each expanded 5% from the
previous year. The year-over-year increase in our average and ending community counts primarily reflected our investments in
land and land development in 2024 and 2025 generating new community openings over the past 12 months that exceeded the
number of communities selling out during the same period. Our investments in land and land development for the year are
discussed below under “Liquidity and Capital Resources.”
HOMEBUILDING REPORTING SEGMENTS
Operational Data. The following tables present information about our homes delivered, net orders, cancellation rates as a
percentage of gross orders, net order value, average community count, and ending backlog (number of homes and value) by
homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homes Delivered | Net Orders | Cancellation Rates | ||||||||||
| Segment | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| West Coast | 3,965 | 4,316 | 3,695 | 3,982 | 16% | 14% | ||||||
| Southwest | 2,621 | 2,890 | 1,954 | 2,645 | 14 | 10 | ||||||
| Central | 3,437 | 4,051 | 3,176 | 3,917 | 16 | 14 | ||||||
| Southeast | 2,879 | 2,912 | 2,771 | 2,549 | 20 | 19 | ||||||
| Total | 12,902 | 14,169 | 11,596 | 13,093 | 17% | 14% |
| Net Order Value | Average Community Count | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | 2025 | 2024 | Variance | 2025 | 2024 | Variance | ||||||
| West Coast | $2,390,015 | $2,780,631 | (14)% | 89 | 80 | 11% | ||||||
| Southwest | 933,552 | 1,225,604 | (24) | 38 | 43 | (12) | ||||||
| Central | 1,035,654 | 1,427,132 | (27) | 67 | 76 | (12) | ||||||
| Southeast | 1,011,784 | 1,040,528 | (3) | 66 | 49 | 35 | ||||||
| Total | $5,371,005 | $6,473,895 | (17)% | 260 | 248 | 5% | ||||||
| November 30, | ||||||||||||
| Backlog – Homes | Backlog – Value | |||||||||||
| Segment | 2025 | 2024 | Variance | 2025 | 2024 | Variance | ||||||
| West Coast | 941 | 1,211 | (22)% | $573,572 | $874,364 | (34)% | ||||||
| Southwest | 467 | 1,134 | (59) | 220,477 | 532,371 | (59) | ||||||
| Central | 872 | 1,133 | (23) | 294,894 | 436,093 | (32) | ||||||
| Southeast | 848 | 956 | (11) | 314,409 | 400,079 | (21) | ||||||
| Total | 3,128 | 4,434 | (29)% | $1,403,352 | $2,242,907 | (37)% |
As discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, the composition of our homes delivered, net orders and backlog
shifts with the product and geographic mix of our active communities and the corresponding average selling prices of the
homes ordered and/or delivered at these communities in any particular period, changing as new communities open and existing
communities wind down or sell out in the ordinary course. In addition, with our Built to Order model, the selling prices of
individual homes within a community may vary due to differing lot sizes and locations, home square footage, product
premiums and the design choices and options buyers select. These intrinsic variations in our business limit the comparability of
our homes delivered, net orders and backlog, as well as their corresponding values, between sequential and year-over-year
periods, in addition to the effect of prevailing economic or housing market conditions in or across any particular periods.
Financial Results. Below is a discussion of the financial results of each of our homebuilding reporting segments. Further
information regarding these segments, including their pretax income (loss), is included in Note 2 – Segment Information in the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. The difference between each homebuilding reporting segment’s
35
operating income (loss) and pretax income (loss) is generally due to the equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint
ventures, and/or interest income and expense.
In addition to the results of our homebuilding reporting segments presented below, our consolidated homebuilding
operating income includes the results of Corporate and other, a non-operating segment described in Note 2 – Segment
Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. Corporate and other had operating losses of
$157.8 million in 2025, $149.0 million in 2024 and $142.6 million in 2023.
The financial results of our homebuilding reporting segments for 2025 and 2024 were impacted to varying degrees by price
reductions and homebuyer concessions selectively extended to buyers in conjunction with our sales strategies, as well as
product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered.
West Coast. The following table presents financial information related to our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment
for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2025 vs 2024 | 2024 vs 2023 | |||||
| Revenues | $2,691,665 | $2,932,058 | $2,321,093 | (8) % | 26 % | ||||
| Construction and land costs | (2,210,493) | (2,367,008) | (1,888,422) | 7 | (25) | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (181,636) | (195,436) | (165,712) | 7 | (18) | ||||
| Operating income | $299,536 | $369,614 | $266,959 | (19) % | 38 % | ||||
| Homes delivered | 3,965 | 4,316 | 3,365 | (8) % | 28 % | ||||
| Average selling price | $678,600 | $679,300 | $689,800 | — % | (2) % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 11.1% | 12.6% | 11.5% | (150)bps | 110 bps |
In 2025 and 2024, this segment’s revenues consisted of housing revenues and nominal land sale revenues. Housing
revenues of $2.69 billion for 2025 declined 8% from $2.93 billion in 2024 due to a decrease in the number of homes delivered,
as the average selling price was about the same as the prior year. Operating income for 2025 was down year over year,
reflecting lower housing gross profits, partially offset by lower selling, general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of
revenues, this segment’s 2025 operating income decreased from the previous year, reflecting a 140 basis-point decline in the
housing gross profit margin to 17.9% and a 10 basis-point increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a
percentage of housing revenues to 6.8%. The housing gross profit margin decline primarily reflected higher relative land costs,
partly offset by lower construction costs. Inventory-related charges associated with housing operations were $4.3 million in
2025, compared to $2.9 million in 2024.
Southwest. The following table presents financial information related to our Southwest homebuilding reporting segment
for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2025 vs 2024 | 2024 vs 2023 | |||||
| Revenues | $1,245,446 | $1,309,950 | $1,169,948 | (5) % | 12 % | ||||
| Construction and land costs | (942,438) | (984,730) | (896,089) | 4 | (10) | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (89,198) | (96,438) | (85,235) | 8 | (13) | ||||
| Operating income | $213,810 | $228,782 | $188,624 | (7) % | 21 % | ||||
| Homes delivered | 2,621 | 2,890 | 2,699 | (9) % | 7 % | ||||
| Average selling price | $475,200 | $453,300 | $431,200 | 5 % | 5 % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 17.2% | 17.5% | 16.1% | (30)bps | 140bps |
This segment’s revenues in 2025 and 2024 were generated solely from housing revenues. Housing revenues for 2025
declined 5% year over year, reflecting a decrease in the number of homes delivered, partly offset by an increase in their average
selling price. Operating income was down from the previous year, primarily due to lower housing gross profits, partly offset by
lower selling, general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of revenues, operating income decreased due to a 50 basis-
36
point decline in the housing gross profit margin to 24.3%, partially offset by a 20 basis-point improvement in selling, general
and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 7.2%. The year-over-year decrease in the housing gross
profit margin mainly reflected higher relative land costs, partially offset by lower construction costs. Inventory-related charges
associated with housing operations were $1.6 million in 2025, compared to $.3 million in 2024.
Central. The following table presents financial information related to our Central homebuilding reporting segment for the
years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2025 vs 2024 | 2024 vs 2023 | |||||
| Revenues | $1,176,853 | $1,452,794 | $1,831,914 | (19) % | (21) % | ||||
| Construction and land costs | (981,369) | (1,136,420) | (1,420,063) | 14 | 20 | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (121,993) | (144,942) | (153,248) | 16 | 5 | ||||
| Operating income | $73,491 | $171,432 | $258,603 | (57) % | (34) % | ||||
| Homes delivered | 3,437 | 4,051 | 4,506 | (15) % | (10) % | ||||
| Average selling price | $342,400 | $357,800 | $405,500 | (4) % | (12) % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 6.2% | 11.8% | 14.1% | (560)bps | (230)bps |
This segment’s revenues in 2025 were generated solely from housing operations. In 2024, revenues were comprised of
both housing revenues and land sale revenues. Housing revenues for 2025 declined 19% from $1.45 billion in the prior year,
reflecting decreases in both the number of homes delivered and the average selling price of those homes. Land sale revenues
were $3.2 million in 2024. Operating income for 2025 was down year over year mainly due to lower housing gross profits,
partly offset by lower selling, general and administrative expenses. Land sale profits were $1.1 million in 2024. As a
percentage of revenues, operating income declined from the previous year, reflecting a 510 basis-point decrease in the housing
gross profit margin to 16.6% and a 40 basis-point increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of
housing revenues to 10.4%. The year-over-year decline in the housing gross profit margin was mainly driven by price
reductions, higher relative land costs, geographic mix, an increase in inventory-related charges, and reduced operating leverage
from lower housing revenues. The housing gross profit margin for 2025 included inventory-related charges of $20.4 million,
compared to $.8 million in 2024. The year-over-year increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of
housing revenues was primarily due to reduced operating leverage from lower housing revenues.
Southeast. The following table presents financial information related to our Southeast homebuilding reporting segment for
the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2025 vs 2024 | 2024 vs 2023 | |||||
| Revenues | $1,097,941 | $1,207,437 | $1,058,151 | (9) % | 14 % | ||||
| Construction and land costs | (916,556) | (956,682) | (815,760) | 4 | (17) | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (103,382) | (107,642) | (95,262) | 4 | (13) | ||||
| Operating income | $78,003 | $143,113 | $147,129 | (45)% | (3)% | ||||
| Homes delivered | 2,879 | 2,912 | 2,666 | (1) % | 9 % | ||||
| Average selling price | $381,200 | $414,600 | $396,900 | (8) % | 4 % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 7.1% | 11.9% | 13.9% | (480)bps | (200)bps |
In 2025, this segment’s revenues were comprised of housing revenues and nominal land sale revenues. This segment’s
revenues for 2024 were generated solely from housing operations. In 2025, housing revenues declined 9% year over year to
$1.10 billion, largely due to a decrease in the average selling price of homes delivered, as the number of homes delivered was
nearly even with the prior year. Operating income was down from 2024, reflecting lower housing gross profits, partially offset
by lower selling, general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of revenues, operating income decreased from 2024
primarily due to a 430 basis-point decline in the housing gross profit margin to 16.5% and a 50 basis-point increase in selling,
general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 9.4%. The year-over-year decrease in the housing
37
gross profit margin for 2025 mainly reflected price reductions, higher relative land costs, geographic mix, increased inventory-
related charges and decreased operating leverage from lower housing revenues. In 2025, inventory-related charges associated
with housing operations were $5.7 million, compared to $.5 million in 2024. The year-over-year increase in selling, general
and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues was primarily due to reduced operating leverage from lower
housing revenues as well as higher marketing and other expenses associated with our expanded community count in this
segment.
FINANCIAL SERVICES REPORTING SEGMENT
The following table presents a summary of selected financial and operational data for our financial services reporting
segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Revenues | $24,309 | $27,847 | $29,523 | ||
| Expenses | (6,120) | (6,133) | (5,726) | ||
| Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures | 16,790 | 27,176 | 15,697 | ||
| Pretax income | $34,979 | $48,890 | $39,494 | ||
| Total originations (a): | |||||
| Loans | 9,036 | 10,241 | 9,167 | ||
| Principal | $3,639,936 | $4,109,025 | $3,630,734 | ||
| Percentage of homebuyers using KBHS | 85% | 87% | 83% | ||
| Average FICO score | 743 | 743 | 736 | ||
| Loans sold (a): | |||||
| Loans sold to GR Alliance | 6,911 | 9,240 | 9,017 | ||
| Principal | $2,787,260 | $3,682,769 | $3,588,618 | ||
| Loans sold to other third parties | 1,933 | 1,121 | 347 | ||
| Principal | $799,909 | $469,207 | $123,258 |
| Mortgage loan origination mix (a): | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional/non-conventional loans | 48% | 53% | 59% | ||
| FHA loans | 39% | 35% | 27% | ||
| Other government loans | 13% | 12% | 14% | ||
| Loan type (a): | |||||
| Fixed | 85% | 84% | 92% | ||
| ARM | 15% | 16% | 8% |
(a)Loan originations and sales occurred within KBHS.
Revenues. Our financial services reporting segment, which includes the operations of KB HOME Mortgage Company,
generates revenues primarily from insurance commissions and title services. In 2025, financial services revenues declined 13%
year over year due to decreases in both insurance commissions and title services revenues.
Pretax income. Our financial services pretax income for 2025 declined 28% from the previous year due to a decrease in
the equity in income of our unconsolidated joint venture, KBHS, as well as lower operating income from our insurance and title
services businesses. In 2025, the equity in income of our unconsolidated joint ventures decreased 38% year over year,
reflecting KBHS’ lower income. The year-over-year decrease in KBHS’ income was primarily due to a loss of $11.4 million in
the fair value of interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”) in 2025, compared to a gain of $2.1 million in 2024. Also
contributing to the year-over-year decrease in KBHS’ income was a lower principal amount of loans originated, which mainly
reflected decreases in both the number of homes we delivered and the percentage of homebuyers using KBHS. In 2025, 85% of
the buyers financing their home purchases used KBHS, compared to 87% in the prior year. Further information regarding our
investments in unconsolidated joint ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
38
INCOME TAXES
Income Tax Expense. Our income tax expense and effective income tax rate were as follows (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Income tax expense | $125,400 | $195,900 | $181,100 | ||
| Effective income tax rate | 22.6% | 23.0% | 23.5% |
Our effective tax rate for 2025 was slightly lower than the previous year, mainly due to a decrease in our blended state tax
rate.
On June 27, 2024, California enacted Senate Bill 167 (“SB-167”), which, among other things, suspended California net
operating loss (“NOL”) utilization and imposed a cap of $5.0 million on the amount of California business incentive tax credits
companies can utilize, effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024 and before January 1, 2027. This act
suspends our ability to use our California NOLs for the years ended November 30, 2025 through 2027. SB-167 includes an
extended carryover period for the suspended California NOLs with an additional year carryforward for each year of suspension.
This act had no impact on our income tax expense for the year ended November 30, 2025 and will have no impact on our
income tax expense in future periods. However, it is expected to impact the timing of tax payments, resulting in a higher
amount of taxes paid for the years ended November 30, 2025 through 2027 and a lower amount of taxes paid when the
California NOLs can be utilized.
Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) guidance issued in 2023 heightened the Section 45L energy-efficiency qualification
standard for homes built in California relative to other states. This guidance, along with our decision to build homes in many of
our markets beginning in 2025 that are highly energy efficient and qualify for ENERGY STAR certification but do not qualify
for Section 45L tax credits, impacted the tax credits we recognized for 2025 relative to 2024. We believe the additional costs
necessary to satisfy the higher standards for some of our homes outweigh the possible benefits of meeting those standards for
both our business and our buyers.
On July 4, 2025, the OBBBA was signed into law. Among its provisions is the repeal of Section 45L tax credits for new
energy-efficient homes delivered after June 30, 2026. As a result, beginning in our 2026 third quarter, our income tax expense
and effective tax rate will no longer reflect a benefit from such tax credits as to homes delivered after the effective date. We do
not expect the other tax-related provisions of the OBBBA to have a material effect on our effective tax rate for the year ending
November 30, 2026.
Under current accounting standards, we expect volatility in our income tax expense in future periods, the magnitude of
which will depend on, among other factors, the price of our common stock and the timing and volume of stock-based
compensation award activity, such as employee exercises of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock awards and
performance-based restricted stock units (each, a “PSU”).
Further information regarding our income taxes is provided in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements in this report.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
This report contains information about our adjusted housing gross profit margin, which is not calculated in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We believe this non-GAAP financial measure is relevant and useful to
investors in understanding our operations, and may be helpful in comparing us with other companies in the homebuilding
industry to the extent they provide similar information. However, because it is not calculated in accordance with GAAP, this
non-GAAP financial measure may not be completely comparable to other companies in the homebuilding industry and, thus,
should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to operating performance and/or financial measures prescribed by
GAAP. Rather, this non-GAAP financial measure should be used to supplement the most directly comparable GAAP financial
measure in order to provide a greater understanding of the factors and trends affecting our operations.
39
Adjusted Housing Gross Profit Margin. The following table reconciles our housing gross profit margin calculated in
accordance with GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measure of our adjusted housing gross profit margin (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Housing revenues | $6,210,560 | $6,898,667 | $6,370,421 | ||
| Housing construction and land costs | (5,057,312) | (5,449,382) | (5,020,783) | ||
| Housing gross profits | 1,153,248 | 1,449,285 | 1,349,638 | ||
| Add: Inventory-related charges (a) | 32,051 | 4,597 | 11,424 | ||
| Adjusted housing gross profits | $1,185,299 | $1,453,882 | $1,361,062 | ||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 18.6% | 21.0% | 21.2% | ||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 19.1% | 21.1% | 21.4% |
(a)Represents inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges associated with housing operations.
Adjusted housing gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure, which we calculate by dividing housing revenues
less housing construction and land costs excluding housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment
charges (as applicable) recorded during a given period, by housing revenues. The most directly comparable GAAP financial
measure is housing gross profit margin. We believe adjusted housing gross profit margin is a relevant and useful financial
measure to investors in evaluating our performance as it measures the gross profits we generated specifically on the homes
delivered during a given period. This non-GAAP financial measure isolates the impact that the housing inventory impairment
and land option contract abandonment charges have on housing gross profit margins, and allows investors to make comparisons
with our competitors that adjust housing gross profit margins in a similar manner. We also believe investors will find adjusted
housing gross profit margin relevant and useful because it represents a profitability measure that may be compared to a prior
period without regard to variability of housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges. This
financial measure assists us in making strategic decisions regarding community location and product mix, product pricing and
construction pace.
SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION
As of November 30, 2025, we had $1.34 billion in aggregate principal amount of outstanding senior notes, no borrowings
outstanding under the Credit Facility and $360.0 million in aggregate principal amount of borrowings outstanding under the
Term Loan. Our obligations to pay principal and interest on the senior notes and borrowings, if any, under the Credit Facility
and the Term Loan are guaranteed on a joint and several basis by certain of our subsidiaries (“Guarantor Subsidiaries”), which
are listed on Exhibit 22. Our other subsidiaries, including all of our subsidiaries associated with our financial services
operations, do not guarantee any such indebtedness (collectively, “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries”), although we may cause a
Non-Guarantor Subsidiary to become a Guarantor Subsidiary if we believe it to be in our or the relevant subsidiary’s best
interest. See Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for additional
information regarding the terms of our senior notes, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan.
The guarantees are full and unconditional and the Guarantor Subsidiaries are 100% owned by us. The guarantees are
senior unsecured obligations of each of the Guarantor Subsidiaries and rank equally in right of payment with all unsecured and
unsubordinated indebtedness and guarantees of such Guarantor Subsidiaries. The guarantees are effectively subordinated to
any secured indebtedness of such Guarantor Subsidiaries to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and
structurally subordinated to indebtedness and other liabilities of Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries.
Pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the senior notes and the terms of the Credit Facility and Term Loan, if any
of the Guarantor Subsidiaries ceases to be a “significant subsidiary” as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X using a 5%
rather than a 10% threshold (provided that the assets of our Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries do not in the aggregate exceed 10% of
an adjusted measure of our consolidated total assets), it will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from
its guaranty of the senior notes, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan so long as all guarantees by such Guarantor Subsidiary of
any other of our or our subsidiaries’ indebtedness are terminated at or prior to the time of such release.
40
The following tables present summarized financial information for KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a
combined basis, excluding unconsolidated joint ventures and after the elimination of (a) intercompany transactions and balances
between KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries and (b) equity in earnings from and investments in the Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries. See Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in
this report for additional information regarding our unconsolidated joint ventures.
| November 30, 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summarized Balance Sheet Data (in thousands) | ||
| Assets | ||
| Cash | $170,338 | |
| Inventories | 5,311,390 | |
| Amounts due from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 278,680 | |
| Total assets | 6,360,871 | |
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | ||
| Notes payable | 1,692,977 | |
| Amounts due to Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 438,762 | |
| Total liabilities | 2,831,933 | |
| Stockholders’ equity | 3,528,938 |
| Year Ended November 30, 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summarized Statement of Operations Data (in thousands) | ||
| Revenues | $5,824,353 | |
| Construction and land costs | (4,712,675) | |
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (624,471) | |
| Interest income from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 20,629 | |
| Pretax income | 512,636 | |
| Net income | 396,936 |
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Overview. We have funded our homebuilding and financial services activities over the last several years with:
• internally generated cash flows;
• public issuances of debt securities;
• borrowings under the Credit Facility;
• the Term Loan;
• land option contracts and other similar contracts and seller notes;
• public issuances of our common stock; and
• letters of credit and performance bonds.
We manage our use of cash in the operation of our business to support the execution of our primary strategic goals. Over
the past several years, we have primarily used cash for:
•land acquisitions and land development;
•home construction;
•operating expenses;
•principal and interest payments on notes payable;
•repayments of borrowings under the Credit Facility;
•dividends paid to stockholders; and
•repurchases of our common stock.
Cash flows for each of our communities depend on their stage of development and can differ significantly from reported
earnings. Early stages of development or expansion can require significant cash outflows for land acquisition, entitlements,
41
land development, and construction of roads, utilities, landscaping, model homes and other items. Because these costs are
capitalized as a component of our inventories and are not recognized in our statement of operations until a home is delivered,
we incur significant cash outflows prior to recognizing earnings from a delivered home. As homes are delivered, which in
some cases may be a year or more after the related land development or entitlement work commences, cash inflows may
significantly exceed earnings reported for financial statement purposes, as the cash outflows associated with the land and home
construction were previously incurred.
We ended 2025 with total liquidity of $1.43 billion, including cash and cash equivalents and nearly $1.20 billion of
available capacity under the Credit Facility. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $228.6 million at November 30, 2025, compared
to $598.0 million at November 30, 2024. Cash equivalents included in the total were $152.6 million at November 30, 2025 and
$385.1 million at November 30, 2024, and were mainly invested in interest-bearing bank deposit accounts and money market
funds. We had no cash borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility as of November 30, 2025. Based on our financial
position as of November 30, 2025, and our business forecast for 2026 as discussed below under “Outlook,” we have no material
concerns related to our liquidity. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, our anticipated cash flows from
operations and amounts available under our Credit Facility will be sufficient to fund our anticipated operating and land-related
investment needs for at least the next 12 months.
Cash Requirements. Our material cash requirements include the following contractual and other obligations:
Notes Payable. We have outstanding variable-rate borrowings under the Term Loan, and outstanding fixed-rate senior
notes and mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans with varying maturities. As of November 30, 2025,
our notes payable had an aggregate principal amount of $1.70 billion, with $.8 million payable within 12 months. Future
interest payments associated with the Term Loan and our senior notes, together with the unused commitment fee associated
with our Credit Facility, totaled $379.5 million as of November 30, 2025, with $97.2 million payable within 12 months. The
Term Loan will mature on November 12, 2029. Our next senior note maturity is our $300.0 million in aggregate principal
amount of 6.875% Senior Notes due 2027. Further information regarding our notes payable is provided in Note 15 – Notes
Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Leases. We have operating leases for certain property and equipment with an expected term at the commencement date of
more than 12 months. As of November 30, 2025, the future minimum payments required under these leases totaled $21.2
million, with $7.9 million payable within 12 months. Further information regarding our leases is provided in Note 13 – Leases
in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Inventory-Related Obligations. As of November 30, 2025, we had inventory-related obligations totaling $48.2 million,
comprised of liabilities for inventory not owned associated with financing arrangements as discussed in Note 8 – Variable
Interest Entities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, as well as liabilities for fixed or determinable
amounts associated with tax increment financing entity (“TIFE”) assessments. Approximately $9.7 million of these inventory-
related obligations are payable within 12 months. However, TIFE assessment obligations are paid by us only to the extent we
do not deliver homes on applicable lots before the related TIFE obligations mature.
Investments in Land and Land Development. Our investments in land and land development decreased 8% to $2.61 billion
in 2025, compared to $2.84 billion in 2024. Land acquisition expenditures, which are included in our investments in land and
land development, decreased 20% to $992.1 million from $1.24 billion in the year-earlier period. Approximately 38% of our
total investments in land and land development in 2025 were related to land acquisitions, compared to approximately 44% in
2024. While we made strategic investments in land and land development in each of our homebuilding reporting segments
during 2025 and 2024, approximately 51% and 58%, respectively, of these investments for each year were made in our West
Coast homebuilding reporting segment.
In 2026, we intend to continue to invest in and develop land positions within attractive submarkets and selectively acquire
or control additional land that meets our investment standards. Our investments in land and land development in the future will
depend significantly on market conditions, our expectations for future growth and available opportunities that meet our
investment return standards.
The following table presents the number of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar
contracts and the carrying value of inventory by homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
42
| November 30, 2025 | November 30, 2024 | Variance | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | Lots | Carrying Value | Lots | Carrying Value | Lots | Carrying Value | ||||||
| West Coast | 20,750 | $3,048,056 | 23,956 | $2,915,543 | (3,206) | $132,513 | ||||||
| Southwest | 11,142 | 969,260 | 13,117 | 845,910 | (1,975) | 123,350 | ||||||
| Central | 20,614 | 758,962 | 21,056 | 839,920 | (442) | (80,958) | ||||||
| Southeast | 12,106 | 894,524 | 18,574 | 926,647 | (6,468) | (32,123) | ||||||
| Total | 64,612 | $5,670,802 | 76,703 | $5,528,020 | (12,091) | $142,782 |
The carrying value of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts at November 30,
2025 increased 3% year over year, mainly due to investments in land and land development in 2025. The number of lots we
owned and controlled as of November 30, 2025 decreased 16% from November 30, 2024, largely reflecting homes delivered
and our decision to abandon 24,596 previously controlled lots, partly offset by newly optioned lots in 2025. The number of lots
in inventory as of November 30, 2025 included 7,715 lots under contract where the associated deposits were refundable at our
discretion, compared to 18,923 of such lots at November 30, 2024. Our lots controlled under land option contracts and other
similar contracts as a percentage of total lots was 43% at November 30, 2025, compared to 49% at November 30, 2024.
Generally, this percentage fluctuates with our decisions to control (or abandon) lots under land option contracts and other
similar contracts or to purchase (or sell owned) lots based on available opportunities and our investment return standards.
Land Option Contracts and Other Similar Contracts. As discussed in Note 8 – Variable Interest Entities in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, our land option contracts and other similar contracts generally do not contain
provisions requiring our specific performance. Our decision to exercise a particular land option contract or other similar
contract depends on the results of our due diligence reviews and ongoing market and project feasibility analysis that we conduct
after entering into such a contract. In some cases, our decision to exercise a land option contract or other similar contract may
be conditioned on the land seller obtaining necessary entitlements, such as zoning rights and environmental and development
approvals, and/or physically developing the underlying land by a pre-determined date. We typically have the ability not to
exercise our rights to the underlying land for any reason and, if applicable, forfeit our deposits without further penalty or
obligation to the sellers. If we were to acquire all the land we had under land option contracts and other similar contracts at
November 30, 2025, we estimate the remaining purchase price to be paid would be as follows: 2026 – $1.16 billion; 2027 –
$524.8 million; 2028 – $194.1 million; 2029 – $100.5 million; and 2030 and thereafter – $0.
Liquidity. The table below summarizes our total cash and cash equivalents, and total liquidity (in thousands):
| November 30, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $228,614 | $597,973 | ||
| Credit Facility commitment | 1,200,000 | 1,090,000 | ||
| Letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility | (1,610) | (8,260) | ||
| Credit Facility availability | 1,198,390 | 1,081,740 | ||
| Total liquidity | $1,427,004 | $1,679,713 |
Capital Resources. Our notes payable consisted of the following (in thousands):
| November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Variance | |||
| Term Loan | $358,317 | $358,826 | $(509) | ||
| Senior notes | 1,331,584 | 1,329,704 | 1,880 | ||
| Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans | 3,076 | 3,149 | (73) | ||
| Total | $1,692,977 | $1,691,679 | $1,298 |
Our financial leverage, as measured by the ratio of debt to capital, was 30.3% at November 30, 2025, compared to 29.4% at
November 30, 2024. The ratio of debt to capital is calculated by dividing notes payable by capital (notes payable plus
stockholders’ equity).
43
LOC Facility. We maintain a LOC Facility to obtain letters of credit from time to time in the ordinary course of operating
our business. Under the LOC Facility, which expires on February 13, 2028, we may issue up to $100.0 million of letters of
credit. As of November 30, 2025 and 2024, we had letters of credit outstanding under the LOC Facility of $68.2 million and
$73.3 million, respectively.
Performance Bonds. As discussed in Note 17 – Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in this report, we had $1.37 billion and $1.33 billion of performance bonds outstanding at November 30, 2025 and
2024, respectively.
Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. On November 12, 2025, we obtained a $1.20 billion Credit Facility, which
refinanced and replaced our prior $1.09 billion unsecured revolving credit facility that was due to mature on February 18, 2027.
The Credit Facility will mature on November 12, 2030 and contains an uncommitted accordion feature under which its
aggregate principal amount of available loans can be increased to a maximum of $1.70 billion under certain conditions,
including obtaining additional bank commitments. The amount of the Credit Facility available for cash borrowings and the
issuance of letters of credit depends on the total cash borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility and
the maximum available amount under the terms of the Credit Facility. As of November 30, 2025, we had no cash borrowings
and $1.6 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility is further described in Note 15 –
Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Under the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, we are required, among other things, to maintain compliance
with various covenants, including financial covenants regarding our consolidated tangible net worth, consolidated leverage ratio
(“Leverage Ratio”), and either a consolidated interest coverage ratio (“Interest Coverage Ratio”) or minimum liquidity level,
each as defined therein. Our compliance with these financial covenants is measured by calculations and metrics that are
specifically defined or described by the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan and can differ in certain respects from
comparable GAAP or other commonly used terms. The financial covenant requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term
Loan are set forth below:
•Consolidated tangible net worth – We must maintain a consolidated tangible net worth at the end of any fiscal quarter
greater than or equal to the sum of (a) $2.70 billion, plus (b) an amount equal to 50% of the aggregate of the
cumulative consolidated net income for each fiscal quarter commencing after August 31, 2025 and ending as of the last
day of such fiscal quarter (though there is no reduction if there is a consolidated net loss in any fiscal quarter), plus (c)
an amount equal to 50% of the cumulative net proceeds we receive from the issuance of our capital stock after August
31, 2025.
•Leverage Ratio – We must also maintain a Leverage Ratio of less than or equal to .60 at the end of each fiscal quarter.
The Leverage Ratio is calculated as the ratio of our consolidated total indebtedness to the sum of consolidated total
indebtedness and consolidated tangible net worth, all as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan.
•Interest Coverage Ratio or liquidity – We are also required to maintain either (a) an Interest Coverage Ratio of greater
than or equal to 1.50 at the end of each fiscal quarter; or (b) a minimum level of liquidity, but not both. The Interest
Coverage Ratio is the ratio of our consolidated adjusted EBITDA to consolidated interest incurred, each as defined
under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, in each case for the previous 12 months. Our minimum liquidity is
required to be greater than or equal to consolidated interest incurred, as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term
Loan, for the four most recently ended fiscal quarters in the aggregate.
In addition, under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, our equity investments in joint ventures and Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries and other unconsolidated entities as of the end of each fiscal quarter cannot exceed the sum of (a) $104.8 million
and (b) 20% of consolidated tangible net worth. Further, for so long as we do not hold an investment grade credit rating, as
defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan do not permit our borrowing base
indebtedness, which, subject to certain exceptions, is the aggregate principal amount of our and certain of our subsidiaries’
outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money and non-collateralized financial letters of credit, to be greater than our borrowing
base (a measure relating to our inventory and in certain cases unrestricted cash assets).
The covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan represent the most restrictive covenants
that we are subject to with respect to our notes payable. The following table summarizes the financial covenants and other
requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, and our actual levels or ratios (as applicable) with respect to those
covenants and other requirements, in each case as of November 30, 2025:
44
| Financial Covenants and Other Requirements | Covenant Requirement | Actual | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated tangible net worth | $2.75billion | $3.86billion | |||
| Leverage Ratio | .600 | .280 | |||
| Interest Coverage Ratio (a) | 1.500 | 6.702 | |||
| Minimum liquidity (a) | $106.5 million | $1.43billion | |||
| Investments in joint ventures and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | $876.3 million | $459.6million | |||
| Borrowing base in excess of borrowing base indebtedness (as defined) | n/a | $2.25billion |
(a)Under the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, we are required to maintain either a minimum Interest Coverage
Ratio or a minimum level of liquidity.
The indenture governing our senior notes does not contain any financial covenants. Subject to specified exceptions, the
indenture contains certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to incur secured indebtedness, or
engage in sale-leaseback transactions involving property above a certain specified value. In addition, the indenture contains
certain limitations related to mergers, consolidations, and sales of assets.
As of the date of this report, we were in compliance with the applicable terms of all our covenants and other requirements
under the Credit Facility, the Term Loan, the senior notes, the indenture, the LOC Facility, and the mortgages and land
contracts due to land sellers and other loans. Our ability to access the Credit Facility for cash borrowings and letters of credit
and our ability to secure future debt financing depend, in part, on our ability to remain in such compliance. Our ability to
access the Credit Facility’s full borrowing capacity, as well as the LOC Facility’s full issuance capacity, also depends on the
ability and willingness of the applicable lenders and financial institutions, including any substitute or additional lenders and
financial institutions, to meet their commitments to fund loans, extend credit or provide payment guarantees to or for us under
those instruments.
There are no agreements that restrict our payment of dividends other than the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, which
would restrict our payment of certain dividends, such as cash dividends on our common stock, if a default under the Credit
Facility or the Term Loan exists at the time of any such payment, or if any such payment would result in such a default (other
than dividends paid within 60 days after declaration, if there was no default at the time of declaration).
Depending on available terms, we finance certain land acquisitions with purchase-money financing from land sellers or
with other forms of financing from third parties. At November 30, 2025, we had outstanding mortgages and land contracts due
to land sellers and other loans payable in connection with such financing of $3.1 million, secured primarily by the underlying
property, which had an aggregate carrying value of $16.8 million.
Senior Unsecured Term Loan. On November 12, 2025, we entered into an amendment to our $360.0 million Term Loan
with the lenders party thereto that extended its maturity from August 25, 2026 to November 12, 2029. The Term Loan is
further described in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. As discussed in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we have investments in unconsolidated joint ventures in various markets
where our homebuilding operations are located. As of November 30, 2025, one of our unconsolidated joint ventures had
borrowings outstanding under a term loan with a third-party lender, secured by the underlying property and related project
assets. None of our other unconsolidated joint ventures had outstanding debt at November 30, 2025.
Consolidated Cash Flows. The following table presents a summary of net cash provided by (used in) our operating,
investing and financing activities (in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | |||||
| Operating activities | $335,682 | $362,722 | $1,082,699 | ||
| Investing activities | (61,797) | (50,119) | (58,062) | ||
| Financing activities | (642,635) | (440,752) | (627,493) | ||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $(368,750) | $(128,149) | $397,144 |
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Operating Activities. Generally, our net operating cash flows fluctuate primarily based on changes in our inventories and
our profitability. Our net cash provided by operating activities in 2025 mainly reflected net income of $428.8 million and a net
decrease in receivables of $5.0 million, partly offset by a net increase in inventories of $179.5 million and a net decrease in
accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $75.2 million. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2024
primarily reflected net income of $655.0 million and a net decrease in receivables of $16.6 million, partly offset by a net
increase in inventories of $385.8 million and a net decrease in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $7.2
million.
Investing Activities. In 2025, our net cash used in investing activities included $48.4 million for net purchases of property
and equipment and $16.4 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partially offset by
a $3.0 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. In 2024, our uses of cash included $39.3 million for net
purchases of property and equipment and $14.5 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash
were partly offset by a $2.0 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures and $1.7 million of proceeds from the
sale of an investment.
Financing Activities. In 2025, our uses of cash included stock repurchases and excise tax payments totaling $541.3
million, dividend payments on our common stock of $68.6 million, tax payments associated with stock-based compensation
awards of $23.9 million and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $.1 million. The
cash used was partially offset by $1.1 million of issuances of common stock under employee stock plans. In 2024, net cash was
used for stock repurchases totaling $353.7 million, dividend payments on our common stock of $71.6 million, tax payments
associated with stock-based compensation awards of $25.0 million, and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land
sellers and other loans of $.9 million. The cash used was partially offset by $10.4 million of issuances of common stock under
employee stock plans.
Dividends. In 2025, our board of directors declared four quarterly cash dividends of $.25 per share of common stock. In
the 2024 first quarter, our board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $.20 per share of common stock. Our board
of directors approved a $.05 per share increase in the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock to $.25 per share in the
2024 second quarter, and declared quarterly dividends at the new higher rate for the 2024 second, third and fourth quarters. All
dividends declared during 2025 and 2024 were also paid during those years. Quarterly cash dividends declared and paid during
the years ended November 30, 2025 and 2024 totaled $1.00 per share and $.95 per share of common stock, respectively. The
declaration and payment of future cash dividends on our common stock, whether at current levels or at all, are at the discretion
of our board of directors, and depend upon, among other things, our expected future earnings, cash flows, capital requirements,
access to external financing, debt structure and any adjustments thereto, operational and financial investment strategy and
general financial condition, as well as general business conditions.
Shelf Registration Statement. We have an automatically effective universal shelf registration statement that was filed with
the SEC on July 10, 2023 (“2023 Shelf Registration”). The 2023 Shelf Registration registers the offering of securities that we
may issue from time to time in amounts to be determined. Our ability to issue securities is subject to market conditions and,
with respect to debt securities, other factors impacting our borrowing capacity. We have not made any offerings of securities
under the 2023 Shelf Registration.
Share Repurchase Program. As of November 30, 2023, there was $163.6 million of remaining availability under a share
repurchase authorization that our board of directors approved on March 21, 2023. In the 2024 first quarter, we repurchased
826,663 shares of our common stock in the open market pursuant to the 2023 board of directors authorization at a total cost of
$50.0 million. On April 18, 2024, our board of directors authorized us to repurchase up to $1.00 billion of our outstanding
common stock. This authorization replaced the 2023 board of directors authorization, which had $113.6 million remaining. In
the 2024 second, third and fourth quarters, we repurchased 3,898,518 shares of our common stock at a total cost of $300.0
million, bringing our total repurchases for the year ended November 30, 2024 to 4,725,181 shares of common stock at a total
cost of $350.0 million. In the 2025 first, second and third quarters, we repurchased 7,788,113 shares of our common stock at a
total cost of $438.5 million. On October 9, 2025, our board of directors authorized us to repurchase up to $1.00 billion of our
outstanding common stock. This authorization replaced the 2024 board of directors authorization, which had $261.5 million
remaining. In the 2025 fourth quarter, we repurchased 1,597,196 shares of our common stock on the open market pursuant to
the 2025 authorization at a total cost of $100.0 million, bringing our total repurchases for the year ended November 30, 2025 to
9,385,309 shares of common stock at a total cost of $538.5 million.
Repurchases under the current authorization may occur periodically through open market purchases, privately negotiated
transactions or otherwise, with the timing and amount at management’s discretion and dependent on market, business and other
conditions. This share repurchase authorization will continue in effect until fully used or earlier terminated or suspended by our
board of directors, and does not obligate us to purchase any shares. As of November 30, 2025, there was $900.0 million of
remaining availability under this share repurchase authorization.
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As of the date of this report, we believe we have adequate capital resources and sufficient access to external financing
sources to satisfy our current and reasonably anticipated requirements for funds to conduct our operations and meet other needs
in the ordinary course of our business. In 2026, we expect to use or redeploy our cash resources or cash borrowings under the
Credit Facility to support our business within the context of prevailing market conditions. During this time, we may also
engage in capital markets, bank loan, project debt or other financial transactions, including the repurchase of debt or equity
securities or potential new issuances of debt or equity securities to support our business needs. The amounts involved in these
transactions, if any, may be material. In addition, as necessary or desirable, we may adjust or amend the terms of and/or expand
the capacity of the Credit Facility or the LOC Facility, or enter into additional letter of credit facilities, or other similar facility
arrangements, in each case with the same or other financial institutions, or allow any such facilities or loans to mature or expire.
Our ability to engage in such transactions may be constrained by volatile or tight economic, capital, credit and/or financial
market conditions or other factors, including those described below under “Outlook” and/or our liquidity, leverage and net
worth, and we can provide no assurance as to successfully completing, the costs of, or the operational limitations arising from
any one or series of such transactions.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with GAAP. The preparation of these
financial statements requires the use of estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented,
and could affect the comparability of such information over different reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those
estimates and assumptions, and the difference may have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. See Note 1
– Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for a discussion
of our significant accounting policies. The following are accounting policies that we believe are critical because of the
significance of the activity to which they relate or because they require the use of significant estimates, judgments and/or other
assumptions in their application.
Homebuilding Revenue Recognition. We recognize homebuilding revenue by applying the following steps in determining
the timing and amount of revenue to recognize: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance
obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations
in the contract, if applicable; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation.
Our home sale transactions are made pursuant to contracts under which we typically have a single performance obligation
to deliver a completed home to the homebuyer when closing conditions are met. Revenues from home sales are recognized
when we have satisfied the performance obligation within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of
the home and the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the homebuyer on the closing date. Little to no estimation is
involved in recognizing such revenues.
We may periodically elect to sell parcels of land to third parties if such assets no longer fit into our strategic operating plans
or are zoned for non-residential development. Revenues from land sales are recognized when we have satisfied the
performance obligation(s) within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of the land and the risks and
rewards of ownership are transferred to the land buyer on the closing date. Certain land sales contracts may require
management judgment in determining the appropriate revenue recognition, but the impact of such transactions is generally
immaterial.
Inventories and Cost of Sales. Housing and land inventories are stated at cost, unless the carrying value is determined not
to be recoverable, in which case the affected inventories are written down to fair value or fair value less associated costs to sell.
Fair value is determined based on estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risks associated with the real estate
assets, or other valuation techniques. Due to uncertainties in the estimation process and other factors beyond our control, it is
possible that actual results could differ from those estimated. Other than model homes, our inventories typically do not consist
of completed unsold homes. However, as discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, we may have unsold
completed or partially completed homes in our inventory.
We rely on certain estimates to determine our construction and land costs and resulting housing gross profit margins
associated with revenues recognized. Construction and land costs are comprised of direct and allocated costs, including
estimated future costs for the limited warranty we provide on our homes, and certain amenities within a community. Land
acquisition, land development and other common costs are generally allocated on a relative fair value basis to the homes or lots
within the applicable community or land parcel. Land acquisition and land development costs include related interest and real
estate taxes.
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In determining a portion of the construction and land costs recognized for each period, we rely on project budgets that are
based on a variety of assumptions, including future construction schedules and costs to be incurred. It is possible that actual
results could differ from budgeted amounts for various reasons, including construction delays, construction resource shortages,
increases in costs that have not yet been committed, changes in governmental requirements, unforeseen environmental hazards
or other unanticipated issues encountered during construction and other factors beyond our control. While the actual results for
a particular construction project are accurately reported over time, variances between the budgeted and actual costs of a project
could result in the understatement or overstatement of construction and land costs and homebuilding gross profits in a particular
reporting period. To reduce the potential for such distortion, we have set forth procedures that collectively comprise a critical
accounting policy. These procedures, which we have applied on a consistent basis, include assessing, updating and revising
project budgets on a monthly basis, obtaining commitments to the extent possible from independent contractors and vendors for
future costs to be incurred, reviewing the adequacy of warranty accruals and historical warranty claims experience, and utilizing
the most current information available to estimate construction and land costs to be charged to expense. Variances to the
budgeted costs after an estimate has been charged to expense that are related to project costs are generally allocated on a
relative fair value basis to the remaining homes to be delivered within the community or land parcel, while such variances
related to direct construction costs are generally expensed as incurred. The variances between budgeted and actual costs have
historically not been material to our consolidated financial statements. We believe that our policies provide for reasonably
dependable estimates to be used in the calculation and reporting of construction and land costs.
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments. Each community or land parcel in our owned inventory
is assessed to determine if indicators of potential impairment exist. Impairment indicators are assessed separately for each
community or land parcel on a quarterly basis and include, but are not limited to, the following: significant decreases in net
orders, average selling prices, volume of homes delivered, gross profit margins on homes delivered or projected gross profit
margins on homes in backlog or future deliveries; significant increases in budgeted land development and home construction
costs or cancellation rates; or projected losses on expected future land sales. If indicators of potential impairment exist for a
community or land parcel, the identified asset is evaluated for recoverability.
When an indicator of potential impairment is identified for a community or land parcel, we test the asset for recoverability
by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset.
The undiscounted future net cash flows are impacted by then-current conditions and trends in the market in which the asset is
located as well as factors known to us at the time the cash flows are calculated. These factors may include recent trends in our
orders, backlog, cancellation rates and volume of homes delivered, as well as our expectations related to the following: product
offerings; market supply and demand, including estimated average selling prices and related price appreciation; and land
development, home construction and overhead costs to be incurred and related cost inflation.
Generally, a community must have a projected gross profit margin percentage below approximately 5% to proceed to a
recoverability test and a potential fair value evaluation. Our overall housing gross profit margin in the 2025 fourth quarter was
17.0%, and as of November 30, 2025, 11 communities were evaluated for recoverability based on their gross profit margins.
However, if there is a sustained economic slowdown or other factor(s) that lead to moderate or significant decreases in new
home prices in certain submarkets, more communities could begin to approach gross profit margin levels where we would
conduct a fair value analysis. Any resulting impairment(s) from such an analysis(es) could be material. Additionally, we have
$143.7 million of deposits and pre-acquisition costs at November 30, 2025 related to land option contracts and other similar
contracts. If there are events that lead to moderate or significant decreases in new home prices, we could elect to cancel several
such contracts, resulting in the write-off of the related deposits and pre-acquisition costs.
The following table presents information regarding inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges
included in construction and land costs in our consolidated statements of operations (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Inventory impairments: | |||||
| Number of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | 4 | — | — | ||
| Pre-impairment carrying value of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | $54,095 | $— | $— | ||
| Inventory impairment charges | (15,531) | — | — | ||
| Post-impairment fair value | $38,564 | $— | $— | ||
| Land option contract abandonments charges | $16,520 | $4,597 | $11,424 |
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The inventory impairment charges in 2025 were principally driven by increased land development costs imposed by a
municipality affecting certain communities, and our decisions to make changes in our operational strategies aimed at more
quickly monetizing our investment in certain communities, mainly by accelerating the overall pace for selling, building and
delivering homes therein. There were no inventory impairment charges in 2024 or 2023.
As further described in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, given the inherent challenges and uncertainties in forecasting future results,
our inventory assessments at the time they are made take into consideration whether a community or land parcel is active,
meaning whether it is open for sales and/or undergoing development, or whether it is being held for future development or held
for sale.
We record an inventory impairment charge on a community or land parcel that is active or held for future development
when indicators of potential impairment exist and the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than the undiscounted
future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, which is primarily
determined based on the estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risk associated with each such asset, or other
valuation techniques.
We record an inventory impairment charge on land held for sale when the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater
than its fair value. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, less associated costs to sell. The fair value of such
real estate assets is generally based on bona fide letters of intent from outside parties, executed sales contracts, broker quotes or
similar information.
Our inventory controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts is assessed to determine whether it
continues to meet our investment return standards. Assessments are made separately for each optioned land parcel on a
quarterly basis and are affected by the following factors relative to the market in which the asset is located, among others:
current and/or anticipated net orders, average selling prices and volume of homes delivered; estimated land development and
home construction costs; and projected profitability on expected future housing or land sales. When a decision is made not to
exercise certain land option contracts and other similar contracts due to market conditions and/or changes in our marketing
strategy, we write off the related inventory costs, including non-refundable deposits and unrecoverable pre-acquisition costs.
The estimated remaining life of each community or land parcel in our inventory depends on various factors, such as the
total number of lots remaining; the expected timeline to acquire and entitle land and develop lots to build homes; the anticipated
future net order and cancellation rates; and the expected timeline to build and deliver homes sold. While it is difficult to
determine a precise timeframe for any particular inventory asset, based on current market conditions and expected delivery
timelines, we estimate our inventory assets’ remaining operating lives to range generally from one year to 10 years and expect
to realize, on an overall basis, the majority of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2025 within five years. The following
table presents as of November 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, the estimated timeframe of delivery for the last home in an
applicable community or land parcel and the corresponding percentage of total inventories such categories represent within our
inventory balance (dollars in millions):
| 0-2 years | 3-5 years | 6-10 years | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | Total | |||||||
| November 30, 2025 | $2,518.6 | 44% | $2,848.3 | 50% | $303.9 | 6% | $5,670.8 | ||||||
| November 30, 2024 | 2,849.2 | 52 | 2,554.7 | 46 | 124.1 | 2 | 5,528.0 |
The inventory balances in the 0-2 years and 3-5 years categories were located throughout all of our homebuilding reporting
segments and collectively represented 94% and 98% of our total inventories as of November 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
As of November 30, 2025, the inventory balance in the 6-10 years category was primarily located in our Southwest and Central
segments and mostly comprised of active, multi-phase communities with large remaining land positions.
Due to the judgment and assumptions applied in our inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment
assessment processes, and in our estimations of the remaining operating lives of our inventory assets and the realization of our
inventory balances, particularly as to land held for future development, it is possible that actual results could differ substantially
from those estimated, especially in periods of volatile housing market or economic conditions.
Deterioration in the supply and demand factors in the overall housing market or in an individual market or submarket, or
changes to our operational or selling strategy at certain communities may lead to additional inventory impairment charges,
future charges associated with land sales or the abandonment of land option contracts or other similar contracts related to
certain assets. Due to the nature or location of the projects, land held for future development that we activate as part of our
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strategic growth initiatives or to accelerate sales and/or our return on investment, or that we otherwise monetize to help improve
our asset efficiency, may have a somewhat greater likelihood of being impaired than other of our active inventory.
We believe the carrying value of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2025 is recoverable. Our considerations in
making this determination include the factors and trends incorporated into our impairment analyses, and as applicable, the
prevailing regulatory environment, competition from other homebuilders, inventory levels and sales activity of resale homes,
and the local economic conditions where an asset is located. In addition, we consider the financial and operational status and
expectations of our inventories as well as unique attributes of each community or land parcel that could be viewed as indicators
for potential future impairments. However, if conditions in the overall housing market or in a specific market or submarket
worsen in the future beyond our current expectations, including, among other things, from increases in mortgage interest rates,
higher inflation, worsening supply chain and/or other production-related challenges, or if future changes in our business
strategy significantly affect any key assumptions used in our projections of future cash flows, or if there are material changes in
any of the other items we consider in assessing recoverability, we may recognize charges in future periods for inventory
impairments or land option contract abandonments, or both, related to our current inventory assets. Any such charges could be
material to our consolidated financial statements.
Warranty Costs. We provide a limited warranty on all of our homes. The specific terms and conditions of our limited
warranty program vary depending upon the markets in which we do business. We estimate the costs that may be incurred under
each limited warranty and record a liability in the amount of such costs at the time the revenue associated with the sale of each
home is recognized. In assessing our overall warranty liability at a reporting date, we evaluate the costs for warranty-related
items on a combined basis for all of our previously delivered homes that are under our limited warranty program.
Our primary assumption in estimating the amounts we accrue for warranty costs is that historical claims experience is a
strong indicator of future claims experience. Factors that affect our warranty liability include the number of homes delivered,
historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims, and cost per claim. We periodically assess the adequacy of our accrued
warranty liability, which is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets, and adjust the
amount as necessary based on our assessment. Our assessment includes the review of our actual warranty costs incurred to
identify trends and changes in our warranty claims experience, and considers our home construction quality and customer
service initiatives and outside events. Based on this assessment, we may from time to time adjust our warranty accrual rates,
which would be applied on a prospective basis to homes delivered. Although adjustments to the accrual rates are generally
infrequent, they may be necessary when actual warranty expenditures have increased or decreased on a sustained basis, as was
the case in recent years when we revised our warranty accrual rates to reflect trends in our warranty expenditures. Based on our
assessment, we may also make adjustments to our previously recorded accrued warranty liability. Such adjustments are
recorded in the period in which the change in estimate occurs. In 2023, we made an adjustment to increase our accrued
warranty liability by $4.0 million. There were no such adjustments during 2025 and 2024. We have not made any material
changes in the methodology used to establish our accrued warranty liability during 2025, 2024 and 2023. Our accrued warranty
liability is presented on a gross basis for all years without consideration of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of
and expect to recover from other parties, if any. Estimates of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to
recover from other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables when such recoveries are considered probable.
While we believe the warranty liability currently reflected in our consolidated balance sheets to be adequate, unanticipated
changes or developments in the legal environment, local weather, land or environmental conditions, quality of materials or
methods used in the construction of homes or customer service practices and/or our warranty claims experience could have a
significant impact on our actual warranty costs in future periods and such amounts could differ significantly from our current
estimates. A 10% change in the historical warranty rates used to estimate our accrued warranty liability would not result in a
material change in our accrual.
Self-Insurance. We maintain, and require the majority of our independent contractors to maintain, general liability
insurance (including construction defect and bodily injury coverage) and workers’ compensation insurance. These insurance
policies protect us against a portion of our risk of loss from claims related to our homebuilding activities, subject to certain self-
insured retentions, deductibles and other coverage limits. We self-insure a portion of our overall risk through the use of a
captive insurance subsidiary. In Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada, our contractors’ general liability insurance
primarily takes the form of a wrap-up policy under a program where eligible independent contractors are enrolled as insureds
on each community. Enrolled contractors generally contribute toward the cost of the insurance and agree to pay a contractual
amount in the future if there is a claim related to their work.
We record liabilities based on the estimated costs required to cover reported claims, claims incurred but not yet reported,
and claim adjustment expenses. These estimated costs are based on an actuarial analysis of our historical claims and expense
data, as well as industry data. Our self-insurance liabilities are presented on a gross basis without consideration of
insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any.
50
The amount of our self-insurance liability is based on an analysis performed by a third-party actuary that uses our historical
claim and expense data, as well as industry data to estimate these overall costs. These estimates are subject to uncertainty due
to a variety of factors, the most significant being the long period of time between the delivery of a home to a homebuyer and
when a structural warranty or construction defect claim may be made, and the ultimate resolution of any such construction
defect claim. Though state regulations vary, construction defect claims are reported and resolved over a long period of time,
which can extend for 10 years or more. As a result, the majority of the estimated self-insurance liability based on the actuarial
analysis relates to claims incurred but not yet reported. Therefore, adjustments related to individual existing claims generally
do not significantly impact the overall estimated liability. Adjustments to our liabilities related to homes delivered in prior
years are recorded in the period in which a change in our estimate occurs. During 2024 and 2023, we recorded adjustments to
increase our previously recorded liabilities by $5.5 million and $6.5 million, respectively. There were no such adjustments
during 2025. The adjustments in 2024 and 2023 resulted from changes in estimates due to actual claims experience differing
from previous actuarial projections and, in turn, impacting actuarial estimates for existing and potential future claims. We have
not made any material changes in our methodology used to establish our self-insurance liabilities during 2025, 2024 or 2023.
The projection of losses related to these liabilities requires the use of actuarial assumptions. Key assumptions used in
developing these estimates include claim frequencies, severities and resolution patterns, which can occur over an extended
period of time. These estimates are subject to variability due to the length of time between the delivery of a home to a
homebuyer and when a construction defect claim is made, and the ultimate resolution of such claim; uncertainties regarding
such claims relative to our markets and the types of product we build; and legal or regulatory actions and/or interpretations,
among other factors. Due to the degree of judgment involved and the potential for variability in these underlying assumptions,
our actual future costs could differ from those estimated. In addition, changes in the frequency and severity of reported claims
and the estimates to resolve claims can impact the trends and assumptions used in the actuarial analysis, which could be
material to our consolidated financial statements. A 10% increase in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to
estimate the self-insurance liability would result in increases of approximately $27.9 million in our liability and approximately
$6.8 million in our receivable as of November 30, 2025, and additional expense of approximately $21.1 million for 2025. A
10% decrease in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to estimate the self-insurance liability would result in
decreases of approximately $25.7 million in our liability and approximately $6.3 million in our receivable as of November 30,
2025, and a reduction to expense of approximately $19.4 million for 2025.
Estimates of insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables
when such recoveries are considered probable. These estimated recoveries are principally based on actuarially determined
amounts and depend on various factors, including, among other things, the above-described claim cost estimates, our insurance
policy coverage limits for the applicable policy year(s), historical third-party recovery rates, insurance industry practices, the
regulatory environment, and legal precedent, and are subject to a high degree of variability from year to year. Because of the
inherent uncertainty and variability in these assumptions, our actual insurance recoveries could differ significantly from
amounts currently estimated.
Legal Matters Accruals. We record contingent liabilities resulting from claims against us when a loss is assessed to be
probable and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable. Assessing the probability of losses and estimating probable losses
requires analysis of multiple factors, including in some cases judgments about the potential actions of third-party claimants,
regulatory agencies, mediators, arbitrators, responsible third parties and/or courts, as the case may be. Recorded contingent
liabilities are based on the most recent information available and actual losses in any future period are inherently uncertain. If
future adjustments to estimated probable future losses or actual losses exceed our recorded liability for such claims, we would
record additional charges during the period in which the actual loss or change in estimate occurred. In addition to contingent
liabilities recorded for probable losses, we disclose contingent liabilities when there is a reasonable possibility the ultimate loss
will materially exceed the recorded liability. While we cannot predict the outcome of pending legal matters with certainty, we
do not believe any currently identified claim or proceeding, either individually or in aggregate, will have a material impact on
our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Income Taxes. As discussed in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this
report, we evaluate our deferred tax assets quarterly to determine if adjustments to our valuation allowance are required based
on the consideration of all available positive and negative evidence using a “more likely than not” standard with respect to
whether deferred tax assets will be realized. This evaluation considers, among other factors, our historical operating results, our
expectation of future profitability, the duration of the applicable statutory carryforward periods, and conditions in the housing
market and the broader economy. The ultimate realization of our deferred tax assets depends primarily on our ability to
generate future taxable income during the periods in which the related deferred tax assets become deductible. The value of our
deferred tax assets in our consolidated balance sheets depends on applicable income tax rates. We base our estimate of deferred
tax assets and liabilities on current tax laws and rates. In certain cases, we also base this estimate on business plan forecasts and
other expectations about future outcomes. Changes in positive and negative evidence, including differences between our future
operating results and estimates, could result in the establishment of an additional valuation allowance against our deferred tax
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assets. Accounting for deferred taxes is based upon estimates of future results. Judgment is required in determining the future
tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements and/or tax returns. Differences
between the anticipated and actual outcomes of these future results could have a material impact on our consolidated financial
statements. Also, changes in existing federal and state tax laws and corporate income tax rates could affect future tax results
and the realization of deferred tax assets over time.
We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in our consolidated financial statements as
a component of the provision for income taxes. Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits, combined with accrued interest and
penalties, is reflected as a component of accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. Judgment is
required in evaluating uncertain tax positions. We evaluate our uncertain tax positions quarterly based on various factors,
including changes in facts or circumstances, tax laws or the status of audits by tax authorities. Changes in the recognition or
measurement of uncertain tax positions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements in the period in
which we make the change.
INFLATION
Since 2021, product and labor costs and general inflation in the economy have increased and remained elevated compared
to the prior decade. In turn, we experienced rising land and construction costs, particularly for building materials and
construction service providers’ rates, warranty repair costs, and compensation and benefit expenses to attract and retain talent.
These trends are expected to continue to an extent in 2026, though they may worsen compared to prior years. We generally
enter into land option contracts and other similar contracts to acquire rights to land for the construction of homes a significant
period of time before development and/or sales efforts commence. Accordingly, to the extent land acquisition costs are fixed,
subsequent increases or decreases in our home selling prices will affect our profits. As the selling price of each of our homes is
fixed at the time a buyer enters into a home sales contract, and because we generally commence construction of a home only
after we have a signed sales contract with a homebuyer, any interim construction-related cost inflation can result in lower
housing gross profit margins. In order to help, but not entirely moderate that effect, we typically enter into fixed-price contracts
with our larger trade partners and building material suppliers for specified periods of time.
Inflation is often accompanied by higher and more volatile interest rates, which may negatively impact housing
affordability and the confidence of potential homebuyers, and adversely impact demand for our homes. Inflation may also
increase our financing costs, as borrowings under our Credit Facility, if any, and Term Loan typically accrue interest at a
variable rate based on SOFR.
We expect the inflationary pressures on our business to continue in 2026. While we attempt to pass on increases in our
costs through increased home selling prices, including for design choices and options, market forces and buyer affordability
constraints can limit our ability to do so. If we are unable to raise selling prices enough to compensate for higher costs, or our
borrowing costs increase significantly, our revenues, housing gross profit margin and net income could be adversely affected.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Recent accounting pronouncements are discussed in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
OUTLOOK
We remain optimistic about the long-term prospects for the housing market, given solid underlying drivers, mainly
favorable demographic trends in population growth and household formation, supporting higher demand over time, together
with the ongoing structural undersupply of new homes. While 2025 presented challenging market conditions and our results
declined year over year, we believe we executed well operationally, maintaining high customer satisfaction levels, further
improving build times, lowering construction costs and balancing pace and price to optimize each asset, and delivered solid
operational and financial results. We expect challenging conditions to persist in 2026, as tepid consumer confidence,
macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties, affordability challenges and persistently elevated mortgage interest rates
continue to constrain the pool of actionable buyers and cause buyers to hesitate on making purchasing decisions. At the same
time, we believe we are well-positioned to achieve our projections for the first quarter and full year based on our operational
capabilities, affordable product offerings, improved build times, planned community openings, lot supply, strong balance sheet
and liquidity, and substantial backlog value of $1.40 billion at November 30, 2025, subject to the factors and risks described in
this report.
Reflecting the prevailing environment, and despite a steady level of traffic in our communities, we experienced year-over-
year decreases in our 2025 fourth quarter net orders of 10%, ending backlog of 29% and ending backlog value of 37%. The
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value of our net orders for the 2025 fourth quarter was down 17% year over year driven by the decline in net orders and a 7%
decrease in their average selling price to $455,400, largely due to price reductions we implemented beginning in mid-February
2025 as part of a simplified sales strategy focused on providing a straightforward, transparent base price, with limited, if any,
concessions or incentives, that is intended to offer to our customers a compelling value competitive with area resale home
prices. We expect these price reductions to moderate our overall average selling price and housing gross profit margin on
homes delivered for the 2026 first quarter.
Looking ahead, we intend to continue to balance pace and price at the community level to optimize our assets for the
highest possible returns. While selling through our current inventory, we intend to emphasize sales of our Built to Order homes
with the goal of bringing their proportion in our mix of homes delivered closer to our historical average of 60% to 70%, up
from around 55% in 2025. The 2025 Built to Order mix largely reflects strategies we adopted during the 2020-2024 period to
navigate supply chain disruptions that substantially lengthened our average build time and hindered our even-flow home
production process, and market dynamics in areas with then-low resale home inventory. Our Built to Order homes are our core
competency, a key competitive differentiator that typically generate higher gross profit margins than inventory homes started
without a corresponding buyer, and an appealing proposition to prospective customers, particularly with the meaningful
reduction in our build times we have achieved since the 2023 second quarter, the highly customer-centric personalized
homebuilding process we offer, and the simplified sales approach we implemented in 2025. We were encouraged to see a shift
toward more Built to Order sales during November and December 2025.
We are entering 2026 with a strong financial position and enhanced financial flexibility, supported by our new expanded
Credit Facility and the recent extension of our Term Loan maturity to 2029. In 2026, in order to maintain our long-term growth
platform, we intend, subject to the operating environment and available opportunities, to acquire and control additional land
positions within attractive submarkets in our served markets that meet our investment standards and develop land we own in a
manner that prioritizes capital efficiency, including developing lots where possible in smaller phases and aligning development
with our starts pace to optimally manage our inventory of finished lots.
Consistent with our balanced approach to capital allocation, we also plan to continue returning capital to our stockholders,
primarily through additional share repurchases. As of November 30, 2025, we had $900.0 million remaining under our current
board of directors share repurchase authorization. This provides us the opportunity to continue to repurchase our common
stock in 2026, with the pace, volume and timing based on considerations of our operating cash flow, liquidity outlook, land
investment opportunities and needs, the market price of our common stock, and the housing market and general economic
conditions. Subject to these factors, we expect to repurchase between $50.0 million and $100.0 million of our common stock in
our 2026 first quarter.
In considering the foregoing, our present outlook for the 2026 first quarter and the 2026 full year as to certain metrics is as
follows:
2026 First Quarter –
•We expect deliveries to be in the range of 2,300 to 2,500 homes, compared to 2,770 in the year-earlier period.
•We expect to generate housing revenues in the range of $1.05 billion to $1.15 billion, compared to $1.39 billion for the
corresponding 2025 period.
•We expect our housing gross profit margin to be in the range of 15.4% to 16.0%, assuming no inventory-related
charges, compared to 20.3% for the corresponding 2025 quarter.
•We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to be in the range of
12.2% to 12.8%, compared to 11.0% for the 2025 first quarter.
•We expect our effective tax rate will be approximately 19.0%. The effective tax rate for the year-earlier quarter was
21.4%.
2026 Full Year –
•We expect deliveries to be in the range of 11,000 to 12,500, compared to 12,902 for 2025.
•We expect our housing revenues to be in the range of $5.10 billion to $6.10 billion, compared to $6.21 billion for
2025.
•We expect our effective tax rate will be in the range of 24% to 26%, compared to 22.6% for 2025.
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In addition to factors discussed elsewhere in this report, our future performance and the strategies we implement (and
adjust or refine as necessary or appropriate) will depend significantly on prevailing economic, employment, homebuilding
industry and capital, credit and financial market conditions and on a fairly stable and constructive political and regulatory
environment (particularly in regard to housing and mortgage loan financing policies). This includes U.S. trade policy and
recently implemented and proposed tariffs, and other countries’ countervailing measures, on raw building materials, such as
steel, lumber, drywall and concrete, and/or finished products. Though certain tariffs and countervailing measures instituted in
2025 have influenced pricing in adjacent sectors, we have not experienced significant cost increases or raw material/finished
product availability constraints as of the date of this filing. However, if the U.S. or foreign governments take actions that cause
tariff-related cost or availability pressures to escalate or expand, we could experience significant construction cost increases
and/or supply chain disruptions that, in turn, would impact our business and our consolidated financial statements in future
reporting periods. Additionally, while the Federal Reserve reduced interest rates in September, October and December 2025,
and may lower rates further in 2026 or later periods, we cannot provide any assurance it will or that any interest rate
reduction(s), or other monetary policy changes, will meaningfully lower mortgage interest rates or positively affect demand or
our business, results of operations or consolidated financial statements. The potential extent and effect of these and other
factors on our business is highly uncertain, unpredictable and outside our control, and our past performance, including in 2025,
should not be considered indicative of our future results on any metric or set of metrics, including, but not limited to, our net
orders, backlog, revenues, margins and returns.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this report, as well as some statements by us in periodic press
releases and other public disclosures and some oral statements by us to securities analysts, stockholders and others during
presentations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the
“Act”). Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words
such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “hope,” and similar expressions constitute forward-
looking statements. In addition, any statements that we may make or provide concerning future financial or operating
performance (including without limitation future revenues, community count, homes delivered, net orders, selling prices, sales
pace per new community, expenses, expense ratios, housing gross profits, housing gross profit margins, earnings or earnings
per share, or growth or growth rates), future market conditions, future interest rates, and other economic conditions, ongoing
business strategies or prospects, future dividends and changes in dividend levels, the value of our backlog (including amounts
that we expect to realize upon delivery of homes included in our backlog and the timing of those deliveries), the value of our
net orders, potential future asset acquisitions and the impact of completed acquisitions, future share issuances or repurchases,
future debt issuances, repurchases or redemptions and other possible future actions are also forward-looking statements as
defined by the Act. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and
are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about our operations, economic and market factors, and the homebuilding
industry, among other things. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and we have no specific policy or
intention to update these statements. If we update or revise any such statement(s), no assumption should be made that we will
further update or review that statement(s) or update or revise any other such statement(s). In addition, forward-looking and
other statements in this report and in other public or oral disclosures that express or contain opinions, views or assumptions
about market or economic conditions; the success, performance, effectiveness and/or relative positioning of our strategies,
initiatives or operational activities; and other matters, may be based in whole or in part on general observations of our
management, limited or anecdotal evidence and/or business or industry experience without in-depth or any particular empirical
investigation, inquiry or analysis.
Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a
number of factors. The most important risk factors that could cause our actual performance and future events and actions to
differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
•general economic, employment and business conditions;
•population growth, household formations and demographic trends;
•conditions in the capital, credit and financial markets;
•our ability to access external financing sources and raise capital through the issuance of common stock, debt or other
securities, and/or project financing, on favorable terms;
•the execution of any securities repurchases pursuant to our board of directors’ authorization;
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•material and trade costs and availability, including the greater costs associated with achieving current and expected
higher standards for ENERGY STAR certified homes, and delays related to state and municipal construction,
permitting, inspection and utility processes, which have been disrupted by key equipment shortages;
•consumer and producer price inflation;
•changes in interest rates, including those set by the Federal Reserve and those available in the capital markets or from
financial institutions and other lenders, and applicable to mortgage loans;
•our debt level, including our ratio of debt to capital, and our ability to adjust our debt level and maturity schedule;
•our compliance with the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan;
•the ability and willingness of the applicable lenders and financial institutions, or any substitute or additional lenders
and financial institutions, to meet their commitments or fund borrowings, extend credit or provide payment guarantees
to or for us under the Credit Facility or LOC Facility;
•volatility in the market price of our common stock;
•home selling prices, including our homes’ selling prices, being unaffordable relative to consumer incomes;
•weak or declining consumer confidence, either generally or specifically with respect to purchasing homes;
•competition from other sellers of new and resale homes, particularly homebuilders with significant unsold inventory;
•weather events, significant natural disasters and other climate and environmental factors, such as a lack of adequate
water supply to permit new home communities in certain areas, and the unprecedented wildfires in the Los Angeles
County area in January 2025;
•lingering economic and financial market impacts from the prolonged shutdown of the federal government’s operations
in October and November 2025, and any failure of lawmakers to agree on a budget or appropriation legislation to fund
the federal government’s operations (also known as a government shutdown), and financial markets’ and businesses’
reactions to any such failure;
•potential instability associated with the regulatory and executive policies, proposals and orders of the U.S. presidential
administration, including any directed at our operations, business practices or capital allocation strategies;
•government actions, policies, programs and regulations directed at or affecting the housing market (including the tax
benefits associated with purchasing and owning a home, and the standards, fees and size limits applicable to the
purchase or insuring of mortgage loans by government-sponsored enterprises and government agencies), the
homebuilding industry, or construction activities;
•changes in existing tax laws or enacted corporate income tax rates, including those resulting from regulatory guidance
and interpretations issued with respect thereto, such as IRS guidance regarding heightened qualification requirements
for federal tax credits for building energy-efficient homes and the pending expiration of such tax credits in 2026;
•changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and duties on homebuilding materials and products,
and related trade disputes with and retaliatory measures taken by other countries;
•disruptions in world and regional trade flows, economic activity and supply chains due to the military conflict in
Ukraine, including those stemming from wide-ranging sanctions the U.S. and other countries have imposed or may
further impose on Russian business sectors, financial organizations, individuals and raw materials, the impact of which
may, among other things, increase our operational costs, exacerbate building materials and appliance shortages and/or
reduce our revenues and earnings;
•the adoption of new or amended financial accounting standards and the guidance and/or interpretations with respect
thereto;
•the availability and cost of land in desirable areas and our ability to timely and efficiently develop acquired land
parcels and open new home communities;
•impairment, land option contract abandonment or other inventory-related charges, including any stemming from
decreases in the value of our land assets;
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•our warranty claims experience with respect to homes previously delivered and actual warranty costs incurred;
•costs and/or charges arising from regulatory compliance requirements or from legal, arbitral or regulatory proceedings,
investigations, claims or settlements, including unfavorable outcomes in any such matters resulting in actual or
potential monetary damage awards, penalties, fines or other direct or indirect payments, or injunctions, consent decrees
or other voluntary or involuntary restrictions or adjustments to our business operations or practices that are beyond our
current expectations and/or accruals;
•our ability to use/realize the net deferred tax assets we have generated;
•our ability to successfully implement our current and planned strategies and initiatives related to our product,
geographic and market positioning, gaining share and scale in our served markets, through, among other things, our
making substantial investments in land and land development, which, in some cases, involves putting significant
capital over several years into large projects in one location, and in entering into new markets;
•our operational and investment concentration in markets in California;
•consumer interest in and responsiveness to our new home communities, products and simplified selling process and
transparent pricing initiatives, particularly from first-time homebuyers and higher-income consumers;
•our ability to generate orders and convert our backlog of orders to home deliveries and revenues, particularly in key
markets in California;
•our ability to successfully implement our business strategies and achieve any associated financial and operational
targets and objectives, including those discussed in this report or in any of our other public filings, presentations or
disclosures;
•income tax expense volatility associated with stock-based compensation;
•the ability of our homebuyers to obtain homeowners and flood insurance policies, and/or typical or lender-required
policies for other hazards or events, for their homes, which may depend on the ability and willingness of insurers or
government-funded or -sponsored programs to offer coverage at an affordable price or at all;
•the ability of our homebuyers to obtain residential mortgage loans and mortgage banking services, which may depend
on the ability and willingness of lenders and financial institutions to offer such loans and services to our homebuyers;
•the performance of mortgage lenders to our homebuyers;
•the performance of KBHS;
•the ability and willingness of lenders and financial institutions to extend credit facilities to KBHS to fund its originated
mortgage loans;
•information technology failures and data security breaches;
•an epidemic, pandemic or significant seasonal or other disease outbreak, and the control response measures that
international, federal, state and local governments, agencies, law enforcement and/or health authorities implement to
address it, which may precipitate or exacerbate one or more of the above-mentioned and/or other risks, and
significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period;
•widespread protests and/or civil unrest, whether due to political events, social movements or other reasons; and
•other events outside of our control.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000795266-25-000014.
Item 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our discussion and analysis below is focused on our 2024 and 2023 financial results, including comparisons of our year-
over-year performance between these years. Discussion and analysis of our 2022 fiscal year specifically, as well as the year-
over-year comparison of our 2023 financial performance to 2022, are located under Part II, Item 7 – 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
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November 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on January 19, 2024, which is available on our investor relations website at
investor.kbhome.com and the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview. Revenues are generated from our homebuilding and financial services operations. The following table presents
a summary of our consolidated results of operations (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2024 vs 2023 | 2023 vs 2022 | |||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||
| Homebuilding | $6,902,239 | $6,381,106 | $6,880,362 | 8% | (7)% | ||||
| Financial services | 27,847 | 29,523 | 23,414 | (6) | 26 | ||||
| Total | $6,930,086 | $6,410,629 | $6,903,776 | 8% | (7)% | ||||
| Pretax income: | |||||||||
| Homebuilding | $802,028 | $731,783 | $1,033,615 | 10% | (29)% | ||||
| Financial services | 48,890 | 39,494 | 38,451 | 24 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 850,918 | 771,277 | 1,072,066 | 10 | (28) | ||||
| Income tax expense | (195,900) | (181,100) | (255,400) | (8) | 29 | ||||
| Net income | $655,018 | $590,177 | $816,666 | 11% | (28)% | ||||
| Earnings per share: | |||||||||
| Basic | $8.70 | $7.25 | $9.35 | 20% | (22)% | ||||
| Diluted | $8.45 | $7.03 | $9.09 | 20% | (23)% |
In 2024, our operational execution contributed to year-over-year increases in total revenues, net income and diluted
earnings per share. Our performance for the year reflected, among other things, key longer-term housing market drivers
remaining largely positive, including favorable demographic trends, rising household formations, solid employment, wage
growth and the ongoing undersupply of new and resale homes. At the same time, affordability constraints stemming largely
from rising mortgage interest rates tempered buyer demand in 2024.
Our net orders in 2024 increased 18% year over year to 13,093, and the pace of monthly net orders per community rose to
4.4 from 3.8 in 2023, despite uneven market conditions during the current year that were driven primarily by buyer discomfort
with volatile mortgage interest rates, persistent inflationary pressures and general economic concerns. To navigate this business
environment, we focused on balancing pace, price and construction starts at each community to optimize our return on each
inventory asset within its market context. With this approach, we implemented price increases in most of our communities in
the 2024 first half, selectively adjusted prices at certain communities in the third quarter to help stimulate demand, and, given
our backlog entering the period, held prices relatively stable in the seasonally slower fourth quarter. Additionally, we continued
to employ targeted sales strategies throughout the year, as we have to varying degrees since the 2022 second half, including
homebuyer concessions (particularly, mortgage-related concessions such as interest rate buydowns), to help drive order activity
and minimize cancellations, especially during periods of rising mortgage interest rates. Reflecting these actions, and relatively
soft net order levels in the year-earlier quarter, our 2024 fourth quarter net orders and net order value each grew 41% year over
year, with all of our homebuilding reporting segments generating increases. Our cancellation rate as a percentage of gross
orders for the 2024 fourth quarter improved to 17%, from 28% for the 2023 fourth quarter and, together with our improved
build times compared to a year ago, our homes delivered as a percentage of backlog at the beginning of the quarter increased to
69% for the 2024 fourth quarter from 49% for the year-earlier quarter.
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Homebuilding revenues for 2024 and 2023 were comprised of housing revenues and land sale revenues. Housing revenues
of $6.90 billion grew 8% from the previous year, due to a 7% increase in the number of homes delivered to 14,169 and a slight
increase in the overall average selling price of those homes to $486,900. Approximately 50% of our homes delivered in 2024
were to first-time homebuyers. Homebuilding operating income for 2024 increased 6% to $763.9 million, compared to $718.7
million for 2023 and, as a percentage of homebuilding revenues was 11.1%, compared to 11.3%. Our homebuilding operating
income margin for 2024 primarily reflected a 20 basis point decrease in our housing gross profit margin to 21.0%, as selling,
general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues were nearly even with the prior year at 10.0%. Net
income and diluted earnings per share for 2024 grew 11% and 20%, respectively, each as compared to 2023. The increase in
diluted earnings per share for 2024 was driven by higher net income and the favorable impact of our common stock repurchases
over the past several quarters.
Our return on equity (“ROE”) for 2024 was 16.6%, compared to 15.7% for 2023. ROE is calculated as net income for the
year divided by average stockholders’ equity, where average stockholders’ equity is based on the ending stockholders’ equity
balances of the trailing five quarters.
We believe our strong balance sheet and liquidity position helped provide us with the flexibility to operate effectively
through the evolving market conditions during the year and pursue our priorities of investing in land and land development to
support future growth and returning capital to our stockholders. In 2024, we continued to take a balanced approach in
allocating our capital aligned with these priorities. Our investments in land and land development for 2024 increased 58% year
over year to $2.84 billion. In addition, we repurchased approximately 4.7 million shares of our common stock at a total cost of
$350.0 million, which represented about 6% of our shares that were outstanding at the start of the year, and in the 2024 second
quarter, our board of directors increased the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock by 25% to $.25 per share, from $.20
per share. We paid a cash dividend at this higher rate in the 2024 second, third and fourth quarters. We ended 2024 with total
liquidity of $1.68 billion, comprised of $598.0 million of cash and cash equivalents and $1.08 billion of available capacity
under our Credit Facility. We had no cash borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility at November 30, 2024.
Reflecting our increased investments in land and land development, we ended 2024 with 258 active communities, up 7%
year over year. Although the number of homes in our ending backlog at November 30, 2024 was down 20% year over year to
4,434, mainly reflecting a 28% improvement in our 2024 average build time, we believe we are well-positioned for 2025, as
described below under “Outlook.”
HOMEBUILDING
Financial Results. The following table presents a summary of certain financial and operational data for our homebuilding
operations (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Revenues: | |||||
| Housing | $6,898,667 | $6,370,421 | $6,880,362 | ||
| Land | 3,572 | 10,685 | — | ||
| Total | 6,902,239 | 6,381,106 | 6,880,362 | ||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||
| Construction and land costs | |||||
| Housing | (5,449,382) | (5,020,783) | (5,210,802) | ||
| Land | (2,101) | (9,492) | (2,541) | ||
| Total | (5,451,483) | (5,030,275) | (5,213,343) | ||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (686,848) | (632,094) | (629,645) | ||
| Total | (6,138,331) | (5,662,369) | (5,842,988) | ||
| Operating income | 763,908 | 718,737 | 1,037,374 | ||
| Interest income and other | 32,101 | 13,759 | 704 | ||
| Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures | 6,019 | (713) | (865) | ||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | — | — | (3,598) | ||
| Homebuilding pretax income | $802,028 | $731,783 | $1,033,615 |
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| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Homes delivered | 14,169 | 13,236 | 13,738 | ||
| Average selling price | $486,900 | $481,300 | $500,800 | ||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.0% | 21.2% | 24.3% | ||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.1% | 21.4% | 24.8% | ||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues | 10.0% | 9.9% | 9.2% | ||
| Operating income as a percentage of homebuilding revenues | 11.1% | 11.3% | 15.1% |
Revenues. Homebuilding revenues of $6.90 billion for 2024 grew 8% from the prior year due to an increase in housing
revenues, partly offset by a decrease in land sale revenues.
In 2024, housing revenues grew 8% from the previous year, reflecting a 7% increase in the number of homes delivered and
a slight increase in their overall average selling price. The year-over-year growth in the number of homes delivered reflected
increases of 28%, 9% and 7% in our West Coast, Southeast and Southwest homebuilding reporting segments, respectively,
partially offset by a 10% decrease in our Central segment. The slightly higher average selling price primarily resulted from the
combined effect of product and geographic mix factors, particularly a greater proportion of homes delivered from our higher-
priced West Coast homebuilding reporting segment, and a decrease in homebuyer concessions.
We generated $3.6 million of land sale revenues in 2024, compared to $10.7 million of such revenues in 2023. Generally,
land sale revenues fluctuate with our decisions to maintain or decrease our land ownership position in certain markets based
upon the volume of our holdings, our business strategy, the strength and number of developers and other land buyers in
particular markets at given points in time, the availability of opportunities to sell land at acceptable prices and prevailing market
conditions.
Operating Income. Our homebuilding operating income increased 6% in 2024, as compared to the previous year, primarily
reflecting higher housing gross profits, partly offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses. In 2024 and 2023,
homebuilding operating income included total inventory-related charges of $4.6 million and $11.4 million, respectively, as
discussed in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in this report. As a percentage of homebuilding revenues, our homebuilding operating income for 2024 decreased
20 basis points year over year to 11.1%, mainly due to a lower housing gross profit margin. Excluding inventory-related
charges for both periods, our homebuilding operating income margin declined 30 basis points to 11.1% in 2024 from 11.4% in
2023.
•Housing Gross Profits – In 2024, housing gross profits of $1.45 billion grew 7% from the previous year, reflecting an
increase in housing revenues, partly offset by a decrease in our housing gross profit margin. Housing gross profits for
2024 and 2023 included inventory-related charges associated with housing operations of $4.6 million and $11.4
million, respectively.
Our housing gross profit margin for 2024 was 21.0%, down 20 basis points from the previous year, primarily due to
product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered and higher relative construction and land costs, largely offset by
decreases in both inventory-related charges and homebuyer concessions. As a percentage of housing revenues, the
amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with housing operations was 1.7% for 2024 and 1.9% for
2023. Excluding the inventory-related charges associated with housing operations described above, our adjusted
housing gross profit margin decreased 30 basis points year over year to 21.1% in 2024. The calculation of adjusted
housing gross profit margin, which we believe provides a clearer measure of the performance of our business, is
described below under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
•Land Sale Profits – Land sale profits totaled $1.5 million for 2024, compared to $1.2 million for 2023.
31
•Selling, General and Administrative Expenses – The following table presents the components of our selling, general
and administrative expenses (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | % of Housing Revenues | 2023 | % of Housing Revenues | 2022 | % of Housing Revenues | ||||||
| Marketing expenses | $158,108 | 2.3% | $143,577 | 2.2% | $136,262 | 2.0% | |||||
| Commission expenses (a) | 238,327 | 3.5 | 222,743 | 3.5 | 220,466 | 3.2 | |||||
| General and administrative expenses | 290,413 | 4.2 | 265,774 | 4.2 | 272,917 | 4.0 | |||||
| Total | $686,848 | 10.0% | $632,094 | 9.9% | $629,645 | 9.2% |
(a)Commission expenses include sales commissions on homes delivered paid to internal sales counselors and
external real estate brokers.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for 2024 increased 9% from the prior year. As a percentage of housing
revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses for 2024 were nearly even with 2023, primarily reflecting
higher costs, including marketing and other expenses associated with the increase in our community count during the
year to position our operations for growth, mostly offset by increased operating leverage from higher housing
revenues.
Interest Income/Expense and Other. In 2024, interest income and other was comprised of interest income and a $12.5
million gain associated with the sale of a privately held technology company in which we held an ownership interest. Further
information regarding this gain is provided in Note 11 – Other Assets in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this
report. In 2023, interest income and other was comprised solely of interest income. Interest income, which is generated from
short-term investments, increased to $19.6 million in 2024, compared to $13.8 million in 2023 due to our higher average
balance of cash equivalents and a higher average interest rate in 2024. Generally, increases and decreases in interest income are
attributable to changes in the interest-bearing average balances of short-term investments and fluctuations in interest rates.
We incur interest principally from our borrowings to finance land acquisitions, land development, home construction and
other operating and capital needs. The amount of interest incurred generally fluctuates based on the average amount of debt
outstanding for the period and the interest rate on that debt. In 2024, total interest incurred of $105.6 million decreased from
$107.1 million in 2023 primarily due to there being no borrowings under the Credit Facility in 2024. All interest incurred
during 2024 and 2023 was capitalized as the average amount of our inventory qualifying for interest capitalization was higher
than our average debt level for each period. As a result, we had no interest expense for 2024 or 2023. Further information
regarding our interest incurred and capitalized is provided in Note 6 – Inventories in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in this report.
Equity in Income (Loss) of Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. Our equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures was
$6.0 million for 2024, compared to a nominal equity in loss of unconsolidated joint ventures for 2023. The year-over-year
improvement in 2024 mainly reflected homes delivered by an unconsolidated joint venture in California. In 2023, our
unconsolidated joint ventures did not deliver any homes. Further information regarding our investments in unconsolidated joint
ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in this report.
Net Orders, Backlog and Community Count. The following table presents information about our net orders, cancellation
rate, ending backlog, and community count for the years ended November 30, 2024 and 2023 (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Net orders | 13,093 | 11,084 | ||
| Net order value (a) | $6,473,895 | $5,346,541 | ||
| Cancellation rate (b) | 14% | 26% | ||
| Ending backlog — homes | 4,434 | 5,510 | ||
| Ending backlog — value | $2,242,907 | $2,667,679 | ||
| Ending community count | 258 | 242 | ||
| Average community count | 248 | 245 |
32
(a)Net order value represents potential future housing revenues associated with net orders generated during the period, as well
as homebuyer selections of lot and product premiums and design choices and options for homes in backlog during the same
period.
(b)Cancellation rate represents the total number of contracts for new homes cancelled during a period divided by the total
(gross) orders for new homes generated during the same period.
Net Orders. Net orders from our homebuilding operations for the year ended November 30, 2024 grew 18% from the
previous year, reflecting an increase in the pace of monthly net orders per community to 4.4 in 2024, compared to 3.8 in 2023.
The value of our 2024 net orders rose 21% year over year as a result of the net order growth and a 3% increase in the overall
average selling price of net orders to $494,500. In 2024, the year-over-year growth in our overall net order value reflected
increases in each of our homebuilding reporting segments, ranging from 13% in our Southeast segment to 48% in our Central
segment.
Our cancellation rate as a percentage of gross orders for the year ended November 30, 2024 improved year over year,
reflecting buyers’ ability and willingness to close on their homes when available for delivery.
Backlog. The number of homes in our backlog at November 30, 2024 decreased 20% from the previous year mainly due to
a 28% improvement in our 2024 average build time. The potential future housing revenues in our backlog at November 30,
2024 were down 16% year over year, reflecting fewer homes in our backlog, partially offset by a 4% increase in the average
selling price of those homes. Backlog value decreased in each of our four homebuilding reporting segments, with decreases in
value ranging from 5% in our Central segment to 29% in our Southeast segment. Based on our historical experience, a portion
of the homes in backlog will not result in homes delivered due to cancellations.
Community Count. Our average community count for 2024 expanded slightly from the previous year, and our ending
community count grew 7%. The year-over-year increase in our ending community count primarily reflected our investments in
land and land development in 2023 and 2024 generating new community openings over the past 12 months that exceeded the
number of communities selling out during the same period. Our ending community count for 2024 also reflected a 58% year-
over-year increase in our investments in land and land development for the year, as discussed below under “Liquidity and
Capital Resources.”
HOMEBUILDING REPORTING SEGMENTS
Operational Data. The following tables present information about our homes delivered, net orders, cancellation rates as a
percentage of gross orders, net order value, average community count, and ending backlog (number of homes and value) by
homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homes Delivered | Net Orders | Cancellation Rates | ||||||||||
| Segment | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| West Coast | 4,316 | 3,365 | 3,982 | 3,623 | 14% | 17% | ||||||
| Southwest | 2,890 | 2,699 | 2,645 | 2,386 | 10 | 17 | ||||||
| Central | 4,051 | 4,506 | 3,917 | 2,784 | 14 | 40 | ||||||
| Southeast | 2,912 | 2,666 | 2,549 | 2,291 | 19 | 27 | ||||||
| Total | 14,169 | 13,236 | 13,093 | 11,084 | 14% | 26% |
| Net Order Value | Average Community Count | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | 2024 | 2023 | Variance | 2024 | 2023 | Variance | ||||||
| West Coast | $2,780,631 | $2,423,459 | 15% | 80 | 76 | 5% | ||||||
| Southwest | 1,225,604 | 1,032,334 | 19 | 43 | 44 | (2) | ||||||
| Central | 1,427,132 | 965,994 | 48 | 76 | 79 | (4) | ||||||
| Southeast | 1,040,528 | 924,754 | 13 | 49 | 46 | 7 | ||||||
| Total | $6,473,895 | $5,346,541 | 21% | 248 | 245 | 1% |
33
| November 30, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backlog – Homes | Backlog – Value | |||||||||||
| Segment | 2024 | 2023 | Variance | 2024 | 2023 | Variance | ||||||
| West Coast | 1,211 | 1,545 | (22)% | $874,364 | $1,025,381 | (15)% | ||||||
| Southwest | 1,134 | 1,379 | (18) | 532,371 | 616,717 | (14) | ||||||
| Central | 1,133 | 1,267 | (11) | 436,093 | 458,593 | (5) | ||||||
| Southeast | 956 | 1,319 | (28) | 400,079 | 566,988 | (29) | ||||||
| Total | 4,434 | 5,510 | (20)% | $2,242,907 | $2,667,679 | (16)% |
As discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, the composition of our homes delivered, net orders and backlog
shifts with the product and geographic mix of our active communities and the corresponding average selling prices of the
homes ordered and/or delivered at these communities in any particular period, changing as new communities open and existing
communities wind down or sell out in the ordinary course. In addition, with our Built to Order model, the selling prices of
individual homes within a community may vary due to differing lot sizes and locations, home square footage, product
premiums and the design choices and options buyers select. These intrinsic variations in our business limit the comparability of
our homes delivered, net orders and backlog, as well as their corresponding values, between sequential and year-over-year
periods, in addition to the effect of prevailing economic or housing market conditions in or across any particular periods.
Financial Results. Below is a discussion of the financial results of each of our homebuilding reporting segments. Further
information regarding these segments, including their pretax income (loss), is included in Note 2 – Segment Information in the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. The difference between each homebuilding reporting segment’s
operating income (loss) and pretax income (loss) is generally due to the equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint
ventures, which is also presented in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this
report, and/or interest income and expense.
In addition to the results of our homebuilding reporting segments presented below, our consolidated homebuilding
operating income includes the results of Corporate and other, a non-operating segment described in Note 2 – Segment
Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. Corporate and other had operating losses of
$149.0 million in 2024, $142.6 million in 2023 and $145.3 million in 2022.
The financial results of our homebuilding reporting segments for 2024 and 2023 were impacted to varying degrees by
homebuyer concessions we selectively extended to buyers in conjunction with our targeted sales strategies, as well as product
and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered.
West Coast. The following table presents financial information related to our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment
for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2024 vs 2023 | 2023 vs 2022 | |||||
| Revenues | $2,932,058 | $2,321,093 | $3,050,506 | 26 % | (24) % | ||||
| Construction and land costs | (2,367,008) | (1,888,422) | (2,345,754) | (25) | 19 | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (195,436) | (165,712) | (184,619) | (18) | 10 | ||||
| Operating income | $369,614 | $266,959 | $520,133 | 38 % | (49) % | ||||
| Homes delivered | 4,316 | 3,365 | 4,186 | 28 % | (20) % | ||||
| Average selling price | $679,300 | $689,800 | $728,700 | (2) % | (5) % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 12.6% | 11.5% | 17.1% | 110bps | (560) bps |
In 2024, this segment’s revenues were comprised of housing revenues and nominal land sale revenues. In 2023, revenues
were generated solely from housing revenues. Housing revenues for 2024 grew 26% from 2023 due to an increase in the
number of homes delivered, partly offset by a decrease in their average selling price. Operating income for 2024 was also up
year over year, reflecting higher housing gross profits, partially offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses.
As a percentage of revenues, this segment’s 2024 operating income increased from the previous year, reflecting a 70 basis-point
expansion in the housing gross profit margin to 19.3% and a 40 basis-point improvement in selling, general and administrative
expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 6.7%. The housing gross profit margin expansion primarily reflected lower
34
relative construction and land costs, increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues, a decrease in homebuyer
concessions and product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered. Inventory-related charges associated with housing
operations decreased to $2.9 million in 2024, compared to $4.9 million in 2023. The year-over-year improvement in selling,
general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues was mainly due to improved operating leverage from
increased housing revenues, partly offset by higher costs including marketing and other expenses associated with our expanded
community count in this segment.
Southwest. The following table presents financial information related to our Southwest homebuilding reporting segment
for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2024 vs 2023 | 2023 vs 2022 | |||||
| Revenues | $1,309,950 | $1,169,948 | $1,110,045 | 12 % | 5 % | ||||
| Construction and land costs | (984,730) | (896,089) | (789,651) | (10) | (13) | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (96,438) | (85,235) | (82,002) | (13) | (4) | ||||
| Operating income | $228,782 | $188,624 | $238,392 | 21 % | (21) % | ||||
| Homes delivered | 2,890 | 2,699 | 2,592 | 7 % | 4 % | ||||
| Average selling price | $453,300 | $431,200 | $428,300 | 5 % | 1 % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 17.5% | 16.1% | 21.5% | 140bps | (540)bps |
This segment’s revenues in 2024 were generated solely from housing revenues. In 2023, revenues were comprised of both
housing revenues and land sale revenues. Housing revenues for 2024 grew 13% year over year, reflecting increases in both the
number of homes delivered and their average selling price. Land sale revenues totaled $6.0 million in 2023. Operating income
rose from the previous year, primarily due to higher housing gross profits, partly offset by higher selling, general and
administrative expenses and the absence of land sale profits in 2024. Land sale profits totaled $1.1 million in 2023. As a
percentage of revenues, operating income increased year over year, primarily due to a 140 basis-point expansion in the housing
gross profit margin to 24.8%, with selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues nearly even
at 7.4%. The year-over-year improvement in the housing gross profit margin mainly reflected lower relative construction and
land costs, increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues, a decrease in homebuyer concessions, and product and
geographic mix shifts of homes delivered.
Central. The following table presents financial information related to our Central homebuilding reporting segment for the
years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2024 vs 2023 | 2023 vs 2022 | |||||
| Revenues | $1,452,794 | $1,831,914 | $1,749,231 | (21) % | 5 % | ||||
| Construction and land costs | (1,136,420) | (1,420,063) | (1,336,986) | 20 | (6) | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (144,942) | (153,248) | (140,248) | 5 | (9) | ||||
| Operating income | $171,432 | $258,603 | $271,997 | (34) % | (5) % | ||||
| Homes delivered | 4,051 | 4,506 | 4,339 | (10) % | 4 % | ||||
| Average selling price | $357,800 | $405,500 | $403,100 | (12) % | 1 % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 11.8% | 14.1% | 15.6% | (230)bps | (150)bps |
This segment’s revenues in 2024 and 2023 were comprised of both housing revenues and land sale revenues. Housing
revenues for 2024 declined 21% from the prior year to $1.45 billion, reflecting decreases in both the number of homes delivered
and the average selling price of those homes. Land sale revenues were $3.2 million in 2024, compared to $4.7 million in 2023.
Operating income for 2024 was down year over year mainly due to lower housing gross profits, partly offset by lower selling,
general and administrative expenses. Land sale profits were $1.1 million in 2024, compared to $.1 million in 2023. As a
percentage of revenues, operating income declined from the previous year, reflecting an 80 basis-point decrease in the housing
35
gross profit margin to 21.7% and a 150 basis-point increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of
housing revenues to 10.0%. The year-over-year decline in the housing gross profit margin was mainly driven by higher relative
construction and land costs, product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered, and reduced operating leverage from lower
housing revenues, partly offset by a decrease in amortization of previously capitalized interest. The housing gross profit margin
for 2024 included inventory-related charges of $.8 million, compared to $2.5 million in 2023. The year-over-year increase in
selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues was primarily due to reduced operating
leverage from lower housing revenues.
Southeast. The following table presents financial information related to our Southeast homebuilding reporting segment for
the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2024 vs 2023 | 2023 vs 2022 | |||||
| Revenues | $1,207,437 | $1,058,151 | $970,580 | 14 % | 9 % | ||||
| Construction and land costs | (956,682) | (815,760) | (731,813) | (17) | (11) | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (107,642) | (95,262) | (86,585) | (13) | (10) | ||||
| Operating income | $143,113 | $147,129 | $152,182 | (3)% | (3)% | ||||
| Homes delivered | 2,912 | 2,666 | 2,621 | 9 % | 2 % | ||||
| Average selling price | $414,600 | $396,900 | $370,300 | 4 % | 7 % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 11.9% | 13.9% | 15.7% | (200)bps | (180)bps |
This segment’s revenues for 2024 and 2023 were generated solely from housing operations. In 2024, housing revenues
grew year over year due to increases in both the number of homes delivered and the average selling price of those homes.
Operating income was down from 2023, reflecting higher selling, general and administrative expenses, partly offset by higher
housing gross profits. As a percentage of revenues, operating income decreased from 2023 primarily due to a 210 basis-point
decline in the housing gross profit margin to 20.8% that mainly reflected higher relative construction and land costs, and
product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered, partly offset by a decrease in inventory-related charges and improved
operating leverage from higher housing revenues. In 2024, inventory-related charges associated with housing operations were
$.5 million, compared to $4.0 million in 2023. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing
revenues improved 10 basis points year over year to 8.9%.
FINANCIAL SERVICES REPORTING SEGMENT
The following table presents a summary of selected financial and operational data for our financial services reporting
segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Revenues | $27,847 | $29,523 | $23,414 | ||
| Expenses | (6,133) | (5,726) | (5,762) | ||
| Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures | 27,176 | 15,697 | 20,799 | ||
| Pretax income | $48,890 | $39,494 | $38,451 | ||
| Total originations (a): | |||||
| Loans | 10,241 | 9,167 | 8,402 | ||
| Principal | $4,109,025 | $3,630,734 | $3,335,837 | ||
| Percentage of homebuyers using KBHS | 87% | 83% | 71% | ||
| Average FICO score | 743 | 736 | 734 |
36
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Loans sold (a): | |||||
| Loans sold to GR Alliance | 9,240 | 9,017 | 7,563 | ||
| Principal | $3,682,769 | $3,588,618 | $3,026,290 | ||
| Loans sold to other third parties | 1,121 | 347 | 861 | ||
| Principal | $469,207 | $123,258 | $287,436 |
| Mortgage loan origination mix (a): | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional/non-conventional loans | 53% | 59% | 67% | ||
| FHA loans | 35% | 27% | 20% | ||
| Other government loans | 12% | 14% | 13% | ||
| Loan type (a): | |||||
| Fixed | 84% | 92% | 98% | ||
| ARM | 16% | 8% | 2% |
(a)Loan originations and sales occurred within KBHS.
Revenues. Our financial services reporting segment, which includes the operations of KB HOME Mortgage Company,
generates revenues primarily from insurance commissions and title services. In 2024, financial services revenues declined 6%
year over year due to decreases in both insurance commissions and title services revenues.
Pretax income. Our financial services pretax income for 2024 grew 24% from the previous year, reflecting an increase in
the equity in income of our unconsolidated joint venture, KBHS, partly offset by a decrease in operating income from our
insurance and title services businesses. In 2024, the equity in income of our unconsolidated joint ventures rose 73% year over
year as a result of an increase in KBHS’ income. The year-over-year growth in KBHS’ income was primarily due to a gain of
$2.1 million in the fair value of interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”) in 2024, compared to losses of $16.0 million in 2023.
Also contributing to the year-over-year increase in KBHS’ income was a higher principal amount of loans originated, which
mainly reflected increases in both the number of homes we delivered and the percentage of homebuyers using KBHS. In 2024,
87% of the buyers financing their home purchases used KBHS, compared to 83% in the prior year. Further information
regarding our investments in unconsolidated joint ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint
Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
INCOME TAXES
Income Tax Expense. Our income tax expense and effective income tax rate were as follows (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Income tax expense | $195,900 | $181,100 | $255,400 | ||
| Effective income tax rate | 23.0% | 23.5% | 23.8% |
Our effective tax rate for 2024 was slightly lower than the previous year, mainly due to a $4.0 million decrease in state
taxes, a $2.4 million increase in excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation and a $1.5 million decrease in non-
deductible compensation expense, partly offset by a $5.9 million decline in Section 45L tax credits we recognized primarily
from building energy-efficient homes.
The IRA tied Section 45L tax credit qualification for energy-efficient homes built on and after January 1, 2023 to new
homes achieving ENERGY STAR certification. Based on guidance the IRS issued in September 2023, fewer of the ENERGY
STAR homes we build in California meet the heightened qualification standard the IRS selected for homes built in that state
relative to other states. The heightened tax credit qualifications contributed to our recognizing less Section 45L tax credits in
2024 than in 2023. Subject to future guidance, regulation or legislation, we have opted to build homes in many of our markets
beginning in 2025 to an alternate version of ENERGY STAR under which our homes delivered will continue to be highly
energy efficient and qualify for ENERGY STAR certification but not qualify for Section 45L tax credits, as we believe the
additional costs necessary for some of our homes to satisfy the higher Section 45L standards outweigh the possible benefits
37
from meeting them for both our business and our buyers. Therefore, we expect to realize fewer such tax credits compared to
prior periods, including in 2025 and future years as compared to 2024.
On June 27, 2024, California enacted Senate Bill 167 (“SB-167”), which, among other things, suspended California net
operating loss (“NOL”) utilization and imposed a cap of $5.0 million on the amount of California business incentive tax credits
companies can utilize, effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024 and before January 1, 2027. This act
suspends our ability to use our California NOLs for the years ended November 30, 2025 through 2027. SB-167 includes an
extended carryover period for the suspended California NOLs with an additional year carryforward for each year of suspension.
This act had no impact on our income tax expense for the year ended November 30, 2024 and will have no impact on our
income tax expense in future periods. However, it is expected to impact the timing of tax payments, resulting in a higher
amount of taxes paid for the years ended November 30, 2025 through 2027 and a lower amount of taxes paid when the
California NOLs can be utilized.
Under current accounting standards, we expect volatility in our income tax expense in future periods, the magnitude of
which will depend on, among other factors, the price of our common stock and the timing and volume of stock-based
compensation award activity, such as employee exercises of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock awards and
performance-based restricted stock units (each, a “PSU”).
Further information regarding our income taxes is provided in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements in this report.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
This report contains information about our adjusted housing gross profit margin, which is not calculated in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We believe this non-GAAP financial measure is relevant and useful to
investors in understanding our operations, and may be helpful in comparing us with other companies in the homebuilding
industry to the extent they provide similar information. However, because it is not calculated in accordance with GAAP, this
non-GAAP financial measure may not be completely comparable to other companies in the homebuilding industry and, thus,
should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to operating performance and/or financial measures prescribed by
GAAP. Rather, this non-GAAP financial measure should be used to supplement the most directly comparable GAAP financial
measure in order to provide a greater understanding of the factors and trends affecting our operations.
Adjusted Housing Gross Profit Margin. The following table reconciles our housing gross profit margin calculated in
accordance with GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measure of our adjusted housing gross profit margin (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Housing revenues | $6,898,667 | $6,370,421 | $6,880,362 | ||
| Housing construction and land costs | (5,449,382) | (5,020,783) | (5,210,802) | ||
| Housing gross profits | 1,449,285 | 1,349,638 | 1,669,560 | ||
| Add: Inventory-related charges (a) | 4,597 | 11,424 | 34,760 | ||
| Adjusted housing gross profits | $1,453,882 | $1,361,062 | $1,704,320 | ||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.0% | 21.2% | 24.3% | ||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.1% | 21.4% | 24.8% |
(a)Represents inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges associated with housing operations.
Adjusted housing gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure, which we calculate by dividing housing revenues
less housing construction and land costs excluding housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment
charges (as applicable) recorded during a given period, by housing revenues. The most directly comparable GAAP financial
measure is housing gross profit margin. We believe adjusted housing gross profit margin is a relevant and useful financial
measure to investors in evaluating our performance as it measures the gross profits we generated specifically on the homes
delivered during a given period. This non-GAAP financial measure isolates the impact that the housing inventory impairment
and land option contract abandonment charges have on housing gross profit margins, and allows investors to make comparisons
with our competitors that adjust housing gross profit margins in a similar manner. We also believe investors will find adjusted
housing gross profit margin relevant and useful because it represents a profitability measure that may be compared to a prior
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period without regard to variability of housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges. This
financial measure assists us in making strategic decisions regarding community location and product mix, product pricing and
construction pace.
SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION
As of November 30, 2024, we had $1.34 billion in aggregate principal amount of outstanding senior notes, no borrowings
outstanding under the Credit Facility and $360.0 million in aggregate principal amount of borrowings outstanding under the
Term Loan. Our obligations to pay principal and interest on the senior notes and borrowings, if any, under the Credit Facility
and the Term Loan are guaranteed on a joint and several basis by certain of our subsidiaries (“Guarantor Subsidiaries”), which
are listed on Exhibit 22. Our other subsidiaries, including all of our subsidiaries associated with our financial services
operations, do not guarantee any such indebtedness (collectively, “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries”), although we may cause a
Non-Guarantor Subsidiary to become a Guarantor Subsidiary if we believe it to be in our or the relevant subsidiary’s best
interest. See Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for additional
information regarding the terms of our senior notes, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan.
The guarantees are full and unconditional and the Guarantor Subsidiaries are 100% owned by us. The guarantees are
senior unsecured obligations of each of the Guarantor Subsidiaries and rank equally in right of payment with all unsecured and
unsubordinated indebtedness and guarantees of such Guarantor Subsidiaries. The guarantees are effectively subordinated to
any secured indebtedness of such Guarantor Subsidiaries to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and
structurally subordinated to indebtedness and other liabilities of Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries.
Pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the senior notes and the terms of the Credit Facility and Term Loan, if any
of the Guarantor Subsidiaries ceases to be a “significant subsidiary” as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X using a 5%
rather than a 10% threshold (provided that the assets of our Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries do not in the aggregate exceed 10% of
an adjusted measure of our consolidated total assets), it will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from
its guaranty of the senior notes, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan so long as all guarantees by such Guarantor Subsidiary of
any other of our or our subsidiaries’ indebtedness are terminated at or prior to the time of such release.
The following tables present summarized financial information for KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a
combined basis, excluding unconsolidated joint ventures and after the elimination of (a) intercompany transactions and balances
between KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries and (b) equity in earnings from and investments in the Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries. See Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in
this report for additional information regarding our unconsolidated joint ventures.
| November 30, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summarized Balance Sheet Data (in thousands) | ||
| Assets | ||
| Cash | $543,233 | |
| Inventories | 4,981,097 | |
| Amounts due from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 500,321 | |
| Total assets | 6,657,479 | |
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | ||
| Notes payable | 1,691,679 | |
| Amounts due to Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 382,356 | |
| Total liabilities | 2,928,169 | |
| Stockholders’ equity | 3,729,310 |
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| Year Ended November 30, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summarized Statement of Operations Data (in thousands) | ||
| Revenues | $6,306,940 | |
| Construction and land costs | (4,962,430) | |
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (653,832) | |
| Interest income from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 31,164 | |
| Pretax income | 753,018 | |
| Net income | 570,818 |
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Overview. We have funded our homebuilding and financial services activities over the last several years with:
• internally generated cash flows;
• public issuances of debt securities;
• borrowings under the Credit Facility;
• the Term Loan;
• land option contracts and other similar contracts and seller notes;
• public issuances of our common stock; and
• letters of credit and performance bonds.
We manage our use of cash in the operation of our business to support the execution of our primary strategic goals. Over
the past several years, we have primarily used cash for:
•land acquisitions and land development;
•home construction;
•operating expenses;
•principal and interest payments on notes payable;
•repayments of borrowings under the Credit Facility;
•dividends paid to stockholders; and
•repurchases of our common stock.
Cash flows for each of our communities depend on their stage of development and can differ significantly from reported
earnings. Early stages of development or expansion can require significant cash outflows for land acquisition, entitlements,
land development, and construction of roads, utilities, landscaping, model homes and other items. Because these costs are
capitalized as a component of our inventories and are not recognized in our statement of operations until a home is delivered,
we incur significant cash outflows prior to recognizing earnings from a delivered home. As homes are delivered, which in
some cases may be a year or more after the related land development or entitlement work commences, cash inflows may
significantly exceed earnings reported for financial statement purposes, as the cash outflows associated with the land and home
construction were previously incurred.
We ended 2024 with total liquidity of $1.68 billion, including cash and cash equivalents and $1.08 billion of available
capacity under the Credit Facility. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $598.0 million at November 30, 2024, compared to
$727.1 million at November 30, 2023. Cash equivalents included in the total were $385.1 million at November 30, 2024 and
$508.2 million at November 30, 2023, and were mainly invested in interest-bearing bank deposit accounts and money market
funds. We had no cash borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility as of November 30, 2024. Based on our financial
position as of November 30, 2024, and our business forecast for 2025 as discussed below under “Outlook,” we have no material
concerns related to our liquidity. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, our anticipated cash flows from
operations and amounts available under our Credit Facility will be sufficient to fund our anticipated operating and land-related
investment needs for at least the next 12 months.
Cash Requirements. Our material cash requirements include the following contractual and other obligations:
Notes Payable. We have outstanding variable-rate borrowings under the Term Loan, and outstanding fixed-rate senior
notes and mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans with varying maturities. As of November 30, 2024,
our notes payable had an aggregate principal amount of $1.70 billion, with $.5 million payable within 12 months. Future
interest payments associated with the Term Loan and our senior notes, together with the unused commitment fee associated
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with our Credit Facility, totaled $421.7 million as of November 30, 2024, with $102.1 million payable within 12 months. The
Term Loan will mature on August 25, 2026. Our next senior note maturity is our $300.0 million in aggregate principal amount
of 6.875% Senior Notes due 2027. Further information regarding our notes payable is provided in Note 15 – Notes Payable in
the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Leases. We have operating leases for certain property and equipment with an expected term at the commencement date of
more than 12 months. As of November 30, 2024, the future minimum payments required under these leases totaled $22.3
million, with $10.6 million payable within 12 months. Further information regarding our leases is provided in Note 13 – Leases
in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Inventory-Related Obligations. As of November 30, 2024, we had inventory-related obligations totaling $44.4 million,
comprised of liabilities for inventory not owned associated with financing arrangements as discussed in Note 8 – Variable
Interest Entities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, as well as liabilities for fixed or determinable
amounts associated with tax increment financing entity (“TIFE”) assessments. Approximately $11.6 million of these inventory-
related obligations are payable within 12 months. However, TIFE assessment obligations are paid by us only to the extent we
do not deliver homes on applicable lots before the related TIFE obligations mature.
Investments in Land and Land Development. Our investments in land and land development increased 58% to
$2.84 billion in 2024, compared to $1.80 billion in 2023. Land acquisition expenditures, which are included in our investments
in land and land development, increased 166% to $1.24 billion from $465.8 million in the year-earlier period. Approximately
44% of our total investments in land and land development in 2024 were related to land acquisitions, compared to
approximately 26% in 2023. While we made strategic investments in land and land development in each of our homebuilding
reporting segments during 2024 and 2023, approximately 58% and 56%, respectively, of these investments for each year were
made in our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment.
In 2025, we intend to continue to invest in and develop land positions within attractive submarkets and selectively acquire
or control additional land that meets our investment standards. While we expect our land acquisition activity to increase in
2025 as compared to 2024, our investments in land and land development in the future will depend significantly on market
conditions and available opportunities that meet our investment return standards.
The following table presents the number of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar
contracts and the carrying value of inventory by homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| November 30, 2024 | November 30, 2023 | Variance | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | Lots | Carrying Value | Lots | Carrying Value | Lots | Carrying Value | ||||||
| West Coast | 23,956 | $2,915,543 | 18,220 | $2,455,336 | 5,736 | $460,207 | ||||||
| Southwest | 13,117 | 845,910 | 7,017 | 830,514 | 6,100 | 15,396 | ||||||
| Central | 21,056 | 839,920 | 17,328 | 942,168 | 3,728 | (102,248) | ||||||
| Southeast | 18,574 | 926,647 | 13,411 | 905,628 | 5,163 | 21,019 | ||||||
| Total | 76,703 | $5,528,020 | 55,976 | $5,133,646 | 20,727 | $394,374 |
The number and carrying value of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts at
November 30, 2024 increased year over year, reflecting land investments in 2024, partly offset by homes delivered and our
abandonment of 8,389 previously controlled lots. The number of lots we owned and controlled as of November 30, 2024
increased 37% from November 30, 2023. The number of lots in inventory as of November 30, 2024 included 18,923 lots under
contract where the associated deposits were refundable at our discretion, compared to 6,260 of such lots at November 30, 2023.
Our lots controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts as a percentage of total lots was 49% at
November 30, 2024, compared to 27% at November 30, 2023. Generally, this percentage fluctuates with our decisions to
control (or abandon) lots under land option contracts and other similar contracts or to purchase (or sell owned) lots based on
available opportunities and our investment return standards.
Land Option Contracts and Other Similar Contracts. As discussed in Note 8 – Variable Interest Entities in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, our land option contracts and other similar contracts generally do not contain
provisions requiring our specific performance. Our decision to exercise a particular land option contract or other similar
contract depends on the results of our due diligence reviews and ongoing market and project feasibility analysis that we conduct
after entering into such a contract. In some cases, our decision to exercise a land option contract or other similar contract may
be conditioned on the land seller obtaining necessary entitlements, such as zoning rights and environmental and development
approvals, and/or physically developing the underlying land by a pre-determined date. We typically have the ability not to
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exercise our rights to the underlying land for any reason and, if applicable, forfeit our deposits without further penalty or
obligation to the sellers. If we were to acquire all the land we had under land option contracts and other similar contracts at
November 30, 2024, we estimate the remaining purchase price to be paid would be as follows: 2025 – $1.42 billion; 2026 –
$670.2 million; 2027 – $243.9 million; 2028 – $116.5 million; 2029 – $58.1 million; and thereafter – $0.
Liquidity. The table below summarizes our total cash and cash equivalents, and total liquidity (in thousands):
| November 30, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $597,973 | $727,076 | ||
| Credit Facility commitment | 1,090,000 | 1,090,000 | ||
| Letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility | (8,260) | (6,650) | ||
| Credit Facility availability | 1,081,740 | 1,083,350 | ||
| Total liquidity | $1,679,713 | $1,810,426 |
Capital Resources. Our notes payable consisted of the following (in thousands):
| November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Variance | |||
| Term Loan | $358,826 | $358,156 | $670 | ||
| Senior notes | 1,329,704 | 1,327,934 | 1,770 | ||
| Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans | 3,149 | 3,808 | (659) | ||
| Total | $1,691,679 | $1,689,898 | $1,781 |
Our financial leverage, as measured by the ratio of debt to capital, improved 130 basis points to 29.4% at November 30,
2024, compared to 30.7% at November 30, 2023. The ratio of debt to capital is calculated by dividing notes payable by capital
(notes payable plus stockholders’ equity).
LOC Facility. We maintain a LOC Facility to obtain letters of credit from time to time in the ordinary course of operating
our business. On September 12, 2024, we entered into an amendment to the LOC Facility that increased the limit of letters of
credit we may issue under it from $75.0 million to $100.0 million, and extended the expiration date from February 18, 2027 to
February 13, 2028. As of November 30, 2024 and 2023, we had letters of credit outstanding under the LOC Facility of $73.3
million and $12.5 million, respectively.
Performance Bonds. As discussed in Note 17 – Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in this report, we had $1.33 billion and $1.32 billion of performance bonds outstanding at November 30, 2024 and
2023, respectively.
Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. We have a $1.09 billion Credit Facility that will mature on February 18, 2027. The
Credit Facility contains an uncommitted accordion feature under which its aggregate principal amount of available loans can be
increased to a maximum of $1.29 billion under certain conditions, including obtaining additional bank commitments. The
amount of the Credit Facility available for cash borrowings and the issuance of letters of credit depends on the total cash
borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility and the maximum available amount under the terms of the
Credit Facility. As of November 30, 2024, we had no cash borrowings and $8.3 million of letters of credit outstanding under
the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility is further described in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in this report.
Under the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, we are required, among other things, to maintain compliance
with various covenants, including financial covenants regarding our consolidated tangible net worth, consolidated leverage ratio
(“Leverage Ratio”), and either a consolidated interest coverage ratio (“Interest Coverage Ratio”) or minimum liquidity level,
each as defined therein. Our compliance with these financial covenants is measured by calculations and metrics that are
specifically defined or described by the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan and can differ in certain respects from
comparable GAAP or other commonly used terms. The financial covenant requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term
Loan are set forth below:
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•Consolidated tangible net worth – We must maintain a consolidated tangible net worth at the end of any fiscal quarter
greater than or equal to the sum of (a) $2.09 billion, plus (b) an amount equal to 50% of the aggregate of the
cumulative consolidated net income for each fiscal quarter commencing after November 30, 2021 and ending as of the
last day of such fiscal quarter (though there is no reduction if there is a consolidated net loss in any fiscal quarter), plus
(c) an amount equal to 50% of the cumulative net proceeds we receive from the issuance of our capital stock after
November 30, 2021.
•Leverage Ratio – We must also maintain a Leverage Ratio of less than or equal to .60 at the end of each fiscal quarter.
The Leverage Ratio is calculated as the ratio of our consolidated total indebtedness to the sum of consolidated total
indebtedness and consolidated tangible net worth, all as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan.
•Interest Coverage Ratio or liquidity – We are also required to maintain either (a) an Interest Coverage Ratio of greater
than or equal to 1.50 at the end of each fiscal quarter; or (b) a minimum level of liquidity, but not both. The Interest
Coverage Ratio is the ratio of our consolidated adjusted EBITDA to consolidated interest incurred, each as defined
under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, in each case for the previous 12 months. Our minimum liquidity is
required to be greater than or equal to consolidated interest incurred, as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term
Loan, for the four most recently ended fiscal quarters in the aggregate.
In addition, under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, our equity investments in joint ventures and Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries and other unconsolidated entities as of the end of each fiscal quarter cannot exceed the sum of (a) $104.8 million
and (b) 20% of consolidated tangible net worth. Further, for so long as we do not hold an investment grade credit rating, as
defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan do not permit our borrowing base
indebtedness, which, subject to certain exceptions, is the aggregate principal amount of our and certain of our subsidiaries’
outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money and non-collateralized financial letters of credit, to be greater than our borrowing
base (a measure relating to our inventory and unrestricted cash assets).
The covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan represent the most restrictive covenants
that we are subject to with respect to our notes payable. The following table summarizes the financial covenants and other
requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, and our actual levels or ratios (as applicable) with respect to those
covenants and other requirements, in each case as of November 30, 2024:
| Financial Covenants and Other Requirements | Covenant Requirement | Actual | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated tangible net worth | $3.13billion | $4.02billion | |||
| Leverage Ratio | .600 | .298 | |||
| Interest Coverage Ratio (a) | 1.500 | 11.501 | |||
| Minimum liquidity (a) | $86.1 million | $598.0 million | |||
| Investments in joint ventures and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | $908.7 million | $413.6 million | |||
| Borrowing base in excess of borrowing base indebtedness (as defined) | n/a | $2.87billion |
(a)Under the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, we are required to maintain either a minimum Interest Coverage
Ratio or a minimum level of liquidity.
The indenture governing our senior notes does not contain any financial covenants. Subject to specified exceptions, the
indenture contains certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to incur secured indebtedness, or
engage in sale-leaseback transactions involving property above a certain specified value. In addition, the indenture contains
certain limitations related to mergers, consolidations, and sales of assets.
As of the date of this report, we were in compliance with the applicable terms of all our covenants and other requirements
under the Credit Facility, the Term Loan, the senior notes, the indenture, the LOC Facility, and the mortgages and land
contracts due to land sellers and other loans. Our ability to access the Credit Facility for cash borrowings and letters of credit
and our ability to secure future debt financing depend, in part, on our ability to remain in such compliance. Our ability to
access the Credit Facility’s full borrowing capacity, as well as the LOC Facility’s full issuance capacity, also depends on the
ability and willingness of the applicable lenders and financial institutions, including any substitute or additional lenders and
financial institutions, to meet their commitments to fund loans, extend credit or provide payment guarantees to or for us under
those instruments.
There are no agreements that restrict our payment of dividends other than the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, which
would restrict our payment of certain dividends, such as cash dividends on our common stock, if a default under the Credit
43
Facility or the Term Loan exists at the time of any such payment, or if any such payment would result in such a default (other
than dividends paid within 60 days after declaration, if there was no default at the time of declaration).
Depending on available terms, we finance certain land acquisitions with purchase-money financing from land sellers or
with other forms of financing from third parties. At November 30, 2024, we had outstanding mortgages and land contracts due
to land sellers and other loans payable in connection with such financing of $3.1 million, secured primarily by the underlying
property, which had an aggregate carrying value of $14.1 million.
Senior Unsecured Term Loan. We have a $360.0 million Term Loan with the lenders party thereto that will mature on
August 25, 2026, or earlier if we secure borrowings under the Credit Facility without similarly securing the Term Loan (subject
to certain exceptions). The Term Loan is further described in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in this report.
Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. As discussed in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we have investments in unconsolidated joint ventures in various markets
where our homebuilding operations are located. As of November 30, 2024, one of our unconsolidated joint ventures had
borrowings outstanding under a term loan with a third-party lender and secured by the underlying property and related project
assets. None of our other unconsolidated joint ventures had outstanding debt at November 30, 2024.
Credit Ratings. Our credit ratings are periodically reviewed by rating agencies. In March 2024, S&P Global Ratings
upgraded our corporate credit rating to BB+ from BB and maintained its rating outlook at stable. In May 2024, Moody’s
Ratings upgraded our corporate credit rating to Ba1 from Ba2 and changed its rating outlook to stable from positive.
Consolidated Cash Flows. The following table presents a summary of net cash provided by (used in) our operating,
investing and financing activities (in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | |||||
| Operating activities | $362,722 | $1,082,699 | $183,418 | ||
| Investing activities | (50,119) | (58,062) | (71,773) | ||
| Financing activities | (440,752) | (627,493) | (73,583) | ||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $(128,149) | $397,144 | $38,062 |
Operating Activities. Generally, our net operating cash flows fluctuate primarily based on changes in our inventories and
our profitability. Our net cash provided by operating activities in 2024 mainly reflected net income of $655.0 million and a net
decrease in receivables of $16.6 million, partly offset by a net increase in inventories of $385.8 million and a net decrease in
accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $7.2 million. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2023
primarily reflected net income of $590.2 million and a net decrease in inventories of $426.8 million, partly offset by a net
decrease in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $62.2 million and a net increase in receivables of $12.9
million.
Investing Activities. In 2024, our net cash used in investing activities included $39.3 million for net purchases of property
and equipment and $14.5 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partially offset by
a $2.0 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures and $1.7 million of proceeds from the sale of an
investment. In 2023, our uses of cash included $35.5 million for net purchases of property and equipment and $27.7 million for
contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partly offset by a $5.1 million return of investments in
unconsolidated joint ventures.
Financing Activities. In 2024, our uses of cash included stock repurchases and excise tax payments totaling $353.7
million, dividend payments on our common stock of $71.6 million, tax payments associated with stock-based compensation
awards of $25.0 million and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $.9 million. The
cash used was partially offset by $10.4 million of issuances of common stock under employee stock plans. In 2023, net cash
was used for stock repurchases totaling $411.4 million, net repayments under the Credit Facility of $150.0 million, dividend
payments on our common stock of $56.8 million, tax payments associated with stock-based compensation awards of $14.2
million, and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $3.8 million. The cash used was
partially offset by $8.9 million of issuances of common stock under employee stock plans.
44
Dividends. In the 2024 first quarter, our board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $.20 per share of common
stock. Our board of directors approved a $.05 per share increase in the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock to $.25
per share in the 2024 second quarter, and declared quarterly dividends at the new higher rate for the 2024 second, third and
fourth quarters. In the 2023 first and second quarters, our board of directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $.15 per share
of common stock. Our board of directors approved a $.05 per share increase in the quarterly cash dividend on our common
stock to $.20 per share in the 2023 third quarter, and declared quarterly dividends at the new higher rate for the 2023 third and
fourth quarters. All dividends declared during 2024 and 2023 were also paid during those years. Quarterly cash dividends
declared and paid during the years ended November 30, 2024 and 2023 totaled $.95 per share and $.70 per share of common
stock, respectively. The declaration and payment of future cash dividends on our common stock, whether at current levels or at
all, are at the discretion of our board of directors, and depend upon, among other things, our expected future earnings, cash
flows, capital requirements, access to external financing, debt structure and any adjustments thereto, operational and financial
investment strategy and general financial condition, as well as general business conditions.
Shelf Registration Statement. We have an automatically effective universal shelf registration statement that was filed with
the SEC on July 10, 2023 (“2023 Shelf Registration”). The 2023 Shelf Registration registers the offering of securities that we
may issue from time to time in amounts to be determined. Our ability to issue securities is subject to market conditions and,
with respect to debt securities, other factors impacting our borrowing capacity. We have not made any offerings of securities
under the 2023 Shelf Registration.
Share Repurchase Program. As of November 30, 2022, we had $150.0 million of availability to repurchase up to $300.0
million of our outstanding common stock under an April 7, 2022 board authorization. In the 2023 first quarter, we repurchased
1,965,442 shares of our common stock on the open market pursuant to this authorization at a total cost of $75.0 million. On
March 21, 2023, our board of directors authorized us to repurchase up to $500.0 million of our outstanding common stock.
This authorization replaced the 2022 board of directors authorization, which had $75.0 million of remaining availability. In the
2023 second, third and fourth quarters, we repurchased 7,278,995 shares of our common stock on the open market pursuant to
this authorization at a total cost of $336.4 million, bringing our total repurchases for the year ended November 30, 2023 to
9,244,437 shares of common stock at a total cost of $411.4 million. As of November 30, 2023, there was $163.6 million of
remaining availability under this share repurchase authorization.
In the 2024 first quarter, we repurchased 826,663 shares of our common stock in the open market pursuant to the 2023
board of directors authorization at a total cost of $50.0 million. On April 18, 2024, our board of directors authorized us to
repurchase up to $1.00 billion of our outstanding common stock. This authorization replaced the 2023 board of directors
authorization, which had $113.6 million of remaining availability. In the 2024 second, third and fourth quarters, we
repurchased 3,898,518 shares of our common stock at a total cost of $300.0 million, bringing our total repurchases for the year
ended November 30, 2024 to 4,725,181 shares of common stock at a total cost of $350.0 million. Repurchases under the
current authorization may occur periodically through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise,
with the timing and amount at management’s discretion and dependent on market, business and other conditions. This share
repurchase authorization will continue in effect until fully used or earlier terminated or suspended by our board of directors, and
does not obligate us to purchase any shares. As of November 30, 2024, there was $700.0 million of remaining availability
under this share repurchase authorization.
As of the date of this report, we believe we have adequate capital resources and sufficient access to external financing
sources to satisfy our current and reasonably anticipated requirements for funds to conduct our operations and meet other needs
in the ordinary course of our business. In 2025, we expect to use or redeploy our cash resources or cash borrowings under the
Credit Facility to support our business within the context of prevailing market conditions. During this time, we may also
engage in capital markets, bank loan, project debt or other financial transactions, including the repurchase of debt or equity
securities or potential new issuances of debt or equity securities to support our business needs. The amounts involved in these
transactions, if any, may be material. In addition, as necessary or desirable, we may adjust or amend the terms of and/or expand
the capacity of the Credit Facility or the LOC Facility, or enter into additional letter of credit facilities, or other similar facility
arrangements, in each case with the same or other financial institutions, or allow any such facilities or loans to mature or expire.
Our ability to engage in such transactions may be constrained by volatile or tight economic, capital, credit and/or financial
market conditions or other factors, including those described below under “Outlook” and/or our liquidity, leverage and net
worth, and we can provide no assurance as to successfully completing, the costs of, or the operational limitations arising from
any one or series of such transactions.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with GAAP. The preparation of these
financial statements requires the use of estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented.
45
Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions. See Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in
the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for a discussion of our significant accounting policies. The
following are accounting policies that we believe are critical because of the significance of the activity to which they relate or
because they require the use of significant estimates, judgments and/or other assumptions in their application.
Homebuilding Revenue Recognition. We recognize homebuilding revenue by applying the following steps in determining
the timing and amount of revenue to recognize: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance
obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations
in the contract, if applicable; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation.
Our home sale transactions are made pursuant to contracts under which we typically have a single performance obligation
to deliver a completed home to the homebuyer when closing conditions are met. Revenues from home sales are recognized
when we have satisfied the performance obligation within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of
the home and the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the homebuyer on the closing date. Little to no estimation is
involved in recognizing such revenues.
We may periodically elect to sell parcels of land to third parties if such assets no longer fit into our strategic operating plans
or are zoned for non-residential development. Revenues from land sales are recognized when we have satisfied the
performance obligation(s) within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of the land and the risks and
rewards of ownership are transferred to the land buyer on the closing date. Certain land sales contracts may require
management judgment in determining the appropriate revenue recognition, but the impact of such transactions is generally
immaterial.
Inventories and Cost of Sales. Housing and land inventories are stated at cost, unless the carrying value is determined not
to be recoverable, in which case the affected inventories are written down to fair value or fair value less associated costs to sell.
Fair value is determined based on estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risks associated with the real estate
assets, or other valuation techniques. Due to uncertainties in the estimation process and other factors beyond our control, it is
possible that actual results could differ from those estimated. Other than model homes, our inventories typically do not consist
of completed unsold homes. However, as discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, we may have unsold
completed or partially completed homes in our inventory.
We rely on certain estimates to determine our construction and land costs and resulting housing gross profit margins
associated with revenues recognized. Construction and land costs are comprised of direct and allocated costs, including
estimated future costs for the limited warranty we provide on our homes, and certain amenities within a community. Land
acquisition, land development and other common costs are generally allocated on a relative fair value basis to the homes or lots
within the applicable community or land parcel. Land acquisition and land development costs include related interest and real
estate taxes.
In determining a portion of the construction and land costs recognized for each period, we rely on project budgets that are
based on a variety of assumptions, including future construction schedules and costs to be incurred. It is possible that actual
results could differ from budgeted amounts for various reasons, including construction delays, construction resource shortages,
increases in costs that have not yet been committed, changes in governmental requirements, unforeseen environmental hazards
or other unanticipated issues encountered during construction and other factors beyond our control. While the actual results for
a particular construction project are accurately reported over time, variances between the budgeted and actual costs of a project
could result in the understatement or overstatement of construction and land costs and homebuilding gross profits in a particular
reporting period. To reduce the potential for such distortion, we have set forth procedures that collectively comprise a critical
accounting policy. These procedures, which we have applied on a consistent basis, include assessing, updating and revising
project budgets on a monthly basis, obtaining commitments to the extent possible from independent contractors and vendors for
future costs to be incurred, reviewing the adequacy of warranty accruals and historical warranty claims experience, and utilizing
the most current information available to estimate construction and land costs to be charged to expense. Variances to the
budgeted costs after an estimate has been charged to expense that are related to project costs are generally allocated on a
relative fair value basis to the remaining homes to be delivered within the community or land parcel, while such variances
related to direct construction costs are generally expensed as incurred. The variances between budgeted and actual costs have
historically not been material to our consolidated financial statements. We believe that our policies provide for reasonably
dependable estimates to be used in the calculation and reporting of construction and land costs.
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments. Each community or land parcel in our owned inventory
is assessed to determine if indicators of potential impairment exist. Impairment indicators are assessed separately for each
community or land parcel on a quarterly basis and include, but are not limited to, the following: significant decreases in net
orders, average selling prices, volume of homes delivered, gross profit margins on homes delivered or projected gross profit
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margins on homes in backlog or future deliveries; significant increases in budgeted land development and home construction
costs or cancellation rates; or projected losses on expected future land sales. If indicators of potential impairment exist for a
community or land parcel, the identified asset is evaluated for recoverability.
When an indicator of potential impairment is identified for a community or land parcel, we test the asset for recoverability
by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset.
The undiscounted future net cash flows are impacted by then-current conditions and trends in the market in which the asset is
located as well as factors known to us at the time the cash flows are calculated. These factors may include recent trends in our
orders, backlog, cancellation rates and volume of homes delivered, as well as our expectations related to the following: product
offerings; market supply and demand, including estimated average selling prices and related price appreciation; and land
development, home construction and overhead costs to be incurred and related cost inflation.
Generally, a community must have a projected gross profit margin percentage below approximately 5% to proceed to a
recoverability test and a potential fair value evaluation. Our overall housing gross profit margin in the 2024 fourth quarter was
20.9%, and as of November 30, 2024, fewer than 10 communities were evaluated for recoverability based on their gross
margins. However, if there is a sustained economic slowdown or other factor(s) that lead to moderate or significant decreases
in new home prices in certain submarkets, more communities could begin to approach gross margin levels where we would
conduct a fair value analysis. Any resulting impairment(s) from such an analysis(es) could be material. Additionally, we have
$116.2 million of deposits and pre-acquisition costs at November 30, 2024 related to land option contracts and other similar
contracts. If there are events that lead to moderate or significant decreases in new home prices, we could elect to cancel several
such contracts, resulting in the write-off of the related deposits and pre-acquisition costs.
The following table presents information regarding inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges
included in construction and land costs in our consolidated statements of operations (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Inventory impairments: | |||||
| Number of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | — | — | 4 | ||
| Pre-impairment carrying value of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | $— | $— | $65,372 | ||
| Inventory impairment charges | — | — | (24,077) | ||
| Post-impairment fair value | $— | $— | $41,295 | ||
| Land option contract abandonments charges | $4,597 | $11,424 | $13,224 |
There were no inventory impairment charges in 2024 or 2023. The inventory impairment charges in 2022 reflected our
decisions to make changes in our operational strategies aimed at more quickly monetizing our investment in certain
communities, mainly by accelerating the overall pace for selling, building and delivering homes therein, including communities
on land previously held for future development.
As further described in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, given the inherent challenges and uncertainties in forecasting future results,
our inventory assessments at the time they are made take into consideration whether a community or land parcel is active,
meaning whether it is open for sales and/or undergoing development, or whether it is being held for future development or held
for sale.
We record an inventory impairment charge on a community or land parcel that is active or held for future development
when indicators of potential impairment exist and the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than the undiscounted
future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, which is primarily
determined based on the estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risk associated with each such asset, or other
valuation techniques.
We record an inventory impairment charge on land held for sale when the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater
than its fair value. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, less associated costs to sell. The fair value of such
real estate assets is generally based on bona fide letters of intent from outside parties, executed sales contracts, broker quotes or
similar information.
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Our inventory controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts is assessed to determine whether it
continues to meet our investment return standards. Assessments are made separately for each optioned land parcel on a
quarterly basis and are affected by the following factors relative to the market in which the asset is located, among others:
current and/or anticipated net orders, average selling prices and volume of homes delivered; estimated land development and
home construction costs; and projected profitability on expected future housing or land sales. When a decision is made not to
exercise certain land option contracts and other similar contracts due to market conditions and/or changes in our marketing
strategy, we write off the related inventory costs, including non-refundable deposits and unrecoverable pre-acquisition costs.
The estimated remaining life of each community or land parcel in our inventory depends on various factors, such as the
total number of lots remaining; the expected timeline to acquire and entitle land and develop lots to build homes; the anticipated
future net order and cancellation rates; and the expected timeline to build and deliver homes sold. While it is difficult to
determine a precise timeframe for any particular inventory asset, based on current market conditions and expected delivery
timelines, we estimate our inventory assets’ remaining operating lives to range generally from one year to 10 years and expect
to realize, on an overall basis, the majority of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2024 within five years. The following
table presents as of November 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, the estimated timeframe of delivery for the last home in an
applicable community or land parcel and the corresponding percentage of total inventories such categories represent within our
inventory balance (dollars in millions):
| 0-2 years | 3-5 years | 6-10 years | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | Total | |||||||
| 2024 | $2,849.2 | 52% | $2,554.7 | 46% | $124.1 | 2% | $5,528.0 | ||||||
| 2023 | 2,367.2 | 46 | 2,565.4 | 50 | 201.0 | 4 | 5,133.6 |
The inventory balances in the 0-2 years and 3-5 years categories were located throughout all of our homebuilding reporting
segments and collectively represented 98% and 96% of our total inventories as of November 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The inventory balances in the 6-10 years category were primarily located in our Central and Southeast segments and were
mostly comprised of active, multi-phase communities with large remaining land positions.
Due to the judgment and assumptions applied in our inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment
assessment processes, and in our estimations of the remaining operating lives of our inventory assets and the realization of our
inventory balances, particularly as to land held for future development, it is possible that actual results could differ substantially
from those estimated, especially in periods of volatile housing market or economic conditions.
Deterioration in the supply and demand factors in the overall housing market or in an individual market or submarket, or
changes to our operational or selling strategy at certain communities may lead to additional inventory impairment charges,
future charges associated with land sales or the abandonment of land option contracts or other similar contracts related to
certain assets. Due to the nature or location of the projects, land held for future development that we activate as part of our
strategic growth initiatives or to accelerate sales and/or our return on investment, or that we otherwise monetize to help improve
our asset efficiency, may have a somewhat greater likelihood of being impaired than other of our active inventory.
We believe the carrying value of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2024 is recoverable. Our considerations in
making this determination include the factors and trends incorporated into our impairment analyses, and as applicable, the
prevailing regulatory environment, competition from other homebuilders, inventory levels and sales activity of resale homes,
and the local economic conditions where an asset is located. In addition, we consider the financial and operational status and
expectations of our inventories as well as unique attributes of each community or land parcel that could be viewed as indicators
for potential future impairments. However, if conditions in the overall housing market or in a specific market or submarket
worsen in the future beyond our current expectations, including, among other things, from increases in mortgage interest rates,
higher inflation, worsening supply chain and/or other production-related challenges, or if future changes in our business
strategy significantly affect any key assumptions used in our projections of future cash flows, or if there are material changes in
any of the other items we consider in assessing recoverability, we may recognize charges in future periods for inventory
impairments or land option contract abandonments, or both, related to our current inventory assets. Any such charges could be
material to our consolidated financial statements.
Warranty Costs. We provide a limited warranty on all of our homes. The specific terms and conditions of our limited
warranty program vary depending upon the markets in which we do business. We estimate the costs that may be incurred under
each limited warranty and record a liability in the amount of such costs at the time the revenue associated with the sale of each
home is recognized. In assessing our overall warranty liability at a reporting date, we evaluate the costs for warranty-related
items on a combined basis for all of our previously delivered homes that are under our limited warranty program.
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Our primary assumption in estimating the amounts we accrue for warranty costs is that historical claims experience is a
strong indicator of future claims experience. Factors that affect our warranty liability include the number of homes delivered,
historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims, and cost per claim. We periodically assess the adequacy of our accrued
warranty liability, which is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets, and adjust the
amount as necessary based on our assessment. Our assessment includes the review of our actual warranty costs incurred to
identify trends and changes in our warranty claims experience, and considers our home construction quality and customer
service initiatives and outside events. Based on this assessment, we may from time to time adjust our warranty accrual rates,
which would be applied on a prospective basis to homes delivered. Although adjustments to the accrual rates are generally
infrequent, they may be necessary when actual warranty expenditures have increased or decreased on a sustained basis, as was
the case in recent years when we revised our warranty accrual rates to reflect trends in our warranty expenditures. Based on our
assessment, we may also make adjustments to our previously recorded accrued warranty liability. Such adjustments are
recorded in the period in which the change in estimate occurs. In 2023, we made an adjustment to increase our accrued
warranty liability by $4.0 million. There were no such adjustments during 2024 and 2022. We have not made any material
changes in the methodology used to establish our accrued warranty liability during 2024, 2023 and 2022. Our accrued warranty
liability is presented on a gross basis for all years without consideration of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of
and expect to recover from other parties, if any. Estimates of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to
recover from other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables when such recoveries are considered probable.
While we believe the warranty liability currently reflected in our consolidated balance sheets to be adequate, unanticipated
changes or developments in the legal environment, local weather, land or environmental conditions, quality of materials or
methods used in the construction of homes or customer service practices and/or our warranty claims experience could have a
significant impact on our actual warranty costs in future periods and such amounts could differ significantly from our current
estimates. A 10% change in the historical warranty rates used to estimate our accrued warranty liability would not result in a
material change in our accrual.
Self-Insurance. We maintain, and require the majority of our independent contractors to maintain, general liability
insurance (including construction defect and bodily injury coverage) and workers’ compensation insurance. These insurance
policies protect us against a portion of our risk of loss from claims related to our homebuilding activities, subject to certain self-
insured retentions, deductibles and other coverage limits. We self-insure a portion of our overall risk through the use of a
captive insurance subsidiary. In Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada, our contractors’ general liability insurance
primarily takes the form of a wrap-up policy under a program where eligible independent contractors are enrolled as insureds
on each community. Enrolled contractors generally contribute toward the cost of the insurance and agree to pay a contractual
amount in the future if there is a claim related to their work.
We record liabilities based on the estimated costs required to cover reported claims, claims incurred but not yet reported,
and claim adjustment expenses. These estimated costs are based on an actuarial analysis of our historical claims and expense
data, as well as industry data. Our self-insurance liabilities are presented on a gross basis without consideration of
insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any.
The amount of our self-insurance liability is based on an analysis performed by a third-party actuary that uses our historical
claim and expense data, as well as industry data to estimate these overall costs. These estimates are subject to uncertainty due
to a variety of factors, the most significant being the long period of time between the delivery of a home to a homebuyer and
when a structural warranty or construction defect claim may be made, and the ultimate resolution of any such construction
defect claim. Though state regulations vary, construction defect claims are reported and resolved over a long period of time,
which can extend for 10 years or more. As a result, the majority of the estimated self-insurance liability based on the actuarial
analysis relates to claims incurred but not yet reported. Therefore, adjustments related to individual existing claims generally
do not significantly impact the overall estimated liability. Adjustments to our liabilities related to homes delivered in prior
years are recorded in the period in which a change in our estimate occurs. During 2024, 2023 and 2022, we recorded
adjustments to increase our previously recorded liabilities by $5.5 million, $6.5 million and $7.0 million, respectively. The
adjustments in 2024, 2023 and 2022 resulted from changes in estimates due to actual claims experience differing from previous
actuarial projections and, in turn, impacting actuarial estimates for existing and potential future claims. We have not made any
material changes in our methodology used to establish our self-insurance liabilities during 2024, 2023 or 2022.
The projection of losses related to these liabilities requires the use of actuarial assumptions. Key assumptions used in
developing these estimates include claim frequencies, severities and resolution patterns, which can occur over an extended
period of time. These estimates are subject to variability due to the length of time between the delivery of a home to a
homebuyer and when a construction defect claim is made, and the ultimate resolution of such claim; uncertainties regarding
such claims relative to our markets and the types of product we build; and legal or regulatory actions and/or interpretations,
among other factors. Due to the degree of judgment involved and the potential for variability in these underlying assumptions,
our actual future costs could differ from those estimated. In addition, changes in the frequency and severity of reported claims
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and the estimates to resolve claims can impact the trends and assumptions used in the actuarial analysis, which could be
material to our consolidated financial statements. A 10% increase in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to
estimate the self-insurance liability would result in increases of approximately $28.7 million in our liability and approximately
$9.3 million in our receivable as of November 30, 2024, and additional expense of approximately $19.4 million for 2024. A
10% decrease in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to estimate the self-insurance liability would result in
decreases of approximately $25.8 million in our liability and approximately $6.8 million in our receivable as of November 30,
2024, and a reduction to expense of approximately $19.0 million for 2024.
Estimates of insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables
when such recoveries are considered probable. These estimated recoveries are principally based on actuarially determined
amounts and depend on various factors, including, among other things, the above-described claim cost estimates, our insurance
policy coverage limits for the applicable policy year(s), historical third-party recovery rates, insurance industry practices, the
regulatory environment, and legal precedent, and are subject to a high degree of variability from year to year. Because of the
inherent uncertainty and variability in these assumptions, our actual insurance recoveries could differ significantly from
amounts currently estimated.
Legal Matters Accruals. We record contingent liabilities resulting from claims against us when a loss is assessed to be
probable and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable. Assessing the probability of losses and estimating probable losses
requires analysis of multiple factors, including in some cases judgments about the potential actions of third-party claimants,
regulatory agencies, mediators, arbitrators, responsible third parties and/or courts, as the case may be. Recorded contingent
liabilities are based on the most recent information available and actual losses in any future period are inherently uncertain. If
future adjustments to estimated probable future losses or actual losses exceed our recorded liability for such claims, we would
record additional charges during the period in which the actual loss or change in estimate occurred. In addition to contingent
liabilities recorded for probable losses, we disclose contingent liabilities when there is a reasonable possibility the ultimate loss
will materially exceed the recorded liability. While we cannot predict the outcome of pending legal matters with certainty, we
do not believe any currently identified claim or proceeding, either individually or in aggregate, will have a material impact on
our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Income Taxes. As discussed in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this
report, we evaluate our deferred tax assets quarterly to determine if adjustments to our valuation allowance are required based
on the consideration of all available positive and negative evidence using a “more likely than not” standard with respect to
whether deferred tax assets will be realized. This evaluation considers, among other factors, our historical operating results, our
expectation of future profitability, the duration of the applicable statutory carryforward periods, and conditions in the housing
market and the broader economy. The ultimate realization of our deferred tax assets depends primarily on our ability to
generate future taxable income during the periods in which the related deferred tax assets become deductible. The value of our
deferred tax assets in our consolidated balance sheets depends on applicable income tax rates. We base our estimate of deferred
tax assets and liabilities on current tax laws and rates. In certain cases, we also base this estimate on business plan forecasts and
other expectations about future outcomes. Changes in positive and negative evidence, including differences between our future
operating results and estimates, could result in the establishment of an additional valuation allowance against our deferred tax
assets. Accounting for deferred taxes is based upon estimates of future results. Judgment is required in determining the future
tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements and/or tax returns. Differences
between the anticipated and actual outcomes of these future results could have a material impact on our consolidated financial
statements. Also, changes in existing federal and state tax laws and corporate income tax rates could affect future tax results
and the realization of deferred tax assets over time.
We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in our consolidated financial statements as
a component of the provision for income taxes. Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits, combined with accrued interest and
penalties, is reflected as a component of accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. Judgment is
required in evaluating uncertain tax positions. We evaluate our uncertain tax positions quarterly based on various factors,
including changes in facts or circumstances, tax laws or the status of audits by tax authorities. Changes in the recognition or
measurement of uncertain tax positions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements in the period in
which we make the change.
INFLATION
Since 2021, product and labor costs and general inflation in the economy have increased and remained elevated compared
to the prior decade. In turn, we experienced rising land and construction costs, particularly for building materials and
construction service providers’ rates, warranty repair costs, and compensation and benefit expenses to attract and retain talent.
These trends are expected to continue to an extent in 2025, though they may worsen compared to prior years. We generally
enter into land option contracts and other similar contracts to acquire rights to land for the construction of homes a significant
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period of time before development and/or sales efforts commence. Accordingly, to the extent land acquisition costs are fixed,
subsequent increases or decreases in our home selling prices will affect our profits. As the selling price of each of our homes is
fixed at the time a buyer enters into a home sales contract, and because we generally commence construction of a home only
after we have a signed sales contract with a homebuyer, any interim construction-related cost inflation can result in lower
housing gross profit margins. In order to help, but not entirely moderate that effect, we typically enter into fixed-price contracts
with our larger trade partners and building material suppliers for specified periods of time.
Inflation is often accompanied by higher and more volatile interest rates, which may negatively impact housing
affordability and the confidence of potential homebuyers, and adversely impact demand for our homes. Inflation may also
increase our financing costs, as borrowings under our Credit Facility, if any, and Term Loan typically accrue interest at a
variable rate based on SOFR.
We expect the inflationary pressures on our business to continue in 2025. While we attempt to pass on increases in our
costs through increased home selling prices, including for design choices and options, market forces and buyer affordability
constraints can limit our ability to do so. If we are unable to raise selling prices enough to compensate for higher costs, or our
borrowing costs increase significantly, our revenues, housing gross profit margin and net income could be adversely affected.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Recent accounting pronouncements are discussed in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
OUTLOOK
Key longer-term housing market drivers have remained largely positive during 2023 and 2024, including favorable
demographic trends, rising household formations, solid employment, wage growth and the ongoing undersupply of new and
resale homes. While market conditions were uneven during 2024, we generated favorable operational and financial results. We
believe we are well-positioned to achieve our goals for 2025 based on our differentiated, highly customer-centric Built to Order
business model, operational capabilities, affordable product offerings, lot supply, strong balance sheet and liquidity, substantial
backlog value of $2.24 billion at November 30, 2024, improved build times, normalizing cancellation rates and planned
community count growth, subject to the factors and risks described in this report. We expect to be able to drive our build times
lower in 2025 as we progress toward our goal of four months from start to home completion, which is at the lower end of our
historical range, subject to the availability of skilled trades and building materials.
Our key longer-term objectives remain to increase our scale, profitability and returns, as well as generate cash flows, by
expanding our lot count through land acquisitions that meet our underwriting standards, opening new communities on time,
driving net orders and balancing pace, price and construction starts at each community to optimize our return on each inventory
asset within its market context. To do so, we expect to continue to calibrate at each community our home pricing and
homebuyer concessions, if any, and inventory levels, based on homebuyer demand. Our use of homebuyer concessions in 2025
will depend on, among other things, market dynamics, including mortgage interest rates and overall housing affordability, as
well as community-specific considerations, including the size and construction stage of the backlog, net order pace and lots
remaining available for sale.
While we expect our land acquisition and development investment activity to increase in 2025 as compared to 2024 to
support future growth, depending significantly on market conditions and available opportunities that meet our investment return
standards, we will prioritize capital efficiency, developing lots where possible in smaller phases and balancing development
with our starts pace to manage our inventory of finished lots.
At the same time, we will plan to continue returning capital to our stockholders. As of November 30, 2024, we had $700.0
million remaining under our current board of directors share repurchase authorization. This provides us the opportunity to
continue to repurchase our common stock in 2025, with the volume and timing based on considerations of our operating cash
flow, liquidity outlook, land investment opportunities and needs, the market price of our common stock, and the housing market
and general economic conditions.
Since our 2024 fiscal year ended, buyer hesitancy due to discomfort with volatile mortgage interest rates has continued to
some degree. Through the first seven weeks of our 2025 first quarter, we generated 1,252 net orders, compared to 1,456 in the
year-earlier period. As we are entering the stronger selling months of the quarter and with a meaningful number of community
openings projected, we expect to close the gap on net orders relative to last year’s quarter. We estimate that our net order
comparison for the full 2025 first quarter will be roughly flat versus a strong comparable in our 2024 first quarter.
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In considering the foregoing, our present outlook for the 2025 first quarter and the 2025 full year as to certain metrics is as
follows:
2025 First Quarter –
•We expect to generate housing revenues in the range of $1.45 billion to $1.55 billion, compared to $1.46 billion for the
corresponding 2024 period, and anticipate our average selling price to be approximately $501,000, compared to
$480,100 in the year-earlier period.
•We expect our homebuilding operating income margin as a percentage of revenues to be approximately 9.5%,
assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 10.9% for the year-earlier quarter.
◦We expect our housing gross profit margin to be in the range of 20.0% to 20.4%, assuming no inventory-related
charges, compared to 21.6% for the corresponding 2024 quarter.
◦We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to be in the range
of 10.5% to 10.9%, compared to 10.8% for the 2024 first quarter.
•We expect our effective tax rate will be approximately 23.0%. The effective tax rate for the year-earlier quarter was
20.6%.
•We expect our ending community count to be approximately 260, which would result in an 8% year-over-year increase
in our average community count.
2025 Full Year –
•We expect our housing revenues to be in the range of $7.00 billion to $7.50 billion, an increase from $6.90 billion for
2024.
•We expect our average selling price to be in the range of $488,000 to $498,000, compared to $486,900 for 2024.
•We expect our homebuilding operating income margin as a percentage of revenues to be approximately 10.7%,
assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 11.1% for 2024.
◦We expect our housing gross profit margin to be in the range of 20.0% to 21.0%, assuming no inventory-related
charges, compared to 21.1% for 2024.
◦We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to be in the range
of 9.6% to 10.0%, compared to 10.0% for 2024.
•We expect our effective tax rate to be approximately 24.0%, compared to 23.0% for 2024.
•We expect our ending community count to be approximately 250, compared to 258 for 2024.
In addition to factors discussed elsewhere in this report, our future performance and the strategies we implement (and
adjust or refine as necessary or appropriate) will depend significantly on prevailing economic, employment, homebuilding
industry and capital, credit and financial market conditions and on a fairly stable and constructive political and regulatory
environment (particularly in regard to housing and mortgage loan financing policies). For instance, the Federal Reserve’s
aggressive raising of the federal funds interest rate and other measures during 2022 and 2023 to moderate persistent U.S.
inflation created significant and ongoing headwinds for the housing market, tempering consumer demand for homes and
disrupting credit and lending markets. While the Federal Reserve reduced interest rates three times in 2024, and may lower
rates further in 2025 or later periods, we cannot provide any assurance it will or that any interest rate reduction(s), or other
monetary policy changes will positively affect demand or our business, results of operations or consolidated financial
statements. In addition, while we experienced improvement with respect to supply chain-related disruptions as described in this
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, we believe they could persist or
possibly worsen to various degrees in 2025. Further, and though the extent is uncertain and none of our communities or
operations have been directly affected as of the date of this report, given the scope of the unprecedented wildfires in the Los
Angeles County area in January 2025, we may experience some disruption in our homebuilding activities, and potentially with
our orders and homes delivered, in the Southern California region during the year and beyond. The potential extent and effect
of these factors on our business is highly uncertain, unpredictable and outside our control, and our past performance, including
in 2024, should not be considered indicative of our future results on any metric or set of metrics, including, but not limited to,
our net orders, backlog, revenues and returns.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this report, as well as some statements by us in periodic press
releases and other public disclosures and some oral statements by us to securities analysts, stockholders and others during
presentations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the
“Act”). Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words
such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “hope,” and similar expressions constitute forward-
looking statements. In addition, any statements that we may make or provide concerning future financial or operating
performance (including without limitation future revenues, community count, homes delivered, net orders, selling prices, sales
pace per new community, expenses, expense ratios, housing gross profits, housing gross profit margins, earnings or earnings
per share, or growth or growth rates), future market conditions, future interest rates, and other economic conditions, ongoing
business strategies or prospects, future dividends and changes in dividend levels, the value of our backlog (including amounts
that we expect to realize upon delivery of homes included in our backlog and the timing of those deliveries), the value of our
net orders, potential future asset acquisitions and the impact of completed acquisitions, future share issuances or repurchases,
future debt issuances, repurchases or redemptions and other possible future actions are also forward-looking statements as
defined by the Act. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and
are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about our operations, economic and market factors, and the homebuilding
industry, among other things. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and we have no specific policy or
intention to update these statements. If we update or revise any such statement(s), no assumption should be made that we will
further update or review that statement(s) or update or revise any other such statement(s). In addition, forward-looking and
other statements in this report and in other public or oral disclosures that express or contain opinions, views or assumptions
about market or economic conditions; the success, performance, effectiveness and/or relative positioning of our strategies,
initiatives or operational activities; and other matters, may be based in whole or in part on general observations of our
management, limited or anecdotal evidence and/or business or industry experience without in-depth or any particular empirical
investigation, inquiry or analysis.
Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a
number of factors. The most important risk factors that could cause our actual performance and future events and actions to
differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
•general economic, employment and business conditions;
•population growth, household formations and demographic trends;
•conditions in the capital, credit and financial markets;
•our ability to access external financing sources and raise capital through the issuance of common stock, debt or other
securities, and/or project financing, on favorable terms;
•the execution of any securities repurchases pursuant to our board of directors’ authorization;
•material and trade costs and availability, including the greater costs associated with achieving current and expected
higher standards for ENERGY STAR certified homes, and delays related to state and municipal construction,
permitting, inspection and utility processes, which have been disrupted by key equipment shortages;
•consumer and producer price inflation;
•changes in interest rates, including those set by the Federal Reserve, which the Federal Reserve may increase to
moderate inflation, as it did in 2022 and 2023, and those available in the capital markets or from financial institutions
and other lenders, and applicable to mortgage loans;
•our debt level, including our ratio of debt to capital, and our ability to adjust our debt level and maturity schedule;
•our compliance with the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan;
•the ability and willingness of the applicable lenders and financial institutions, or any substitute or additional lenders
and financial institutions, to meet their commitments or fund borrowings, extend credit or provide payment guarantees
to or for us under the Credit Facility or LOC Facility;
•volatility in the market price of our common stock;
•home selling prices, including our homes’ selling prices, being unaffordable relative to consumer incomes;
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•weak or declining consumer confidence, either generally or specifically with respect to purchasing homes;
•competition from other sellers of new and resale homes;
•weather events, significant natural disasters and other climate and environmental factors, such as a lack of adequate
water supply to permit new home communities in certain areas, and the unprecedented wildfires in the Los Angeles
County area in January 2025;
•any failure of lawmakers to agree on a budget or appropriation legislation to fund the federal government’s operations
(also known as a government shutdown), and financial markets’ and businesses’ reactions to any such failure;
•potential regulatory instability associated with the upcoming change in the U.S. presidential administrations;
•government actions, policies, programs and regulations directed at or affecting the housing market (including the tax
benefits associated with purchasing and owning a home, and the standards, fees and size limits applicable to the
purchase or insuring of mortgage loans by government-sponsored enterprises and government agencies), the
homebuilding industry, or construction activities;
•changes in existing tax laws or enacted corporate income tax rates, including those resulting from regulatory guidance
and interpretations issued with respect thereto, such as IRS guidance regarding heightened qualification requirements
for federal tax credits for building energy-efficient homes;
•changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and duties on homebuilding materials and products,
and related trade disputes with and retaliatory measures taken by other countries;
•disruptions in world and regional trade flows, economic activity and supply chains due to the military conflict and
other attacks in the Middle East region and military conflict in Ukraine, including those stemming from wide-ranging
sanctions the U.S. and other countries have imposed or may further impose on Russian business sectors, financial
organizations, individuals and raw materials, the impact of which may, among other things, increase our operational
costs, exacerbate building materials and appliance shortages and/or reduce our revenues and earnings;
•the adoption of new or amended financial accounting standards and the guidance and/or interpretations with respect
thereto;
•the availability and cost of land in desirable areas and our ability to timely and efficiently develop acquired land
parcels and open new home communities;
•impairment, land option contract abandonment or other inventory-related charges, including any stemming from
decreases in the value of our land assets;
•our warranty claims experience with respect to homes previously delivered and actual warranty costs incurred;
•costs and/or charges arising from regulatory compliance requirements or from legal, arbitral or regulatory proceedings,
investigations, claims or settlements, including unfavorable outcomes in any such matters resulting in actual or
potential monetary damage awards, penalties, fines or other direct or indirect payments, or injunctions, consent decrees
or other voluntary or involuntary restrictions or adjustments to our business operations or practices that are beyond our
current expectations and/or accruals;
•our ability to use/realize the net deferred tax assets we have generated;
•our ability to successfully implement our current and planned strategies and initiatives related to our product,
geographic and market positioning, gaining share and scale in our served markets, through, among other things, our
making substantial investments in land and land development, which, in some cases, involves putting significant
capital over several years into large projects in one location, and in entering into new markets;
•our operational and investment concentration in markets in California;
•consumer interest in our new home communities and products, particularly from first-time homebuyers and higher-
income consumers;
•our ability to generate orders and convert our backlog of orders to home deliveries and revenues, particularly in key
markets in California;
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•our ability to successfully implement our business strategies and achieve any associated financial and operational
targets and objectives, including those discussed in this report or in any of our other public filings, presentations or
disclosures;
•income tax expense volatility associated with stock-based compensation;
•the ability of our homebuyers to obtain homeowners and flood insurance policies, and/or typical or lender-required
policies for other hazards or events, for their homes, which may depend on the ability and willingness of insurers or
government-funded or -sponsored programs to offer coverage at an affordable price or at all;
•the ability of our homebuyers to obtain residential mortgage loans and mortgage banking services, which may depend
on the ability and willingness of lenders and financial institutions to offer such loans and services to our homebuyers;
•the performance of mortgage lenders to our homebuyers;
•the performance of KBHS;
•the ability and willingness of lenders and financial institutions to extend credit facilities to KBHS to fund its originated
mortgage loans;
•information technology failures and data security breaches;
•an epidemic, pandemic or significant seasonal or other disease outbreak, and the control response measures that
international, federal, state and local governments, agencies, law enforcement and/or health authorities implement to
address it, which may precipitate or exacerbate one or more of the above-mentioned and/or other risks, and
significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period;
•widespread protests and/or civil unrest, whether due to political events, social movements or other reasons; and
•other events outside of our control.
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000795266-24-000008.
Item 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our discussion and analysis below is focused on our 2023 and 2022 financial results, including comparisons of our year-over-year performance between these years. Discussion and analysis of our 2021 fiscal year specifically, as well as the year-over-year comparison of our 2022 financial performance to 2021, are located under Part II, Item 7 – 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 November 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on January 20, 2023, which is available on our investor relations website at investor.kbhome.com and the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview. Revenues are generated from our homebuilding and financial services operations. The following table presents a summary of our consolidated results of operations (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2023 vs 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding | $ | 6,381,106 | $ | 6,880,362 | $ | 5,705,029 | (7) | % | 21 | % | |||||||
| Financial services | 29,523 | 23,414 | 19,901 | 26 | 18 | ||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 6,410,629 | $ | 6,903,776 | $ | 5,724,930 | (7) | % | 21 | % | |||||||
| Pretax income: | |||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding | $ | 731,783 | $ | 1,033,615 | $ | 656,911 | (29) | % | 57 | % | |||||||
| Financial services | 39,494 | 38,451 | 38,435 | 3 | — | ||||||||||||
| Total | 771,277 | 1,072,066 | 695,346 | (28) | 54 | ||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | (181,100) | (255,400) | (130,600) | 29 | (96) | ||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 590,177 | $ | 816,666 | $ | 564,746 | (28) | % | 45 | % | |||||||
| Earnings per share: | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 7.25 | $ | 9.35 | $ | 6.22 | (22) | % | 50 | % | |||||||
| Diluted | $ | 7.03 | $ | 9.09 | $ | 6.01 | (23) | % | 51 | % |
We generated solid financial results in 2023, as we remained focused on balancing pace, price and construction starts at each community to optimize our return on each inventory asset within its market context amid a mixed operating environment over the course of the year.
We began the year navigating challenging housing market conditions, stemming from the combination of rising mortgage interest rates, elevated inflation and various other macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns. These factors significantly depressed housing demand during the 2022 second half and into the 2023 first quarter. Demand began to improve in the 2023 second quarter due to, among other things, constrained resale home inventory, favorable demographic trends, buyer interest in homes at our price points and our selective implementation of targeted sales strategies, including pricing adjustments and other homebuyer concessions (particularly, mortgage-related concessions such as interest rate buydown or lock programs), throughout the year to help drive order activity and minimize cancellations. As a result, our total net orders for 2023 of 11,084 were up 2% compared to 2022, with year-over-year net order comparisons improving each quarter as the year progressed. The positive sales trends continued in our 2023 fourth quarter, with net orders and net order value increasing 176% and 157%, respectively, compared to the depressed levels in the year-earlier quarter. Though they increased on a year-over-year basis, our 2023 fourth quarter net orders were lower than expected, reflecting the significant negative impact on demand from mortgage interest rates rising each week from late September through the end of October. Our cancellation rate as a percentage of gross orders for the 2023 fourth quarter improved to 28%, from a historically high 68% for the 2022 fourth quarter. While we believe they were beneficial to our selling efforts, the pricing adjustments and other homebuyer concessions we utilized in 2023 contributed to year-over-year decreases in both the average selling price of homes delivered and our housing gross profit margin.
Homebuilding revenues for 2023 were comprised of housing revenues and $10.7 million of land sale revenues. In 2022, homebuilding revenues were generated entirely from housing revenues. Housing revenues of $6.37 billion were down 7% from the previous year, due to a 4% decrease in the number of homes delivered to 13,236 and a 4% decline in the overall average selling price of those homes to $481,300. Approximately 49% of our homes delivered in 2023 were to first-time homebuyers. Homebuilding operating income for 2023 was $718.7 million, compared to $1.04 billion for 2022 and, as a percentage of homebuilding revenues was 11.3%, compared to 15.1%. Our homebuilding operating income margin for 2023 reflected a decrease in our housing gross profit margin to 21.2%, compared to 24.3% for the previous year, and a 70 basis-point increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 9.9%. Net income and diluted earnings per share for 2023 were down 28% and 23%, respectively, each as compared to 2022. Our diluted earnings per share for 2023 reflected the favorable impact of our common stock repurchases over the past several quarters.
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Our return on equity (“ROE”) for 2023 was 15.7%, compared to 24.6% for 2022. ROE is calculated as net income for the year divided by average stockholders’ equity, where average stockholders’ equity is based on the ending stockholders’ equity balances of the trailing five quarters.
We believe our strong balance sheet and liquidity position helped provide us with the flexibility to operate effectively through the evolving market conditions during the year, and expect they will continue to do so in 2024. In 2023, we generated $1.08 billion of cash from operating activities, reflecting in part our reduced investments in land acquisition and land development in 2023 which decreased 25% year over year to $1.80 billion. Our investments declined in the 2023 first half as a result of pivoting our land investment strategy beginning in the 2022 third quarter in response to then-softening housing market conditions, to emphasize developing the land positions we already owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts. With the improving business environment as described above, we increased our investments in land and land development in the 2023 second half. Our investments in land and land development for the 2023 second half were up 36% from the 2023 first half and up 4% from the corresponding year-earlier period. Reflecting our balanced approach to capital allocation, in 2023, we repurchased approximately 9.2 million shares of our common stock at a total cost of $411.4 million. As of November 30, 2023, we had $163.6 million remaining under our current common stock repurchase authorization. Additionally, in July 2023, our board of directors increased the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock by approximately 33% to $.20 per share, from $.15 per share. We ended 2023 with total liquidity of $1.81 billion, comprised of $727.1 million of cash and cash equivalents and $1.08 billion of available capacity under our Credit Facility. With net repayments of $150.0 million under the Credit Facility in 2023, we had no cash borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility at November 30, 2023.
In 2023, with the significant disruptions we had experienced since mid-2020 in our supply chain for certain building materials and construction services shortages largely subsiding and our ongoing initiative to simplify our product offerings, we achieved meaningful sequential improvement in our construction cycle times each quarter beginning with the 2023 second quarter. We remain committed to further reducing our build times. Though we are encouraged by these improvements, ongoing supply chain-related challenges for certain items may continue to negatively affect our land development and home construction activities in 2024, and it is possible they may worsen in that and in later periods.
Although the number of homes in our ending backlog at November 30, 2023 was down 28% year over year to 5,510, we believe we are well-positioned for 2024, as described below under “Outlook.”
HOMEBUILDING
Financial Results. The following table presents a summary of certain financial and operational data for our homebuilding operations (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||
| Housing | $ | 6,370,421 | $ | 6,880,362 | $ | 5,694,668 | ||||
| Land | 10,685 | — | 10,361 | |||||||
| Total | 6,381,106 | 6,880,362 | 5,705,029 | |||||||
| Costs and expenses: | ||||||||||
| Construction and land costs | ||||||||||
| Housing | (5,020,783) | (5,210,802) | (4,466,053) | |||||||
| Land | (9,492) | (2,541) | (3,258) | |||||||
| Total | (5,030,275) | (5,213,343) | (4,469,311) | |||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (632,094) | (629,645) | (574,376) | |||||||
| Total | (5,662,369) | (5,842,988) | (5,043,687) | |||||||
| Operating income | 718,737 | 1,037,374 | 661,342 | |||||||
| Interest income | 13,759 | 704 | 1,049 | |||||||
| Equity in loss of unconsolidated joint ventures | (713) | (865) | (405) | |||||||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | — | (3,598) | (5,075) | |||||||
| Homebuilding pretax income | $ | 731,783 | $ | 1,033,615 | $ | 656,911 |
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| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Homes delivered | 13,236 | 13,738 | 13,472 | |||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 481,300 | $ | 500,800 | $ | 422,700 | ||||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.2 | % | 24.3 | % | 21.6 | % | ||||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.4 | % | 24.8 | % | 21.8 | % | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues | 9.9 | % | 9.2 | % | 10.1 | % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of homebuilding revenues | 11.3 | % | 15.1 | % | 11.6 | % |
Revenues. Homebuilding revenues of $6.38 billion for 2023 were down 7% from the prior year due to a decrease in housing revenues, partly offset by an increase in land sale revenues.
In 2023, housing revenues were down 7% from the previous year, due to decreases of 4% in both the number of homes delivered and their overall average selling price. The year-over-year decline in the number of homes delivered reflected a 20% decrease in our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment, partly offset by increases of 4%, 4% and 2% in our Southwest, Central and Southeast segments, respectively. The decline in our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment mainly resulted from a 47% year-over-year decrease in this segment’s backlog of homes at the beginning of the year. The lower average selling price primarily reflected product and geographic mix factors, mainly the reduced deliveries from our higher-priced West Coast homebuilding reporting segment, and pricing adjustments and other concessions we selectively extended to buyers within backlog prior to delivery in conjunction with our targeted sales strategies.
We generated $10.7 million of land sale revenues in 2023, compared to no such revenues in 2022. Generally, land sale revenues fluctuate with our decisions to maintain or decrease our land ownership position in certain markets based upon the volume of our holdings, our business strategy, the strength and number of developers and other land buyers in particular markets at given points in time, the availability of opportunities to sell land at acceptable prices and prevailing market conditions.
Operating Income. Our homebuilding operating income was down 31% in 2023, as compared to the previous year, primarily due to lower housing gross profits. In 2023 and 2022, homebuilding operating income included total inventory-related charges of $11.4 million and $37.3 million, respectively, as discussed in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. As a percentage of homebuilding revenues, our homebuilding operating income for 2023 decreased 380 basis points year over year to 11.3%. Excluding inventory-related charges for both periods, our homebuilding operating income margin declined 420 basis points to 11.4% in 2023 from 15.6% in 2022.
•Housing Gross Profits – In 2023, housing gross profits of $1.35 billion declined 19% from the previous year, reflecting decreases in both our housing revenues and housing gross profit margin. Housing gross profits for 2023 and 2022 included inventory-related charges associated with housing operations of $11.4 million and $34.8 million, respectively.
Our housing gross profit margin for 2023 was 21.2%, down 310 basis points from the previous year, primarily due to pricing adjustments and other homebuyer concessions, higher construction costs, and product and geographic mix shifts, partly offset by a decrease in inventory-related charges. As a percentage of housing revenues, the amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with housing operations was 1.9% for 2023 and 2.0% for 2022. Excluding the inventory-related charges associated with housing operations described above, our adjusted housing gross profit margin was 21.4% in 2023, compared to 24.8% in 2022. The calculation of adjusted housing gross profit margin, which we believe provides a clearer measure of the performance of our business, is described below under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
•Land Sale Profits (Losses) – Land sale profits totaled $1.2 million for 2023. In 2022, land sale losses of $2.6 million were comprised solely of an inventory impairment charge related to a parcel of land held for sale.
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•Selling, General and Administrative Expenses – The following table presents the components of our selling, general and administrative expenses (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | % of Housing Revenues | 2022 | % of Housing Revenues | 2021 | % of Housing Revenues | |||||||||||||||
| Marketing expenses | $ | 143,577 | 2.2 | % | $ | 136,262 | 2.0 | % | $ | 117,481 | 2.1 | % | ||||||||
| Commission expenses (a) | 222,743 | 3.5 | 220,466 | 3.2 | 217,608 | 3.8 | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 265,774 | 4.2 | 272,917 | 4.0 | 239,287 | 4.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 632,094 | 9.9 | % | $ | 629,645 | 9.2 | % | $ | 574,376 | 10.1 | % |
(a)Commission expenses include sales commissions on homes delivered paid to internal sales counselors and external real estate brokers.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for 2023 were nearly even with the prior year as higher marketing and commission expenses were largely offset by lower general and administrative expenses. Marketing expenses in 2023 rose from the prior year primarily due to higher costs to support our higher average community count. Our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues increased 70 basis points in 2023, mainly reflecting reduced operating leverage due to our lower housing revenues as compared to the previous year.
Interest Income/Expense. Interest income, which is generated from short-term investments, increased to $13.8 million in 2023, compared to $.7 million in 2022 due to our higher average balance of cash equivalents and a higher average interest rate in 2023. Generally, increases and decreases in interest income are attributable to changes in the interest-bearing average balances of short-term investments and fluctuations in interest rates.
We incur interest principally from our borrowings to finance land acquisitions, land development, home construction and other operating and capital needs. The amount of interest incurred generally fluctuates based on the average amount of debt outstanding for the period and the interest rate on that debt. In 2023, total interest incurred of $107.1 million decreased from $120.9 million incurred in 2022 due to our lower average debt level, partly offset by our higher average interest rate. All interest incurred during 2023 and 2022 was capitalized as the average amount of our inventory qualifying for interest capitalization was higher than our average debt level for each period. As a result, we had no interest expense for 2023 or 2022. Further information regarding our interest incurred and capitalized is provided in Note 6 – Inventories in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Equity in Loss of Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. Our equity in loss of unconsolidated joint ventures was nominal for both 2023 and 2022. Further information regarding our investments in unconsolidated joint ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt. In 2022, we recognized a $3.6 million loss on the early extinguishment of debt associated with the retirement of $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our then-outstanding 7.50% senior notes due September 15, 2022 (“7.50% Senior Notes due 2022”) before their maturity date, pursuant to the optional redemption terms specified for such notes. Further information regarding this transaction is provided in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
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Net Orders, Backlog and Community Count. The following table presents information about our net orders, cancellation rate, ending backlog, and community count for the years ended November 30, 2023 and 2022 (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Net orders | 11,084 | 10,856 | |||||
| Net order value (a) | $ | 5,346,541 | $ | 5,620,196 | |||
| Cancellation rate (b) | 26 | % | 26 | % | |||
| Ending backlog — homes | 5,510 | 7,662 | |||||
| Ending backlog — value | $ | 2,667,679 | $ | 3,691,559 | |||
| Ending community count | 242 | 246 | |||||
| Average community count | 245 | 222 |
(a)Net order value represents potential future housing revenues associated with net orders generated during the period, as well as homebuyer selections of lot and product premiums and design studio options and upgrades for homes in backlog during the same period.
(b)Cancellation rate represents the total number of contracts for new homes cancelled during a period divided by the total (gross) orders for new homes generated during the same period.
Net Orders. Net orders from our homebuilding operations rose 2% from 2022, as a 10% increase in our average community count was largely offset by a slower pace of monthly net orders per community of 3.8 in 2023, compared to 4.1 in 2022. The value of our 2023 net orders was down 5% year over year due to a 7% decline in the overall average selling price of net orders to $482,400, partially offset by the increase in net orders. In 2023, the year-over-year growth in our overall net orders reflected increases of 19% and 14% in our West Coast and Southwest homebuilding reporting segments, respectively, largely offset by decreases of 19% and 1% in our Central and Southeast segments, respectively.
In the 2022 second half and 2023 first quarter, the combination of relatively high mortgage interest rates, elevated inflation and various other macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns significantly depressed demand. Although ongoing elevated mortgage interest rates and inflation continued to negatively affect housing affordability and temper demand, our year-over-year net order comparisons improved each quarter of 2023 as the year progressed. Our 2023 fourth quarter net orders increased 176% from the corresponding period of 2022, reflecting improved demand and a lower cancellation rate as compared to the year-earlier quarter, when the combination of rapidly rising mortgage interest rates, ongoing inflation and other macroeconomic concerns caused many prospective buyers to pause on their homebuying decision. We believe our performance also reflected the targeted sales strategies, including pricing adjustments and other homebuyer concessions (particularly mortgage-related concessions such as interest rate buydown or lock programs), we selectively implemented in 2023. Though they increased on a year-over-year basis, our 2023 fourth quarter net orders were lower than expected, reflecting the significant negative impact on demand from mortgage interest rates rising each week from late September through the end of October. Despite the uneven market conditions we experienced across 2022 and 2023, our cancellation rate as a percentage of gross orders for the year ended November 30, 2023 was even with the previous year.
Backlog. The number of homes in our backlog at November 30, 2023 decreased 28% from the previous year. The potential future housing revenues in our backlog at November 30, 2023 were also down 28% year over year, reflecting fewer homes in our backlog and an average selling price of those homes that was essentially even with the previous year. The number of homes in backlog and backlog value decreased in three of our four homebuilding reporting segments, with decreases in value ranging from 18% in our Southwest segment to 65% in our Central segment. Backlog value in our West Coast segment increased 11% year over year due to a 20% increase in the number of homes in backlog, partly offset by a 7% decline in the average selling price of those homes. Substantially all the homes in our backlog at November 30, 2023 are expected to be delivered during the year ending November 30, 2024.
Community Count. Our average community count for 2023 increased 10% from the previous year, and our ending community count decreased 2%. The slight year-over-year decrease in our ending community count primarily reflected the number of communities selling out over the past 12 months exceeding the number of new community openings. On a sequential basis, our ending community count increased 5% from the 2023 third quarter as the number of new community openings exceeded the number of communities selling out during the three months ended November 30, 2023. Our community
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count during the year largely reflected our reduced investments in land and land development in the 2023 first half relative to the second half, as discussed below under “Liquidity and Capital Resources.”
HOMEBUILDING REPORTING SEGMENTS
Operational Data. The following tables present information about our homes delivered, net orders, cancellation rates as a percentage of gross orders, net order value, average community count, and ending backlog (number of homes and value) by homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homes Delivered | Net Orders | Cancellation Rates | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||
| West Coast | 3,365 | 4,186 | 3,623 | 3,032 | 17 | % | 25 | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 2,699 | 2,592 | 2,386 | 2,090 | 17 | 18 | ||||||||||||
| Central | 4,506 | 4,339 | 2,784 | 3,417 | 40 | 32 | ||||||||||||
| Southeast | 2,666 | 2,621 | 2,291 | 2,317 | 27 | 25 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 13,236 | 13,738 | 11,084 | 10,856 | 26 | % | 26 | % |
| Net Order Value | Average Community Count | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | 2023 | 2022 | Variance | 2023 | 2022 | Variance | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | $ | 2,423,459 | $ | 2,208,610 | 10 | % | 76 | 65 | 17 | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 1,032,334 | 947,758 | 9 | 44 | 39 | 13 | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 965,994 | 1,520,520 | (36) | 79 | 76 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 924,754 | 943,308 | (2) | 46 | 42 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 5,346,541 | $ | 5,620,196 | (5) | % | 245 | 222 | 10 | % | ||||||||||
| November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Backlog – Homes | Backlog – Value | |||||||||||||||||||
| Segment | 2023 | 2022 | Variance | 2023 | 2022 | Variance | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | 1,545 | 1,287 | 20 | % | $ | 1,025,381 | $ | 923,015 | 11 | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 1,379 | 1,692 | (18) | 616,717 | 748,296 | (18) | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 1,267 | 2,989 | (58) | 458,593 | 1,319,862 | (65) | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 1,319 | 1,694 | (22) | 566,988 | 700,386 | (19) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 5,510 | 7,662 | (28) | % | $ | 2,667,679 | $ | 3,691,559 | (28) | % |
As discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, the composition of our homes delivered, net orders and backlog shifts with the product and geographic mix of our active communities and the corresponding average selling prices of the homes ordered and/or delivered at these communities in any particular period, changing as new communities open and existing communities wind down or sell out in the ordinary course. In addition, with our Built to Order model, the selling prices of individual homes within a community may vary due to differing lot sizes and locations, home square footage, product premiums and the design studio options and upgrades buyers select in the community. These intrinsic variations in our business limit the comparability of our homes delivered, net orders and backlog, as well as their corresponding values, between sequential and year-over-year periods, in addition to the effect of prevailing economic or housing market conditions in or across any particular periods.
Financial Results. Below is a discussion of the financial results of each of our homebuilding reporting segments. Further information regarding these segments, including their pretax income (loss), is included in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. The difference between each homebuilding reporting segment’s operating income (loss) and pretax income (loss) is generally due to the equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures, which is also presented in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, and/or interest income and expense.
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In addition to the results of our homebuilding reporting segments presented below, our consolidated homebuilding operating income includes the results of Corporate and other, a non-operating segment described in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. Corporate and other had operating losses of $142.6 million in 2023, $145.3 million in 2022 and $148.9 million in 2021.
The financial results of our homebuilding reporting segments for 2023 were negatively impacted to varying degrees by homebuyer concessions we selectively extended to buyers in conjunction with our targeted sales strategies, as well as product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered. Segment financial results for 2023 were also affected by construction services availability constraints and building material cost pressures, as well as supply chain disruptions and other production-related challenges, though these impacts lessened in the 2023 second half compared to the 2023 first half and the 2022 second half periods, as described above under “Overview.”
West Coast. The following table presents financial information related to our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2023 vs 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 2,321,093 | $ | 3,050,506 | $ | 2,552,382 | (24) | % | 20 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (1,888,422) | (2,345,754) | (2,044,274) | 19 | (15) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (165,712) | (184,619) | (162,461) | 10 | (14) | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 266,959 | $ | 520,133 | $ | 345,647 | (49) | % | 50 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 3,365 | 4,186 | 4,008 | (20) | % | 4 | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 689,800 | $ | 728,700 | $ | 636,800 | (5) | % | 14 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 11.5 | % | 17.1 | % | 13.5 | % | (560) | bps | 360 | bps |
This segment’s revenues for 2023 declined 24% from 2022 due to decreases in both the number of homes delivered and their average selling price. Operating income for 2023 was also down year over year, reflecting lower housing gross profits, partially offset by reduced selling, general and administrative expenses and the absence of a $2.6 million land sale loss included in the prior year. As a percentage of revenues, this segment’s 2023 operating income decreased from the previous year, reflecting a 460 basis-point decline in the housing gross profit margin to 18.6%, and a 100 basis-point increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 7.1%. The housing gross profit margin decline was primarily driven by pricing adjustments and other homebuyer concessions, higher relative construction costs, product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered and reduced operating leverage from lower housing revenues, partly offset by a decrease in inventory-related charges and lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest. In 2023, inventory-related charges associated with housing operations decreased to $4.9 million in 2023, compared to $24.8 million in 2022. The year-over-year increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues was mainly due to higher costs to support our higher average community count, reduced operating leverage, and higher sales commissions.
Southwest. The following table presents financial information related to our Southwest homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2023 vs 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,169,948 | $ | 1,110,045 | $ | 965,139 | 5 | % | 15 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (896,089) | (789,651) | (702,947) | (13) | (12) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (85,235) | (82,002) | (75,375) | (4) | (9) | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 188,624 | $ | 238,392 | $ | 186,817 | (21) | % | 28 | % |
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| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2023 vs 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Homes delivered | 2,699 | 2,592 | 2,574 | 4 | % | 1 | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 431,200 | $ | 428,300 | $ | 371,300 | 1 | % | 15 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 16.1 | % | 21.5 | % | 19.4 | % | (540) | bps | 210 | bps |
This segment’s revenues in 2023 were comprised of both housing revenues and land sale revenues. Revenues for 2022 were generated solely from housing operations. Housing revenues for 2023 rose 5% year over year to $1.16 billion, reflecting increases in both the number of homes delivered and their average selling price. Land sale revenues totaled $6.0 million in 2023. Operating income was down from the previous year, primarily due to lower housing gross profits and higher selling, general and administrative expenses, partially offset by a land sale gain of $1.1 million. As a percentage of revenues, operating income decreased from 2022, primarily due to a 550 basis-point decrease in the housing gross profit margin to 23.4%, partially offset by a 10 basis-point improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 7.3%. The year-over-year decline in the housing gross profit margin mainly reflected pricing adjustments and other homebuyer concessions, and product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered, partly offset by increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues.
Central. The following table presents financial information related to our Central homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2023 vs 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,831,914 | $ | 1,749,231 | $ | 1,503,857 | 5 | % | 16 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (1,420,063) | (1,336,986) | (1,172,926) | (6) | (14) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (153,248) | (140,248) | (130,773) | (9) | (7) | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 258,603 | $ | 271,997 | $ | 200,158 | (5) | % | 36 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 4,506 | 4,339 | 4,630 | 4 | % | (6) | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 405,500 | $ | 403,100 | $ | 324,800 | 1 | % | 24 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 14.1 | % | 15.6 | % | 13.3 | % | (150) | bps | 230 | bps |
In 2023, this segment’s revenues were comprised of housing revenues and $4.7 million of land sale revenues. In 2022, revenues were generated solely from housing operations. Housing revenues for 2023 improved 4% from the prior year to $1.83 billion, reflecting increases in both the number of homes delivered and the average selling price of those homes. Operating income decreased from 2022, mainly due to higher selling, general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of revenues, operating income declined from the previous year, reflecting a 110 basis-point decrease in the housing gross profit margin to 22.5% and a 40 basis-point increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 8.4%. The year-over-year decline in the housing gross profit margin was mainly driven by higher construction costs, product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered, and increased homebuyer concessions, partly offset by increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues. The housing gross margin for 2023 included inventory-related charges of $2.5 million, compared to $3.3 million in 2022. The year-over-year increase in this segment’s selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues was primarily due to increased sales commissions and higher costs to support our higher average community count, partly offset by increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues.
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Southeast. The following table presents financial information related to our Southeast homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2023 vs 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,058,151 | $ | 970,580 | $ | 683,651 | 9 | % | 42 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (815,760) | (731,813) | (541,471) | (11) | (35) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (95,262) | (86,585) | (64,516) | (10) | (34) | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 147,129 | $ | 152,182 | $ | 77,664 | (3) | % | 96 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 2,666 | 2,621 | 2,260 | 2 | % | 16 | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 396,900 | $ | 370,300 | $ | 302,100 | 7 | % | 23 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 13.9 | % | 15.7 | % | 11.4 | % | (180) | bps | 430 | bps |
This segment’s revenues for 2023 grew from 2022 due to increases in both the number of homes delivered and the average selling price of those homes. Operating income was down from 2022, reflecting higher selling, general and administrative expenses, partly offset by higher housing gross profits. As a percentage of revenues, operating income decreased from 2022 primarily due to a 170 basis-point decline in the housing gross profit margin to 22.9% that mainly reflected higher construction costs, product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered and increased homebuyer concessions, partly offset by decreased inventory-related charges and improved operating leverage from higher housing revenues. The housing gross margin for 2023 included inventory-related charges of $4.0 million, compared to $5.7 million in 2022. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues increased 10 basis points year over year to 9.0%.
FINANCIAL SERVICES REPORTING SEGMENT
The following table presents a summary of selected financial and operational data for our financial services reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 29,523 | $ | 23,414 | $ | 19,901 | ||||
| Expenses | (5,726) | (5,762) | (5,055) | |||||||
| Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures | 15,697 | 20,799 | 23,589 | |||||||
| Pretax income | $ | 39,494 | $ | 38,451 | $ | 38,435 | ||||
| Total originations (a): | ||||||||||
| Loans | 9,167 | 8,402 | 9,225 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 3,630,734 | $ | 3,335,837 | $ | 3,252,054 | ||||
| Percentage of homebuyers using KBHS | 83 | % | 71 | % | 76 | % | ||||
| Average FICO score | 736 | 734 | 729 | |||||||
| Loans sold (a): | ||||||||||
| Loans sold to GR Alliance | 9,017 | 7,563 | 7,706 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 3,588,618 | $ | 3,026,290 | $ | 2,744,685 | ||||
| Loans sold to other third parties | 347 | 861 | 1,293 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 123,258 | $ | 287,436 | $ | 420,119 |
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| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Mortgage loan origination mix (a): | ||||||||
| Conventional/non-conventional loans | 59 | % | 67 | % | 61 | % | ||
| FHA loans | 27 | % | 20 | % | 26 | % | ||
| Other government loans | 14 | % | 13 | % | 13 | % | ||
| Loan type (a): | ||||||||
| Fixed | 92 | % | 98 | % | 99 | % | ||
| ARM | 8 | % | 2 | % | 1 | % |
(a)Loan originations and sales occurred within KBHS.
Revenues. Our financial services reporting segment, which includes the operations of KB HOME Mortgage Company, generates revenues primarily from insurance commissions and title services. The year-over-year growth in our financial services revenues for 2023 reflected increases in both title services revenues and insurance commissions.
Pretax income. Our financial services pretax income for 2023 increased slightly from the previous year as improved results from our insurance and title services businesses were partly offset by a decrease in the equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures. In 2023, the equity in income of our unconsolidated joint ventures declined 25% year over year as a result of a decrease in KBHS’ income. KBHS’ income declined from the previous year primarily due to losses of $16.0 million in the fair value of interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”) in 2023, compared to gains of $20.3 million in 2022. The gains in the previous year reflected a greater number of customers who elected to lock their mortgage interest rates for relatively extended periods, aligned with their expected home delivery date, due to the sharp rise in such rates during 2022. Partly offsetting the negative year-over-year impact from the IRLCs in 2023 was a 9% increase in the principal amount of loan originations, mainly due to an increase in the percentage of homebuyers using KBHS. Further information regarding our investments in unconsolidated joint ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
INCOME TAXES
Income Tax Expense. Our income tax expense and effective income tax rate were as follows (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | $ | 181,100 | $ | 255,400 | $ | 130,600 | ||||
| Effective income tax rate | 23.5 | % | 23.8 | % | 18.8 | % |
Our effective tax rate for 2023 decreased from the previous year, mainly due to a $3.7 million increase in excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation and a $2.6 million increase in Section 45L tax credits we recognized from building energy-efficient homes, partly offset by a $2.5 million increase in non-deductible compensation expense.
On August 16, 2022, the IRA was enacted into law. The IRA contains significant tax law changes, including a corporate alternative minimum tax (“CAMT”) of 15% on adjusted financial statement income for applicable corporations, and a 1% excise tax on stock repurchases after December 31, 2022. If applicable, the CAMT will not be effective for us until our fiscal year ending November 30, 2024. The IRA also extended the Section 45L tax credit for building new energy-efficient homes for homes delivered from January 1, 2022 (retroactively) through December 31, 2032, as well as modified and increased it starting in 2023. Previously, the Section 45L tax credit expired for homes delivered after December 31, 2021. The Section 45L tax credits we recognized in 2023 and 2022 reflected the impact of the extension and modifications, as applicable, under the IRA. We are currently evaluating the other potential effects of the IRA on our consolidated financial statements.
The IRA tied Section 45L tax credit qualification for energy-efficient homes built on and after January 1, 2023 to new homes achieving ENERGY STAR certification. In late September 2023, the IRS issued Notice 2023-65, which provided guidance on the Section 45L tax credit qualifications for ENERGY STAR homes built on or after January 1, 2023. This guidance, retroactively effective for the year, resulted in a reduction in our estimated Section 45L tax credits for 2023, primarily due to fewer of the ENERGY STAR homes we built in California meeting the heightened qualifications the IRS selected for homes built in that state relative to other states. Our income tax expense for the 2023 fourth quarter reflected the cumulative
37
impact of the September 2023 guidance. The September 2023 guidance increased our effective income tax rate by approximately 15 basis points for the year ended November 30, 2023.
On February 9, 2022, California enacted legislation restoring the California net operating loss (“NOL”) deduction for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, which was effective for our 2023 fiscal year. The California NOL deductions for tax years 2022 and 2021 had been suspended by previous legislation. Although the restoration of California NOL deductions did not have an impact on our income tax expense for the year ended November 30, 2023, it contributed to the year-over-year decrease in the amount of taxes we paid in 2023.
Under current accounting standards, we expect volatility in our income tax expense in future periods, the magnitude of which will depend on, among other factors, the price of our common stock and the timing and volume of stock-based compensation award activity, such as employee exercises of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock awards and performance-based restricted stock units (each, a “PSU”).
Further information regarding our income taxes is provided in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
This report contains information about our adjusted housing gross profit margin, which is not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We believe this non-GAAP financial measure is relevant and useful to investors in understanding our operations, and may be helpful in comparing us with other companies in the homebuilding industry to the extent they provide similar information. However, because it is not calculated in accordance with GAAP, this non-GAAP financial measure may not be completely comparable to other companies in the homebuilding industry and, thus, should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to operating performance and/or financial measures prescribed by GAAP. Rather, this non-GAAP financial measure should be used to supplement the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure in order to provide a greater understanding of the factors and trends affecting our operations.
Adjusted Housing Gross Profit Margin. The following table reconciles our housing gross profit margin calculated in accordance with GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measure of our adjusted housing gross profit margin (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Housing revenues | $ | 6,370,421 | $ | 6,880,362 | $ | 5,694,668 | ||||
| Housing construction and land costs | (5,020,783) | (5,210,802) | (4,466,053) | |||||||
| Housing gross profits | 1,349,638 | 1,669,560 | 1,228,615 | |||||||
| Add: Inventory-related charges (a) | 11,424 | 34,760 | 11,953 | |||||||
| Adjusted housing gross profits | $ | 1,361,062 | $ | 1,704,320 | $ | 1,240,568 | ||||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.2 | % | 24.3 | % | 21.6 | % | ||||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.4 | % | 24.8 | % | 21.8 | % |
(a)Represents inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges associated with housing operations.
Adjusted housing gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure, which we calculate by dividing housing revenues less housing construction and land costs excluding housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges (as applicable) recorded during a given period, by housing revenues. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is housing gross profit margin. We believe adjusted housing gross profit margin is a relevant and useful financial measure to investors in evaluating our performance as it measures the gross profits we generated specifically on the homes delivered during a given period. This non-GAAP financial measure isolates the impact that the housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges have on housing gross profit margins, and allows investors to make comparisons with our competitors that adjust housing gross profit margins in a similar manner. We also believe investors will find adjusted housing gross profit margin relevant and useful because it represents a profitability measure that may be compared to a prior period without regard to variability of housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges. This financial measure assists us in making strategic decisions regarding community location and product mix, product pricing and construction pace.
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SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION
As of November 30, 2023, we had $1.34 billion in aggregate principal amount of outstanding senior notes, no borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility and $360.0 million in aggregate principal amount of borrowings outstanding under the Term Loan. Our obligations to pay principal and interest on the senior notes and borrowings, if any, under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan are guaranteed on a joint and several basis by certain of our subsidiaries (“Guarantor Subsidiaries”), which are listed on Exhibit 22. Our other subsidiaries, including all of our subsidiaries associated with our financial services operations, do not guarantee any such indebtedness (collectively, “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries”), although we may cause a Non-Guarantor Subsidiary to become a Guarantor Subsidiary if we believe it to be in our or the relevant subsidiary’s best interest. See Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for additional information regarding the terms of our senior notes, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan.
The guarantees are full and unconditional and the Guarantor Subsidiaries are 100% owned by us. The guarantees are senior unsecured obligations of each of the Guarantor Subsidiaries and rank equally in right of payment with all unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness and guarantees of such Guarantor Subsidiaries. The guarantees are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of such Guarantor Subsidiaries to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and structurally subordinated to indebtedness and other liabilities of Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries.
Pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the senior notes and the terms of the Credit Facility and Term Loan, if any of the Guarantor Subsidiaries ceases to be a “significant subsidiary” as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X using a 5% rather than a 10% threshold (provided that the assets of our Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries do not in the aggregate exceed 10% of an adjusted measure of our consolidated total assets), it will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from its guaranty of the senior notes, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan so long as all guarantees by such Guarantor Subsidiary of any other of our or our subsidiaries’ indebtedness are terminated at or prior to the time of such release.
The following tables present summarized financial information for KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a combined basis, excluding unconsolidated joint ventures and after the elimination of (a) intercompany transactions and balances between KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries and (b) equity in earnings from and investments in the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. See Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for additional information regarding our unconsolidated joint ventures.
| November 30, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarized Balance Sheet Data (in thousands) | |||
| Assets | |||
| Cash | $ | 683,323 | |
| Inventories | 4,599,468 | ||
| Amounts due from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 534,865 | ||
| Total assets | 6,367,410 | ||
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | |||
| Notes payable | 1,689,898 | ||
| Amounts due to Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 338,390 | ||
| Total liabilities | 2,834,555 | ||
| Stockholders’ equity | 3,532,855 |
| Year Ended November 30, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarized Statement of Operations Data (in thousands) | |||
| Revenues | $ | 5,991,156 | |
| Construction and land costs | (4,707,977) | ||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (611,750) | ||
| Interest income from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 27,119 | ||
| Pretax income | 711,340 | ||
| Net income | 540,940 |
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Overview. We have funded our homebuilding and financial services activities over the last several years with:
• internally generated cash flows;
• public issuances of debt securities;
• borrowings under the Credit Facility;
• the Term Loan;
• land option contracts and other similar contracts and seller notes;
• public issuances of our common stock; and
• letters of credit and performance bonds.
We manage our use of cash in the operation of our business to support the execution of our primary strategic goals. Over the past several years, we have primarily used cash for:
•land acquisitions and land development;
•home construction;
•operating expenses;
•principal and interest payments on notes payable;
•repayments of borrowings under the Credit Facility;
•dividends paid to stockholders; and
•repurchases of our common stock.
Cash flows for each of our communities depend on their stage of development and can differ significantly from reported earnings. Early stages of development or expansion can require significant cash outflows for land acquisition, entitlements, land development, and construction of roads, utilities, landscaping, model homes and other items. Because these costs are capitalized as a component of our inventories and are not recognized in our statement of operations until a home is delivered, we incur significant cash outflows prior to recognizing earnings from a delivered home. As homes are delivered, which in some cases may be a year or more after the related land development or entitlement work commences, cash inflows may significantly exceed earnings reported for financial statement purposes, as the cash outflows associated with the land and home construction were previously incurred.
We ended 2023 with total liquidity of $1.81 billion, including cash and cash equivalents and $1.08 billion of available capacity under the Credit Facility. Cash and cash equivalents grew to $727.1 million at November 30, 2023, compared to $328.5 million at November 30, 2022, primarily reflecting an increase in net cash provided by operating activities, partly offset by an increase in net cash used in financing activities, as described below. Cash equivalents included in the total increased to $508.2 million at November 30, 2023 from $15.8 million at November 30, 2022, and were mainly invested in interest-bearing bank deposit accounts and money market funds. We had no cash borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility as of November 30, 2023. Based on our financial position as of November 30, 2023, and our business forecast for 2024 as discussed below under “Outlook,” we have no material concerns related to our liquidity. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, our anticipated cash flows from operations and amounts available under our Credit Facility will be sufficient to fund our anticipated operating and land-related investment needs for at least the next 12 months.
Cash Requirements. Our material cash requirements include the following contractual and other obligations:
Notes Payable. We have outstanding variable-rate borrowings under the Term Loan, and outstanding fixed-rate senior notes and mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans with varying maturities. As of November 30, 2023, our notes payable had an aggregate principal amount of $1.70 billion, with $3.4 million payable within 12 months. Future interest payments associated with the Term Loan and our senior notes, together with the unused commitment fee associated with our Credit Facility, totaled $522.2 million as of November 30, 2023, with $102.1 million payable within 12 months. The Term Loan will mature on August 25, 2026. Our next senior note maturity is our $300.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.875% Senior Notes due 2027. Further information regarding our notes payable is provided in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Leases. We have operating leases for certain property and equipment with an expected term at the commencement date of more than 12 months. As of November 30, 2023, the future minimum payments required under these leases totaled $28.6 million, with $11.9 million payable within 12 months. Further information regarding our leases is provided in Note 13 – Leases in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Inventory-Related Obligations. As of November 30, 2023, we had inventory-related obligations totaling $41.5 million, comprised of liabilities for inventory not owned associated with financing arrangements as discussed in Note 8 – Variable
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Interest Entities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, as well as liabilities for fixed or determinable amounts associated with tax increment financing entity (“TIFE”) assessments. Approximately $9.0 million of these inventory-related obligations are payable within 12 months. However, TIFE assessment obligations are paid by us only to the extent we do not deliver homes on applicable lots before the related TIFE obligations mature.
Investments in Land and Land Development. Our investments in land and land development decreased 25% to $1.80 billion in 2023, compared to $2.40 billion in 2022, reflecting a 46% year-over-year decrease in the first half of the year that was partly offset by a 4% year-over-year increase in the second half of the year. In 2023, land acquisition expenditures, which are included in our investments in land and land development, decreased 44% to $465.8 million from $827.2 million in the year-earlier period. Our reduced investments in land and land development in the 2023 first half reflected a pivot in our land investment strategy beginning in the 2022 third quarter in response to then-softening housing market conditions, to emphasize developing land positions we already own or control under land option contracts and other similar contracts. As part of this pivot, we also evaluated our transaction pipeline and renegotiated pricing and terms for many deals while abandoning others that no longer met our investment return standards. As we calibrated our investments to evolving market conditions and our outlook, we increased our investments in land and land development by 36% in the 2023 second half as compared to the 2023 first half. In the 2023 fourth quarter, our investments in land and land development were up 9% year over year to $483.3 million, compared to $442.7 million as land acquisition expenditures increased 100%. In addition, we modified our land development strategy, electing where appropriate to build in smaller phases, and in some cases, defer the start of the next phase of lots in a community to align with expected demand.
Approximately 26% of our total investments in land and land development in 2023 were related to land acquisitions, compared to approximately 34% in 2022. While we made strategic investments in land and land development in each of our homebuilding reporting segments during 2023 and 2022, approximately 56% and 50%, respectively, of these investments for each year were made in our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment.
In 2024, we intend to continue to invest in and develop land positions within attractive submarkets and selectively acquire or control additional land that meets our investment standards. While we expect our land acquisition activity to increase in 2024 as compared to 2023, our investments in land and land development in the future will depend significantly on market conditions and available opportunities that meet our investment return standards.
The following table presents the number of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts and the carrying value of inventory by homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| November 30, 2023 | November 30, 2022 | Variance | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | Lots | Carrying Value | Lots | Carrying Value | Lots | Carrying Value | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | 18,220 | $ | 2,455,336 | 19,302 | $ | 2,425,141 | (1,082) | $ | 30,195 | |||||||||||
| Southwest | 7,017 | 830,514 | 8,841 | 993,059 | (1,824) | (162,545) | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 17,328 | 942,168 | 24,001 | 1,278,420 | (6,673) | (336,252) | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 13,411 | 905,628 | 16,651 | 846,556 | (3,240) | 59,072 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 55,976 | $ | 5,133,646 | 68,795 | $ | 5,543,176 | (12,819) | $ | (409,530) |
The number and carrying value of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts at November 30, 2023 decreased year over year, reflecting homes delivered in 2023 as well as the above-mentioned pivot in our land investment strategy, which included our abandonment of 9,650 previously controlled lots in 2023. Our lower inventory level at November 30, 2023 also reflected fewer homes under construction due to improved build times. The number of lots in inventory as of November 30, 2023 included 6,260 lots under contract where the associated deposits were refundable at our discretion, compared to 5,543 of such lots at November 30, 2022. Our lots controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts as a percentage of total lots was 27% at November 30, 2023, compared to 30% at November 30, 2022. Generally, this percentage fluctuates with our decisions to control (or abandon) lots under land option contracts and other similar contracts or to purchase (or sell owned) lots based on available opportunities and our investment return standards.
Land Option Contracts and Other Similar Contracts. As discussed in Note 8 – Variable Interest Entities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, our land option contracts and other similar contracts generally do not contain provisions requiring our specific performance. Our decision to exercise a particular land option contract or other similar contract depends on the results of our due diligence reviews and ongoing market and project feasibility analysis that we conduct after entering into such a contract. In some cases, our decision to exercise a land option contract or other similar contract may be conditioned on the land seller obtaining necessary entitlements, such as zoning rights and environmental and development approvals, and/or physically developing the underlying land by a pre-determined date. We typically have the ability not to
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exercise our rights to the underlying land for any reason and, if applicable, forfeit our deposits without further penalty or obligation to the sellers. If we were to acquire all the land we had under land option contracts and other similar contracts at November 30, 2023, we estimate the remaining purchase price to be paid would be as follows: 2024 – $740.8 million; 2025 – $213.3 million; 2026 – $158.2 million; 2027 – $52.1 million; 2028 – $59.1 million; and thereafter – $0.
Liquidity. The table below summarizes our total cash and cash equivalents, and total liquidity (in thousands):
| November 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 727,076 | $ | 328,517 | |||
| Credit Facility commitment | 1,090,000 | 1,090,000 | |||||
| Borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility | — | (150,000) | |||||
| Letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility | (6,650) | (6,650) | |||||
| Credit Facility availability | 1,083,350 | 933,350 | |||||
| Total liquidity | $ | 1,810,426 | $ | 1,261,867 |
Capital Resources. Our notes payable consisted of the following (in thousands):
| November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Variance | ||||||||
| Credit Facility | $ | — | $ | 150,000 | $ | (150,000) | ||||
| Term Loan | 358,156 | 357,485 | 671 | |||||||
| Senior notes | 1,327,934 | 1,326,266 | 1,668 | |||||||
| Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans | 3,808 | 4,760 | (952) | |||||||
| Total | $ | 1,689,898 | $ | 1,838,511 | $ | (148,613) |
Our financial leverage, as measured by the ratio of debt to capital, was 30.7% at November 30, 2023, compared to 33.4% at November 30, 2022. The ratio of debt to capital is calculated by dividing notes payable by capital (notes payable plus stockholders’ equity).
LOC Facility. We maintain an LOC Facility to obtain letters of credit from time to time in the ordinary course of operating our business. Under the LOC Facility, we may issue up to $75.0 million of letters of credit. On August 10, 2023, we entered into an amendment to the LOC Facility that extended the expiration date from February 13, 2025 to February 18, 2027. As of November 30, 2023 and 2022, we had letters of credit outstanding under the LOC Facility of $12.5 million and $36.4 million, respectively.
Performance Bonds. As discussed in Note 17 – Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we had $1.32 billion and $1.27 billion of performance bonds outstanding at November 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. We have a $1.09 billion Credit Facility that will mature on February 18, 2027. The Credit Facility contains an uncommitted accordion feature under which its aggregate principal amount of available loans can be increased to a maximum of $1.29 billion under certain conditions, including obtaining additional bank commitments. The amount of the Credit Facility available for cash borrowings and the issuance of letters of credit depends on the total cash borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility and the maximum available amount under the terms of the Credit Facility. As of November 30, 2023, we had no cash borrowings and $6.7 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility is further described in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Under the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, we are required, among other things, to maintain compliance with various covenants, including financial covenants regarding our consolidated tangible net worth, consolidated leverage ratio (“Leverage Ratio”), and either a consolidated interest coverage ratio (“Interest Coverage Ratio”) or minimum liquidity level, each as defined therein. Our compliance with these financial covenants is measured by calculations and metrics that are specifically defined or described by the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan and can differ in certain respects from
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comparable GAAP or other commonly used terms. The financial covenant requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan are set forth below:
•Consolidated tangible net worth – We must maintain a consolidated tangible net worth at the end of any fiscal quarter greater than or equal to the sum of (a) $2.09 billion, plus (b) an amount equal to 50% of the aggregate of the cumulative consolidated net income for each fiscal quarter commencing after November 30, 2021 and ending as of the last day of such fiscal quarter (though there is no reduction if there is a consolidated net loss in any fiscal quarter), plus (c) an amount equal to 50% of the cumulative net proceeds we receive from the issuance of our capital stock after November 30, 2021.
•Leverage Ratio – We must also maintain a Leverage Ratio of less than or equal to .60 at the end of each fiscal quarter. The Leverage Ratio is calculated as the ratio of our consolidated total indebtedness to the sum of consolidated total indebtedness and consolidated tangible net worth, all as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan.
•Interest Coverage Ratio or liquidity – We are also required to maintain either (a) an Interest Coverage Ratio of greater than or equal to 1.50 at the end of each fiscal quarter; or (b) a minimum level of liquidity, but not both. The Interest Coverage Ratio is the ratio of our consolidated adjusted EBITDA to consolidated interest incurred, each as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, in each case for the previous 12 months. Our minimum liquidity is required to be greater than or equal to consolidated interest incurred, as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, for the four most recently ended fiscal quarters in the aggregate.
In addition, under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, our equity investments in joint ventures and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries and other unconsolidated entities as of the end of each fiscal quarter cannot exceed the sum of (a) $104.8 million and (b) 20% of consolidated tangible net worth. Further, for so long as we do not hold an investment grade credit rating, as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan do not permit our borrowing base indebtedness, which, subject to certain exceptions, is the aggregate principal amount of our and certain of our subsidiaries’ outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money and non-collateralized financial letters of credit, to be greater than our borrowing base (a measure relating to our inventory and unrestricted cash assets).
The covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan represent the most restrictive covenants that we are subject to with respect to our notes payable. The following table summarizes the financial covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, and our actual levels or ratios (as applicable) with respect to those covenants and other requirements, in each case as of November 30, 2023:
| Financial Covenants and Other Requirements | Covenant Requirement | Actual | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated tangible net worth | $ | 2.80 | billion | $ | 3.77 | billion | |||
| Leverage Ratio | .600 | .312 | |||||||
| Interest Coverage Ratio (a) | 1.500 | 9.810 | |||||||
| Minimum liquidity (a) | $ | 93.3 | million | $ | 727.1 | million | |||
| Investments in joint ventures and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | $ | 858.4 | million | $ | 336.4 | million | |||
| Borrowing base in excess of borrowing base indebtedness (as defined) | n/a | $ | 2.79 | billion |
(a)Under the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, we are required to maintain either a minimum Interest Coverage Ratio or a minimum level of liquidity.
The indenture governing our senior notes does not contain any financial covenants. Subject to specified exceptions, the indenture contains certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to incur secured indebtedness, or engage in sale-leaseback transactions involving property above a certain specified value. In addition, the indenture contains certain limitations related to mergers, consolidations, and sales of assets.
As of the date of this report, we were in compliance with the applicable terms of all our covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility, the Term Loan, the senior notes, the indenture, the LOC Facility, and the mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans. Our ability to access the Credit Facility for cash borrowings and letters of credit and our ability to secure future debt financing depend, in part, on our ability to remain in such compliance. Our ability to access the Credit Facility’s full borrowing capacity, as well as the LOC Facility’s full issuance capacity, also depends on the ability and willingness of the applicable lenders and financial institutions, including any substitute or additional lenders and financial institutions, to meet their commitments to fund loans, extend credit or provide payment guarantees to or for us under those instruments.
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There are no agreements that restrict our payment of dividends other than the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, which would restrict our payment of certain dividends, such as cash dividends on our common stock, if a default under the Credit Facility or the Term Loan exists at the time of any such payment, or if any such payment would result in such a default (other than dividends paid within 60 days after declaration, if there was no default at the time of declaration).
Depending on available terms, we finance certain land acquisitions with purchase-money financing from land sellers or with other forms of financing from third parties. At November 30, 2023, we had outstanding mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans payable in connection with such financing of $3.8 million, secured primarily by the underlying property, which had an aggregate carrying value of $30.5 million.
Senior Unsecured Term Loan. We have a $360.0 million Term Loan with the lenders party thereto that will mature on August 25, 2026, or earlier if we secure borrowings under the Credit Facility without similarly securing the Term Loan (subject to certain exceptions). The Term Loan is further described in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. As discussed in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we have investments in unconsolidated joint ventures in various markets where our homebuilding operations are located. As of November 30, 2023, one of our unconsolidated joint ventures had borrowings outstanding under a revolving line of credit with a third-party lender and secured by the underlying property and related project assets. None of our other unconsolidated joint ventures had outstanding debt at November 30, 2023.
Credit Ratings. Our credit ratings are periodically reviewed by rating agencies. In April 2023, Standard and Poor’s Financial Services reaffirmed our BB credit rating and changed its rating outlook to stable from positive.
Consolidated Cash Flows. The following table presents a summary of net cash provided by (used in) our operating, investing and financing activities (in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | ||||||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 1,082,699 | $ | 183,418 | $ | (37,296) | ||||
| Investing activities | (58,062) | (71,773) | (38,084) | |||||||
| Financing activities | (627,493) | (73,583) | (315,013) | |||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | 397,144 | $ | 38,062 | $ | (390,393) |
Operating Activities. Generally, our net operating cash flows fluctuate primarily based on changes in our inventories and our profitability. Our net cash provided by operating activities in 2023 mainly reflected net income of $590.2 million and a net decrease in inventories of $426.8 million, partly offset by a net decrease in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $62.2 million and a net increase in receivables of $12.9 million. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2022 primarily reflected net income of $816.7 million and a net increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $53.1 million, partly offset by a net increase in inventories of $785.6 million and a net increase in receivables of $19.9 million.
Investing Activities. In 2023, our net cash used in investing activities included $35.5 million for net purchases of property and equipment and $27.7 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partially offset by a $5.1 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. In 2022, our uses of cash included $45.2 million for net purchases of property and equipment and $28.4 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partly offset by a $1.9 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures.
Financing Activities. In 2023, our uses of cash included stock repurchases totaling $411.4 million, net repayments under the Credit Facility of $150.0 million, dividend payments on our common stock of $56.8 million, tax payments associated with stock-based compensation awards of $14.2 million and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $3.8 million. The cash used was partially offset by $8.9 million of issuances of common stock under employee stock plans. In 2022, net cash was used for the repayment of $700.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our senior notes, stock repurchases totaling $150.0 million, dividend payments on our common stock of $52.5 million, tax payments associated with stock-based compensation awards of $15.9 million, payments of debt issuance costs of $11.1 million and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $.6 million. The cash used was partially offset by borrowings under the Term Loan of $360.0 million, cash provided from our public offering of $350.0 million in aggregate
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principal amount of 7.25% Senior Notes due 2030 (“7.25% Senior Notes due 2030”), and net borrowings under the Credit Facility of $150.0 million.
Dividends. In the 2023 first and second quarters, our board of directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $.15 per share of common stock. Our board of directors approved an increase in the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock to $.20 per share in the 2023 third quarter, and declared quarterly dividends at the new higher rate for the third and fourth quarters of 2023. In 2022, our board of directors declared four quarterly cash dividends of $.15 per share. Quarterly cash dividends declared during the years ended November 30, 2023 and 2022 totaled $.70 and $.60 per share of common stock, respectively. All dividends declared during 2023 and 2022 were also paid during those years. The declaration and payment of future cash dividends on our common stock, whether at current levels or at all, are at the discretion of our board of directors, and depend upon, among other things, our expected future earnings, cash flows, capital requirements, access to external financing, debt structure and any adjustments thereto, operational and financial investment strategy and general financial condition, as well as general business conditions.
Shelf Registration Statement. On July 10, 2023, we filed an automatically effective universal shelf registration statement (“2023 Shelf Registration”) with the SEC. As with our prior shelf registration statements, the 2023 Shelf Registration registers the offering of securities that we may issue from time to time in amounts to be determined. Our ability to issue securities is subject to market conditions and, with respect to debt securities, other factors impacting our borrowing capacity. We have not made any offerings of securities under the 2023 Shelf Registration.
Share Repurchase Program. On April 7, 2022, our board of directors authorized us to repurchase up to $300.0 million of our outstanding common stock. This authorization replaced a prior board of directors authorization, which had 331,400 shares remaining for repurchase. In 2022, we repurchased 4,927,499 shares of our common stock on the open market pursuant to this authorization at a total cost of $150.0 million. As of November 30, 2022, there was $150.0 million of remaining availability under this share repurchase authorization. In the 2023 first quarter, we repurchased 1,965,442 shares of our common stock on the open market pursuant to this authorization at a total cost of approximately $75.0 million.
On March 21, 2023, our board of directors authorized us to repurchase up to $500.0 million of our outstanding common stock. This authorization replaced the prior board of directors authorization, which had $75.0 million remaining. In the 2023 second, third and fourth quarters, we repurchased 7,278,995 shares of our common stock on the open market pursuant to this authorization at a total cost of $336.4 million, bringing our total repurchases for the year ended November 30, 2023 to 9,244,437 shares of common stock at a total cost of approximately $411.4 million. Repurchases under the current authorization may occur periodically through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, with the timing and amount at management’s discretion and dependent on market, business and other conditions. This share repurchase authorization will continue in effect until fully used or earlier terminated or suspended by our board of directors, and does not obligate us to purchase any shares. As of November 30, 2023, we were authorized to repurchase up to $163.6 million of our outstanding common stock in additional transactions.
As of the date of this report, we believe we have adequate capital resources and sufficient access to external financing sources to satisfy our current and reasonably anticipated requirements for funds to conduct our operations and meet other needs in the ordinary course of our business. In 2024, we expect to use or redeploy our cash resources or cash borrowings under the Credit Facility to support our business within the context of prevailing market conditions. During this time, we may also engage in capital markets, bank loan, project debt or other financial transactions, including the repurchase of debt or equity securities or potential new issuances of debt or equity securities to support our business needs. The amounts involved in these transactions, if any, may be material. In addition, as necessary or desirable, we may adjust or amend the terms of and/or expand the capacity of the Credit Facility or the LOC Facility, or enter into additional letter of credit facilities, or other similar facility arrangements, in each case with the same or other financial institutions, or allow any such facilities or loans to mature or expire. Our ability to engage in such transactions may be constrained by volatile or tight economic, capital, credit and/or financial market conditions or other factors, including those described below under “Outlook” and/or our liquidity, leverage and net worth, and we can provide no assurance as to successfully completing, the costs of, or the operational limitations arising from any one or series of such transactions.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires the use of estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions. See Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for a discussion of our significant accounting policies. The
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following are accounting policies that we believe are critical because of the significance of the activity to which they relate or because they require the use of significant estimates, judgments and/or other assumptions in their application.
Homebuilding Revenue Recognition. We recognize homebuilding revenue by applying the following steps in determining the timing and amount of revenue to recognize: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, if applicable; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation.
Our home sale transactions are made pursuant to contracts under which we typically have a single performance obligation to deliver a completed home to the homebuyer when closing conditions are met. Revenues from home sales are recognized when we have satisfied the performance obligation within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of the home and the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the homebuyer on the closing date. Little to no estimation is involved in recognizing such revenues.
We may periodically elect to sell parcels of land to third parties if such assets no longer fit into our strategic operating plans or are zoned for non-residential development. Revenues from land sales are recognized when we have satisfied the performance obligation(s) within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of the land and the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the land buyer on the closing date. Certain land sales contracts may require management judgment in determining the appropriate revenue recognition, but the impact of such transactions is generally immaterial.
Inventories and Cost of Sales. Housing and land inventories are stated at cost, unless the carrying value is determined not to be recoverable, in which case the affected inventories are written down to fair value or fair value less associated costs to sell. Fair value is determined based on estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risks associated with the real estate assets, or other valuation techniques. Due to uncertainties in the estimation process and other factors beyond our control, it is possible that actual results could differ from those estimated. Other than model homes, our inventories typically do not consist of completed unsold homes. However, as discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, we may have unsold completed or partially completed homes in our inventory.
We rely on certain estimates to determine our construction and land costs and resulting housing gross profit margins associated with revenues recognized. Construction and land costs are comprised of direct and allocated costs, including estimated future costs for the limited warranty we provide on our homes, and certain amenities within a community. Land acquisition, land development and other common costs are generally allocated on a relative fair value basis to the homes or lots within the applicable community or land parcel. Land acquisition and land development costs include related interest and real estate taxes.
In determining a portion of the construction and land costs recognized for each period, we rely on project budgets that are based on a variety of assumptions, including future construction schedules and costs to be incurred. It is possible that actual results could differ from budgeted amounts for various reasons, including construction delays, construction resource shortages, increases in costs that have not yet been committed, changes in governmental requirements, unforeseen environmental hazards or other unanticipated issues encountered during construction and other factors beyond our control. While the actual results for a particular construction project are accurately reported over time, variances between the budgeted and actual costs of a project could result in the understatement or overstatement of construction and land costs and homebuilding gross profits in a particular reporting period. To reduce the potential for such distortion, we have set forth procedures that collectively comprise a critical accounting policy. These procedures, which we have applied on a consistent basis, include assessing, updating and revising project budgets on a monthly basis, obtaining commitments to the extent possible from independent contractors and vendors for future costs to be incurred, reviewing the adequacy of warranty accruals and historical warranty claims experience, and utilizing the most current information available to estimate construction and land costs to be charged to expense. Variances to the budgeted costs after an estimate has been charged to expense that are related to project costs are generally allocated on a relative fair value basis to the remaining homes to be delivered within the community or land parcel, while such variances related to direct construction costs are generally expensed as incurred. The variances between budgeted and actual costs have historically not been material to our consolidated financial statements. We believe that our policies provide for reasonably dependable estimates to be used in the calculation and reporting of construction and land costs.
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments. Each community or land parcel in our owned inventory is assessed to determine if indicators of potential impairment exist. Impairment indicators are assessed separately for each community or land parcel on a quarterly basis and include, but are not limited to, the following: significant decreases in net orders, average selling prices, volume of homes delivered, gross profit margins on homes delivered or projected gross profit margins on homes in backlog or future deliveries; significant increases in budgeted land development and home construction
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costs or cancellation rates; or projected losses on expected future land sales. If indicators of potential impairment exist for a community or land parcel, the identified asset is evaluated for recoverability.
When an indicator of potential impairment is identified for a community or land parcel, we test the asset for recoverability by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. The undiscounted future net cash flows are impacted by then-current conditions and trends in the market in which the asset is located as well as factors known to us at the time the cash flows are calculated. These factors may include recent trends in our orders, backlog, cancellation rates and volume of homes delivered, as well as our expectations related to the following: product offerings; market supply and demand, including estimated average selling prices and related price appreciation; and land development, home construction and overhead costs to be incurred and related cost inflation.
Generally, a community must have a projected gross profit margin percentage below 5% to potentially not meet the recoverability test and proceed to the fair value evaluation described below. Our overall housing gross profit margin in the 2023 fourth quarter was 20.7%, and as of November 30, 2023, only a few communities had gross margins below 5%. However, if there is a sustained economic slowdown or other factor(s) that lead to moderate or significant decreases in new home prices in certain submarkets, more communities could begin to approach gross margin levels where we would conduct a fair value analysis. Any resulting impairment(s) from such an analysis(es) could be material. Additionally, we have $63.5 million of deposits and pre-acquisition costs at November 30, 2023 related to land option contracts and other similar contracts. If there are events that lead to moderate or significant decreases in new home prices, we could elect to cancel several such contracts, resulting in the write-off of the related deposits and pre-acquisition costs.
The following table presents information regarding inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges included in construction and land costs in our consolidated statements of operations (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Inventory impairments: | ||||||||||
| Number of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | — | 4 | 2 | |||||||
| Pre-impairment carrying value of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | $ | — | $ | 65,372 | $ | 27,923 | ||||
| Inventory impairment charges | — | (24,077) | (9,903) | |||||||
| Post-impairment fair value | $ | — | $ | 41,295 | $ | 18,020 | ||||
| Land option contract abandonments charges | $ | 11,424 | $ | 13,224 | $ | 2,050 |
There were no inventory impairment charges in 2023. The inventory impairment charges in 2022 and 2021 reflected our decisions to make changes in our operational strategies aimed at more quickly monetizing our investment in certain communities, mainly by accelerating the overall pace for selling, building and delivering homes therein, including communities on land previously held for future development.
As further described in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, given the inherent challenges and uncertainties in forecasting future results, our inventory assessments at the time they are made take into consideration whether a community or land parcel is active, meaning whether it is open for sales and/or undergoing development, or whether it is being held for future development or held for sale.
We record an inventory impairment charge on a community or land parcel that is active or held for future development when indicators of potential impairment exist and the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than the undiscounted future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, which is primarily determined based on the estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risk associated with each such asset, or other valuation techniques.
We record an inventory impairment charge on land held for sale when the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than its fair value. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, less associated costs to sell. The fair value of such real estate assets is generally based on bona fide letters of intent from outside parties, executed sales contracts, broker quotes or similar information.
Our inventory controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts is assessed to determine whether it continues to meet our investment return standards. Assessments are made separately for each optioned land parcel on a
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quarterly basis and are affected by the following factors relative to the market in which the asset is located, among others: current and/or anticipated net orders, average selling prices and volume of homes delivered; estimated land development and home construction costs; and projected profitability on expected future housing or land sales. When a decision is made not to exercise certain land option contracts and other similar contracts due to market conditions and/or changes in our marketing strategy, we write off the related inventory costs, including non-refundable deposits and unrecoverable pre-acquisition costs.
The estimated remaining life of each community or land parcel in our inventory depends on various factors, such as the total number of lots remaining; the expected timeline to acquire and entitle land and develop lots to build homes; the anticipated future net order and cancellation rates; and the expected timeline to build and deliver homes sold. While it is difficult to determine a precise timeframe for any particular inventory asset, based on current market conditions and expected delivery timelines, we estimate our inventory assets’ remaining operating lives to range generally from one year to in excess of 10 years and expect to realize, on an overall basis, the majority of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2023 within five years. The following table presents as of November 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, the estimated timeframe of delivery for the last home in an applicable community or land parcel and the corresponding percentage of total inventories such categories represent within our inventory balance (dollars in millions):
| 0-2 years | 3-5 years | 6-10 years | Greater than 10 years | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | $ | 2,367.2 | 46 | % | $ | 2,565.4 | 50 | % | $ | 201.0 | 4 | % | $ | — | — | % | $ | 5,133.6 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2,173.8 | 39 | 2,982.2 | 54 | 367.4 | 7 | 19.8 | — | 5,543.2 |
The inventory balances in the 0-2 years and 3-5 years categories were located throughout all of our homebuilding reporting segments, though mostly in our West Coast, Southwest and Central segments. These categories collectively represented 96% and 93% of our total inventories as of November 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The inventory balances in the 6-10 years and greater than 10 years categories were primarily located in our Central and Southeast segments, and together totaled $201.0 million at November 30, 2023, compared to $387.2 million at November 30, 2022. The inventories in the 6-10 years and greater than 10 years categories as of November 30, 2023 and 2022 were mostly comprised of active, multi-phase communities with large remaining land positions.
Due to the judgment and assumptions applied in our inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment assessment processes, and in our estimations of the remaining operating lives of our inventory assets and the realization of our inventory balances, particularly as to land held for future development, it is possible that actual results could differ substantially from those estimated, especially in periods of volatile housing market or economic conditions.
Deterioration in the supply and demand factors in the overall housing market or in an individual market or submarket, or changes to our operational or selling strategy at certain communities may lead to additional inventory impairment charges, future charges associated with land sales or the abandonment of land option contracts or other similar contracts related to certain assets. Due to the nature or location of the projects, land held for future development that we activate as part of our strategic growth initiatives or to accelerate sales and/or our return on investment, or that we otherwise monetize to help improve our asset efficiency, may have a somewhat greater likelihood of being impaired than other of our active inventory.
We believe the carrying value of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2023 is recoverable. Our considerations in making this determination include the factors and trends incorporated into our impairment analyses, and as applicable, the prevailing regulatory environment, competition from other homebuilders, inventory levels and sales activity of resale homes, and the local economic conditions where an asset is located. In addition, we consider the financial and operational status and expectations of our inventories as well as unique attributes of each community or land parcel that could be viewed as indicators for potential future impairments. However, if conditions in the overall housing market or in a specific market or submarket worsen in the future beyond our current expectations, including, among other things, from increases in mortgage interest rates, higher inflation, worsening supply chain and/or other production-related challenges, or if future changes in our business strategy significantly affect any key assumptions used in our projections of future cash flows, or if there are material changes in any of the other items we consider in assessing recoverability, we may recognize charges in future periods for inventory impairments or land option contract abandonments, or both, related to our current inventory assets. Any such charges could be material to our consolidated financial statements.
Warranty Costs. We provide a limited warranty on all of our homes. The specific terms and conditions of our limited warranty program vary depending upon the markets in which we do business. We estimate the costs that may be incurred under each limited warranty and record a liability in the amount of such costs at the time the revenue associated with the sale of each
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home is recognized. In assessing our overall warranty liability at a reporting date, we evaluate the costs for warranty-related items on a combined basis for all of our previously delivered homes that are under our limited warranty program.
Our primary assumption in estimating the amounts we accrue for warranty costs is that historical claims experience is a strong indicator of future claims experience. Factors that affect our warranty liability include the number of homes delivered, historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims, and cost per claim. We periodically assess the adequacy of our accrued warranty liability, which is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets, and adjust the amount as necessary based on our assessment. Our assessment includes the review of our actual warranty costs incurred to identify trends and changes in our warranty claims experience, and considers our home construction quality and customer service initiatives and outside events. Based on this assessment, we may from time to time adjust our warranty accrual rates, which would be applied on a prospective basis to homes delivered. Although adjustments to the accrual rates are generally infrequent, they may be necessary when actual warranty expenditures have increased or decreased on a sustained basis, as was the case in recent years when we reduced our warranty accrual rates to reflect favorable trends in our warranty expenditures. Based on our assessment, we may also make adjustments to our previously recorded accrued warranty liability. Such adjustments are recorded in the period in which the change in estimate occurs. In 2023, we made adjustments to increase our accrued warranty liability by $4.0 million. In 2021, we made adjustments to reduce our accrued warranty liability by $4.0 million. There were no such adjustments during 2022. While we believe we may face increased future home warranty and construction defect claims associated with replacing or servicing substitute products or materials used in some instances to address supply shortages in certain served markets or communities, as discussed above under Item 1A – Risk Factors in this report, as of the date of this report, we have not made any adjustments to our accrued liabilities associated with this potential risk. We have not made any material changes in the methodology used to establish our accrued warranty liability during 2023, 2022 and 2021. Our accrued warranty liability is presented on a gross basis for all years without consideration of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any. Estimates of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables when such recoveries are considered probable.
While we believe the warranty liability currently reflected in our consolidated balance sheets to be adequate, unanticipated changes or developments in the legal environment, local weather, land or environmental conditions, quality of materials or methods used in the construction of homes or customer service practices and/or our warranty claims experience could have a significant impact on our actual warranty costs in future periods and such amounts could differ significantly from our current estimates. A 10% change in the historical warranty rates used to estimate our accrued warranty liability would not result in a material change in our accrual.
Self-Insurance. We maintain, and require the majority of our independent contractors to maintain, general liability insurance (including construction defect and bodily injury coverage) and workers’ compensation insurance. These insurance policies protect us against a portion of our risk of loss from claims related to our homebuilding activities, subject to certain self-insured retentions, deductibles and other coverage limits. We self-insure a portion of our overall risk through the use of a captive insurance subsidiary. In Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada, our contractors’ general liability insurance primarily takes the form of a wrap-up policy under a program where eligible independent contractors are enrolled as insureds on each community. Enrolled contractors generally contribute toward the cost of the insurance and agree to pay a contractual amount in the future if there is a claim related to their work.
We record liabilities based on the estimated costs required to cover reported claims, claims incurred but not yet reported, and claim adjustment expenses. These estimated costs are based on an actuarial analysis of our historical claims and expense data, as well as industry data. Our self-insurance liabilities are presented on a gross basis without consideration of insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any.
The amount of our self-insurance liability is based on an analysis performed by a third-party actuary that uses our historical claim and expense data, as well as industry data to estimate these overall costs. These estimates are subject to uncertainty due to a variety of factors, the most significant being the long period of time between the delivery of a home to a homebuyer and when a structural warranty or construction defect claim may be made, and the ultimate resolution of any such construction defect claim. Though state regulations vary, construction defect claims are reported and resolved over a long period of time, which can extend for 10 years or more. As a result, the majority of the estimated self-insurance liability based on the actuarial analysis relates to claims incurred but not yet reported. Therefore, adjustments related to individual existing claims generally do not significantly impact the overall estimated liability. Adjustments to our liabilities related to homes delivered in prior years are recorded in the period in which a change in our estimate occurs. During 2023, 2022 and 2021, we recorded adjustments to increase our previously recorded liabilities by $6.5 million, $7.0 million and $6.8 million, respectively. The adjustments in 2023, 2022 and 2021 resulted from changes in estimates due to actual claims experience differing from previous actuarial projections and, in turn, impacting actuarial estimates for existing and potential future claims. We have not made any material changes in our methodology used to establish our self-insurance liabilities during 2023, 2022 or 2021.
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The projection of losses related to these liabilities requires the use of actuarial assumptions. Key assumptions used in developing these estimates include claim frequencies, severities and resolution patterns, which can occur over an extended period of time. These estimates are subject to variability due to the length of time between the delivery of a home to a homebuyer and when a construction defect claim is made, and the ultimate resolution of such claim; uncertainties regarding such claims relative to our markets and the types of product we build; and legal or regulatory actions and/or interpretations, among other factors. Due to the degree of judgment involved and the potential for variability in these underlying assumptions, our actual future costs could differ from those estimated. In addition, changes in the frequency and severity of reported claims and the estimates to resolve claims can impact the trends and assumptions used in the actuarial analysis, which could be material to our consolidated financial statements. A 10% increase in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to estimate the self-insurance liability would result in increases of approximately $28.6 million in our liability and approximately $9.9 million in our receivable as of November 30, 2023, and additional expense of approximately $18.7 million for 2023. A 10% decrease in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to estimate the self-insurance liability would result in decreases of approximately $25.8 million in our liability and approximately $7.6 million in our receivable as of November 30, 2023, and a reduction to expense of approximately $18.2 million for 2023.
Estimates of insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables when such recoveries are considered probable. These estimated recoveries are principally based on actuarially determined amounts and depend on various factors, including, among other things, the above-described claim cost estimates, our insurance policy coverage limits for the applicable policy year(s), historical third-party recovery rates, insurance industry practices, the regulatory environment, and legal precedent, and are subject to a high degree of variability from year to year. Because of the inherent uncertainty and variability in these assumptions, our actual insurance recoveries could differ significantly from amounts currently estimated.
Legal Matters Accruals. We record contingent liabilities resulting from claims against us when a loss is assessed to be probable and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable. Assessing the probability of losses and estimating probable losses requires analysis of multiple factors, including in some cases judgments about the potential actions of third-party claimants, regulatory agencies, mediators, arbitrators, responsible third parties and/or courts, as the case may be. Recorded contingent liabilities are based on the most recent information available and actual losses in any future period are inherently uncertain. If future adjustments to estimated probable future losses or actual losses exceed our recorded liability for such claims, we would record additional charges during the period in which the actual loss or change in estimate occurred. In addition to contingent liabilities recorded for probable losses, we disclose contingent liabilities when there is a reasonable possibility the ultimate loss will materially exceed the recorded liability. While we cannot predict the outcome of pending legal matters with certainty, we do not believe any currently identified claim or proceeding, either individually or in aggregate, will have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Income Taxes. As discussed in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we evaluate our deferred tax assets quarterly to determine if adjustments to our valuation allowance are required based on the consideration of all available positive and negative evidence using a “more likely than not” standard with respect to whether deferred tax assets will be realized. This evaluation considers, among other factors, our historical operating results, our expectation of future profitability, the duration of the applicable statutory carryforward periods, and conditions in the housing market and the broader economy. The ultimate realization of our deferred tax assets depends primarily on our ability to generate future taxable income during the periods in which the related deferred tax assets become deductible. The value of our deferred tax assets in our consolidated balance sheets depends on applicable income tax rates. We base our estimate of deferred tax assets and liabilities on current tax laws and rates. In certain cases, we also base this estimate on business plan forecasts and other expectations about future outcomes. Changes in positive and negative evidence, including differences between our future operating results and estimates, could result in the establishment of an additional valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. Accounting for deferred taxes is based upon estimates of future results. Judgment is required in determining the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements and/or tax returns. Differences between the anticipated and actual outcomes of these future results could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Also, changes in existing federal and state tax laws and corporate income tax rates could affect future tax results and the realization of deferred tax assets over time.
We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in our consolidated financial statements as a component of the provision for income taxes. Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits, combined with accrued interest and penalties, is reflected as a component of accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. Judgment is required in evaluating uncertain tax positions. We evaluate our uncertain tax positions quarterly based on various factors, including changes in facts or circumstances, tax laws or the status of audits by tax authorities. Changes in the recognition or measurement of uncertain tax positions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements in the period in which we make the change.
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INFLATION
Since 2021, product and labor costs and general inflation in the economy have increased and remained elevated compared to the prior decade. In turn, we experienced rising land and construction costs, particularly for building materials and construction service providers’ rates, warranty repair costs, and compensation and benefit expenses to attract and retain talent. These trends are expected to continue to an extent in 2024, though they may worsen compared to prior years. We generally enter into land option contracts and other similar contracts to acquire rights to land for the construction of homes a significant period of time before development and/or sales efforts commence. Accordingly, to the extent land acquisition costs are fixed, subsequent increases or decreases in our home selling prices will affect our profits. As the selling price of each of our homes is fixed at the time a buyer enters into a home sales contract, and because we generally commence construction of a home only after we have a signed sales contract with a homebuyer, any interim construction-related cost inflation can result in lower housing gross profit margins. In order to help, but not entirely moderate that effect, we typically enter into fixed-price contracts with our larger trade partners and building material suppliers for specified periods of time.
Inflation is often accompanied by higher and more volatile interest rates, which may negatively impact housing affordability and the confidence of potential homebuyers, and adversely impact demand for our homes. Inflation may also increase our financing costs, as borrowings under our Credit Facility, if any, and Term Loan typically accrue interest at a variable rate based on SOFR.
We expect the inflationary pressures on our business to continue in 2024. While we attempt to pass on increases in our costs through increased home selling prices, including for design options and upgrades, market forces and buyer affordability constraints can limit our ability to do so. If we are unable to raise selling prices enough to compensate for higher costs, or our borrowing costs increase significantly, our revenues, housing gross profit margin and net income could be adversely affected.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Recent accounting pronouncements are discussed in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
OUTLOOK
We believe several long-term housing market fundamental factors remain positive, including favorable demographics, a decade-plus underproduction of new homes in relation to population growth and constrained resale home inventory. Beginning with the 2023 second quarter, supported by these positive factors and even with elevated mortgage interest rates, demand was relatively steady for new homes and for homes at our price points. There is considerable uncertainty regarding the near-term direction of mortgage interest rates, inflation, consumer confidence and the general economy, and the degree to which these factors, individually or collectively, may impact demand for our homes in 2024. However, we believe we are well-positioned to meet changing market conditions with our differentiated, highly customer-centric Built to Order business model and operational capabilities, affordable product offerings, lot supply, strong balance sheet and liquidity. We also believe with our substantial backlog value of $2.67 billion at November 30, 2023, improved construction cycle times, normalizing cancellation rates and planned community count growth, we can achieve our projected results for 2024, subject to the factors and risks described in this report.
We plan to continue to focus on generating cash flows from our homebuilding operations and on balancing pace, price and construction starts at each community to optimize our return on each inventory asset within its market context. We anticipate the pricing adjustments and other homebuyer concessions we have selectively employed since the 2022 second half will contribute to a year-over-year decrease in the average selling price of homes delivered in 2024. Our use of such concessions in 2024 will depend on, among other things, market dynamics, including mortgage interest rates and overall housing affordability, as well as community-specific considerations, including the size and construction stage of the backlog, net order pace and lots remaining available for sale. We are committed to further reducing our build times in 2024 and moving closer to our historical levels of between four and five months. While we expect our land acquisition activity to increase during 2024 as compared to 2023, our investments in land and land development will depend significantly on market conditions and available opportunities that meet our investment return standards.
We intend to maintain a balanced approach to capital allocation designed to maximize long-term stockholder value. In this regard, we ended 2023 with approximately $163.6 million remaining under our current board of directors share repurchase authorization. This provides us flexibility to continue to repurchase our common stock in 2024, with the volume and timing based on considerations of our operating cash flow, liquidity outlook, land investment opportunities and needs, the market price of our common stock, and the housing market and general economic environments.
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Since our 2023 fiscal year ended, housing demand has improved significantly in conjunction with a steady decline in mortgage interest rates. Through the first six weeks of our 2024 first quarter, we generated 1,170 net orders, compared to 568 in the year-earlier period. From this trend, we anticipate our full 2024 first quarter year-over-year net order comparison will be favorable, though at a more moderate level than we have generated in our first six weeks, due to the depressed net order activity we experienced in the same prior-year period. Our present outlook for the 2024 first quarter and full year as to certain metrics are as follows:
2024 First Quarter –
•We expect to generate housing revenues in the range of $1.40 billion to $1.50 billion, compared to $1.38 billion for the corresponding 2023 period, and anticipate our average selling price to be approximately $477,000, compared to $494,500 in the year-earlier period.
•We expect our homebuilding operating income margin as a percentage of revenues to be approximately 10.5%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 11.7% for the year-earlier quarter.
◦We expect our housing gross profit margin to be about 21.0%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 21.8% for the corresponding 2023 quarter.
◦We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to be about 10.5%, compared to 10.1% for the 2023 first quarter.
•We expect our effective tax rate will be approximately 24.0%. The effective tax rate for the year-earlier quarter was 22.6%.
•We expect our ending community count to be approximately 240, which would result in a year-over-year decrease in our average community count in the low single-digit range.
2024 Full Year –
•We expect our housing revenues to be in the range of $6.40 billion to $6.80 billion, an increase from $6.37 billion for 2023.
•We expect our average selling price to be in the range of $480,000 to $490,000, compared to $481,300 for 2023.
•We expect our homebuilding operating income margin as a percentage of revenues to be approximately 11.0%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 11.4% for 2023.
◦We expect our housing gross profit margin to be approximately 21.0%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 21.4% for 2023.
◦We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to be about 10.0%, compared to 9.9% for 2023.
•We expect our effective tax rate to be approximately 24.0%, compared to 23.5% for 2023.
•We expect our ending community count to be approximately 270, up 12%, compared to 242 for 2023, and our average community count to be up about 5%.
In addition to factors discussed elsewhere in this report, our future performance and the strategies we implement (and adjust or refine as necessary or appropriate) will depend significantly on prevailing economic, employment, homebuilding industry and capital, credit and financial market conditions and on a fairly stable and constructive political and regulatory environment (particularly in regard to housing and mortgage loan financing policies). For instance, the Federal Reserve’s aggressive raising of the federal funds interest rate and other measures during 2022 and 2023 to moderate persistent U.S. inflation created significant and ongoing headwinds for the housing market, tempering consumer demand for homes and disrupting credit and lending markets. In addition, while we experienced improvement with respect to supply chain-related disruptions as described in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, we believe they will persist to a certain degree in 2024. The potential extent and effect of these factors on our business is highly uncertain, unpredictable and outside our control, and our past performance, including in 2023, should not be considered indicative of our future results on any metric or set of metrics, including, but not limited to, our net orders, backlog, revenues and returns.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this report, as well as some statements by us in periodic press releases and other public disclosures and some oral statements by us to securities analysts, stockholders and others during presentations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”). Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “hope,” and similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that we may make or provide concerning future financial or operating performance (including without limitation future revenues, community count, homes delivered, net orders, selling prices, sales pace per new community, expenses, expense ratios, housing gross profits, housing gross profit margins, earnings or earnings per share, or growth or growth rates), future market conditions, future interest rates, and other economic conditions, ongoing business strategies or prospects, future dividends and changes in dividend levels, the value of our backlog (including amounts that we expect to realize upon delivery of homes included in our backlog and the timing of those deliveries), the value of our net orders, potential future asset acquisitions and the impact of completed acquisitions, future share issuances or repurchases, future debt issuances, repurchases or redemptions and other possible future actions are also forward-looking statements as defined by the Act. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about our operations, economic and market factors, and the homebuilding industry, among other things. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and we have no specific policy or intention to update these statements. If we update or revise any such statement(s), no assumption should be made that we will further update or review that statement(s) or update or revise any other such statement(s). In addition, forward-looking and other statements in this report and in other public or oral disclosures that express or contain opinions, views or assumptions about market or economic conditions; the success, performance, effectiveness and/or relative positioning of our strategies, initiatives or operational activities; and other matters, may be based in whole or in part on general observations of our management, limited or anecdotal evidence and/or business or industry experience without in-depth or any particular empirical investigation, inquiry or analysis.
Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors. The most important risk factors that could cause our actual performance and future events and actions to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
•general economic, employment and business conditions;
•population growth, household formations and demographic trends;
•conditions in the capital, credit and financial markets;
•our ability to access external financing sources and raise capital through the issuance of common stock, debt or other securities, and/or project financing, on favorable terms;
•the execution of any securities repurchases pursuant to our board of directors’ authorization;
•material and trade costs and availability, including building materials and appliances, and delays related to state and municipal construction, permitting, inspection and utility processes, which have been disrupted by key equipment shortages;
•consumer and producer price inflation;
•changes in interest rates, including those set by the Federal Reserve, which the Federal Reserve has increased sharply over the past year and may further increase to moderate inflation, and those available in the capital markets or from financial institutions and other lenders, and applicable to mortgage loans;
•our debt level, including our ratio of debt to capital, and our ability to adjust our debt level and maturity schedule;
•our compliance with the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan;
•the ability and willingness of the applicable lenders and financial institutions, or any substitute or additional lenders and financial institutions, to meet their commitments or fund borrowings, extend credit or provide payment guarantees to or for us under the Credit Facility or LOC Facility;
•volatility in the market price of our common stock;
•home selling prices, including our homes’ selling prices, being unaffordable relative to consumer incomes;
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•weak or declining consumer confidence, either generally or specifically with respect to purchasing homes;
•competition from other sellers of new and resale homes;
•weather events, significant natural disasters and other climate and environmental factors, such as a lack of adequate water supply to permit new home communities in certain areas;
•any failure of lawmakers to agree on a budget or appropriation legislation to fund the federal government’s operations (also known as a government shutdown), and financial markets’ and businesses’ reactions to any such failure;
•government actions, policies, programs and regulations directed at or affecting the housing market (including the tax benefits associated with purchasing and owning a home, and the standards, fees and size limits applicable to the purchase or insuring of mortgage loans by government-sponsored enterprises and government agencies), the homebuilding industry, or construction activities;
•changes in existing tax laws or enacted corporate income tax rates, including those resulting from regulatory guidance and interpretations issued with respect thereto, such as the IRS’ recent guidance regarding heightened qualification requirements for federal tax credits for building energy-efficient homes;
•changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and duties on homebuilding materials and products, and related trade disputes with and retaliatory measures taken by other countries;
•disruptions in world and regional trade flows, economic activity and supply chains due to the military conflicts and other attacks in the Middle East region and in Ukraine, including those stemming from wide-ranging sanctions the U.S. and other countries have imposed or may further impose on Russian business sectors, financial organizations, individuals and raw materials, the impact of which may, among other things, increase our operational costs, create and/or exacerbate building materials and appliance shortages and/or reduce our revenues and earnings;
•the adoption of new or amended financial accounting standards and the guidance and/or interpretations with respect thereto;
•the availability and cost of land in desirable areas and our ability to timely and efficiently develop acquired land parcels and open new home communities;
•impairment, land option contract abandonment or other inventory-related charges, including any stemming from decreases in the value of our land assets;
•our warranty claims experience with respect to homes previously delivered and actual warranty costs incurred;
•costs and/or charges arising from regulatory compliance requirements or from legal, arbitral or regulatory proceedings, investigations, claims or settlements, including unfavorable outcomes in any such matters resulting in actual or potential monetary damage awards, penalties, fines or other direct or indirect payments, or injunctions, consent decrees or other voluntary or involuntary restrictions or adjustments to our business operations or practices that are beyond our current expectations and/or accruals;
•our ability to use/realize the net deferred tax assets we have generated;
•our ability to successfully implement our current and planned strategies and initiatives related to our product, geographic and market positioning, gaining share and scale in our served markets and in entering into new markets;
•our operational and investment concentration in markets in California;
•consumer interest in our new home communities and products, particularly from first-time homebuyers and higher-income consumers;
•our ability to generate orders and convert our backlog of orders to home deliveries and revenues, particularly in key markets in California;
•our ability to successfully implement our business strategies and achieve any associated financial and operational targets and objectives, including those discussed in this report or in any of our other public filings, presentations or disclosures;
•income tax expense volatility associated with stock-based compensation;
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•the ability of our homebuyers to obtain homeowners and flood insurance policies, and/or typical or lender-required policies for other hazards or events, for their homes, which may depend on the ability and willingness of insurers or government-funded or -sponsored programs to offer coverage at an affordable price or at all;
•the ability of our homebuyers to obtain residential mortgage loans and mortgage banking services, which may depend on the ability and willingness of lenders and financial institutions to offer such loans and services to our homebuyers;
•the performance of mortgage lenders to our homebuyers;
•the performance of KBHS;
•the ability and willingness of lenders and financial institutions to extend credit facilities to KBHS to fund its originated mortgage loans;
•information technology failures and data security breaches;
•an epidemic, pandemic or significant seasonal or other disease outbreak, and the control response measures that international, federal, state and local governments, agencies, law enforcement and/or health authorities implement to address it, which may precipitate or exacerbate one or more of the above-mentioned and/or other risks, and significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period;
•widespread protests and/or civil unrest, whether due to political events, social movements or other reasons; and
•other events outside of our control.
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000795266-23-000009.
Item 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our discussion and analysis below is focused on our 2022 and 2021 financial results, including comparisons of our year-over-year performance between these years. Discussion and analysis of our 2020 fiscal year specifically, as well as the year-over-year comparison of our 2021 financial performance to 2020, are located under Part II, Item 7 – 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 November 30, 2021, filed with the SEC on January 21, 2022, which is available on our investor relations website at investor.kbhome.com and the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview. Revenues are generated from our homebuilding and financial services operations. The following table presents a summary of our consolidated results of operations (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 vs 2021 | 2021 vs 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding | $ | 6,880,362 | $ | 5,705,029 | $ | 4,167,702 | 21 | % | 37 | % | |||||||
| Financial services | 23,414 | 19,901 | 15,472 | 18 | 29 | ||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 6,903,776 | $ | 5,724,930 | $ | 4,183,174 | 21 | % | 37 | % | |||||||
| Pretax income: | |||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding | $ | 1,033,615 | $ | 656,911 | $ | 331,500 | 57 | % | 98 | % | |||||||
| Financial services | 38,451 | 38,435 | 32,543 | — | 18 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 1,072,066 | 695,346 | 364,043 | 54 | 91 | ||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | (255,400) | (130,600) | (67,800) | (96) | (93) | ||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 816,666 | $ | 564,746 | $ | 296,243 | 45 | % | 91 | % | |||||||
| Earnings per share: | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 9.35 | $ | 6.22 | $ | 3.26 | 50 | % | 91 | % | |||||||
| Diluted | $ | 9.09 | $ | 6.01 | $ | 3.13 | 51 | % | 92 | % |
Our 2022 fiscal year operating environment and, as a result, business performance were exceptionally volatile, with positive housing market conditions continuing from 2021 through most of the 2022 first half, downshifting considerably in the 2022 third quarter and for the remainder of the year. In the 2022 second half, U.S. housing demand weakened significantly compared to the year-earlier period, with the combination of sharply higher mortgage interest rates since early 2022, elevated inflation, several years of rising housing prices, financial market turbulence, and various other macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns negatively affecting consumer budgets, including their ability to qualify for mortgage loans, and confidence, both generally and specifically as to purchasing a home.
Despite these substantial headwinds, in 2022, we generated year-over-year improvements in our financial results through our ongoing focus on balancing pace, price and construction starts at each community to enhance our returns and build a substantial backlog, and the favorable pricing and housing supply/demand environment prevailing in the 2022 first half and prior periods, when most buyers contracted to purchase the homes delivered this year. However, our 2022 performance was offset by the difficult conditions during the 2022 second half, as well as supply chain challenges and higher construction costs, as described below.
Homebuilding revenues for 2022 grew 21% from the previous year due to an increase in housing revenues that reflected a 2% increase in the number of homes delivered to 13,738 and an 18% increase in the overall average selling price of those homes to $500,800. Approximately 53% of homes delivered in 2022 were to first-time homebuyers. Homebuilding operating income for 2022 rose 57% year over year to $1.04 billion and, as a percentage of homebuilding revenues, expanded 350 basis points to 15.1%. The increase in our homebuilding operating income margin was driven by significant improvements in both housing gross profit margin and selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues. Our pretax income margin improved 340 basis points to 15.5%. Net income and diluted earnings per share increased 45% and 51%, respectively, each as compared to 2021.
Our return on equity (“ROE”) for 2022 improved 470 basis points to 24.6%, compared to 19.9% for 2021. ROE is calculated as net income for the year divided by average stockholders’ equity, where average stockholders’ equity is based on the ending stockholders’ equity balances of the trailing five quarters.
We generated $183.4 million in cash from operating activities in 2022 and ended the year with total liquidity of $1.26 billion, comprised of $328.5 million of cash and cash equivalents and $933.4 million of available capacity under our Credit Facility. Although we made substantial investments in land acquisition and land development in the 2022 first half, extending our efforts in 2020 and 2021 to expand our scale and support future community count growth, we pivoted in the 2022 third quarter in response to softening housing market conditions to emphasize developing the land positions we already owned or
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controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts. As the housing market continued to slow in the 2022 fourth quarter, we further reduced our land investment activity, as described below under “Liquidity and Capital Resources.”
The housing affordability and other pressures described above caused many prospective buyers in the 2022 second half to pause their homebuying decisions or cancel their home purchase contracts with us, contributing to substantial year-over-year decreases in our net orders and net order value in third quarter that became more pronounced in the fourth quarter. In the 2022 fourth quarter, our year-over-year net orders and net order value declined 80% and 79%, respectively, reflecting a significant reduction in our monthly net orders per community, partly offset by an 11% increase in our average community count due to new community openings and fewer communities selling out. Our cancellation rate as a percentage of gross orders for the 2022 fourth quarter increased to a historically high 68%, from 13% for the corresponding 2021 quarter. With the substantial decline in net orders in the 2022 second half, our ending backlog value at November 30, 2022 decreased 25% from the previous year to approximately $3.69 billion.
Since 2020, we have experienced intensifying building material cost pressures, particularly for lumber, and production capacity issues with some of our main product suppliers, reflecting sustained high levels of homebuilding and renovation activity combined with supply chain disruptions stemming from international and domestic COVID-19 control responses. In 2021 and 2022, we, like other homebuilders, continued to experience production challenges due to these supply chain disruptions, as well as ongoing restricted construction services availability and delays with respect to state and municipal construction permitting, inspection and utility processes, which have been disrupted by key equipment shortages. While we have implemented measures to help mitigate these disruptions, as discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, they extended our construction cycle times and delayed deliveries throughout 2021 and 2022. We believe these challenging circumstances affecting our land development and home construction activities will generally persist and possibly worsen in 2023.
Though we expect affordability pressures and consumer uncertainty to have a significant negative impact on our net orders in 2023 compared to corresponding prior-year periods, we believe the long-term housing market outlook remains positive and we are well positioned to meet current market conditions with our affordable product offerings, lot supply, strong balance sheet and liquidity. We plan to continue to focus on generating cash flows from our homebuilding operations and managing our product offerings, home pricing, sales pace and inventory levels to optimize our returns, subject to housing market conditions.
HOMEBUILDING
Financial Results. The following table presents a summary of certain financial and operational data for our homebuilding operations (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||
| Housing | $ | 6,880,362 | $ | 5,694,668 | $ | 4,150,793 | ||||
| Land | — | 10,361 | 16,909 | |||||||
| Total | 6,880,362 | 5,705,029 | 4,167,702 | |||||||
| Costs and expenses: | ||||||||||
| Construction and land costs | ||||||||||
| Housing | (5,210,802) | (4,466,053) | (3,365,509) | |||||||
| Land | (2,541) | (3,258) | (14,942) | |||||||
| Total | (5,213,343) | (4,469,311) | (3,380,451) | |||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (629,645) | (574,376) | (470,779) | |||||||
| Total | (5,842,988) | (5,043,687) | (3,851,230) | |||||||
| Operating income | 1,037,374 | 661,342 | 316,472 | |||||||
| Interest income | 704 | 1,049 | 2,554 | |||||||
| Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures | (865) | (405) | 12,474 | |||||||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | (3,598) | (5,075) | — | |||||||
| Homebuilding pretax income | $ | 1,033,615 | $ | 656,911 | $ | 331,500 |
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| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Homes delivered | 13,738 | 13,472 | 10,672 | |||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 500,800 | $ | 422,700 | $ | 388,900 | ||||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 24.3 | % | 21.6 | % | 18.9 | % | ||||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 24.8 | % | 21.8 | % | 19.6 | % | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of housing revenues | 9.2 | % | 10.1 | % | 11.3 | % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of homebuilding revenues | 15.1 | % | 11.6 | % | 7.6 | % |
Revenues. Homebuilding revenues of $6.88 billion for 2022 grew 21% from the prior year due to an increase in housing revenues, partly offset by a decrease in land sale revenues.
Housing revenues in 2022 grew 21% from the previous year, due to a 2% increase in the number of homes delivered and an 18% increase in their overall average selling price that primarily reflected the favorable housing market environment in the 2022 first half and earlier periods when most buyers contracted to purchase those homes, as well as product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered. Although the homes delivered in 2022 were impacted by the ongoing supply chain disruptions and other production-related issues that extended our cycle times, as described above under “Overview,” housing revenues increased in all four of our homebuilding reporting segments, reflecting double-digit increases in average selling prices in each segment.
We had no land sale revenues in 2022, compared to $10.4 million in 2021. Generally, land sale revenues fluctuate with our decisions to maintain or decrease our land ownership position in certain markets based upon the volume of our holdings, our business strategy, the strength and number of developers and other land buyers in particular markets at given points in time, the availability of opportunities to sell land at acceptable prices and prevailing market conditions.
Operating Income. Our homebuilding operating income grew 57% in 2022, as compared to the previous year, reflecting higher housing gross profits, partly offset by an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses. In 2022 and 2021, homebuilding operating income included total inventory-related charges of $37.3 million and $12.0 million, respectively, as discussed in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. As a percentage of homebuilding revenues, our homebuilding operating income for 2022 improved 350 basis points year over year to 15.1%. Excluding inventory-related charges for both periods, our homebuilding operating income margin improved 380 basis points to 15.6% in 2022 from 11.8% in 2021.
•Housing Gross Profits – In 2022, housing gross profits increased by $440.9 million, or 36%, to $1.67 billion from 2021. The year-over-year improvement reflected increases in both our housing revenues and housing gross profit margin. Housing gross profits for 2022 and 2021 included inventory-related charges associated with housing operations of $34.8 million and $12.0 million, respectively.
Housing gross profit margin increased 270 basis points from the previous year, mainly as a result of the favorable housing market environment in the 2022 first half and earlier periods when most buyers purchased the homes delivered, which more than offset higher construction costs (approximately 280 basis points); and lower amortization of previously capitalized interest as a percentage of housing revenues (approximately 60 basis points). These favorable impacts were partly offset by increased expenses to support current operations (approximately 30 basis points); an increase in inventory-related charges (approximately 30 basis points); and other miscellaneous factors (approximately 10 basis points). As a percentage of housing revenues, the amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with housing operations was 2.0% for 2022 and 2.6% for 2021. Excluding the inventory-related charges associated with housing operations described above, our adjusted housing gross profit margin increased 300 basis points to 24.8% in 2022 from 21.8% in 2021. The calculation of adjusted housing gross profit margin, which we believe provides a clearer measure of the performance of our business, is described below under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
•Land Sale Profits (Losses) – Land sale losses of $2.6 million for 2022 were comprised solely of an inventory impairment charge related to a parcel of land previously held for future development that we plan to sell. In 2021, land sales generated profits of $7.1 million.
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•Selling, General and Administrative Expenses – The following table presents the components of our selling, general and administrative expenses (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | % of Housing Revenues | 2021 | % of Housing Revenues | 2020 | % of Housing Revenues | |||||||||||||||
| Marketing expenses | $ | 136,262 | 2.0 | % | $ | 117,481 | 2.1 | % | $ | 116,590 | 2.8 | % | ||||||||
| Commission expenses (a) | 220,466 | 3.2 | 217,608 | 3.8 | 164,507 | 3.9 | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 272,917 | 4.0 | 239,287 | 4.2 | 189,682 | 4.6 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 629,645 | 9.2 | % | $ | 574,376 | 10.1 | % | $ | 470,779 | 11.3 | % |
(a)Commission expenses include sales commissions on homes delivered paid to internal sales counselors and external real estate brokers.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for 2022 increased 10% from the prior year, primarily due to higher costs associated with performance-based employee compensation plans, as well as expenses incurred to support our higher community count. In addition, general and administrative expenses in 2021 benefited from a $4.3 million Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”), which is described in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. Marketing expenses in 2022 rose from the prior year primarily due to higher advertising and other costs to support our higher average community count. Our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues improved 90 basis points in 2022, largely reflecting lower external sales commissions and increased operating leverage due to our higher housing revenues as compared to the previous year, partly offset by the above-mentioned higher expenses.
Interest Income/Expense. Interest income, which is generated from short-term investments, totaled $.7 million in 2022 and $1.0 million in 2021. Generally, increases and decreases in interest income are attributable to changes in the interest-bearing average balances of short-term investments and fluctuations in interest rates.
We incur interest principally from our borrowings to finance land acquisitions, land development, home construction and other operating and capital needs. The amount of interest incurred generally fluctuates based on the average amount of debt outstanding for the period and the interest rate on that debt. In 2022, total interest incurred of $120.9 million was essentially even with $120.5 million incurred in 2021. All interest incurred during 2022 and 2021 was capitalized as the average amount of our inventory qualifying for interest capitalization was higher than our average debt level for each period. As a result, we had no interest expense for 2022 or 2021. Further information regarding our interest incurred and capitalized is provided in Note 6 – Inventories in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Equity in Income (Loss) of Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. Our equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures was nominal for both 2022 and 2021. Further information regarding our investments in unconsolidated joint ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt. Our $3.6 million loss on early extinguishment of debt in 2022 was associated with the retirement of $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.50% senior notes due September 15, 2022 (“7.50% Senior Notes due 2022”) before their maturity date. Our $5.1 million loss on early extinguishment of debt in 2021 was associated with our purchase, pursuant to a tender offer that expired on June 8, 2021, of $269.8 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% senior notes due December 15, 2021 (“7.00% Senior Notes due 2021”) prior to their maturity date. Further information regarding these transactions is provided in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
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Net Orders, Backlog and Community Count. The following table presents information about our net orders, cancellation rate, ending backlog, and community count for the years ended November 30, 2022 and 2021 (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Net orders | 10,856 | 16,206 | |||||
| Net order value (a) | $ | 5,620,196 | $ | 7,683,990 | |||
| Cancellation rate (b) | 26 | % | 10 | % | |||
| Ending backlog — homes | 7,662 | 10,544 | |||||
| Ending backlog — value | $ | 3,691,559 | $ | 4,951,725 | |||
| Ending community count | 246 | 217 | |||||
| Average community count | 222 | 214 |
(a)Net order value represents potential future housing revenues associated with net orders generated during the period, as well as homebuyer selections of lot and product premiums and design studio options and upgrades for homes in backlog during the same period.
(b)Cancellation rate represents the total number of contracts for new homes cancelled during a period divided by the total (gross) orders for new homes generated during the same period.
Net Orders. Net orders from our homebuilding operations decreased 33% from 2021 with the pace of monthly net orders per community slowing 35% to 4.1. The value of our 2022 net orders declined 27% from 2021 as the decrease in net orders was partly offset by a 9% increase in the overall average selling price of those orders. Both net orders and net order value were down on a year-over-year basis in each of our four homebuilding reporting segments.
Our net order results for 2022 reflect the generally favorable 2022 first half housing market conditions and the significant weakening in the 2022 second half, as described above under “Overview.” Reflecting the considerable second-half housing market slowdown and our prioritizing delivering our backlog and protecting our margins over pursuing incremental gross orders, our net orders and net order value declined significantly on a year-over-year basis in the 2022 third quarter. The year-over-year decreases became more pronounced in the 2022 fourth quarter, with net orders and net order value down 80% and 79%, respectively, from the year-earlier quarter and decreasing in each of our four homebuilding reporting segments. In addition, our cancellation rate as a percentage of gross orders rose sharply in the 2022 third quarter and increased further in the fourth quarter to 68%, compared to 13% in the year-earlier quarter.
Backlog. The number of homes in our backlog at November 30, 2022 decreased 27% from the previous year, mainly due to the year-over-year decline in our 2022 net orders. The potential future housing revenues in our backlog at November 30, 2022 decreased 25% year over year as a result of fewer homes in our backlog, partly offset by a 3% increase in the average selling price of those homes. The number of homes in backlog and backlog value decreased in each of our four homebuilding reporting segments, with decreases in value ranging from 48% in our West Coast segment to 4% in our Southeast segment. Substantially all the homes in our backlog at November 30, 2022 are expected to be delivered during the year ending November 30, 2023.
Community Count. Our average community count for 2022 increased 4% from the previous year, and our ending community count increased 13%. The year-over-year increases in our average and ending community counts primarily reflected new community openings and fewer communities selling out. While we made substantial investments in land acquisition and land development in 2022, as we did in 2021, to support community count growth, we pivoted our land investment strategy beginning in the 2022 third quarter in response to softening housing market demand, as discussed below under “Liquidity and Capital Resources.”
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HOMEBUILDING REPORTING SEGMENTS
Operational Data. The following tables present information about our homes delivered, net orders, cancellation rates as a percentage of gross orders, net order value, average community count, and ending backlog (number of homes and value) by homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homes Delivered | Net Orders | Cancellation Rates | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||
| West Coast | 4,186 | 4,008 | 3,032 | 4,425 | 25 | % | 10 | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 2,592 | 2,574 | 2,090 | 3,247 | 18 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Central | 4,339 | 4,630 | 3,417 | 5,504 | 32 | 12 | ||||||||||||
| Southeast | 2,621 | 2,260 | 2,317 | 3,030 | 25 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 13,738 | 13,472 | 10,856 | 16,206 | 26 | % | 10 | % |
| Net Order Value | Average Community Count | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | 2022 | 2021 | Variance | 2022 | 2021 | Variance | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | $ | 2,208,610 | $ | 3,164,684 | (30) | % | 65 | 60 | 8 | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 947,758 | 1,342,562 | (29) | 39 | 36 | 8 | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 1,520,520 | 2,119,617 | (28) | 76 | 78 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 943,308 | 1,057,127 | (11) | 42 | 40 | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 5,620,196 | $ | 7,683,990 | (27) | % | 222 | 214 | 4 | % | ||||||||||
| November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Backlog – Homes | Backlog – Value | |||||||||||||||||||
| Segment | 2022 | 2021 | Variance | 2022 | 2021 | Variance | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | 1,287 | 2,441 | (47) | % | $ | 923,015 | $ | 1,764,911 | (48) | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 1,692 | 2,194 | (23) | 748,296 | 910,583 | (18) | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 2,989 | 3,911 | (24) | 1,319,862 | 1,548,574 | (15) | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 1,694 | 1,998 | (15) | 700,386 | 727,657 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 7,662 | 10,544 | (27) | % | $ | 3,691,559 | $ | 4,951,725 | (25) | % |
As discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, the composition of our homes delivered, net orders and backlog shifts with the product and geographic mix of our active communities and the corresponding average selling prices of the homes ordered and delivered at these communities in any particular period, changing as new communities open and existing communities wind down or sell out in the ordinary course. In addition, with our Built to Order model, the selling prices of individual homes within a community may vary due to differing lot sizes and locations, home square footage, product premiums and the design studio options and upgrades buyers select in the community. These intrinsic variations in our business limit the comparability of our homes delivered, net orders and backlog, as well as their corresponding values, between sequential and year-over-year periods, in addition to the effect of prevailing economic or housing market conditions in or across any particular periods.
Financial Results. Below is a discussion of the financial results of each of our homebuilding reporting segments. Further information regarding these segments, including their pretax income (loss), is included in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. The difference between each homebuilding reporting segment’s operating income (loss) and pretax income (loss) is generally due to the equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures, which is also presented in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, and/or interest income and expense.
In addition to the results of our homebuilding reporting segments presented below, our consolidated homebuilding operating income includes the results of Corporate and other, a non-operating segment described in Note 2 – Segment
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Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. Corporate and other had operating losses of $145.3 million in 2022, $148.9 million in 2021 and $107.2 million in 2020.
The financial results of our homebuilding reporting segments for 2022 improved largely due to year-over-year increases in the average selling prices of homes delivered that reflected the favorable pricing and supply/demand environment in the 2022 first half and prior periods when most buyers contracted to purchase the homes delivered, as well as the product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered. At the same time, results were negatively affected by construction services and building material cost pressures, as well as supply chain disruptions and other production-related challenges, as described above under “Overview.”
West Coast. The following table presents financial information related to our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 vs 2021 | 2021 vs 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 3,050,506 | $ | 2,552,382 | $ | 1,748,582 | 20 | % | 46 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (2,345,754) | (2,044,274) | (1,480,775) | (15) | (38) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (184,619) | (162,461) | (129,744) | (14) | (25) | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 520,133 | $ | 345,647 | $ | 138,063 | 50 | % | 150 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 4,186 | 4,008 | 2,869 | 4 | % | 40 | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 728,700 | $ | 636,800 | $ | 609,400 | 14 | % | 4 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 17.1 | % | 13.5 | % | 7.9 | % | 360 | bps | 560 | bps |
This segment’s revenues, which were generated solely from housing operations in both 2022 and 2021, grew 20% due to an increase in the number of homes delivered and the higher average selling price of those homes. Operating income improved significantly from 2021, reflecting higher housing gross profits, partially offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses and a $2.6 million land sale loss, which was comprised solely of an impairment charge related to a parcel of land previously held for future development that we plan to sell. As a percentage of revenues, this segment’s 2022 operating income increased from the previous year, reflecting a 330 basis-point expansion in the housing gross profit margin to 23.2%, and a 30 basis-point improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 6.1%. The housing gross profit margin expansion was primarily driven by the favorable housing market environment in the 2022 first half and earlier periods when most buyers contracted to purchase the homes delivered, and lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest. These favorable impacts were partly offset by higher construction costs and an increase in inventory-related charges impacting the housing gross profit margin. Such inventory-related charges rose to $24.8 million in 2022, compared to $11.0 million in 2021. The improvement in this segment’s selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues was mainly due to lower external sales commissions.
Southwest. The following table presents financial information related to our Southwest homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 vs 2021 | 2021 vs 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,110,045 | $ | 965,139 | $ | 796,810 | 15 | % | 21 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (789,651) | (702,947) | (596,512) | (12) | (18) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (82,002) | (75,375) | (66,415) | (9) | (13) | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 238,392 | $ | 186,817 | $ | 133,883 | 28 | % | 40 | % |
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| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 vs 2021 | 2021 vs 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Homes delivered | 2,592 | 2,574 | 2,385 | 1 | % | 8 | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 428,300 | $ | 371,300 | $ | 327,300 | 15 | % | 13 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 21.5 | % | 19.4 | % | 16.8 | % | 210 | bps | 260 | bps |
This segment’s revenues in 2022 were generated solely from housing operations. In 2021, revenues were generated from both housing operations and land sales. Housing revenues for 2022 grew 16% year over year from $955.7 million, mainly due to an increase in the average selling price of homes delivered. Land sale revenues totaled $9.4 million in 2021. Operating income increased from the previous year, mainly due to higher housing gross profits, partially offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses and the absence of land sale profits in the current year. As a percentage of revenues, operating income improved from 2021, primarily due to a 220 basis-point increase in the housing gross profit margin to 28.9%, and a 50 basis-point improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 7.4%. The housing gross profit margin expansion mainly reflected the favorable housing market environment in the 2022 first half and earlier periods when most buyers contracted to purchase the homes delivered, and lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest, partly offset by higher construction costs. Land sales generated profits of $7.1 million in 2021. The improvement in this segment’s selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues was mainly due to lower external sales commissions and increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues.
Central. The following table presents financial information related to our Central homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 vs 2021 | 2021 vs 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,749,231 | $ | 1,503,857 | $ | 1,192,869 | 16 | % | 26 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (1,336,986) | (1,172,926) | (941,381) | (14) | (25) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (140,248) | (130,773) | (122,712) | (7) | (7) | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 271,997 | $ | 200,158 | $ | 128,776 | 36 | % | 55 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 4,339 | 4,630 | 3,932 | (6) | % | 18 | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 403,100 | $ | 324,800 | $ | 303,400 | 24 | % | 7 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 15.6 | % | 13.3 | % | 10.8 | % | 230 | bps | 250 | bps |
This segment’s revenues, which were generated solely from housing operations in 2022 and 2021, improved 16% from the prior year, reflecting an increase in the average selling price of homes delivered, partly offset by a decrease in the number of homes delivered. Operating income increased from 2021, reflecting growth in housing gross profits, partially offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses. In 2022, the improvement in operating income as a percentage of revenues reflected a 160 basis-point expansion in the housing gross profit margin to 23.6% and a 70 basis-point improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 8.0%. The housing gross profit margin expanded from the previous year primarily due to the favorable housing market environment in the 2022 first half and earlier periods when most buyers contracted to purchase the homes delivered, and lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest, partly offset by higher construction costs and an increase in inventory-related charges. The housing gross margin for 2022 included inventory-related charges of $3.3 million, compared to nominal charges in 2021. The year-over-year improvement in this segment’s selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues mainly reflected lower external sales commissions and increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues.
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Southeast. The following table presents financial information related to our Southeast homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 vs 2021 | 2021 vs 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 970,580 | $ | 683,651 | $ | 429,441 | 42 | % | 59 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (731,813) | (541,471) | (355,242) | (35) | (52) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (86,585) | (64,516) | (51,248) | (34) | (26) | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 152,182 | $ | 77,664 | $ | 22,951 | 96 | % | 238 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 2,621 | 2,260 | 1,486 | 16 | % | 52 | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 370,300 | $ | 302,100 | $ | 288,600 | 23 | % | 5 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 15.7 | % | 11.4 | % | 5.3 | % | 430 | bps | 610 | bps |
This segment’s revenues for 2022 were generated solely from housing operations. In 2021, revenues were generated from both housing operations and nominal land sales. Housing revenues for 2022 rose 42% year over year from $682.7 million due to increases in both the number of homes delivered and the average selling price of those homes. Operating income increased from 2021, reflecting higher housing gross profits, partly offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of revenues, operating income rose from 2021 due to a 380 basis-point increase in the housing gross profit margin to 24.6% that mainly reflected the favorable pricing environment and housing supply/demand environment in the 2022 first half and earlier periods when most buyers contracted to purchase the homes delivered, a shift in product and geographic mix, and lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest, partly offset by higher construction costs and an increase in inventory-related charges. The housing gross margin for 2022 included inventory-related charges of $5.7 million, compared to nominal charges in 2021. In addition, selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues improved 50 basis points from 2021 to 8.9%, primarily due to lower internal and external commissions, and increased operating leverage as a result of higher housing revenues.
FINANCIAL SERVICES REPORTING SEGMENT
The following table presents a summary of selected financial and operational data for our financial services reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 23,414 | $ | 19,901 | $ | 15,472 | ||||
| Expenses | (5,762) | (5,055) | (4,083) | |||||||
| Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures | 20,799 | 23,589 | 21,154 | |||||||
| Pretax income | $ | 38,451 | $ | 38,435 | $ | 32,543 | ||||
| Total originations (a): | ||||||||||
| Loans | 8,402 | 9,225 | 7,580 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 3,335,837 | $ | 3,252,054 | $ | 2,457,522 | ||||
| Percentage of homebuyers using KBHS | 71 | % | 76 | % | 77 | % | ||||
| Average FICO score | 734 | 729 | 723 | |||||||
| Loans sold (a): | ||||||||||
| Loans sold to GR Alliance | 7,563 | 7,706 | 7,900 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 3,026,290 | $ | 2,744,685 | $ | 2,536,689 | ||||
| Loans sold to other third parties | 861 | 1,293 | 310 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 287,436 | $ | 420,119 | $ | 102,363 |
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| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Mortgage loan origination mix (a): | ||||||||
| Conventional/non-conventional loans | 67 | % | 61 | % | 56 | % | ||
| FHA loans | 20 | % | 26 | % | 28 | % | ||
| Other government loans | 13 | % | 13 | % | 16 | % | ||
| Loan type (a): | ||||||||
| Fixed | 98 | % | 99 | % | 99 | % | ||
| ARM | 2 | % | 1 | % | 1 | % |
(a)Loan originations and sales occurred within KBHS.
Revenues. Our financial services reporting segment, which includes the operations of KB HOME Mortgage Company, generates revenues primarily from insurance commissions and title services. The year-over-year growth in our financial services revenues for 2022 reflected increases in both title services revenues and insurance commissions.
Pretax income. Our financial services pretax income for 2022 was essentially even with the previous year as improved results from our insurance and title services businesses were offset by a decrease in the equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures. In 2022, the equity in income of our unconsolidated joint venture, KBHS, decreased 12% year over year as a result of a decrease in KBHS’ income. KBHS’ income decreased from the previous year due to lower margins on loan originations, reflecting increased competition in the primary mortgage market amid rising interest rates, partly offset by a $20.3 million gain resulting from a substantial increase in the fair value of interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”) within the joint venture. This gain reflected a greater number of customers who elected to lock their mortgage interest rates and for relatively extended periods in 2022, aligned with their expected home delivery date, due to the sharp rise in such rates during the year. The principal amount of loan originations increased 3% in 2022 mainly due to a 2% increase in the number of homes we delivered and an 18% increase in the average selling price of those homes, partly offset by a decrease in the percentage of homebuyers using KBHS. Further information regarding our investments in unconsolidated joint ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
INCOME TAXES
Income Tax Expense. Our income tax expense and effective income tax rate were as follows (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | $ | 255,400 | $ | 130,600 | $ | 67,800 | ||||
| Effective income tax rate | 23.8 | % | 18.8 | % | 18.6 | % |
Our effective tax rate for 2022 increased from the previous year, mainly due to a $26.9 million decrease in federal tax credits we recognized and a $5.3 million decrease in excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation, partly offset by a $1.6 million decrease in non-deductible compensation expense.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) was enacted into law. The IRA contains significant tax law changes, including a corporate alternative minimum tax (“CAMT”) of 15% on adjusted financial statement income for applicable corporations, and a 1% excise tax on stock repurchases after December 31, 2022. If applicable, the CAMT will not be effective for us until our fiscal year ending November 30, 2024. The IRA also extends the federal tax credit for building new energy-efficient homes for homes delivered from January 1, 2022 (retroactively) through December 31, 2032, as well as modifies and increases it starting in 2023. Previously, the federal tax credit expired for homes delivered after December 31, 2021. The federal tax credits we recognized in 2022 reflected the impact of the extension under the IRA. We are currently evaluating the other potential effects of the IRA on our consolidated financial statements.
In June 2020, California enacted tax legislation that approved the suspension of California net operating loss (“NOL”) deductions for tax years 2020, 2021 and 2022. On February 9, 2022, California enacted legislation restoring the NOL deduction for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, which would be effective for our 2023 fiscal year. Although the suspension of California NOL deductions did not have an impact on our income tax expense for the years ended November 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020, it contributed to the year-over-year increases in the amount of income taxes we paid in 2022 and 2021.
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Under current accounting standards, we expect volatility in our income tax expense in future periods, the magnitude of which will depend on, among other factors, the price of our common stock and the timing and volume of stock-based compensation award activity, such as employee exercises of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock awards and performance-based restricted stock units (each, a “PSU”).
Further information regarding our income taxes is provided in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
This report contains information about our adjusted housing gross profit margin, which is not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We believe this non-GAAP financial measure is relevant and useful to investors in understanding our operations, and may be helpful in comparing us with other companies in the homebuilding industry to the extent they provide similar information. However, because it is not calculated in accordance with GAAP, this non-GAAP financial measure may not be completely comparable to other companies in the homebuilding industry and, thus, should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to operating performance and/or financial measures prescribed by GAAP. Rather, this non-GAAP financial measure should be used to supplement the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure in order to provide a greater understanding of the factors and trends affecting our operations.
Adjusted Housing Gross Profit Margin. The following table reconciles our housing gross profit margin calculated in accordance with GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measure of our adjusted housing gross profit margin (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Housing revenues | $ | 6,880,362 | $ | 5,694,668 | $ | 4,150,793 | ||||
| Housing construction and land costs | (5,210,802) | (4,466,053) | (3,365,509) | |||||||
| Housing gross profits | 1,669,560 | 1,228,615 | 785,284 | |||||||
| Add: Inventory-related charges (a) | 34,760 | 11,953 | 28,669 | |||||||
| Adjusted housing gross profits | $ | 1,704,320 | $ | 1,240,568 | $ | 813,953 | ||||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 24.3 | % | 21.6 | % | 18.9 | % | ||||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 24.8 | % | 21.8 | % | 19.6 | % |
(a)Represents inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges associated with housing operations.
Adjusted housing gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure, which we calculate by dividing housing revenues less housing construction and land costs excluding housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges (as applicable) recorded during a given period, by housing revenues. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is housing gross profit margin. We believe adjusted housing gross profit margin is a relevant and useful financial measure to investors in evaluating our performance as it measures the gross profits we generated specifically on the homes delivered during a given period. This non-GAAP financial measure isolates the impact that the housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges have on housing gross profit margins, and allows investors to make comparisons with our competitors that adjust housing gross profit margins in a similar manner. We also believe investors will find adjusted housing gross profit margin relevant and useful because it represents a profitability measure that may be compared to a prior period without regard to variability of housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges. This financial measure assists us in making strategic decisions regarding community location and product mix, product pricing and construction pace.
SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION
As of November 30, 2022, we had $1.34 billion in aggregate principal amount of outstanding senior notes, $150.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility and $360.0 million in aggregate principal amount of borrowings outstanding under the Term Loan. Our obligations to pay principal and interest on the senior notes and borrowings, if any, under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan are guaranteed on a joint and several basis by certain of our subsidiaries (“Guarantor Subsidiaries”), which are listed on Exhibit 22. Our other subsidiaries, including all of our subsidiaries associated with our financial services operations, do not guarantee any such indebtedness (collectively, “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries”), although we may cause a Non-Guarantor Subsidiary to become a Guarantor Subsidiary if we believe it to be in our or the
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relevant subsidiary’s best interest. See Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for additional information regarding the terms of our senior notes and the Credit Facility and the Term Loan.
The guarantees are full and unconditional and the Guarantor Subsidiaries are 100% owned by us. The guarantees are senior unsecured obligations of each of the Guarantor Subsidiaries and rank equally in right of payment with all unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness and guarantees of such Guarantor Subsidiaries. The guarantees are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of such Guarantor Subsidiaries to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and structurally subordinated to indebtedness and other liabilities of Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries.
Pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the senior notes and the terms of the Credit Facility and Term Loan, if any of the Guarantor Subsidiaries ceases to be a “significant subsidiary” as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X using a 5% rather than a 10% threshold (provided that the assets of our Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries do not in the aggregate exceed 10% of an adjusted measure of our consolidated total assets), it will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from its guaranty of the senior notes, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan so long as all guarantees by such Guarantor Subsidiary of any other of our or our subsidiaries’ indebtedness are terminated at or prior to the time of such release.
The following tables present summarized financial information for KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a combined basis, excluding unconsolidated joint ventures and after the elimination of (a) intercompany transactions and balances between KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries and (b) equity in earnings from and investments in the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. See Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for additional information regarding our unconsolidated joint ventures.
| November 30, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarized Balance Sheet Data (in thousands) | |||
| Assets | |||
| Cash | $ | 265,916 | |
| Inventories | 5,118,252 | ||
| Amounts due from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 403,249 | ||
| Total assets | 6,404,755 | ||
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | |||
| Notes payable | 1,836,001 | ||
| Amounts due to Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 283,280 | ||
| Total liabilities | 2,977,348 | ||
| Stockholders’ equity | 3,427,407 |
| Year Ended November 30, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarized Statement of Operations Data (in thousands) | |||
| Revenues | $ | 6,610,005 | |
| Construction and land costs | (4,973,783) | ||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (622,257) | ||
| Interest income from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 15,337 | ||
| Pretax income | 1,029,836 | ||
| Net income | 783,636 |
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Overview. We have funded our homebuilding and financial services activities over the last several years with:
• internally generated cash flows;
• public issuances of debt securities;
• borrowings under the Credit Facility;
• the Term Loan;
• land option contracts and other similar contracts and seller notes;
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• public issuances of our common stock; and
• letters of credit and performance bonds.
We manage our use of cash in the operation of our business to support the execution of our primary strategic goals. Over the past several years, we have primarily used cash for:
•land acquisitions and land development;
•home construction;
•operating expenses;
•principal and interest payments on notes payable;
•repayments of borrowings under the Credit Facility;
•dividends paid to stockholders; and
•repurchases of our common stock.
Cash flows for each of our communities depend on their stage of development and can differ significantly from reported earnings. Early stages of development or expansion require significant cash outflows for land acquisition, zoning plat and other approvals, land development, and construction of model homes, roads, utilities, landscape and other items. Because these costs are capitalized as a component of our inventory and are not recognized in our income statement until a home is delivered, we incur significant cash outflows prior to the recognition of earnings. In the later stages of a community as homes are delivered, cash inflows may significantly exceed earnings reported for financial statement purposes, as the cash outflows associated with the land and home construction were previously incurred.
We ended 2022 with total liquidity of $1.26 billion, including cash and cash equivalents and $933.4 million of available capacity under the Credit Facility. Based on our financial position as of November 30, 2022, and our business forecast for 2023 as discussed below under “Outlook,” we have no material concerns related to our liquidity. While the softening in homebuyer demand in the 2022 second half indicates potential liquidity risks, we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, our anticipated cash flows from operations and amounts available under our Credit Facility will be sufficient to fund our anticipated operating and land-related investment needs for at least the next 12 months.
Cash Requirements. Our material cash requirements include the following contractual and other obligations:
Notes Payable. We have outstanding variable-rate borrowings under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, and outstanding fixed-rate senior notes and mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans with varying maturities. As of November 30, 2022, our notes payable had an aggregate principal amount of $1.85 billion, with $3.2 million payable within 12 months. Future interest payments associated with the Term Loan and our senior notes totaled $616.0 million as of November 30, 2022, with $100.4 million payable within 12 months. The Credit Facility and the Term Loan will mature on February 18, 2027 and August 25, 2026, respectively. Our next senior note maturity is our $300.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.875% Senior Notes due 2027. Further information regarding our notes payable is provided in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Leases. We have operating leases for certain property and equipment with an expected term at the commencement date of more than 12 months. As of November 30, 2022, the future minimum payments required under these leases totaled $30.2 million, with $10.6 million payable within 12 months. Further information regarding our leases is provided in Note 13 – Leases in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Inventory-Related Obligations. As of November 30, 2022, we had inventory-related obligations totaling $19.1 million, comprised of liabilities for inventory not owned associated with financing arrangements as discussed in Note 8 – Variable Interest Entities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, as well as liabilities for fixed or determinable amounts associated with tax increment financing entity (“TIFE”) assessments. Approximately $5.6 million of these inventory-related obligations are payable within 12 months. However, TIFE assessment obligations are paid by us only to the extent we do not deliver homes on applicable lots before the related TIFE obligations mature.
Investments in Land and Land Development. Our investments in land and land development decreased 5% to $2.40 billion in 2022, compared to $2.53 billion in 2021, reflecting a 24% year-over-year increase for the first half of the year that was more than offset by a 29% year-over-year decrease in the second half of the year. While we made substantial investments in land acquisition and land development in the 2022 first half, extending our efforts in 2020 and 2021 to expand our scale and support future community count growth, we pivoted in the 2022 third quarter in response to softening housing market conditions to emphasize developing land positions we already own or control under land option contracts and other similar contracts. We also evaluated our transaction pipeline and moved to renegotiate pricing and terms for many deals while abandoning others that no longer met our investment return standards. As the housing market continued to slow in the 2022 fourth quarter, we decided to further reduce our land investment activity to align with our growth expectations for that period and 2023. In addition, we
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modified our land development strategy, electing to build in smaller phases, and in some cases, to defer the start of the next phase of lots to align with expected demand in certain local areas. Reflecting these shifts in our land strategy, our land acquisition investments for the 2022 fourth quarter decreased 74% to $68.0 million, compared to $258.5 million, with our total land and land development expenditures for the quarter decreasing 29% year over year to $442.7 million, compared to $621.7 million.
Approximately 34% of our total investments in land and land development in 2022 were related to land acquisitions, compared to approximately 50% in 2021. Although we made strategic investments in land and land development in each of our homebuilding reporting segments during 2022 and 2021, approximately 50% and 53%, respectively, of these investments for each year were made in our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment.
In 2023, we intend to continue to invest in and develop land positions within attractive submarkets and selectively acquire or control additional land that meets our investment standards, though we anticipate at a lower level than in the past two years. Our investments in land and land development in the future will depend significantly on market conditions and available opportunities that meet our investment return standards.
The following table presents the number of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts and the carrying value of inventory by homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| November 30, 2022 | November 30, 2021 | Variance | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | Lots | Carrying Value | Lots | Carrying Value | Lots | Carrying Value | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | 19,302 | $ | 2,425,141 | 23,539 | $ | 2,300,096 | (4,237) | $ | 125,045 | |||||||||||
| Southwest | 8,841 | 993,059 | 12,339 | 875,438 | (3,498) | 117,621 | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 24,001 | 1,278,420 | 28,961 | 995,811 | (4,960) | 282,609 | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 16,651 | 846,556 | 21,929 | 631,484 | (5,278) | 215,072 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 68,795 | $ | 5,543,176 | 86,768 | $ | 4,802,829 | (17,973) | $ | 740,347 |
The carrying value of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts at November 30, 2022 increased 15% year over year, reflecting our investments in land and land development during 2022 and a greater number of homes in the later stages of the construction cycle. The number of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts at November 30, 2022 decreased 21% from November 30, 2021, primarily reflecting the above-mentioned pivot in our land investment strategy, which included our abandoning 15,678 previously controlled lots in the 2022 second half. Our lots controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts as a percentage of total lots was 30% at November 30, 2022, compared to 44% at November 30, 2021. Generally, this percentage fluctuates with our decisions to control (or abandon) lots under land option contracts and other similar contracts or to purchase (or sell owned) lots based on available opportunities and our investment return standards. The number of lots in inventory as of November 30, 2022 included 5,543 lots under contract where the associated deposits were refundable at our discretion, compared to 12,434 of such lots at November 30, 2021.
Land Option Contracts and Other Similar Contracts. As discussed in Note 8 – Variable Interest Entities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, our land option contracts and other similar contracts generally do not contain provisions requiring our specific performance. Our decision to exercise a particular land option contract or other similar contract depends on the results of our due diligence reviews and ongoing market and project feasibility analysis that we conduct after entering into such a contract. In some cases, our decision to exercise a land option contract or other similar contract may be conditioned on the land seller obtaining necessary entitlements, such as zoning rights and environmental and development approvals, and/or physically developing the underlying land by a pre-determined date. We typically have the ability not to exercise our rights to the underlying land for any reason and, if applicable, forfeit our deposits without further penalty or obligation to the sellers. If we were to acquire all the land we had under land option contracts and other similar contracts at November 30, 2022, we estimate the remaining purchase price to be paid would be as follows: 2023 – $655.7 million; 2024 – $304.2 million; 2025 – $57.2 million; 2026 – $86.7 million; 2027 – $6.0 million; and thereafter – $3.3 million.
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Liquidity. The table below summarizes our total cash and cash equivalents, and total liquidity (in thousands):
| November 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 328,517 | $ | 290,764 | |||
| Credit Facility commitment | 1,090,000 | 800,000 | |||||
| Borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility | (150,000) | — | |||||
| Letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility | (6,650) | (8,618) | |||||
| Credit Facility availability | 933,350 | 791,382 | |||||
| Total liquidity | $ | 1,261,867 | $ | 1,082,146 |
The majority of our cash equivalents at November 30, 2022 and 2021 were invested in interest-bearing bank deposit accounts.
Capital Resources. Our notes payable consisted of the following (in thousands):
| November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Variance | ||||||||
| Credit Facility | $ | 150,000 | $ | — | $ | 150,000 | ||||
| Term Loan | 357,485 | — | 357,485 | |||||||
| Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans | 4,760 | 5,327 | (567) | |||||||
| Senior notes | 1,326,266 | 1,679,700 | (353,434) | |||||||
| Total | $ | 1,838,511 | $ | 1,685,027 | $ | 153,484 |
Our financial leverage, as measured by the ratio of debt to capital, was 33.4% at November 30, 2022, compared to 35.8% at November 30, 2021. The ratio of debt to capital is calculated by dividing notes payable by capital (notes payable plus stockholders’ equity).
On June 22, 2022, we completed the underwritten public offering of $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.25% senior notes due July 15, 2030 (“7.25% Senior Notes due 2030”) at 100% of their aggregate principal amount. On July 7, 2022, we used the net proceeds from the issuance of the 7.25% Senior Notes due 2030, together with cash on hand, to retire our outstanding $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.50% Senior Notes due 2022 before their September 15, 2022 maturity date, by redemption pursuant to the optional redemption terms specified for such notes.
LOC Facility. We maintain an LOC Facility to obtain letters of credit from time to time in the ordinary course of operating our business. Under the LOC Facility, which expires on February 13, 2025, we may issue up to $75.0 million of letters of credit. As of November 30, 2022 and 2021, we had letters of credit outstanding under the LOC Facility of $36.4 million and $34.6 million, respectively.
Performance Bonds. As discussed in Note 17 – Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we had $1.27 billion and $1.11 billion of performance bonds outstanding at November 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. On February 18, 2022, we entered into an amendment to our Credit Facility that increased its borrowing capacity from $800.0 million to $1.09 billion and extended its maturity from October 7, 2023 to February 18, 2027. The Credit Facility contains an uncommitted accordion feature under which its aggregate principal amount of available loans can be increased to a maximum of $1.29 billion under certain conditions, including obtaining additional bank commitments. The amount of the Credit Facility available for cash borrowings and the issuance of letters of credit depends on the total cash borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility and the maximum available amount under the terms of the Credit Facility. As of November 30, 2022, we had $150.0 million cash borrowings and $6.7 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility is further described in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Under the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, as discussed below, we are required, among other things, to maintain compliance with various covenants, including financial covenants regarding our consolidated tangible net worth,
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consolidated leverage ratio (“Leverage Ratio”), and either a consolidated interest coverage ratio (“Interest Coverage Ratio”) or minimum liquidity level, each as defined therein. Our compliance with these financial covenants is measured by calculations and metrics that are specifically defined or described by the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan and can differ in certain respects from comparable GAAP or other commonly used terms. The financial covenant requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan are set forth below:
•Consolidated tangible net worth – We must maintain a consolidated tangible net worth at the end of any fiscal quarter greater than or equal to the sum of (a) $2.09 billion, plus (b) an amount equal to 50% of the aggregate of the cumulative consolidated net income for each fiscal quarter commencing after November 30, 2021 and ending as of the last day of such fiscal quarter (though there is no reduction if there is a consolidated net loss in any fiscal quarter), plus (c) an amount equal to 50% of the cumulative net proceeds we receive from the issuance of our capital stock after November 30, 2021.
•Leverage Ratio – We must also maintain a Leverage Ratio of less than or equal to .60 at the end of each fiscal quarter. The Leverage Ratio is calculated as the ratio of our consolidated total indebtedness to the sum of consolidated total indebtedness and consolidated tangible net worth, all as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan.
•Interest Coverage Ratio or liquidity – We are also required to maintain either (a) an Interest Coverage Ratio of greater than or equal to 1.50 at the end of each fiscal quarter; or (b) a minimum level of liquidity, but not both. The Interest Coverage Ratio is the ratio of our consolidated adjusted EBITDA to consolidated interest incurred, each as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, in each case for the previous 12 months. Our minimum liquidity is required to be greater than or equal to consolidated interest incurred, as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, for the four most recently ended fiscal quarters in the aggregate.
In addition, under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, our equity investments in joint ventures and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries and other unconsolidated entities as of the end of each fiscal quarter cannot exceed the sum of (a) $104.8 million and (b) 20% of consolidated tangible net worth. Further, for so long as we do not hold an investment grade credit rating, as defined under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, the Credit Facility and the Term Loan do not permit our borrowing base indebtedness, which, subject to certain exceptions, is the aggregate principal amount of our and certain of our subsidiaries’ outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money and non-collateralized financial letters of credit, to be greater than our borrowing base (a measure relating to our inventory and unrestricted cash assets).
The covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan represent the most restrictive covenants that we are subject to with respect to our notes payable. The following table summarizes the financial covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, and our actual levels or ratios (as applicable) with respect to those covenants and other requirements, in each case as of November 30, 2022:
| Financial Covenants and Other Requirements | Covenant Requirement | Actual | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated tangible net worth | $ | 2.50 | billion | $ | 3.62 | billion | |||
| Leverage Ratio | .600 | .339 | |||||||
| Interest Coverage Ratio (a) | 1.500 | 10.571 | |||||||
| Minimum liquidity (a) | $ | 120.2 | million | $ | 178.5 | million | |||
| Investments in joint ventures and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | $ | 828.9 | million | $ | 280.2 | million | |||
| Borrowing base in excess of borrowing base indebtedness (as defined) | n/a | $ | 2.59 | billion |
(a)Under the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, we are required to maintain either a minimum Interest Coverage Ratio or a minimum level of liquidity.
The indenture governing our senior notes does not contain any financial covenants. Subject to specified exceptions, the indenture contains certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to incur secured indebtedness, or engage in sale-leaseback transactions involving property above a certain specified value. In addition, the indenture contains certain limitations related to mergers, consolidations, and sales of assets.
As of the date of this report, we were in compliance with the applicable terms of all our covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility, the Term Loan, the senior notes, the indenture, and the mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans. Our ability to access the Credit Facility for cash borrowings and letters of credit and our ability to secure future debt financing depend, in part, on our ability to remain in such compliance. There are no agreements that restrict our payment of dividends other than the Credit Facility and the Term Loan, which would restrict our payment of certain dividends, such as cash dividends on our common stock, if a default under the Credit Facility or the Term Loan exists at the
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time of any such payment, or if any such payment would result in such a default (other than dividends paid within 60 days after declaration, if there was no default at the time of declaration).
Depending on available terms, we finance certain land acquisitions with purchase-money financing from land sellers or with other forms of financing from third parties. At November 30, 2022, we had outstanding mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans payable in connection with such financing of $4.8 million, secured primarily by the underlying property, which had an aggregate carrying value of $31.3 million.
Senior Unsecured Term Loan. On August 25, 2022, we entered into the Term Loan with the lenders party thereto, and on October 3, 2022 obtained an additional lender commitment thereunder, pursuant to which the lenders committed up to $360.0 million. The Term Loan will mature on August 25, 2026, or earlier if we secure borrowings under the Credit Facility without similarly securing the Term Loan (subject to certain exceptions). The Term Loan is further described in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
On November 14, 2022, we borrowed $360.0 million in aggregate principal amount under the Term Loan and, on November 15, 2022, we used a portion of the proceeds for the redemption at par of our $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.625% senior notes due May 15, 2023 (“7.625% Senior Notes due 2023”).
Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. As discussed in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we have investments in unconsolidated joint ventures in various markets where our homebuilding operations are located. As of November 30, 2022, one of our unconsolidated joint ventures had borrowings outstanding under a revolving line of credit with a third-party lender and secured by the underlying property and related project assets. None of our other unconsolidated joint ventures had outstanding debt at November 30, 2022.
Credit Ratings. Our credit ratings are periodically reviewed by rating agencies. In January 2022, Standard and Poor’s Financial Services reaffirmed our BB credit rating and changed its rating outlook to positive from stable. In June 2022, Moody’s Investor Service reaffirmed our Ba2 credit rating and changed its rating outlook to positive from stable.
Consolidated Cash Flows. The following table presents a summary of net cash provided by (used in) our operating, investing and financing activities (in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | ||||||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 183,418 | $ | (37,296) | $ | 310,678 | ||||
| Investing activities | (71,773) | (38,084) | (26,563) | |||||||
| Financing activities | (73,583) | (315,013) | (56,444) | |||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | 38,062 | $ | (390,393) | $ | 227,671 |
Operating Activities. Generally, our net operating cash flows fluctuate primarily based on changes in our inventories and our profitability. Our net cash provided by operating activities in 2022 mainly reflected net income of $816.7 million and a net increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $53.1 million, partly offset by a net increase in inventories of $785.6 million and a net increase in receivables of $19.9 million. Net cash used in operating activities in 2021 primarily reflected a net increase in inventories of $897.8 million and a net increase in receivables of $32.0 million, partly offset by net income of $564.7 million and a net increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $181.6 million.
Investing Activities. In 2022, our net cash used in investing activities included $45.2 million for net purchases of property and equipment and $28.4 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partially offset by a $1.9 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. In 2021, our uses of cash included $39.4 million for net purchases of property and equipment and $11.5 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partly offset by a $12.8 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures.
Financing Activities. In 2022, the year-over-year change in net cash used in financing activities was mainly due to financing transactions we completed during the year. In 2022, cash was used for the repayment of $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.50% Senior Notes due 2022, $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.625% Senior Notes due 2023, stock repurchases totaling $150.0 million, dividend payments on our common stock of $52.5 million, tax payments associated with stock-based compensation awards of $15.9 million, payments of debt issuance costs of $11.1 million and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $.6 million. The cash used was partially offset by borrowings under the Term Loan of $360.0 million, cash provided from our public offering of $350.0 million in
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aggregate principal amount of 7.25% Senior Notes due 2030, and net borrowings under the Credit Facility of $150.0 million. In 2021, net cash was used for the repayment of $450.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% Senior Notes due 2021, stock repurchases totaling $188.2 million, dividend payments on our common stock of $54.1 million, tax payments associated with stock-based compensation awards of $12.3 million, payments of debt issuance costs of $4.8 million and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $2.3 million. The cash used was partially offset by cash provided from our public offering of $390.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.00% senior notes due June 15, 2031 (“4.00% Senior Notes due 2031”), and $11.7 million of issuances of common stock under employee stock plans.
Dividends. Our board of directors declared, and we paid, four quarterly cash dividends of $.15 per share of common stock in 2022 and 2021. Cash dividends declared and paid during the years ended November 30, 2022 and 2021 totaled $.60 per share of common stock. The declaration and payment of future cash dividends on our common stock, whether at current levels or at all, are at the discretion of our board of directors, and depend upon, among other things, our expected future earnings, cash flows, capital requirements, access to external financing, debt structure and any adjustments thereto, operational and financial investment strategy and general financial condition, as well as general business conditions.
Shelf Registration Statement. We have an automatically effective universal shelf registration statement that was filed with the SEC on July 9, 2020 (“2020 Shelf Registration”). The 2020 Shelf Registration registers the offering of securities that we may issue from time to time in amounts to be determined. Our ability to issue securities is subject to market conditions.
Share Repurchase Program. On April 7, 2022, our board of directors authorized us to repurchase up to $300.0 million of our outstanding common stock. This authorization replaced a prior board of directors authorization, which had 331,400 shares remaining for repurchase. In 2022, we repurchased 4,927,499 shares of our common stock on the open market pursuant to this authorization at a total cost of $150.0 million. Repurchases under the new authorization may occur periodically through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, with the timing and amount at management’s discretion and dependent on market, business and other conditions. This share repurchase authorization will continue in effect until fully used or earlier terminated or suspended by our board of directors, and does not obligate us to purchase any shares. As of November 30, 2022, we were authorized to repurchase up to $150.0 million of our outstanding common stock.
On April 7, 2022, our board of directors also terminated a separate stock repurchase authorization it made in 2014 for the repurchase of not more than 680,000 shares of our outstanding common stock, solely as necessary for director elections in respect of outstanding stock appreciation rights awards granted under our Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan (“Director Plan SARs”). As the remaining outstanding Director Plan SARs expired in April 2022, this stock repurchase authorization was no longer needed.
As of the date of this report, we believe we have adequate capital resources and sufficient access to external financing sources to satisfy our current and reasonably anticipated requirements for funds to conduct our operations and meet other needs in the ordinary course of our business. In 2023, we expect to use or redeploy our cash resources or cash borrowings under the Credit Facility to support our business within the context of prevailing market conditions. During this time, we may also engage in capital markets, bank loan, project debt or other financial transactions, including the repurchase of debt or equity securities or potential new issuances of debt or equity securities to support our business needs. The amounts involved in these transactions, if any, may be material. In addition, as necessary or desirable, we may adjust or amend the terms of and/or expand the capacity of the Credit Facility or the LOC Facility, or enter into additional letter of credit facilities, or other similar facility arrangements, in each case with the same or other financial institutions, or allow any such facilities to mature or expire. Our ability to engage in such transactions may be constrained by volatile or tight economic, capital, credit and/or financial market conditions or moderated investor and/or lender interest or capacity stemming from unfavorable industry trends described above under “Overview” or other factors and/or our liquidity, leverage and net worth, and we can provide no assurance as to successfully completing, the costs of, or the operational limitations arising from any one or series of such transactions.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires the use of estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions. See Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for a discussion of our significant accounting policies. The following are accounting policies that we believe are critical because of the significance of the activity to which they relate or because they require the use of significant estimates, judgments and/or other assumptions in their application.
Homebuilding Revenue Recognition. We recognize homebuilding revenue by applying the following steps in determining the timing and amount of revenue to recognize: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance
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obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, if applicable; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation.
Our home sale transactions are made pursuant to contracts under which we typically have a single performance obligation to deliver a completed home to the homebuyer when closing conditions are met. Revenues from home sales are recognized when we have satisfied the performance obligation within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of the home and the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the homebuyer on the closing date. Little to no estimation is involved in recognizing such revenues.
Land sale transactions are made pursuant to contracts under which we typically have a performance obligation(s) to deliver specified land parcels to the buyer when closing conditions are met. We evaluate each land sale contract to determine our performance obligation(s) under the contract, including whether we have a distinct promise to perform post-closing land development work that is material within the context of the contract, and use objective criteria to determine our completion of the applicable performance obligation(s), whether at a point in time or over time. Revenues from land sales are recognized when we have satisfied the performance obligation(s) within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of the land and the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the land buyer on the closing date. In instances where we have a distinct and material performance obligation(s) within the context of a land sale contract to perform land development work after the closing date, a portion of the transaction price under the contract is allocated to such performance obligation(s) and is recognized as revenue over time based upon our estimated progress toward the satisfaction of the performance obligation(s). We generally measure our progress based on our costs incurred relative to the total costs expected to satisfy the performance obligation(s). Certain land sale contracts may require management judgment in determining the appropriate revenue recognition, but the impact of such transactions is generally immaterial.
Inventories and Cost of Sales. Housing and land inventories are stated at cost, unless the carrying value is determined not to be recoverable, in which case the affected inventories are written down to fair value or fair value less associated costs to sell. Fair value is determined based on estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risks associated with the real estate assets, or other valuation techniques. Due to uncertainties in the estimation process and other factors beyond our control, it is possible that actual results could differ from those estimated. Other than model homes, our inventories typically do not consist of completed unsold homes. However, as discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, we may have unsold completed or partially completed homes in our inventory.
We rely on certain estimates to determine our construction and land costs and resulting housing gross profit margins associated with revenues recognized. Construction and land costs are comprised of direct and allocated costs, including estimated future costs for the limited warranty we provide on our homes, and certain amenities within a community. Land acquisition, land development and other common costs are generally allocated on a relative fair value basis to the homes or lots within the applicable community or land parcel. Land acquisition and land development costs include related interest and real estate taxes.
In determining a portion of the construction and land costs recognized for each period, we rely on project budgets that are based on a variety of assumptions, including future construction schedules and costs to be incurred. It is possible that actual results could differ from budgeted amounts for various reasons, including construction delays, construction resource shortages, increases in costs that have not yet been committed, changes in governmental requirements, unforeseen environmental hazards or other unanticipated issues encountered during construction and other factors beyond our control. While the actual results for a particular construction project are accurately reported over time, variances between the budgeted and actual costs of a project could result in the understatement or overstatement of construction and land costs and homebuilding gross profits in a particular reporting period. To reduce the potential for such distortion, we have set forth procedures that collectively comprise a critical accounting policy. These procedures, which we have applied on a consistent basis, include assessing, updating and revising project budgets on a monthly basis, obtaining commitments to the extent possible from independent contractors and vendors for future costs to be incurred, reviewing the adequacy of warranty accruals and historical warranty claims experience, and utilizing the most current information available to estimate construction and land costs to be charged to expense. Variances to the budgeted costs after an estimate has been charged to expense that are related to project costs are generally allocated on a relative fair value basis to the remaining homes to be delivered within the community or land parcel, while such variances related to direct construction costs are generally expensed as incurred. The variances between budgeted and actual costs have historically not been material to our consolidated financial statements. We believe that our policies provide for reasonably dependable estimates to be used in the calculation and reporting of construction and land costs.
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments. Each community or land parcel in our owned inventory is assessed to determine if indicators of potential impairment exist. Impairment indicators are assessed separately for each community or land parcel on a quarterly basis and include, but are not limited to, the following: significant decreases in net orders, average selling prices, volume of homes delivered, gross profit margins on homes delivered or projected gross profit
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margins on homes in backlog or future deliveries; significant increases in budgeted land development and home construction costs or cancellation rates; or projected losses on expected future land sales. If indicators of potential impairment exist for a community or land parcel, the identified asset is evaluated for recoverability.
We evaluated five, one and 11 communities or land parcels for recoverability as of November 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The carrying values of those communities or land parcels evaluated as of November 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020 were $118.7 million, $29.9 million and $123.4 million, respectively. The number and corresponding carrying value of communities or land parcels evaluated as of November 30, 2022 reflected the then-current conditions and trends in the markets where the communities are located. In addition, we evaluated land held for future development for recoverability as of November 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
When an indicator of potential impairment is identified for a community or land parcel, we test the asset for recoverability by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. The undiscounted future net cash flows are impacted by then-current conditions and trends in the market in which the asset is located as well as factors known to us at the time the cash flows are calculated. These factors may include recent trends in our orders, backlog, cancellation rates and volume of homes delivered, as well as our expectations related to the following: product offerings; market supply and demand, including estimated average selling prices and related price appreciation; and land development, home construction and overhead costs to be incurred and related cost inflation. With respect to the year ended November 30, 2022, these expectations considered the weakening in U.S. housing market demand in the year’s second half, elevated inflation levels, and rising interest rates, the significant year-over-year decreases in our net orders per community in the 2022 third and fourth quarters driven in part by a substantial increase in cancellations, our lower year-end backlog, both in number of homes and value, estimated average selling prices and housing gross profit margins based on the current and anticipated conditions in the markets where assessed assets are located, and the impacts of supply-chain disruptions as well as delays with respect to state and municipal permitting, inspection and utility processes on our construction cycle times. Based on these recoverability considerations, we recognized inventory impairment charges for certain inventory assets in 2022, as described below.
Generally, a community must have a projected gross margin percentage below 5% to potentially not meet the recoverability test and proceed to the fair value evaluation described below. Our overall gross margin in the 2022 fourth quarter was 22.4%, and as of November 30, 2022, only a few communities had gross margins below 5%. However, if there is a sustained economic slowdown or other factor(s) that lead to moderate or significant decreases in new home prices in certain submarkets, more communities could begin to approach gross margin levels where we would conduct a fair value analysis. Any resulting impairment(s) from such an analysis(es) could be material. Additionally, we have $85.0 million of deposits and pre-acquisition costs at November 30, 2022 related to land option contracts and other similar contracts. If there are events that lead to moderate or significant decreases in new home prices, we could elect to cancel several such contracts, resulting in the write-off of the related deposits and pre-acquisition costs.
The following table presents information regarding inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges included in construction and land costs in our consolidated statements of operations (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Inventory impairments: | ||||||||||
| Number of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | 4 | 2 | 10 | |||||||
| Pre-impairment carrying value of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | $ | 65,372 | $ | 27,923 | $ | 69,211 | ||||
| Inventory impairment charges | (24,077) | (9,903) | (22,723) | |||||||
| Post-impairment fair value | $ | 41,295 | $ | 18,020 | $ | 46,488 | ||||
| Land option contract abandonments charges | $ | 13,224 | $ | 2,050 | $ | 5,946 |
The inventory impairment charges in 2022, 2021 and 2020 reflected our decisions to make changes in our operational strategies aimed at more quickly monetizing our investment in certain communities, mainly by accelerating the overall pace for selling, building and delivering homes therein, including communities on land previously held for future development.
As further described in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, given the inherent challenges and uncertainties in forecasting future results, our inventory assessments at the time they are made take into consideration whether a community or land parcel is active,
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meaning whether it is open for sales and/or undergoing development, or whether it is being held for future development or held for sale.
We record an inventory impairment charge on a community or land parcel that is active or held for future development when indicators of potential impairment exist and the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than the undiscounted future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, which is primarily determined based on the estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risk associated with each such asset, or other valuation techniques. Inputs used in our calculation of estimated discounted future net cash flows are specific to each affected real estate asset and are based on our expectations for each such asset as of the applicable measurement date, including, among others, expectations related to average selling prices and volume of homes delivered. The discount rates used in our estimated discounted cash flows ranged from 17% - 21% in 2022, 18% - 19% in 2021, and 17% - 18% during 2020. The discount rates we used were impacted by one or more of the following at the time the calculation was made: the risk-free rate of return; expected risk premium based on estimated land development, home construction and delivery timelines; market risk from potential future price erosion; cost uncertainty due to land development or home construction cost increases; and other risks specific to the asset or conditions in the market in which the asset is located.
We record an inventory impairment charge on land held for sale when the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than its fair value. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, less associated costs to sell. The fair value of such real estate assets is generally based on bona fide letters of intent from outside parties, executed sales contracts, broker quotes or similar information.
As of November 30, 2022, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $102.9 million, representing eight communities and various other land parcels. As of November 30, 2021, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $87.7 million, representing 11 communities and various other land parcels.
Our inventory controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts is assessed to determine whether it continues to meet our investment return standards. Assessments are made separately for each optioned land parcel on a quarterly basis and are affected by the following factors relative to the market in which the asset is located, among others: current and/or anticipated net orders, average selling prices and volume of homes delivered; estimated land development and home construction costs; and projected profitability on expected future housing or land sales. When a decision is made not to exercise certain land option contracts and other similar contracts due to market conditions and/or changes in our marketing strategy, we write off the related inventory costs, including non-refundable deposits and unrecoverable pre-acquisition costs.
The estimated remaining life of each community or land parcel in our inventory depends on various factors, such as the total number of lots remaining; the expected timeline to acquire and entitle land and develop lots to build homes; the anticipated future net order and cancellation rates; and the expected timeline to build and deliver homes sold. While it is difficult to determine a precise timeframe for any particular inventory asset, based on current market conditions and expected delivery timelines, we estimate our inventory assets’ remaining operating lives to range generally from one year to in excess of 10 years and expect to realize, on an overall basis, the majority of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2022 within five years. The following table presents as of November 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, the estimated timeframe of delivery for the last home in an applicable community or land parcel and the corresponding percentage of total inventories such categories represent within our inventory balance (dollars in millions):
| 0-2 years | 3-5 years | 6-10 years | Greater than 10 years | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | $ | 2,173.8 | 39 | % | $ | 2,982.2 | 54 | % | $ | 367.4 | 7 | % | $ | 19.8 | — | % | $ | 5,543.2 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2,646.3 | 55 | 1,961.3 | 41 | 176.5 | 4 | 18.7 | — | 4,802.8 |
The inventory balances in the 0-2 years and 3-5 years categories were located throughout all of our homebuilding reporting segments, though mostly in our West Coast, Southwest and Central segments. These categories collectively represented 93% and 96% of our total inventories as of November 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The inventory balances in the 6-10 years and greater than 10 years categories were primarily located in our Central and Southeast segments, and together totaled $387.2 million at November 30, 2022, compared to $195.2 million at November 30, 2021. The inventories in the 6-10 years and greater than 10 years categories as of November 30, 2022 and 2021 were mostly comprised of active, multi-phase communities with large remaining land positions.
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Due to the judgment and assumptions applied in our inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment assessment processes, and in our estimations of the remaining operating lives of our inventory assets and the realization of our inventory balances, particularly as to land held for future development, it is possible that actual results could differ substantially from those estimated, especially in periods of volatile housing market or economic conditions, such as occurred during the 2022 second half.
Deterioration in the supply and demand factors in the overall housing market or in an individual market or submarket, or changes to our operational or selling strategy at certain communities may lead to additional inventory impairment charges, future charges associated with land sales or the abandonment of land option contracts or other similar contracts related to certain assets. Due to the nature or location of the projects, land held for future development that we activate as part of our strategic growth initiatives or to accelerate sales and/or our return on investment, or that we otherwise monetize to help improve our asset efficiency, may have a somewhat greater likelihood of being impaired than other of our active inventory.
We believe the carrying value of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2022 is recoverable. Our considerations in making this determination include the factors and trends incorporated into our impairment analyses, and as applicable, the prevailing regulatory environment, competition from other homebuilders, inventory levels and sales activity of resale homes, and the local economic conditions where an asset is located. In addition, we consider the financial and operational status and expectations of our inventories as well as unique attributes of each community or land parcel that could be viewed as indicators for potential future impairments. However, if conditions in the overall housing market or in a specific market or submarket worsen in the future beyond our current expectations, including, among other things, from increases in mortgage interest rates, higher inflation, worsening supply chain and/or other production-related challenges, or negative effects from any ongoing or reinstituted COVID-19 control responses, if future changes in our business strategy significantly affect any key assumptions used in our projections of future cash flows, or if there are material changes in any of the other items we consider in assessing recoverability, we may recognize charges in future periods for inventory impairments or land option contract abandonments, or both, related to our current inventory assets. Any such charges could be material to our consolidated financial statements.
Warranty Costs. We provide a limited warranty on all of our homes. The specific terms and conditions of our limited warranty program vary depending upon the markets in which we do business. We estimate the costs that may be incurred under each limited warranty and record a liability in the amount of such costs at the time the revenue associated with the sale of each home is recognized. In assessing our overall warranty liability at a reporting date, we evaluate the costs for warranty-related items on a combined basis for all of our previously delivered homes that are under our limited warranty program.
Our primary assumption in estimating the amounts we accrue for warranty costs is that historical claims experience is a strong indicator of future claims experience. Factors that affect our warranty liability include the number of homes delivered, historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims, and cost per claim. We periodically assess the adequacy of our accrued warranty liability, which is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets, and adjust the amount as necessary based on our assessment. Our assessment includes the review of our actual warranty costs incurred to identify trends and changes in our warranty claims experience, and considers our home construction quality and customer service initiatives and outside events. Based on this assessment, we may from time to time adjust our warranty accrual rates, which would be applied on a prospective basis to homes delivered. Although adjustments to the accrual rates are generally infrequent, they may be necessary when actual warranty expenditures have increased or decreased on a sustained basis, as was the case in recent years when we reduced our warranty accrual rates to reflect favorable trends in our warranty expenditures. Based on our assessment, we may also make adjustments to our previously recorded accrued warranty liability. Such adjustments are recorded in the period in which the change in estimate occurs. During 2021 and 2020, we made adjustments to reduce our accrued warranty liability by $4.0 million and $3.6 million, respectively. There were no such adjustments during 2022. While we believe we may face increased future home warranty and construction defect claims associated with replacing or servicing substitute products or materials used in some instances to address supply shortages in certain served markets or communities, as discussed above under Item 1A - Risk Factors in this report, as of the date of this report, we have not made any adjustments to our accrued liabilities associated with this potential risk. We have not made any material changes in the methodology used to establish our accrued warranty liability during 2022, 2021 and 2020. Our accrued warranty liability is presented on a gross basis for all years without consideration of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any. Estimates of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables when such recoveries are considered probable.
While we believe the warranty liability currently reflected in our consolidated balance sheets to be adequate, unanticipated changes or developments in the legal environment, local weather, land or environmental conditions, quality of materials or methods used in the construction of homes or customer service practices and/or our warranty claims experience could have a significant impact on our actual warranty costs in future periods and such amounts could differ significantly from our current estimates. A 10% change in the historical warranty rates used to estimate our accrued warranty liability would not result in a material change in our accrual.
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Self-Insurance. We maintain, and require the majority of our independent contractors to maintain, general liability insurance (including construction defect and bodily injury coverage) and workers’ compensation insurance. These insurance policies protect us against a portion of our risk of loss from claims related to our homebuilding activities, subject to certain self-insured retentions, deductibles and other coverage limits. We self-insure a portion of our overall risk through the use of a captive insurance subsidiary. In Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada, our contractors’ general liability insurance primarily takes the form of a wrap-up policy under a program where eligible independent contractors are enrolled as insureds on each community. Enrolled contractors generally contribute toward the cost of the insurance and agree to pay a contractual amount in the future if there is a claim related to their work.
We record liabilities based on the estimated costs required to cover reported claims, claims incurred but not yet reported, and claim adjustment expenses. These estimated costs are based on an actuarial analysis of our historical claims and expense data, as well as industry data. Our self-insurance liabilities are presented on a gross basis without consideration of insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any.
The amount of our self-insurance liability is based on an analysis performed by a third-party actuary that uses our historical claim and expense data, as well as industry data to estimate these overall costs. These estimates are subject to uncertainty due to a variety of factors, the most significant being the long period of time between the delivery of a home to a homebuyer and when a structural warranty or construction defect claim may be made, and the ultimate resolution of any such construction defect claim. Though state regulations vary, construction defect claims are reported and resolved over a long period of time, which can extend for 10 years or more. As a result, the majority of the estimated self-insurance liability based on the actuarial analysis relates to claims incurred but not yet reported. Therefore, adjustments related to individual existing claims generally do not significantly impact the overall estimated liability. Adjustments to our liabilities related to homes delivered in prior years are recorded in the period in which a change in our estimate occurs. During 2022 and 2021, we recorded adjustments to increase our previously recorded liabilities by $7.0 million and $6.8 million, respectively. In 2020, we recorded adjustments to reduce our previously recorded liabilities by $4.0 million. The adjustments in 2022, 2021 and 2020 resulted from changes in estimates due to actual claims experience differing from previous actuarial projections and, in turn, impacting actuarial estimates for existing and potential future claims. We have not made any material changes in our methodology used to establish our self-insurance liabilities during 2022, 2021 or 2020.
The projection of losses related to these liabilities requires the use of actuarial assumptions. Key assumptions used in developing these estimates include claim frequencies, severities and resolution patterns, which can occur over an extended period of time. These estimates are subject to variability due to the length of time between the delivery of a home to a homebuyer and when a construction defect claim is made, and the ultimate resolution of such claim; uncertainties regarding such claims relative to our markets and the types of product we build; and legal or regulatory actions and/or interpretations, among other factors. Due to the degree of judgment involved and the potential for variability in these underlying assumptions, our actual future costs could differ from those estimated. In addition, changes in the frequency and severity of reported claims and the estimates to resolve claims can impact the trends and assumptions used in the actuarial analysis, which could be material to our consolidated financial statements. A 10% increase in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to estimate the self-insurance liability would result in increases of approximately $28.3 million in our liability and approximately $11.5 million in our receivable as of November 30, 2022, and additional expense of approximately $16.9 million for 2022. A 10% decrease in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to estimate the self-insurance liability would result in decreases of approximately $25.7 million in our liability and approximately $7.8 million in our receivable as of November 30, 2022, and a reduction to expense of approximately $18.0 million for 2022.
Estimates of insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables when such recoveries are considered probable. These estimated recoveries are principally based on actuarially determined amounts and depend on various factors, including, among other things, the above-described claim cost estimates, our insurance policy coverage limits for the applicable policy year(s), historical third-party recovery rates, insurance industry practices, the regulatory environment, and legal precedent, and are subject to a high degree of variability from year to year. Because of the inherent uncertainty and variability in these assumptions, our actual insurance recoveries could differ significantly from amounts currently estimated.
Legal Matters Accruals. We record contingent liabilities resulting from claims against us when a loss is assessed to be probable and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable. Assessing the probability of losses and estimating probable losses requires analysis of multiple factors, including in some cases judgments about the potential actions of third-party claimants, regulatory agencies, mediators, arbitrators, responsible third parties and/or courts, as the case may be. Recorded contingent liabilities are based on the most recent information available and actual losses in any future period are inherently uncertain. If future adjustments to estimated probable future losses or actual losses exceed our recorded liability for such claims, we would record additional charges during the period in which the actual loss or change in estimate occurred. In addition to contingent liabilities recorded for probable losses, we disclose contingent liabilities when there is a reasonable possibility the ultimate loss
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will materially exceed the recorded liability. While we cannot predict the outcome of pending legal matters with certainty, we do not believe any currently identified claim or proceeding, either individually or in aggregate, will have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Income Taxes. As discussed in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we evaluate our deferred tax assets quarterly to determine if adjustments to our valuation allowance are required based on the consideration of all available positive and negative evidence using a “more likely than not” standard with respect to whether deferred tax assets will be realized. This evaluation considers, among other factors, our historical operating results, our expectation of future profitability, the duration of the applicable statutory carryforward periods, and conditions in the housing market and the broader economy. The ultimate realization of our deferred tax assets depends primarily on our ability to generate future taxable income during the periods in which the related deferred tax assets become deductible. The value of our deferred tax assets in our consolidated balance sheets depends on applicable income tax rates. We base our estimate of deferred tax assets and liabilities on current tax laws and rates. In certain cases, we also base this estimate on business plan forecasts and other expectations about future outcomes. Changes in positive and negative evidence, including differences between our future operating results and estimates, could result in the establishment of an additional valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. Accounting for deferred taxes is based upon estimates of future results. Judgment is required in determining the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements and/or tax returns. Differences between the anticipated and actual outcomes of these future results could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Also, changes in existing federal and state tax laws and corporate income tax rates could affect future tax results and the realization of deferred tax assets over time.
We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in our consolidated financial statements as a component of the provision for income taxes. Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits, combined with accrued interest and penalties, is reflected as a component of accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. Judgment is required in evaluating uncertain tax positions. We evaluate our uncertain tax positions quarterly based on various factors, including changes in facts or circumstances, tax laws or the status of audits by tax authorities. Changes in the recognition or measurement of uncertain tax positions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements in the period in which we make the change.
INFLATION
We, along with the homebuilding industry, have been adversely affected by rising inflation in the U.S. economy throughout 2022, which, among other things, increased our land and construction costs, particularly the costs of building materials and construction service providers’ rates, warranty repair costs, and compensation and benefit expenses to attract and retain talent, and is expected to continue to do so in 2023. We generally enter into land option contracts and other similar contracts to acquire rights to land for the construction of homes a significant period of time before development and/or sales efforts commence. Accordingly, to the extent land acquisition costs are fixed, subsequent increases or decreases in our home selling prices will affect our profits. As the selling price of each of our homes is fixed at the time a buyer enters into a home purchase contract, and because we generally commence construction of a home only after we have a signed purchase contract with a homebuyer, any interim construction-related cost inflation can result in lower housing gross profit margins. In order to help, but not entirely moderate that effect, we typically enter into fixed-price contracts with our larger trade partners and building material suppliers for specified periods of time.
Inflation is often accompanied by higher interest rates, which have a negative impact on housing affordability. In the 2022 second half, we saw a weakening in housing demand as inflationary pressures and mortgage interest rates increased, which contributed to the significant year-over-year decline in our net orders and ending backlog for the year as described above under “Overview.” Inflation may also increase our financing costs, as borrowings under our Credit Facility and Term Loan typically accrue interest at a variable rate based on SOFR, which can float higher with inflation.
We expect the inflationary pressures on our business to continue in 2023. While we attempt to pass on increases in our costs through increased home selling prices, market forces, such as the housing market slowdown as we experienced in the 2022 second half, can limit our ability to do so. If we are unable to raise selling prices enough to compensate for higher costs, or if mortgage loan interest rates continue to increase significantly, our revenues, housing gross profit margin and net income could be adversely affected.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Recent accounting pronouncements are discussed in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
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OUTLOOK
We believe several long-term housing market fundamental factors remain positive, including favorable demographics, a decade-plus underproduction of new homes in relation to population growth and low resale home inventory. However, the combination of sharply higher mortgage interest rates since early 2022, several years of rising housing prices, elevated inflation and various other macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns, weakened housing demand in the 2022 second half. We anticipate these affordability pressures and consumer uncertainty will continue to impact housing demand into 2023, with lower net orders and higher cancellation rates anticipated for the first half of the year as compared to the corresponding prior-year period. Through the first six weeks of our 2023 first quarter, our net orders were down 68% relative to the comparable year-earlier period.
Given current conditions, and depending on the market dynamics and the size and construction stage of the backlog within each community, we are being more aggressive with pricing reductions and other concessions ahead of the Spring selling season to generate new orders. Based on the actions we are taking and planning to take during the quarter to stimulate gross orders, we anticipate net orders in the 2023 first quarter to be down between 50% and 60% year over year against a strong comparison in the prior-year period. At the same time, with the deceleration in housing starts compared to a year ago, we are pursuing reductions in our direct construction costs and cycle times to help offset any such pricing adjustments and other concessions we may implement. We are committed to reducing our cycle times to achieve deliveries within a more traditional timeframe of between six and seven months from home sale to delivery.
We believe we are in a strong position to navigate the current environment, with a solid balance sheet and anticipated healthy cash flow in 2023. We remain committed to continuing to moderate our land investments until market conditions improve, as well as maintaining a balanced approach to capital allocation to maximize long-term stockholder value. In addition, we believe our differentiating, highly customer-centric Built to Order business model and operational capabilities will help us to effectively meet evolving consumer preferences and budgets. With our substantial backlog value of $3.69 billion at November 30, 2022, we believe we can achieve our projected results for 2023, subject to the factors and risks described in this report.
Our present outlook for the 2023 first quarter and full year are as follows:
2023 First Quarter –
•We expect to generate housing revenues in the range of $1.25 billion to $1.40 billion, compared to $1.39 billion for the corresponding 2022 period, and anticipate our average selling price to be in the range of $490,000 to $500,000, compared to $486,100 in the year-earlier period.
•We expect our homebuilding operating income margin as a percentage of revenues to be in the range of 9.5% to 10.5%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 12.2% for the year-earlier quarter.
◦We expect our housing gross profit margin to be in the range of 20.0% to 21.0%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 22.4% for the corresponding 2022 quarter.
◦We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to be in the range of 10.3% to 10.8%, compared to 10.2% for the 2022 first quarter.
•We expect our effective tax rate will be approximately 23%. The effective tax rate for the year-earlier quarter was approximately 25%.
•We expect our average community count to increase in the range of 15% to 20% from the 2022 first quarter.
2023 Full Year –
Due to significant uncertainty and limited forward visibility regarding 2023 housing market, macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions, which are anticipated to be challenging compared to prior periods, the Company is providing guidance as to the full fiscal year only for the following:
•We expect our housing revenues to be in the range of $5.00 billion to $6.00 billion, a decrease from $6.88 billion in 2022.
Our future performance and the strategies we implement (and adjust or refine as necessary or appropriate) will depend significantly on prevailing economic, employment, homebuilding industry and capital, credit and financial market conditions and on a fairly stable and constructive political and regulatory environment (particularly in regard to housing and mortgage loan
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financing policies). The Federal Reserve’s aggressive raising of the federal funds interest rate and other measures during 2022 to moderate persistent U.S. inflation, and the further actions it may take, are expected to be an ongoing headwind for the housing market in 2023, as they have elevated mortgage loan interest rates and created macroeconomic uncertainty and financial market turbulence that, among other things, has tempered consumer demand for homes. In addition, we believe the supply chain disruptions and construction cost pressures described in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations will generally persist in 2023. The potential extent and effect of these factors on our business is highly uncertain, unpredictable and outside our control, and our past performance, including in 2022, should not be considered indicative of our future results on any metric or set of metrics, including, but not limited to, our net orders, backlog, revenues and returns.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this report, as well as some statements by us in periodic press releases and other public disclosures and some oral statements by us to securities analysts, stockholders and others during presentations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”). Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “hope,” and similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that we may make or provide concerning future financial or operating performance (including without limitation future revenues, community count, homes delivered, net orders, selling prices, sales pace per community, expenses, expense ratios, housing gross profits, housing gross profit margins, earnings or earnings per share, or growth or growth rates), future market conditions, future interest rates, and other economic conditions, ongoing business strategies or prospects, future dividends and changes in dividend levels, the value of our backlog (including amounts that we expect to realize upon delivery of homes included in our backlog and the timing of those deliveries), the value of our net orders, potential future asset acquisitions and the impact of completed acquisitions, future share issuances or repurchases, future debt issuances, repurchases or redemptions and other possible future actions are also forward-looking statements as defined by the Act. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about our operations, economic and market factors, and the homebuilding industry, among other things. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and we have no specific policy or intention to update these statements. If we update or revise any such statement(s), no assumption should be made that we will further update or review that statement(s) or update or revise any other such statement(s). In addition, forward-looking and other statements in this report and in other public or oral disclosures that express or contain opinions, views or assumptions about market or economic conditions; the success, performance, effectiveness and/or relative positioning of our strategies, initiatives or operational activities; and other matters, may be based in whole or in part on general observations of our management, limited or anecdotal evidence and/or business or industry experience without in-depth or any particular empirical investigation, inquiry or analysis.
Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors. The most important risk factors that could cause our actual performance and future events and actions to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
•general economic, employment and business conditions;
•population growth, household formations and demographic trends;
•conditions in the capital, credit and financial markets;
•our ability to access external financing sources and raise capital through the issuance of common stock, debt or other securities, and/or project financing, on favorable terms;
•the execution of any securities repurchases pursuant to our board of directors authorization;
•material and trade costs and availability, including building materials and appliances, and delays related to state and municipal construction, permitting, inspection and utility processes, which have been disrupted by key equipment shortages;
•consumer and producer price inflation;
•changes in interest rates, including those set by the Federal Reserve, which the Federal Reserve has increased sharply in the past few quarters and signaled an intention to aggressively further increase to moderate inflation, available in the capital markets or from financial institutions and other lenders, and applicable to mortgage loans;
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•our debt level, including our ratio of debt to capital, and our ability to adjust our debt level and maturity schedule;
•our compliance with the terms of the Credit Facility and the Term Loan;
•volatility in the market price of our common stock;
•home selling prices, including our homes’ selling prices being unaffordable relative to consumer incomes;
•weak or declining consumer confidence, either generally or specifically with respect to purchasing homes;
•competition from other sellers of new and resale homes;
•weather events, significant natural disasters and other climate and environmental factors;
•any failure of lawmakers to agree on a budget or appropriation legislation to fund the federal government’s operations, and financial markets’ and businesses’ reactions to any such failure;
•government actions, policies, programs and regulations directed at or affecting the housing market (including the tax benefits associated with purchasing and owning a home, and the standards, fees and size limits applicable to the purchase or insuring of mortgage loans by government-sponsored enterprises and government agencies), the homebuilding industry, or construction activities;
•changes in existing tax laws or enacted corporate income tax rates, including those resulting from regulatory guidance and interpretations issued with respect thereto;
•changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and duties on homebuilding materials and products, and related trade disputes with and retaliatory measures taken by other countries;
•disruptions in world and regional trade flows, economic activity and supply chains due to the military conflict in Ukraine, including those stemming from wide-ranging sanctions the U.S. and other countries have imposed or may further impose on Russian business sectors, financial organizations, individuals and raw materials, the impact of which may, among other things, increase our operational costs, exacerbate building materials and appliance shortages and/or reduce our revenues and earnings;
•the adoption of new or amended financial accounting standards and the guidance and/or interpretations with respect thereto;
•the availability and cost of land in desirable areas and our ability to timely and efficiently develop acquired land parcels and open new communities;
•impairment, land option contract abandonment or other inventory-related charges, including any stemming from decreases in the value of our land assets;
•our warranty claims experience with respect to homes previously delivered and actual warranty costs incurred;
•costs and/or charges arising from regulatory compliance requirements or from legal, arbitral or regulatory proceedings, investigations, claims or settlements, including unfavorable outcomes in any such matters resulting in actual or potential monetary damage awards, penalties, fines or other direct or indirect payments, or injunctions, consent decrees or other voluntary or involuntary restrictions or adjustments to our business operations or practices that are beyond our current expectations and/or accruals;
•our ability to use/realize the net deferred tax assets we have generated;
•our ability to successfully implement our current and planned strategies and initiatives related to our product, geographic and market positioning, gaining share and scale in our served markets and in entering into new markets;
•our operational and investment concentration in markets in California;
•consumer interest in our new home communities and products, particularly from first-time homebuyers and higher-income consumers;
•our ability to generate orders and convert our backlog of orders to home deliveries and revenues, particularly in key markets in California;
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•our ability to successfully implement our business strategies and achieve any associated financial and operational targets and objectives, including those discussed in this report or in any of our other public filings, presentations or disclosures;
•income tax expense volatility associated with stock-based compensation;
•the ability of our homebuyers to obtain residential mortgage loans and mortgage banking services;
•the performance of mortgage lenders to our homebuyers;
•the performance of KBHS;
•information technology failures and data security breaches;
•an epidemic or pandemic (such as the outbreak and worldwide spread of COVID-19), and the control response measures that international (including China), federal, state and local governments, agencies, law enforcement and/or health authorities implement to address it, which may (as with COVID-19) precipitate or exacerbate one or more of the above-mentioned and/or other risks, and significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period; and
•other events outside of our control.
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000795266-22-000010.
Item 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our discussion and analysis below is focused on our 2021 and 2020 financial results, including comparisons of our year-over-year performance between these years. Discussion and analysis of our 2019 fiscal year specifically, as well as the year-over-year comparison of our 2020 financial performance to 2019, are located under Part II, Item 7 – 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 November 30, 2020, filed with the SEC on January 22, 2021, which is available on our investor relations website at investor.kbhome.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview. Revenues are generated from our homebuilding and financial services operations. The following table presents a summary of our consolidated results of operations (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2021 vs 2020 | 2020 vs 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding | $ | 5,705,029 | $ | 4,167,702 | $ | 4,537,658 | 37 | % | (8) | % | |||||||
| Financial services | 19,901 | 15,472 | 15,089 | 29 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 5,724,930 | $ | 4,183,174 | $ | 4,552,747 | 37 | % | (8) | % | |||||||
| Pretax income: | |||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding | $ | 656,911 | $ | 331,500 | $ | 325,189 | 98 | % | 2 | % | |||||||
| Financial services | 38,435 | 32,543 | 22,986 | 18 | 42 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 695,346 | 364,043 | 348,175 | 91 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | (130,600) | (67,800) | (79,400) | (93) | 15 | ||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 564,746 | $ | 296,243 | $ | 268,775 | 91 | % | 10 | % | |||||||
| Earnings per share: | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 6.22 | $ | 3.26 | $ | 3.04 | 91 | % | 7 | % | |||||||
| Diluted | $ | 6.01 | $ | 3.13 | $ | 2.85 | 92 | % | 10 | % |
In 2021, housing market conditions were positive, with healthy demand, particularly from millennial and Generation Z demographic groups, a limited supply of new and resale inventory and relatively low mortgage loan interest rates driving strong results for our business. Considerable demand for our homes enabled us to lift selling prices in the vast majority of our communities and, in combination with our focus on balancing pace, price and construction starts at each community, helped us to enhance the performance of our inventory assets and improve returns, despite supply chain challenges and rising construction services and building materials costs. Reflecting these actions, the value of our net orders for 2021 grew 45% year over year to $7.68 billion due to a 21% increase in net orders and a 20% rise in their overall average selling price. The year-over-year increase in our net order volume was due to higher net orders per community, partly offset by a lower average community count for the year. Our lower average community count reflected the accelerated sell-out of communities that resulted from our exceptionally strong monthly net order pace, which rose 37% to 6.3 in 2021 from 4.6 in 2020, even as we paced lot releases to
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align with our production capacity, as well as delays in new community openings during 2021, as further described below. Compared to 2020, our average community count for 2021 decreased 12%, and our ending community count declined 8%.
Since 2020, we have experienced intensifying building material cost pressures, particularly for lumber, and production capacity issues with some of our main product suppliers, reflecting sustained high levels of homebuilding and renovation activity combined with supply chain disruptions stemming from international and domestic COVID-19 control responses and economy-wide labor shortages in the U.S. Our housing gross profit margin on homes delivered in the latter part of 2021 were especially impacted by high lumber costs during the period in which these homes were started. In 2021, the continuing supply chain disruptions, combined with construction services availability constraints and delays with respect to state and municipal construction permitting, inspections and utilities, extended our construction cycle times by several weeks and delayed many expected deliveries and new community openings during our fiscal year. We believe these challenging conditions will generally persist into 2022 and potentially throughout the year. We have incorporated these trends into our performance expectations, as presented below under “Outlook.”
Homebuilding revenues for 2021 grew 37% from the previous year due to an increase in housing revenues that reflected 26% growth in the number of homes delivered to 13,472 and a 9% increase in the overall average selling price of those homes to $422,700. In 2021, homebuilding operating income rose 109% year over year to $661.3 million and, as a percentage of homebuilding revenues, improved 400 basis points to 11.6%. The increase in our homebuilding operating income margin was driven by significant improvements in both housing gross profit margin and selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues. Our pretax income margin improved 340 basis points to 12.1%, and net income and diluted earnings per share increased 91% and 92%, respectively, each as compared to 2020. Our 2021 results included a $5.1 million loss on early extinguishment of debt associated with our purchase, pursuant to a tender offer that expired on June 8, 2021, of $269.8 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% senior notes due 2021 (“7.00% Senior Notes due 2021”) prior to their maturity date. . Our 2020 results included severance charges of $6.7 million, as described below under “COVID-19 Pandemic Impact.”
Our return on equity (“ROE”) for 2021 improved 810 basis points to 19.9%, compared to 11.8% for 2020. ROE is calculated as net income for the year divided by average stockholders’ equity, where average stockholders’ equity is based on the ending stockholders’ equity balances of the trailing five quarters.
COVID-19 Pandemic Impact. The COVID-19 pandemic and related COVID-19 control responses considerably disrupted global and national economies, the U.S. housing market, and our business in the 2020 second quarter. During that period, we experienced a sizable reduction in net orders and backlog as well as supply chain disruptions and construction cycle time extensions in most of our served markets that resulted in home delivery delays. With the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and in prioritizing cash preservation and liquidity, we limited our land investments and curtailed our overhead expenditures, partly through workforce realignment and reductions. Due to these workforce-related actions, our selling, general and administrative expenses for the 2020 second quarter included severance charges of $6.7 million.
With the easing to varying degrees of restrictive public health orders in our served markets beginning in May 2020, our net orders began to rebound significantly following a low point in April 2020, as steadily increasing demand drove our 2020 third- and fourth-quarter net orders to then-15-year highs. The sharp rise in net orders over these periods substantially expanded the number of homes in our backlog as well as our backlog value. In 2021, demand for our homes remained strong, with the value of our net orders for the year up 45% year over year to $7.68 billion. Our ending backlog value at November 30, 2021 increased 67% to approximately $4.95 billion, our highest fourth-quarter level since 2005, supporting our expectation for significant year-over-year growth in our scale, profitability and returns in 2022, as described below under “Outlook.” With the ongoing strong demand, we continued to increase our land acquisition and development investments in 2021, as we did in the latter part of 2020, to measurably expand our lot pipeline and support future community count growth.
While we continue to experience construction services availability constraints, supply chain disruptions and rising and volatile raw material prices and availability, particularly with respect to lumber, other building materials and appliances, as well as delays related to state and municipal construction permitting, inspections and utilities, that could negatively impact our growth, margins and financial results in future periods, and there remains a risk that significant COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions could emerge or re-emerge, we believe we are well-positioned to operate effectively through the present environment.
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HOMEBUILDING
Financial Results. The following table presents a summary of certain financial and operational data for our homebuilding operations (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||
| Housing | $ | 5,694,668 | $ | 4,150,793 | $ | 4,510,814 | ||||
| Land | 10,361 | 16,909 | 26,844 | |||||||
| Total | 5,705,029 | 4,167,702 | 4,537,658 | |||||||
| Costs and expenses: | ||||||||||
| Construction and land costs | ||||||||||
| Housing | (4,466,053) | (3,365,509) | (3,683,174) | |||||||
| Land | (3,258) | (14,942) | (25,754) | |||||||
| Total | (4,469,311) | (3,380,451) | (3,708,928) | |||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (574,376) | (470,779) | (497,350) | |||||||
| Total | (5,043,687) | (3,851,230) | (4,206,278) | |||||||
| Operating income | 661,342 | 316,472 | 331,380 | |||||||
| Interest income | 1,049 | 2,554 | 2,158 | |||||||
| Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures | (405) | 12,474 | (1,549) | |||||||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | (5,075) | — | (6,800) | |||||||
| Homebuilding pretax income | $ | 656,911 | $ | 331,500 | $ | 325,189 | ||||
| Homes delivered | 13,472 | 10,672 | 11,871 | |||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 422,700 | $ | 388,900 | $ | 380,000 | ||||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.6 | % | 18.9 | % | 18.3 | % | ||||
| Housing gross profit margin excluding inventory-related charges as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.8 | % | 19.6 | % | 18.7 | % | ||||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 24.4 | % | 22.7 | % | 22.2 | % | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of housing revenues | 10.1 | % | 11.3 | % | 11.0 | % | ||||
| Operating income as a percentage of homebuilding revenues | 11.6 | % | 7.6 | % | 7.3 | % |
Revenues. Year-over-year growth in homebuilding revenues to $5.71 billion in 2021 reflected an increase in housing revenues, partly offset by a decrease in land sale revenues. Housing revenues in 2020 were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related COVID-19 control responses.
Housing revenues in 2021 advanced 37% from the previous year, due to a 26% increase in the number of homes delivered and a 9% increase in the overall average selling price of those homes. The higher volume of homes delivered was largely due to our backlog of homes at the beginning of the year (“beginning backlog”) increasing 54% from 2020, as well as strong net order growth in 2021. In addition, the number of homes delivered in 2020 was tempered primarily by the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related COVID-19 control responses. The year-over-year increase in the overall average selling price of our homes delivered in 2021 reflected strong housing market conditions, which enabled us to raise prices in the vast majority of our communities, as well as product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered.
Land sale revenues for 2021 decreased 39% from 2020. Generally, land sale revenues fluctuate with our decisions to maintain or decrease our land ownership position in certain markets based upon the volume of our holdings, our business strategy, the strength and number of developers and other land buyers in particular markets at given points in time, the availability of opportunities to sell land at acceptable prices and prevailing market conditions.
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Operating Income. Our homebuilding operating income grew 109% in 2021, as compared to the previous year, due to an increase in housing gross profits, partly offset by an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses. In 2021 and 2020, homebuilding operating income included total inventory-related charges of $12.0 million and $28.7 million, respectively, as discussed in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. In 2020, our homebuilding operating income also included severance charges of $6.7 million associated with workforce reductions made during the 2020 second quarter, as discussed above under “COVID-19 Pandemic Impact.” As a percentage of homebuilding revenues, our homebuilding operating income for 2021 improved 400 basis points year over year to 11.6%. Excluding inventory-related charges for both periods and the above-mentioned severance charges in 2020, our homebuilding operating income margin improved 340 basis points to 11.8% in 2021 from 8.4% in 2020.
•Housing Gross Profits – In 2021, housing gross profits increased by $443.3 million, or 56%, to $1.23 billion from $785.3 million in 2020. The year-over-year increase in 2021 reflected the higher volume of homes delivered and an increase in the housing gross profit margin. Housing gross profits for 2021 and 2020 included the respective inventory-related charges described above.
Our housing gross profit margin for 2021 increased 270 basis points from the previous year, mainly as a result of a favorable pricing environment that more than offset higher construction services and building materials costs (approximately 110 basis points); lower amortization of previously capitalized interest as a percentage of housing revenues (approximately 50 basis points); a decrease in inventory-related charges (approximately 50 basis points); an increase in operating leverage due to higher housing revenues (approximately 40 basis points); and other miscellaneous factors (approximately 20 basis points). As a percentage of housing revenues, the amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with housing operations was 2.6% for 2021 and 3.1% for 2020. Excluding the amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with housing operations and the above-mentioned inventory-related charges for the applicable periods, our adjusted housing gross profit margin increased 170 basis points to 24.4% in 2021 from 22.7% in 2020. The calculation of adjusted housing gross profit margin, which we believe provides a clearer measure of the performance of our business, is described below under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
•Selling, General and Administrative Expenses – The following table presents the components of our selling, general and administrative expenses (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | % of Housing Revenues | 2020 | % of Housing Revenues | 2019 | % of Housing Revenues | |||||||||||||||
| Marketing expenses | $ | 117,481 | 2.1 | % | $ | 116,590 | 2.8 | % | $ | 129,733 | 2.9 | % | ||||||||
| Commission expenses (a) | 217,608 | 3.8 | 164,507 | 3.9 | 174,338 | 3.8 | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 239,287 | 4.2 | 189,682 | 4.6 | 193,279 | 4.3 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 574,376 | 10.1 | % | $ | 470,779 | 11.3 | % | $ | 497,350 | 11.0 | % |
(a)Commission expenses include sales commissions on homes delivered paid to internal sales counselors and/or external real estate brokers.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for 2021 increased 22% from the prior year, mainly due to an increase in commission expenses associated with our higher housing revenues, and an increase in general and administrative expenses. The year-over-year increase in general and administrative expenses primarily reflected higher costs associated with performance-based employee compensation plans, as well as expenses incurred to support current operations and expected growth, partly offset by a $4.3 million benefit from an Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”), which is discussed in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, recognized in early 2021 and the severance charges of $6.7 million recorded in 2020. As a percentage of housing revenues, our selling, general and administrative expenses improved 120 basis points in 2021 as compared to 2020, largely reflecting increased operating leverage due to our higher housing revenues, partly offset by the above-mentioned higher expenses.
Interest Income/Expense. Interest income, which is generated from short-term investments, totaled $1.0 million in 2021 and $2.6 million in 2020. Generally, increases and decreases in interest income are attributable to changes in the interest-bearing average balances of short-term investments and fluctuations in interest rates.
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We incur interest principally from our borrowings to finance land acquisitions, land development, home construction and other operating and capital needs. The amount of interest incurred generally fluctuates based on the average amount of debt outstanding for the period and/or the interest rate on that debt. In 2021, interest incurred totaled $120.5 million, down 3% from $124.1 million in 2020, mainly due to both our lower average interest rate and lower average debt level. All interest incurred during 2021 and 2020 was capitalized as the average amount of our inventory qualifying for interest capitalization was higher than our average debt level for each period. As a result, we had no interest expense for 2021 or 2020. Further information regarding our interest incurred and capitalized is provided in Note 6 – Inventories in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Equity in Income (Loss) of Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. Our equity in loss of unconsolidated joint ventures totaled $.4 million in 2021, compared to equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures of $12.5 million in 2020. This year-over-year change mainly resulted from a decrease in the number of homes delivered from an unconsolidated joint venture in California. This unconsolidated joint venture, which delivered its last home in the 2021 second quarter, delivered 10 homes in 2021, compared to 99 homes delivered in 2020. Further information regarding our investments in unconsolidated joint ventures is provided in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt. Our $5.1 million loss on early extinguishment of debt in 2021 was associated with our purchase, pursuant to a tender offer that expired on June 8, 2021, of $269.8 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% Senior Notes due 2021 prior to their maturity date. Further information regarding this transaction is provided in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Net Orders, Backlog and Community Count. The following table presents information about our net orders, cancellation rate, ending backlog, and community count for the years ended November 30, 2021 and 2020 (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Net orders | 16,206 | 13,404 | |||||
| Net order value (a) | $ | 7,683,990 | $ | 5,299,489 | |||
| Cancellation rate (b) | 10 | % | 20 | % | |||
| Ending backlog — homes | 10,544 | 7,810 | |||||
| Ending backlog — value | $ | 4,951,725 | $ | 2,962,403 | |||
| Ending community count | 217 | 236 | |||||
| Average community count | 214 | 243 |
(a)Net order value represents potential future housing revenues associated with net orders generated during the period, as well as homebuyer selections of lot and product premiums and design studio options and upgrades for homes in backlog during the same period.
(b)Cancellation rate represents the total number of contracts for new homes cancelled during a period divided by the total (gross) orders for new homes generated during the same period.
Net Orders. In 2021, net orders from our homebuilding operations grew 21% from 2020, reflecting a 37% increase in monthly net orders per community to 6.3, partly offset by a 12% decrease in our overall average community count, which is discussed below under “Community Count.” This higher monthly net order pace occurred even as we raised our home selling prices and paced lot releases, as described above under “Overview.” We believe our Built-to-Order homebuying process, which, as described above under Item 1 – Business in this report, provides personalization and choice, was a key contributor to our strong 2021 net order pace.
The value of our 2021 net orders rose 45% from 2020 as a result of the growth in net orders and a 20% increase in the overall average selling price of those orders. These factors drove net order value expansion in all four of our homebuilding reporting segments, ranging from 37% in our West Coast segment to 93% in our Southeast segment. The higher overall average selling price of net orders in 2021 largely reflected strong demand in most of our served markets as well as product and geographic mix shifts of net orders.
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Backlog. The number of homes in our backlog at November 30, 2021 increased 35% from the previous year, mainly due to our substantially higher backlog at the beginning of the fiscal year as well as year-over-year growth in our 2021 net orders. The potential future housing revenues in our backlog at November 30, 2021 grew 67% year over year as a result of both the higher number of homes in our backlog and a 24% increase in the average selling price of those homes. The increases in the number of homes in backlog and backlog value reflected strong growth in each of our four homebuilding reporting segments, with increases in backlog value ranging from 53% in our West Coast segment to 106% in our Southeast segment. Substantially all of the homes in our backlog at November 30, 2021 are expected to be delivered during the year ending November 30, 2022.
Community Count. Our average community count for 2021 decreased 12% from the previous year, and our ending community count declined 8%. The year-over-year decreases in our average and ending community counts primarily reflected communities that sold out earlier than planned due to an increase in our demand-driven net order pace and delays in new community openings. We substantially increased our investments in land acquisition and land development in 2021 to support future community count growth.
HOMEBUILDING REPORTING SEGMENTS
Operational Data. The following tables present information about our homes delivered, net orders, cancellation rates as a percentage of gross orders, net order value, average community count, and ending backlog (number of homes and value) by homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homes Delivered | Net Orders | Cancellation Rates | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||
| West Coast | 4,008 | 2,869 | 4,425 | 3,850 | 10 | % | 17 | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 2,574 | 2,385 | 3,247 | 2,668 | 7 | 19 | ||||||||||||
| Central | 4,630 | 3,932 | 5,504 | 4,981 | 12 | 21 | ||||||||||||
| Southeast | 2,260 | 1,486 | 3,030 | 1,905 | 11 | 25 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 13,472 | 10,672 | 16,206 | 13,404 | 10 | % | 20 | % |
| Net Order Value | Average Community Count | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | 2021 | 2020 | Variance | 2021 | 2020 | Variance | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | $ | 3,164,684 | $ | 2,302,785 | 37 | % | 60 | 74 | (19) | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 1,342,562 | 914,770 | 47 | 36 | 36 | — | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 2,119,617 | 1,534,747 | 38 | 78 | 89 | (12) | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 1,057,127 | 547,187 | 93 | 40 | 44 | (9) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 7,683,990 | $ | 5,299,489 | 45 | % | 214 | 243 | (12) | % | ||||||||||
| November 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Backlog – Homes | Backlog – Value | |||||||||||||||||||
| Segment | 2021 | 2020 | Variance | 2021 | 2020 | Variance | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | 2,441 | 2,024 | 21 | % | $ | 1,764,911 | $ | 1,152,609 | 53 | % | ||||||||||
| Southwest | 2,194 | 1,521 | 44 | 910,583 | 523,705 | 74 | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 3,911 | 3,037 | 29 | 1,548,574 | 932,814 | 66 | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 1,998 | 1,228 | 63 | 727,657 | 353,275 | 106 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 10,544 | 7,810 | 35 | % | $ | 4,951,725 | $ | 2,962,403 | 67 | % |
As discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, the composition of our homes delivered, net orders and backlog shifts with the mix of our active communities and the corresponding average selling prices of the homes ordered and/or delivered at these communities in any particular period, and it changes as new communities open and existing communities wind down or sell out. In addition, with our Built-to-Order model, the selling prices of individual homes within a community may vary due to differing lot sizes and locations, home square footage, and option and upgrade selections. These intrinsic
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variations in our business limit the comparability of our homes delivered, net orders and backlog, as well as their corresponding values, between sequential and year-over-year periods, in addition to the effect of prevailing economic or housing market conditions in or across any particular periods.
Financial Results. Below is a discussion of the financial results of each of our homebuilding reporting segments. Further information regarding these segments, including their pretax income (loss), is included in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. The difference between each homebuilding reporting segment’s operating income (loss) and pretax income (loss) is generally due to the equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures, which is also presented in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, and/or interest income and expense.
In addition to the results of our homebuilding reporting segments presented below, our consolidated homebuilding operating income includes the results of Corporate and other, a non-operating segment described in Note 2 – Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. Corporate and other had operating losses of $148.9 million in 2021, $107.2 million in 2020 and $104.1 million in 2019. The increase in 2021 as compared to 2020 reflected higher selling, general and administrative expenses, mainly due to higher costs associated with performance-based employee compensation plans, as well as expenses to support current operations and expected growth.
With strong housing market conditions from the 2020 third quarter through the 2021 fourth quarter in most of our served markets, we delivered more homes at a higher overall average selling price and significantly expanded our homebuilding operating income as a percentage of revenues in each of our homebuilding segments for 2021, as compared to the previous year. The financial results for each of our homebuilding reporting segments for the year ended November 30, 2020 were negatively affected by the impacts from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as discussed in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report
West Coast. The following table presents financial information related to our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2021 vs 2020 | 2020 vs 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 2,552,382 | $ | 1,748,582 | $ | 1,912,146 | 46 | % | (9) | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (2,044,274) | (1,480,775) | (1,591,896) | (38) | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (162,461) | (129,744) | (141,324) | (25) | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 345,647 | $ | 138,063 | $ | 178,926 | 150 | % | (23) | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 4,008 | 2,869 | 3,214 | 40 | % | (11) | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 636,800 | $ | 609,400 | $ | 592,300 | 4 | % | 3 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 13.5 | % | 7.9 | % | 9.4 | % | 560 | bps | (150) | bps |
This segment’s revenues in 2021 were generated solely from housing operations. In 2020, revenues for this segment were generated from housing operations and nominal land sales. Housing revenues for 2021 grew 46% from the previous year due to increases in the number of homes delivered in California and Washington, and the higher average selling price of those homes. The higher average selling price reflected strong housing market conditions and product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered.
Operating income grew significantly from 2020, reflecting higher housing gross profits, partially offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of revenues, this segment’s 2021 operating income increased from the previous year, reflecting a 460 basis-point expansion in the housing gross profit margin to 19.9%, and a 100 basis-point improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 6.4%. The housing gross profit margin expansion was primarily driven by a favorable pricing environment that more than offset higher construction services and building materials costs, lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest, a reduction in inventory-related charges and an increase in operating leverage due to higher housing revenues. Inventory-related charges impacting the housing gross profit margin totaled $11.0 million in 2021, compared to $21.9 million in 2020. The improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues mainly reflected increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues, partly offset by higher expenses incurred to support current operations and expected growth.
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Southwest. The following table presents financial information related to our Southwest homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2021 vs 2020 | 2020 vs 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 965,139 | $ | 796,810 | $ | 764,816 | 21 | % | 4 | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (702,947) | (596,512) | (585,880) | (18) | (2) | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (75,375) | (66,415) | (67,223) | (13) | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 186,817 | $ | 133,883 | $ | 111,713 | 40 | % | 20 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 2,574 | 2,385 | 2,346 | 8 | % | 2 | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 371,300 | $ | 327,300 | $ | 322,000 | 13 | % | 2 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 19.4 | % | 16.8 | % | 14.6 | % | 260 | bps | 220 | bps |
In 2021 and 2020, this segment’s revenues were generated from both housing operations and land sales. Housing revenues for 2021 grew 22% year over year to $955.7 million, mainly due to an increase in the number of homes delivered from our Nevada operations and a rise in the average selling price of homes delivered in both our Arizona and Nevada operations. The higher average selling price reflected strong housing market conditions and product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered. Land sale revenues totaled $9.4 million in 2021 and $16.1 million in 2020.
This segment’s operating income for 2021 increased from the previous year, mainly due to higher housing gross profits and increased land sale profits, partially offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of revenues, operating income improved from 2020 due to a 130 basis-point increase in the housing gross profit margin to 26.7%, a 60 basis-point improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 7.9% and higher profits from land sales. The housing gross profit margin expansion was largely driven by a favorable pricing environment that more than offset higher construction services and building materials costs, and lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest. Land sales generated profits of $7.1 million in 2021 and $2.0 million in 2020. The improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues was mainly due to increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues.
Central. The following table presents financial information related to our Central homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2021 vs 2020 | 2020 vs 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,503,857 | $ | 1,192,869 | $ | 1,267,892 | 26 | % | (6) | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (1,172,926) | (941,381) | (1,015,415) | (25) | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (130,773) | (122,712) | (126,176) | (7) | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 200,158 | $ | 128,776 | $ | 126,301 | 55 | % | 2 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 4,630 | 3,932 | 4,291 | 18 | % | (8) | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 324,800 | $ | 303,400 | $ | 293,500 | 7 | % | 3 | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 13.3 | % | 10.8 | % | 10.0 | % | 250 | bps | 80 | bps |
In 2021 and 2020, revenues for this segment were generated solely from housing operations. Housing revenues for 2021 grew 26% from the prior year, reflecting increases in the number of homes delivered in both states that comprise this segment, and the higher average selling price of those homes. The increase in the average selling price reflected strong housing market conditions and product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered.
Operating income for 2021 increased from 2020, reflecting growth in housing gross profits, partially offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses. In 2021, the improvement in operating income as a percentage of revenues
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reflected a 90 basis-point expansion in the housing gross profit margin to 22.0% and a 160 basis-point improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to 8.7%. The housing gross profit margin rose from the previous year primarily due to lower inventory-related charges, improved operating leverage due to higher housing revenues, and lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest. Inventory-related charges for 2021 were nominal, compared to $5.5 million in 2020. The year-over-year improvement in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues mainly reflected increased operating leverage from higher housing revenues, and the continued impact of targeted actions we took in 2020 to reduce overhead costs in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Southeast. The following table presents financial information related to our Southeast homebuilding reporting segment for the years indicated (dollars in thousands, except average selling price):
| Years Ended November 30, | Variance | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2021 vs 2020 | 2020 vs 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 683,651 | $ | 429,441 | $ | 592,804 | 59 | % | (28) | % | |||||||
| Construction and land costs | (541,471) | (355,242) | (508,351) | (52) | 30 | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (64,516) | (51,248) | (65,902) | (26) | 22 | ||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 77,664 | $ | 22,951 | $ | 18,551 | 238 | % | 24 | % | |||||||
| Homes delivered | 2,260 | 1,486 | 2,020 | 52 | % | (26) | % | ||||||||||
| Average selling price | $ | 302,100 | $ | 288,600 | $ | 293,200 | 5 | % | (2) | % | |||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of revenues | 11.4 | % | 5.3 | % | 3.1 | % | 610 | bps | 220 | bps |
In 2021 and 2020, this segment’s revenues were generated from both housing operations and nominal land sales. Housing revenues for 2021 rose 59% year over year to $682.7 million due to increases in both the number of homes delivered and the average selling price of those homes. The higher average selling price in 2021 as compared to 2020 mainly reflected strong housing market conditions and product and geographic mix shifts of homes delivered.
Operating income increased from 2020, reflecting higher housing gross profits, partly offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses. As a percentage of revenues, operating income rose from 2020 due to a 350 basis-point increase in the housing gross profit margin to 20.8% that mainly reflected a shift in geographic mix, improved operating leverage due to higher housing revenues, and lower relative amortization of previously capitalized interest. In addition, selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues improved 260 basis points from 2020 to 9.4%, primarily due to increased operating leverage as a result of higher housing revenues, and the continued impact of targeted actions we took in 2020 to reduce overhead costs in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
FINANCIAL SERVICES REPORTING SEGMENT
The following table presents a summary of selected financial and operational data for our financial services reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 19,901 | $ | 15,472 | $ | 15,089 | ||||
| Expenses | (5,055) | (4,083) | (4,333) | |||||||
| Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures | 23,589 | 21,154 | 12,230 | |||||||
| Pretax income | $ | 38,435 | $ | 32,543 | $ | 22,986 |
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| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Total originations (a): | ||||||||||
| Loans | 9,225 | 7,580 | 7,436 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 3,252,054 | $ | 2,457,522 | $ | 2,190,823 | ||||
| Percentage of homebuyers using KBHS | 76 | % | 77 | % | 70 | % | ||||
| Average FICO score | 729 | 723 | 719 | |||||||
| Loans sold (a): | ||||||||||
| Loans sold to Stearns/GR Alliance | 7,706 | 7,900 | 6,224 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 2,744,685 | $ | 2,536,689 | $ | 1,827,917 | ||||
| Loans sold to other third parties | 1,293 | 310 | 772 | |||||||
| Principal | $ | 420,119 | $ | 102,363 | $ | 202,349 |
| Mortgage loan origination mix (a): | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional/non-conventional loans | 61 | % | 56 | % | 58 | % | ||
| FHA loans | 26 | % | 28 | % | 26 | % | ||
| Other government loans | 13 | % | 16 | % | 16 | % | ||
| Loan type (a): | ||||||||
| Fixed | 99 | % | 99 | % | 98 | % | ||
| ARM | 1 | % | 1 | % | 2 | % |
(a)Loan originations and sales occurred within KBHS.
Revenues. Our financial services reporting segment, which includes the operations of KB HOME Mortgage Company, generates revenues primarily from insurance commissions and title services. The year-over-year growth in our financial services revenues for 2021 reflected increases in both title services revenues and insurance commissions.
Pretax income. Our financial services pretax income for 2021 grew 18% from the previous year due to improved results from our insurance and title services businesses, and an increase in the equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures. In 2021, our equity in income of our unconsolidated joint venture, KBHS, increased 12% year over year as a result of a substantial increase in the principal amount of loan originations and improved margins. The higher principal amount of loan originations in 2021 was primarily due to a 26% increase in the number of homes we delivered and a 9% increase in the average selling price of those homes.
On March 1, 2021, Guaranteed Rate acquired the parent company of Stearns, our KBHS partner prior to that date. In October 2021, Stearns was renamed as GR Alliance. As of the date of this report, we are not aware of any significant changes with respect to GR Alliance or its operations as a result of the transaction being completed.
INCOME TAXES
Income Tax Expense. Our income tax expense and effective income tax rate were as follows (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | $ | 130,600 | $ | 67,800 | $ | 79,400 | ||||
| Effective income tax rate | 18.8 | % | 18.6 | % | 22.8 | % |
Our effective tax rate for 2021 increased slightly from the previous year, as the impacts of higher taxable income, a $5.6 million increase in non-deductible compensation expense and a $4.9 million decrease in excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation were mostly offset by the favorable effect of a $30.8 million increase in federal tax credits we earned primarily from building energy-efficient homes.
The federal energy tax credits for the year ended November 30, 2021 resulted from legislation enacted in December 2020 and earlier periods. The legislation enacted in December 2020, among other things, extended the availability of a business tax
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credit for building new energy-efficient homes through December 31, 2021. Prior to this legislation, the tax credit was set to expire on December 31, 2020.
In June 2020, California enacted tax legislation that approved the suspension of California net operating loss (“NOL”) deductions for tax years 2020, 2021 and 2022. Although the suspension of California NOL deductions did not have an impact on our income tax expense for the years ended November 30, 2021 and 2020, it contributed to the year-over-year increase in the amount of income taxes we paid in 2021.
Under current accounting standards, we expect volatility in our income tax expense in future periods, the magnitude of which will depend on, among other factors, the price of our common stock and the timing and volume of stock-based compensation award activity, such as employee exercises of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock awards and performance-based restricted stock units (each, a “PSU”).
For each of the years ended November 30, 2021 and 2020, the amount of income taxes we paid was substantially less than our income tax expense primarily due to the utilization of our deferred tax assets to reduce taxable income. We anticipate the amount of income taxes we pay will be less than our income tax expense for at least the next year.
Further information regarding our income taxes is provided in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
This report contains information about our adjusted housing gross profit margin, which is not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We believe this non-GAAP financial measure is relevant and useful to investors in understanding our operations, and may be helpful in comparing us with other companies in the homebuilding industry to the extent they provide similar information. However, because it is not calculated in accordance with GAAP, this non-GAAP financial measure may not be completely comparable to other companies in the homebuilding industry and, thus, should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to operating performance and/or financial measures prescribed by GAAP. Rather, this non-GAAP financial measure should be used to supplement the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure in order to provide a greater understanding of the factors and trends affecting our operations.
Adjusted Housing Gross Profit Margin. The following table reconciles our housing gross profit margin calculated in accordance with GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measure of our adjusted housing gross profit margin (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Housing revenues | $ | 5,694,668 | $ | 4,150,793 | $ | 4,510,814 | ||||
| Housing construction and land costs | (4,466,053) | (3,365,509) | (3,683,174) | |||||||
| Housing gross profits | 1,228,615 | 785,284 | 827,640 | |||||||
| Add: Inventory-related charges (a) | 11,953 | 28,669 | 17,291 | |||||||
| Housing gross profits excluding inventory-related charges | 1,240,568 | 813,953 | 844,931 | |||||||
| Add: Amortization of previously capitalized interest (b) | 149,354 | 129,330 | 156,114 | |||||||
| Adjusted housing gross profits | $ | 1,389,922 | $ | 943,283 | $ | 1,001,045 | ||||
| Housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.6 | % | 18.9 | % | 18.3 | % | ||||
| Housing gross profit margin excluding inventory-related charges as a percentage of housing revenues | 21.8 | % | 19.6 | % | 18.7 | % | ||||
| Adjusted housing gross profit margin as a percentage of housing revenues | 24.4 | % | 22.7 | % | 22.2 | % |
(a)Represents inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges associated with housing operations.
(b)Represents the amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with housing operations.
Adjusted housing gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure, which we calculate by dividing housing revenues less housing construction and land costs excluding (1) housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges (as applicable) recorded during a given period and (2) amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with
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housing operations, by housing revenues. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is housing gross profit margin. We believe adjusted housing gross profit margin is a relevant and useful financial measure to investors in evaluating our performance as it measures the gross profits we generated specifically on the homes delivered during a given period. This non-GAAP financial measure isolates the impact that the housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges, and the amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with housing operations, have on housing gross profit margins, and allows investors to make comparisons with our competitors that adjust housing gross profit margins in a similar manner. We also believe investors will find adjusted housing gross profit margin relevant and useful because it represents a profitability measure that may be compared to a prior period without regard to variability of housing inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges, and amortization of previously capitalized interest associated with housing operations. This financial measure assists us in making strategic decisions regarding community location and product mix, product pricing and construction pace.
SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION
As of November 30, 2021, we had $1.69 billion in aggregate principal amount of outstanding senior notes and no borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility. Our obligations to pay principal, premium, if any, and interest on the senior notes and borrowings, if any, under the Credit Facility are guaranteed on a joint and several basis by certain of our subsidiaries (“Guarantor Subsidiaries”), which are listed on Exhibit 22. Our other subsidiaries, including all of our subsidiaries associated with our financial services operations, do not guarantee any such indebtedness (collectively, “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries”), although we may cause a Non-Guarantor Subsidiary to become a Guarantor Subsidiary if we believe it to be in our or the relevant subsidiary’s best interest. See Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for additional information regarding the terms of our senior notes and the Credit Facility.
The guarantees are full and unconditional and the Guarantor Subsidiaries are 100% owned by us. The guarantees are senior unsecured obligations of each of the Guarantor Subsidiaries and rank equally in right of payment with all unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness and guarantees of such Guarantor Subsidiaries. The guarantees are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of such Guarantor Subsidiaries to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and structurally subordinated to indebtedness and other liabilities of Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries.
Pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the senior notes and the terms of the Credit Facility, if any of the Guarantor Subsidiaries ceases to be a “significant subsidiary” as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X using a 5% rather than a 10% threshold (provided that the assets of our non-guarantor subsidiaries do not in the aggregate exceed 10% of an adjusted measure of our consolidated total assets), it will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from its guaranty of the senior notes and the Credit Facility so long as all guarantees by such Guarantor Subsidiary of any other of our or our subsidiaries’ indebtedness are terminated at or prior to the time of such release.
The following tables present summarized financial information for KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a combined basis, excluding unconsolidated joint ventures and after the elimination of (a) intercompany transactions and balances between KB Home and the Guarantor Subsidiaries and (b) equity in earnings from and investments in the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. See Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for additional information regarding our unconsolidated joint ventures.
| November 30, 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarized Balance Sheet Data (in thousands) | |||
| Assets | |||
| Cash | $ | 250,118 | |
| Inventories | 4,425,531 | ||
| Amounts due from Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 323,549 | ||
| Total assets | 5,581,883 | ||
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | |||
| Notes payable | 1,682,517 | ||
| Amounts due to Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | 254,717 | ||
| Total liabilities | 2,755,817 | ||
| Stockholders’ equity | 2,826,066 |
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| Year Ended November 30, 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarized Statement of Operations Data (in thousands) | |||
| Revenues | $ | 5,451,685 | |
| Construction and land costs | (4,250,958) | ||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (564,112) | ||
| Interest income from non-guarantor subsidiary | 20,176 | ||
| Pretax income | 652,763 | ||
| Net income | 530,963 |
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Overview. We have funded our homebuilding and financial services activities over the last several years with:
• internally generated cash flows;
• public issuances of debt securities;
• borrowings under the Credit Facility;
• land option contracts and other similar contracts and seller notes;
• public issuances of our common stock; and
• letters of credit and performance bonds.
We manage our use of cash in the operation of our business to support the execution of our primary strategic goals. Over the past several years, we have primarily used cash for:
•land acquisitions and land development;
•home construction;
•operating expenses;
•principal and interest payments on notes payable; and
•repayments of borrowings under the Credit Facility.
Cash flows for each of our communities depend on their stage of development and can differ significantly from reported earnings. Early stages of development or expansion require significant cash outflows for land acquisition, zoning plat and other approvals, land development, and construction of model homes, roads, utilities, landscape and other items. Because these costs are a component of our inventory and are not recognized in our income statement until a home is delivered, we incur significant cash outflows prior to the recognition of earnings. In the later stages of a community as homes are delivered, cash inflows may significantly exceed earnings reported for financial statement purposes, as the cash outflows associated with the land and home construction were previously incurred.
We ended 2021 with total liquidity of $1.08 billion, including cash and cash equivalents and $791.4 million of available capacity under the Credit Facility. Based on our financial position as of November 30, 2021, and our positive business forecast for 2022 as discussed below under “Outlook,” we have no material concerns related to our liquidity. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic creates potential liquidity risks, as discussed further below, we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, our anticipated cash flows from operations and amounts available under our Credit Facility will be sufficient to fund our anticipated operating and land-related investment needs for at least the next 12 months.
Cash Requirements. Our material cash requirements include the following contractual and other obligations:
Notes Payable. We have outstanding fixed-rate notes payable with varying maturities. As of November 30, 2021, our notes payable had an aggregate principal amount of $1.70 billion, with $353.6 million payable within 12 months. Future interest payments associated with our notes payable totaled $443.6 million as of November 30, 2021, with $104.1 million payable within 12 months. Further information regarding our notes payable is provided in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Leases. We have operating leases for certain property and equipment with an expected term at the commencement date of more than 12 months. As of November 30, 2021, the future minimum payments required under these leases totaled $32.6 million, with $10.6 million payable within 12 months. Further information regarding our leases is provided in Note 13 – Leases in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
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Inventory-Related Obligations. As of November 30, 2021, we had inventory-related obligations totaling $36.1 million, comprised of liabilities for inventory not owned associated with financing arrangements as discussed in Note 8 – Variable Interest Entities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, as well as liabilities for fixed or determinable amounts associated with tax increment financing entity (“TIFE”) assessments. Approximately $27.0 million of these inventory-related obligations are payable within 12 months. However, TIFE assessment obligations are paid by us only to the extent we do not deliver homes on applicable lots before the related TIFE obligations mature.
Investments in Land and Land Development. Our investments in land and land development increased to $2.53 billion in 2021, compared to $1.69 billion in 2020. Approximately 50% of our total investments in both 2021 and 2020 related to land acquisitions. While we made strategic investments in land and land development in each of our homebuilding reporting segments during 2021 and 2020, approximately 53% and 55%, respectively, of these investments for each year were made in our West Coast homebuilding reporting segment. Our investments in land and land development in the future will depend significantly on market conditions and available opportunities that meet our investment return standards to support home delivery and revenue growth in 2022 and beyond.
The following table presents the number of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts and the carrying value of inventory by homebuilding reporting segment (dollars in thousands):
| November 30, 2021 | November 30, 2020 | Variance | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment | Lots | $ | Lots | $ | Lots | $ | ||||||||||||||
| West Coast | 23,539 | $ | 2,300,096 | 16,990 | $ | 1,928,500 | 6,549 | $ | 371,596 | |||||||||||
| Southwest | 12,339 | 875,438 | 12,290 | 688,807 | 49 | 186,631 | ||||||||||||||
| Central | 28,961 | 995,811 | 23,699 | 867,170 | 5,262 | 128,641 | ||||||||||||||
| Southeast | 21,929 | 631,484 | 14,059 | 413,005 | 7,870 | 218,479 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 86,768 | $ | 4,802,829 | 67,038 | $ | 3,897,482 | 19,730 | $ | 905,347 |
The number and carrying value of lots we owned or controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts at November 30, 2021 increased from November 30, 2020, primarily due to our investments in land and land development in 2021 and an increase in the number of homes under construction. The number of lots in inventory as of November 30, 2021 included 12,434 lots under contract where the associated deposits were refundable at our discretion, compared to 10,254 of such lots at November 30, 2020, reflecting ordinary course fluctuations in the number of such contracts. Our lots controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts as a percentage of total lots was 44% at November 30, 2021 and 40% at November 30, 2020. Generally, this percentage fluctuates with our decisions to control (or abandon) lots under land option contracts and other similar contracts or to purchase (or sell owned) lots based on available opportunities and our investment return standards.
Land Option Contracts and Other Similar Contracts. As discussed in Note 8 – Variable Interest Entities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, our land option contracts and other similar contracts generally do not contain provisions requiring our specific performance. Our decision to exercise a particular land option contract or other similar contract depends on the results of our due diligence reviews and ongoing market and project feasibility analysis that we conduct after entering into such a contract. In some cases, our decision to exercise a land option contract or other similar contract may be conditioned on the land seller obtaining necessary entitlements, such as zoning rights and environmental and development approvals, and/or physically developing the underlying land by a pre-determined date. We typically have the ability not to exercise our rights to the underlying land for any reason and forfeit our deposits without further penalty or obligation to the sellers. If we were to acquire all of the land we had under land option contracts and other similar contracts at November 30, 2021, we estimate the remaining purchase price to be paid would be as follows: 2022 – $1.34 billion; 2023 – $318.7 million; 2024 – $51.6 million; 2025 – $78.2 million; 2026 – $1.7 million; and thereafter – $0.
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Liquidity. The table below summarizes our total cash and cash equivalents, and total liquidity (in thousands):
| November 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Total cash and cash equivalents | $ | 290,764 | $ | 681,190 | |||
| Credit Facility commitment | 800,000 | 800,000 | |||||
| Borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility | — | — | |||||
| Letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility | (8,618) | (12,429) | |||||
| Credit Facility availability | 791,382 | 787,571 | |||||
| Total liquidity | $ | 1,082,146 | $ | 1,468,761 |
The majority of our cash equivalents at November 30, 2021 and 2020 were invested in interest-bearing bank deposit accounts.
Capital Resources. Our notes payable consisted of the following (in thousands):
| November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Variance | ||||||||
| Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans | $ | 5,327 | $ | 4,667 | $ | 660 | ||||
| Senior notes | 1,679,700 | 1,742,508 | (62,808) | |||||||
| Total | $ | 1,685,027 | $ | 1,747,175 | $ | (62,148) |
Our financial leverage, as measured by the ratio of debt to capital, was 35.8% at November 30, 2021, compared to 39.6% at November 30, 2020. The ratio of debt to capital is calculated by dividing notes payable by capital (notes payable plus stockholders’ equity).
On June 9, 2021, we completed the underwritten public offering of $390.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.00% senior notes due 2031 (“4.00% Senior Notes due 2031”) at 100% of their aggregate principal amount. Net proceeds from this offering totaled $385.2 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and our expenses relating to the offering. The 4.00% Senior Notes due 2031 will mature on June 15, 2031. On June 9, 2021, we used a portion of the net proceeds to purchase, pursuant to a tender offer that expired the previous day, $269.8 million in aggregate principal amount of our outstanding $450.0 million of 7.00% Senior Notes due 2021. We paid $274.9 million to purchase the notes and recorded a charge of $5.1 million for the early extinguishment of debt in the 2021 third quarter due to a premium paid under the tender offer and the unamortized original issue discount associated with these senior notes. On September 15, 2021, we redeemed the remaining $180.2 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.00% Senior Notes due 2021 at par value pursuant to the terms of the notes. Together, these 2021 transactions effectively extended the maturity of our senior notes by more than two years and reduced our weighted average borrowing rate by approximately 70 basis points.
LOC Facility. On August 12, 2021, we entered into an amendment to our unsecured letter of credit agreement with a financial institution (“LOC Facility”) that increased the limit of letters of credit we may issue from $50.0 million to $75.0 million and extended the expiration date from February 13, 2022 to February 13, 2025. We had $34.6 million and $29.7 million of letters of credit outstanding under the LOC Facility at November 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Performance Bonds. As discussed in Note 17 – Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we had $1.11 billion and $897.6 million of performance bonds outstanding at November 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. We have an $800.0 million Credit Facility that will mature on October 7, 2023. The amount of the Credit Facility available for cash borrowings and the issuance of letters of credit depends on the total cash borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility and the maximum available amount under the terms of the Credit Facility. As of November 30, 2021, we had no cash borrowings and $8.6 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility is further described in Note 15 – Notes Payable in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
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Under the terms of the Credit Facility, we are required, among other things, to maintain compliance with various covenants, including financial covenants regarding our consolidated tangible net worth, consolidated leverage ratio (“Leverage Ratio”), and either a consolidated interest coverage ratio (“Interest Coverage Ratio”) or minimum liquidity level, each as defined therein. Our compliance with these financial covenants is measured by calculations and metrics that are specifically defined or described by the terms of the Credit Facility and can differ in certain respects from comparable GAAP or other commonly used terms. The financial covenant requirements under the Credit Facility are set forth below:
•Consolidated Tangible Net Worth – We must maintain a consolidated tangible net worth at the end of any fiscal quarter greater than or equal to the sum of (a) $1.54 billion, plus (b) an amount equal to 50% of the aggregate of the cumulative consolidated net income for each fiscal quarter commencing after May 31, 2019 and ending as of the last day of such fiscal quarter (though there is no reduction if there is a consolidated net loss in any fiscal quarter), plus (c) an amount equal to 50% of the cumulative net proceeds we receive from the issuance of our capital stock after May 31, 2019.
•Leverage Ratio – We must also maintain a Leverage Ratio of less than or equal to .65 at the end of each fiscal quarter. The Leverage Ratio is calculated as the ratio of our consolidated total indebtedness to the sum of consolidated total indebtedness and consolidated tangible net worth, all as defined under the Credit Facility.
•Interest Coverage Ratio or Liquidity – We are also required to maintain either (a) an Interest Coverage Ratio of greater than or equal to 1.50 at the end of each fiscal quarter; or (b) a minimum level of liquidity, but not both. The Interest Coverage Ratio is the ratio of our consolidated adjusted EBITDA to consolidated interest incurred, each as defined under the Credit Facility, in each case for the previous 12 months. Our minimum liquidity is required to be greater than or equal to consolidated interest incurred, as defined under the Credit Facility, for the four most recently ended fiscal quarters in the aggregate.
In addition, under the Credit Facility, our investments in joint ventures and non-guarantor subsidiaries (which are shown, respectively, in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report and under “Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information” above) as of the end of each fiscal quarter cannot exceed the sum of (a) $104.8 million and (b) 20% of consolidated tangible net worth. Further, the Credit Facility does not permit our borrowing base indebtedness, which is the aggregate principal amount of our outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money and non-collateralized financial letters of credit, to be greater than our borrowing base (a measure relating to our inventory and unrestricted cash assets).
The covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility represent the most restrictive provisions that we are subject to with respect to our notes payable. The following table summarizes the financial covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility, and our actual levels or ratios (as applicable) with respect to those covenants and other requirements, in each case as of November 30, 2021:
| Financial Covenants and Other Requirements | Covenant Requirement | Actual | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated tangible net worth | $ | 2.08 | billion | $ | 2.98 | billion | |||
| Leverage Ratio | .650 | .363 | |||||||
| Interest Coverage Ratio (a) | 1.500 | 7.452 | |||||||
| Minimum liquidity (a) | $ | 119.5 | million | $ | 290.8 | million | |||
| Investments in joint ventures and non-guarantor subsidiaries | $ | 701.7 | million | $ | 229.5 | million | |||
| Borrowing base in excess of borrowing base indebtedness (as defined) | n/a | $ | 2.12 | billion |
(a)Under the terms of the Credit Facility, we are required to maintain either a minimum Interest Coverage Ratio or a minimum level of liquidity, but not both. As of November 30, 2021, we met both the Interest Coverage Ratio and the minimum liquidity requirements.
The indenture governing our senior notes does not contain any financial covenants. Subject to specified exceptions, the indenture contains certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to incur secured indebtedness, or engage in sale-leaseback transactions involving property above a certain specified value. In addition, our senior notes contain certain limitations related to mergers, consolidations, and sales of assets.
As of the date of this report, we were in compliance with the applicable terms of all our covenants and other requirements under the Credit Facility, the senior notes, the indenture, and the mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans. Our ability to access the Credit Facility for cash borrowings and letters of credit and our ability to secure future debt financing depend, in part, on our ability to remain in such compliance. There are no agreements that restrict our payment of
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dividends other than the Credit Facility, which would restrict our payment of certain dividends, such as cash dividends on our common stock, if a default under the Credit Facility exists at the time of any such payment, or if any such payment would result in such a default (other than dividends paid within 60 days after declaration, if there was no default at the time of declaration).
Depending on available terms, we finance certain land acquisitions with purchase-money financing from land sellers or with other forms of financing from third parties. At November 30, 2021, we had outstanding mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans payable in connection with such financing of $5.3 million, secured primarily by the underlying property, which had an aggregate carrying value of $20.8 million.
Unconsolidated Joint Ventures. As discussed in Note 9 – Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we have investments in unconsolidated joint ventures in various markets where our homebuilding operations are located. None of our unconsolidated joint ventures had outstanding debt at November 30, 2021.
Credit Ratings. Our credit ratings are periodically reviewed by rating agencies. In February 2021, Moody’s Investors Service affirmed our corporate Ba3 credit rating, and upgraded the rating outlook to positive from stable. In May 2021, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded our corporate rating to Ba2 from Ba3, and changed the rating outlook to stable from positive.
Consolidated Cash Flows. The following table presents a summary of net cash provided by (used in) our operating, investing and financing activities (in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | ||||||||||
| Operating activities | $ | (37,296) | $ | 310,678 | $ | 251,042 | ||||
| Investing activities | (38,084) | (26,563) | (40,944) | |||||||
| Financing activities | (315,013) | (56,444) | (330,359) | |||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | (390,393) | $ | 227,671 | $ | (120,261) |
Operating Activities. Operating activities used net cash of $37.3 million in 2021 and provided net cash of $310.7 million in 2020. Generally, our net operating cash flows fluctuate primarily based on changes in our inventories and our profitability. Net cash used in operating activities in 2021 mainly reflected a net increase in inventories of $897.8 million and a net increase in receivables of $32.0 million, partly offset by net income of $564.7 million and a net increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $181.6 million. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2020 primarily reflected net income of $296.2 million, a net decrease in receivables of $59.3 million, largely due to an income tax refund received, and a net increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $4.1 million, partly offset by a net increase in inventories of $183.2 million.
Investing Activities. Investing activities used net cash of $38.1 million in 2021 and $26.6 million in 2020. Our uses of cash in 2021 included $39.4 million for net purchases of property and equipment and $11.5 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partially offset by a $12.8 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. In 2020, the net cash used in investing activities included $28.8 million for net purchases of property and equipment and $10.4 million for contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. These uses of cash were partly offset by a $12.7 million return of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures.
Financing Activities. In 2021, the year-over-year change in net cash used in financing activities was mainly due to financing transactions we completed during the year. In 2021, cash was used for the repayment of $450.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% Senior Notes due 2021, stock repurchases totaling $188.2 million, dividend payments on our common stock of $54.1 million, tax payments associated with stock-based compensation awards of $12.3 million, payments of debt issuance costs of $4.8 million and payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $2.3 million. The cash used was partially offset by cash provided from our public offering of $390.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.00% Senior Notes due 2031 and $11.7 million of issuances of common stock under employee stock plans. In 2020, net cash was used for dividend payments on our common stock of $38.1 million, payments on mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans of $24.9 million, and tax payments associated with stock-based compensation awards of $9.5 million. Partially offsetting these uses of cash was $16.1 million of cash provided by issuances of common stock under employee stock plans.
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Dividends. Our board of directors declared four quarterly cash dividends of $.15 per share of common stock in 2021. In 2020, our board of directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $.09 per share of common stock in the first, second and third quarters. In the 2020 fourth quarter, our board of directors approved an increase in the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock to $.15 per share and declared a quarterly cash dividend at the new higher rate. Cash dividends declared and paid during the years ended November 30, 2021 and 2020 totaled $.60 and $.42 per share of common stock, respectively. The declaration and payment of future cash dividends on our common stock, whether at current levels or at all, are at the discretion of our board of directors, and depend upon, among other things, our expected future earnings, cash flows, capital requirements, access to external financing, debt structure and any adjustments thereto, operational and financial investment strategy and general financial condition, as well as general business conditions.
Shelf Registration Statement. On July 9, 2020, we filed an automatically effective universal shelf registration statement (“2020 Shelf Registration”) with the SEC. The 2020 Shelf Registration registers the offering of securities that we may issue from time to time in amounts to be determined. Our ability to issue securities is subject to market conditions. The 2020 Shelf Registration replaced our previously effective universal shelf registration statement filed with the SEC on July 14, 2017.
Share Repurchase Program. On July 8, 2021, our board of directors authorized us to repurchase up to 5,000,000 shares of our outstanding common stock. This authorization reaffirmed and incorporated the then-current balance of 2,193,947 shares that remained under a prior board-approved share repurchase program. In 2021, we repurchased 4,668,600 shares of our common stock on the open market pursuant to this authorization at a total cost of $188.2 million. Repurchases under the remaining authorization of 331,400 shares may occur periodically through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, with the timing and amount at management’s discretion and dependent on market and business conditions and other factors. This share repurchase authorization will continue in effect until fully used or earlier terminated or suspended by our board of directors and does not obligate us to purchase any additional shares.
Unrelated to the common stock repurchase program, our board of directors authorized in 2014 the repurchase of no more than 680,000 shares of our outstanding common stock solely as necessary for director compensation elections with respect to settling outstanding stock appreciation rights awards (“Director Plan SARs”) granted under our Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan (“Director Plan”). As of November 30, 2021, we have not repurchased any shares pursuant to the board of directors authorization.
While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty as to general economic conditions for 2022 and beyond, as of the date of this report, we believe we have adequate capital resources and sufficient access to external financing sources to satisfy our current and reasonably anticipated requirements for funds to conduct our operations and meet other needs in the ordinary course of our business. In 2022, we expect to use or redeploy our cash resources or cash borrowings under the Credit Facility to support our business within the context of prevailing market conditions. During this time, we may also engage in capital markets, bank loan, project debt or other financial transactions, including the repurchase of debt or equity securities or potential new issuances of debt or equity securities to support our business needs. The amounts involved in these transactions, if any, may be material. In addition, as necessary or desirable, we may adjust or amend the terms of and/or expand the capacity of the Credit Facility or the LOC Facility, or enter into additional letter of credit facilities, or other similar facility arrangements, in each case with the same or other financial institutions, or allow any such facilities to mature or expire. However, with the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, which could materially and negatively affect our business and the housing market, our ability to engage in such transactions may be constrained by volatile or tight economic, capital, credit and/or financial market conditions, as well as moderated investor and/or lender interest or capacity and/or our liquidity, leverage and net worth, and we can provide no assurance as to successfully completing, the costs of, or the operational limitations arising from any one or series of such transactions. Further discussion of the potential impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on our capital resources and liquidity is provided above under Item 1A – Risk Factors in this report.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires the use of estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions. See Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report for a discussion of our significant accounting policies. The following are accounting policies that we believe are critical because of the significance of the activity to which they relate or because they require the use of significant estimates, judgments and/or other assumptions in their application.
Homebuilding Revenue Recognition. We recognize homebuilding revenue by applying the following steps in determining the timing and amount of revenue to recognize: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance
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obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, if applicable; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation.
Our home sale transactions are made pursuant to contracts under which we typically have a single performance obligation to deliver a completed home to the homebuyer when closing conditions are met. Revenues from home sales are recognized when we have satisfied the performance obligation within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of the home and the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the homebuyer on the closing date. Little to no estimation is involved in recognizing such revenues.
Land sale transactions are made pursuant to contracts under which we typically have a performance obligation(s) to deliver specified land parcels to the buyer when closing conditions are met. We evaluate each land sale contract to determine our performance obligation(s) under the contract, including whether we have a distinct promise to perform post-closing land development work that is material within the context of the contract, and use objective criteria to determine our completion of the applicable performance obligation(s), whether at a point in time or over time. Revenues from land sales are recognized when we have satisfied the performance obligation(s) within the sales contract, which is generally when title to and possession of the land and the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the land buyer on the closing date. In instances where we have a distinct and material performance obligation(s) within the context of a land sale contract to perform land development work after the closing date, a portion of the transaction price under the contract is allocated to such performance obligation(s) and is recognized as revenue over time based upon our estimated progress toward the satisfaction of the performance obligation(s). We generally measure our progress based on our costs incurred relative to the total costs expected to satisfy the performance obligation(s). Certain land sale contracts may require management judgment in determining the appropriate revenue recognition, but the impact of such transactions is generally immaterial.
Inventories and Cost of Sales. Housing and land inventories are stated at cost, unless the carrying value is determined not to be recoverable, in which case the affected inventories are written down to fair value or fair value less associated costs to sell. Fair value is determined based on estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risks associated with the real estate assets, or other valuation techniques. Due to uncertainties in the estimation process and other factors beyond our control, it is possible that actual results could differ from those estimated. Other than model homes, our inventories typically do not consist of completed unsold homes. However, as discussed above under Item 1 – Business in this report, we may have unsold completed or partially completed homes in our inventory.
We rely on certain estimates to determine our construction and land costs and resulting housing gross profit margins associated with revenues recognized. Construction and land costs are comprised of direct and allocated costs, including estimated future costs for the limited warranty we provide on our homes, and certain amenities within a community. Land acquisition, land development and other common costs are generally allocated on a relative fair value basis to the homes or lots within the applicable community or land parcel. Land acquisition and land development costs include related interest and real estate taxes.
In determining a portion of the construction and land costs recognized for each period, we rely on project budgets that are based on a variety of assumptions, including future construction schedules and costs to be incurred. It is possible that actual results could differ from budgeted amounts for various reasons, including construction delays, construction resource shortages, increases in costs that have not yet been committed, changes in governmental requirements, unforeseen environmental hazards or other unanticipated issues encountered during construction and other factors beyond our control. While the actual results for a particular construction project are accurately reported over time, variances between the budgeted and actual costs of a project could result in the understatement or overstatement of construction and land costs and homebuilding gross profits in a particular reporting period. To reduce the potential for such distortion, we have set forth procedures that collectively comprise a critical accounting policy. These procedures, which we have applied on a consistent basis, include assessing, updating and revising project budgets on a monthly basis, obtaining commitments to the extent possible from independent contractors and vendors for future costs to be incurred, reviewing the adequacy of warranty accruals and historical warranty claims experience, and utilizing the most current information available to estimate construction and land costs to be charged to expense. Variances to the budgeted costs after an estimate has been charged to expense that are related to project costs are generally allocated on a relative fair value basis to the remaining homes to be delivered within the community or land parcel, while such variances related to direct construction costs are generally expensed as incurred. The variances between budgeted and actual costs have historically not been material to our consolidated financial statements. We believe that our policies provide for reasonably dependable estimates to be used in the calculation and reporting of construction and land costs.
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments. Each community or land parcel in our owned inventory is assessed to determine if indicators of potential impairment exist. Impairment indicators are assessed separately for each community or land parcel on a quarterly basis and include, but are not limited to, the following: significant decreases in net orders, average selling prices, volume of homes delivered, gross profit margins on homes delivered or projected gross profit
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margins on homes in backlog or future deliveries; significant increases in budgeted land development and home construction costs or cancellation rates; or projected losses on expected future land sales. If indicators of potential impairment exist for a community or land parcel, the identified asset is evaluated for recoverability.
We evaluated one, 11 and 21 communities or land parcels for recoverability as of November 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The carrying values of those communities or land parcels evaluated as of November 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were $29.9 million, $123.4 million and $207.7 million, respectively. The higher number and corresponding carrying value of communities or land parcels evaluated as of November 30, 2020 and 2019 reflected the then-current conditions and trends in the markets where the communities are located, as well as certain communities or land parcels previously held for future development that were reactivated as part of our efforts to improve our asset efficiency.
When an indicator of potential impairment is identified for a community or land parcel, we test the asset for recoverability by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. The undiscounted future net cash flows are impacted by then-current conditions and trends in the market in which the asset is located as well as factors known to us at the time the cash flows are calculated. These factors may include recent trends in our orders, backlog, cancellation rates and volume of homes delivered, as well as our expectations related to the following: product offerings; market supply and demand, including estimated average selling prices and related price appreciation; and land development, home construction and overhead costs to be incurred and related cost inflation.
The following table presents information regarding inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment charges included in construction and land costs in our consolidated statements of operations (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended November 30, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Inventory impairments: | ||||||||||
| Number of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | 2 | 10 | 8 | |||||||
| Pre-impairment carrying value of communities or land parcels written down to fair value | $ | 27,923 | $ | 69,211 | $ | 41,160 | ||||
| Inventory impairment charges | (9,903) | (22,723) | (14,031) | |||||||
| Post-impairment fair value | $ | 18,020 | $ | 46,488 | $ | 27,129 | ||||
| Land option contract abandonments charges | $ | 2,050 | $ | 5,946 | $ | 3,260 |
The inventory impairment charges in 2021, 2020 and 2019 reflected our decisions to make changes in our operational strategies aimed at more quickly monetizing our investment in certain communities by accelerating the overall pace for selling, building and delivering homes therein, including communities on land previously held for future development.
As further described in Note 7 – Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, given the inherent challenges and uncertainties in forecasting future results, our inventory assessments at the time they are made take into consideration whether a community or land parcel is active, meaning whether it is open for sales and/or undergoing development, or whether it is being held for future development or held for sale.
We record an inventory impairment charge on a community or land parcel that is active or held for future development when indicators of potential impairment exist and the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than the undiscounted future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, which is primarily determined based on the estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risk associated with each such asset, or other valuation techniques. Inputs used in our calculation of estimated discounted future net cash flows are specific to each affected real estate asset and are based on our expectations for each such asset as of the applicable measurement date, including, among others, expectations related to average selling prices and volume of homes delivered. The discount rates used in our estimated discounted cash flows ranged from 18% - 19% in 2021, 17% - 18% in 2020, and 17% during 2019. The discount rates we used were impacted by one or more of the following at the time the calculation was made: the risk-free rate of return; expected risk premium based on estimated land development, home construction and delivery timelines; market risk from potential future price erosion; cost uncertainty due to land development or home construction cost increases; and other risks specific to the asset or conditions in the market in which the asset is located.
We record an inventory impairment charge on land held for sale when the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than its fair value. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, less associated costs to sell. The fair value of such
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real estate assets is generally based on bona fide letters of intent from outside parties, executed sales contracts, broker quotes or similar information.
As of November 30, 2021, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $87.7 million, representing 11 communities and various other land parcels. As of November 30, 2020, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $113.1 million, representing 16 communities and various other land parcels.
Our inventory controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts is assessed to determine whether it continues to meet our investment return standards. Assessments are made separately for each optioned land parcel on a quarterly basis and are affected by the following factors relative to the market in which the asset is located, among others: current and/or anticipated net orders, average selling prices and volume of homes delivered; estimated land development and home construction costs; and projected profitability on expected future housing or land sales. When a decision is made not to exercise certain land option contracts and other similar contracts due to market conditions and/or changes in our marketing strategy, we write off the related inventory costs, including non-refundable deposits and unrecoverable pre-acquisition costs.
The estimated remaining life of each community or land parcel in our inventory depends on various factors, such as the total number of lots remaining; the expected timeline to acquire and entitle land and develop lots to build homes; the anticipated future net order and cancellation rates; and the expected timeline to build and deliver homes sold. While it is difficult to determine a precise timeframe for any particular inventory asset, based on current market conditions and expected delivery timelines, we estimate our inventory assets’ remaining operating lives to range generally from one year to in excess of 10 years and expect to realize, on an overall basis, the majority of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2021 within five years. The following table presents as of November 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, the estimated timeframe of delivery for the last home in an applicable community or land parcel and the corresponding percentage of total inventories such categories represent within our inventory balance (dollars in millions):
| 0-2 years | 3-5 years | 6-10 years | Greater than 10 years | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | $ | % | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | $ | 2,646.3 | 55 | % | $ | 1,961.3 | 41 | % | $ | 176.5 | 4 | % | $ | 18.7 | — | % | $ | 4,802.8 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 1,893.9 | 49 | 1,843.8 | 47 | 140.7 | 4 | 19.1 | — | 3,897.5 |
The inventory balances in the 0-2 years and 3-5 years categories were located throughout all of our homebuilding reporting segments, though mostly in our West Coast, Southwest and Central segments. These categories collectively represented 96% of our total inventories as of November 30, 2021 and November 30, 2020. The inventory balances in the 6-10 years and greater than 10 years categories were primarily located in our Central and Southeast segments, and together totaled $195.2 million at November 30, 2021, compared to $159.8 million at November 30, 2020. The year-over-year increase mainly reflected larger land positions in the Central and Southeast homebuilding reporting segments acquired during 2021, partly offset by our decisions to accelerate the overall timing for selling, building and delivering homes through community reactivations and generally favorable market conditions. The inventories in the 6-10 years and greater than 10 years categories as of November 30, 2021 were mostly comprised of active, multi-phase communities with large remaining land positions. As of November 30, 2020, such inventories also included certain land held for future development.
Due to the judgment and assumptions applied in our inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment assessment processes, and in our estimations of the remaining operating lives of our inventory assets and the realization of our inventory balances, particularly as to land held for future development, it is possible that actual results could differ substantially from those estimated.
Deterioration in the supply and demand factors in the overall housing market or in an individual market or submarket, or changes to our operational or selling strategy at certain communities may lead to additional inventory impairment charges, future charges associated with land sales or the abandonment of land option contracts or other similar contracts related to certain assets. Due to the nature or location of the projects, land held for future development that we activate as part of our strategic growth initiatives or to accelerate sales and/or our return on investment, or that we otherwise monetize to help improve our asset efficiency, may have a somewhat greater likelihood of being impaired than other of our active inventory.
We believe the carrying value of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2021 is recoverable. Our considerations in making this determination include the factors and trends incorporated into our impairment analyses, and as applicable, the prevailing regulatory environment, competition from other homebuilders, inventory levels and sales activity of resale homes, and the local economic conditions where an asset is located. In addition, we consider the financial and operational status and
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expectations of our inventories as well as unique attributes of each community or land parcel that could be viewed as indicators for potential future impairments. However, if conditions in the overall housing market or in a specific market or submarket worsen in the future beyond our current expectations, including, among other things, from ongoing negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related COVID-19 control responses, if future changes in our business strategy significantly affect any key assumptions used in our projections of future cash flows, or if there are material changes in any of the other items we consider in assessing recoverability, we may recognize charges in future periods for inventory impairments or land option contract abandonments, or both, related to our current inventory assets. Any such charges could be material to our consolidated financial statements.
Warranty Costs. We provide a limited warranty on all of our homes. The specific terms and conditions of our limited warranty program vary depending upon the markets in which we do business. We estimate the costs that may be incurred under each limited warranty and record a liability in the amount of such costs at the time the revenue associated with the sale of each home is recognized. In assessing our overall warranty liability at a reporting date, we evaluate the costs for warranty-related items on a combined basis for all of our previously delivered homes that are under our limited warranty program.
Our primary assumption in estimating the amounts we accrue for warranty costs is that historical claims experience is a strong indicator of future claims experience. Factors that affect our warranty liability include the number of homes delivered, historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims, and cost per claim. We periodically assess the adequacy of our accrued warranty liability, which is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets, and adjust the amount as necessary based on our assessment. Our assessment includes the review of our actual warranty costs incurred to identify trends and changes in our warranty claims experience, and considers our home construction quality and customer service initiatives and outside events. Based on this assessment, we may from time to time adjust our warranty accrual rates, which would be applied on a prospective basis to homes delivered. Although adjustments to the accrual rates are generally infrequent, they may be necessary when actual warranty expenditures have increased or decreased on a sustained basis, as was the case in recent years when we reduced our warranty accrual rates to reflect favorable trends in our warranty expenditures. Based on our assessment, we may also make adjustments to our previously recorded accrued warranty liability. Such adjustments are recorded in the period in which the change in estimate occurs. During 2021, 2020 and 2019, we made adjustments to reduce our accrued warranty liability by $4.0 million, $3.6 million and $5.6 million, respectively. While we believe we may face increased future home warranty and construction defect claims associated with replacing or servicing substitute products or materials used in some instances to address supply shortages in certain served markets or communities, as discussed above under Item 1A - Risk Factors in this report, as of the date of this report, we have not made any adjustments to our accrued liabilities associated with this potential risk. We have not made any material changes in the methodology used to establish our accrued warranty liability during 2021, 2020 and 2019. Our accrued warranty liability is presented on a gross basis for all years without consideration of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any. Estimates of recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables when such recoveries are considered probable.
While we believe the warranty liability currently reflected in our consolidated balance sheets to be adequate, unanticipated changes or developments in the legal environment, local weather, land or environmental conditions, quality of materials or methods used in the construction of homes or customer service practices and/or our warranty claims experience could have a significant impact on our actual warranty costs in future periods and such amounts could differ significantly from our current estimates. A 10% change in the historical warranty rates used to estimate our accrued warranty liability would not result in a material change in our accrual.
Self-Insurance. We maintain, and require the majority of our independent contractors to maintain, general liability insurance (including construction defect and bodily injury coverage) and workers’ compensation insurance. These insurance policies protect us against a portion of our risk of loss from claims related to our homebuilding activities, subject to certain self-insured retentions, deductibles and other coverage limits. We self-insure a portion of our overall risk through the use of a captive insurance subsidiary. In Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada, our contractors’ general liability insurance primarily takes the form of a wrap-up policy under a program where eligible independent contractors are enrolled as insureds on each community. Enrolled contractors contribute toward the cost of the insurance and agree to pay a contractual amount in the future if there is a claim related to their work.
We record liabilities based on the estimated costs required to cover reported claims, claims incurred but not yet reported, and claim adjustment expenses. These estimated costs are based on an actuarial analysis of our historical claims and expense data, as well as industry data. Our self-insurance liabilities are presented on a gross basis without consideration of insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of and expect to recover from other parties, if any.
The amount of our self-insurance liability is based on an analysis performed by a third-party actuary that uses our historical claim and expense data, as well as industry data to estimate these overall costs. These estimates are subject to uncertainty due
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to a variety of factors, the most significant being the long period of time between the delivery of a home to a homebuyer and when a structural warranty or construction defect claim may be made, and the ultimate resolution of any such construction defect claim. Though state regulations vary, construction defect claims are reported and resolved over a long period of time, which can extend for 10 years or more. As a result, the majority of the estimated self-insurance liability based on the actuarial analysis relates to claims incurred but not yet reported. Therefore, adjustments related to individual existing claims generally do not significantly impact the overall estimated liability. Adjustments to our liabilities related to homes delivered in prior years are recorded in the period in which a change in our estimate occurs. During 2021, we recorded adjustments to increase our previously recorded liabilities by $6.8 million. In 2020 and 2019, we recorded adjustments to reduce our previously recorded liabilities by $4.0 million and $2.5 million, respectively. The adjustments in 2021, 2020 and 2019 resulted from changes in estimates due to actual claims experience differing from previous actuarial projections and, in turn, impacting actuarial estimates for existing and potential future claims. We have not made any material changes in our methodology used to establish our self-insurance liabilities during 2021, 2020 or 2019.
The projection of losses related to these liabilities requires the use of actuarial assumptions. Key assumptions used in developing these estimates include claim frequencies, severities and resolution patterns, which can occur over an extended period of time. These estimates are subject to variability due to the length of time between the delivery of a home to a homebuyer and when a construction defect claim is made, and the ultimate resolution of such claim; uncertainties regarding such claims relative to our markets and the types of product we build; and legal or regulatory actions and/or interpretations, among other factors. Due to the degree of judgment involved and the potential for variability in these underlying assumptions, our actual future costs could differ from those estimated. In addition, changes in the frequency and severity of reported claims and the estimates to resolve claims can impact the trends and assumptions used in the actuarial analysis, which could be material to our consolidated financial statements. A 10% increase in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to estimate the self-insurance liability would result in increases of approximately $26.7 million in our liability and approximately $10.2 million in our receivable as of November 30, 2021, and additional expense of approximately $16.5 million for 2021. A 10% decrease in the claim frequency and the average cost per claim used to estimate the self-insurance liability would result in decreases of approximately $24.8 million in our liability and approximately $7.6 million in our receivable as of November 30, 2021, and a reduction to expense of approximately $17.2 million for 2021.
Estimates of insurance recoveries and amounts we have paid on behalf of other parties, if any, are recorded as receivables when such recoveries are considered probable. These estimated recoveries are principally based on actuarially determined amounts and depend on various factors, including, among other things, the above-described claim cost estimates, our insurance policy coverage limits for the applicable policy year(s), historical third-party recovery rates, insurance industry practices, the regulatory environment, and legal precedent, and are subject to a high degree of variability from year to year. Because of the inherent uncertainty and variability in these assumptions, our actual insurance recoveries could differ significantly from amounts currently estimated.
Legal Matters Accruals. We record contingent liabilities resulting from claims against us when a loss is assessed to be probable and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable. Assessing the probability of losses and estimating probable losses requires analysis of multiple factors, including in some cases judgments about the potential actions of third-party claimants, regulatory agencies, mediators, arbitrators, responsible third parties and/or courts, as the case may be. Recorded contingent liabilities are based on the most recent information available and actual losses in any future period are inherently uncertain. If future adjustments to estimated probable future losses or actual losses exceed our recorded liability for such claims, we would record additional charges during the period in which the actual loss or change in estimate occurred. In addition to contingent liabilities recorded for probable losses, we disclose contingent liabilities when there is a reasonable possibility the ultimate loss will materially exceed the recorded liability. While we cannot predict the outcome of pending legal matters with certainty, we do not believe any currently identified claim or proceeding, either individually or in aggregate, will have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Stock-Based Compensation. We measure and recognize compensation expense associated with our grants of equity-based awards at an amount equal to the fair value of such share-based payments over their applicable vesting period. We have provided compensation benefits to certain of our employees in the form of stock options, restricted stock and PSUs, and to our non-employee directors in the form of unrestricted shares of common stock, deferred common stock awards and Director Plan SARs. Determining the fair value of share-based awards requires judgment to identify the appropriate valuation model and develop the assumptions to be used in the calculation, including the expected term of the stock options or Director Plan SARs, expected stock-price volatility and dividend yield. We estimate the fair value of stock options and Director Plan SARs granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with assumptions based primarily on historical data. The expected volatility factor is based on a combination of the historical volatility of our common stock and the implied volatility of publicly traded options on our common stock. We believe this blended approach balances the forward-looking nature of implied volatility with the relative stability over time of historical volatility to arrive at a reasonable estimate of expected volatility. Additionally, judgment is required in estimating the percentage of share-based awards that are expected to vest, and in the case of PSUs, the
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level of performance that will be achieved and the number of shares that will be earned. If actual results differ significantly from these estimates, stock-based compensation expense could be higher and have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Income Taxes. As discussed in Note 14 – Income Taxes in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this report, we evaluate our deferred tax assets quarterly to determine if adjustments to our valuation allowance are required based on the consideration of all available positive and negative evidence using a “more likely than not” standard with respect to whether deferred tax assets will be realized. This evaluation considers, among other factors, our historical operating results, our expectation of future profitability, the duration of the applicable statutory carryforward periods, and conditions in the housing market and the broader economy. The ultimate realization of our deferred tax assets depends primarily on our ability to generate future taxable income during the periods in which the related deferred tax assets become deductible. The value of our deferred tax assets in our consolidated balance sheets depends on applicable income tax rates. We base our estimate of deferred tax assets and liabilities on current tax laws and rates. In certain cases, we also base this estimate on business plan forecasts and other expectations about future outcomes. Changes in positive and negative evidence, including differences between our future operating results and estimates, could result in the establishment of an additional valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. Accounting for deferred taxes is based upon estimates of future results. Judgment is required in determining the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements and/or tax returns. Differences between the anticipated and actual outcomes of these future results could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Also, changes in existing federal and state tax laws and corporate income tax rates could affect future tax results and the realization of deferred tax assets over time.
We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in our consolidated financial statements as a component of the provision for income taxes. Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits, combined with accrued interest and penalties, is reflected as a component of accrued expenses and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. Judgment is required in evaluating uncertain tax positions. We evaluate our uncertain tax positions quarterly based on various factors, including changes in facts or circumstances, tax laws or the status of audits by tax authorities. Changes in the recognition or measurement of uncertain tax positions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements in the period in which we make the change.
INFLATION
The impact of inflation on us is reflected in increased costs for land, land development, construction, and overhead. Inflation may also raise our financing costs. We generally enter into contracts to acquire land a significant period of time before development and sales efforts commence. Accordingly, to the extent land acquisition costs are fixed, subsequent increases or decreases in our home selling prices will affect our profits. As the selling price of each of our homes is fixed at the time a buyer enters into a home purchase contract, and because we generally commence construction of a home only after we have a signed purchase contract with a homebuyer, any construction-related cost inflation can result in lower housing gross profit margins. In order to help moderate that effect, we typically enter into fixed-price contracts with our larger trade partners and building material suppliers for specified periods of time.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Recent accounting pronouncements are discussed in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
OUTLOOK
We believe several long-term housing market fundamental factors will remain positive in 2022, including favorable demographics, a housing supply-demand imbalance resulting from a decade-plus underproduction of new homes in relation to population growth, a limited supply of resale homes available for sale and relatively low mortgage loan interest rates. We believe our highly customer-centric, personalized approach to homebuilding and operational capabilities will enable us to effectively adapt to evolving buyer preferences and needs and, together with an expected year-over-year increase in our community count, drive further growth in our results in 2022, subject to business conditions and other factors described in this report.
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Our present 2022 outlook is as follows:
2022 First Quarter –
•We expect to generate housing revenues in the range of $1.43 billion to $1.53 billion, an increase from $1.14 billion in the corresponding period of 2021, and anticipate our average selling price to be approximately $472,000, compared to $397,100 in the year-earlier period.
•We expect our homebuilding operating income margin will be approximately 12.0%, assuming no inventory-related charges, up from 10.4% for the year-earlier quarter.
◦We expect our housing gross profit margin to be in the range of 22.0% to 22.6%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 21.1% for the corresponding 2021 quarter.
◦We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to be approximately 10.4%, an improvement of 30 basis points from the 2021 first quarter.
•We expect the effective tax rate will be approximately 25%, excluding any favorable impacts from federal tax credits for building energy-efficient homes. The effective tax rate for the year-earlier quarter was approximately 21%.
•We expect our ending community count will be relatively flat sequentially and represent the likely low point for 2022, and expect our average community count to decline by a low single-digit percentage from the 2021 first quarter.
2022 Full Year –
•We expect our housing revenues to be in the range of $7.20 billion to $7.60 billion, an increase of 30% at the mid-point of the range, from $5.69 billion in 2021, and anticipate our average selling price to be in the range of $480,000 to $490,000, an increase of between 14% and 16% from 2021.
•We expect our homebuilding operating income margin to be in the range of 15.7% to 16.5%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 11.8% for 2021.
◦We expect our housing gross profit margin to be in the range of 25.4% to 26.2%, assuming no inventory-related charges, compared to 21.8% for 2021, reflecting sequential expansion beginning in the second quarter.
◦We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of housing revenues to be in the range of 9.4% to 9.9%, compared to 10.1% in the prior year.
•We expect the effective tax rate will be approximately 25%, assuming no federal energy tax credit extension is enacted. The effective tax rate for 2021 was approximately 19%, which reflected the favorable effect of federal tax credits we earned primarily from building energy-efficient homes.
•We expect our ending community count will increase 20% to 25% from 2021.
•We expect our return on equity to be in excess of 26%, an improvement of more than 600 basis points compared to 19.9% for 2021.
We believe we are well-positioned for 2022 due to, among other things, our strong backlog, planned new community openings, investments in land and land development and current positive economic and demographic trends, to varying degrees, in many of our served markets.
However, our future performance and the strategies we implement (and adjust or refine as necessary or appropriate) will depend significantly on prevailing economic, homebuilding industry and capital, credit and financial market conditions and on a fairly stable and constructive political and regulatory environment (particularly in regards to housing and mortgage loan financing policies). In particular, we and other residential construction firms continue to experience services and supply constraints and rising and volatile raw material prices, particularly for lumber. Although we continue to work with our suppliers and trade partners to resolve these issues, we believe they will generally persist into 2022 and potentially throughout the year. Continued supply chain disruptions, construction services and building material shortages, and delays with respect to state and municipal construction permitting, inspections and utilities could further extend our construction cycle times, delay our new community openings and intensify construction-related cost pressures beyond our experience in 2021. In addition, consumer demand for our homes and our ability to grow our scale, revenues, net orders, backlog and returns in 2022 could be materially and negatively affected by persistent inflation in the U.S. economy, the severity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related COVID-19 control responses (including new or more restrictive “stay-at-home” orders and other new or revised
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public health requirements recommended or imposed by federal, state and local authorities), and/or other factors that cause mortgage loan interest rates to increase or that temper mortgage loan availability, employment or income levels or consumer confidence in the U.S. or in our served markets. The potential effect of these factors on our business is highly uncertain, unpredictable and outside our control, and our past performance should not be considered indicative of our future results on any metric or set of metrics.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this report, as well as some statements by us in periodic press releases and other public disclosures and some oral statements by us to securities analysts, stockholders and others during presentations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”). Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “hope,” and similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that we may make or provide concerning future financial or operating performance (including without limitation future revenues, community count, homes delivered, net orders, selling prices, sales pace per new community, expenses, expense ratios, housing gross profits, housing gross profit margins, earnings or earnings per share, or growth or growth rates), future market conditions, future interest rates, and other economic conditions, ongoing business strategies or prospects, future dividends and changes in dividend levels, the value of our backlog (including amounts that we expect to realize upon delivery of homes included in our backlog and the timing of those deliveries), the value of our net orders, potential future asset acquisitions and the impact of completed acquisitions, future share issuances or repurchases, future debt issuances, repurchases or redemptions and other possible future actions are also forward-looking statements as defined by the Act. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about our operations, economic and market factors, and the homebuilding industry, among other things. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and we have no specific policy or intention to update these statements. In addition, forward-looking and other statements in this report and in other public or oral disclosures that express or contain opinions, views or assumptions about market or economic conditions; the success, performance, effectiveness and/or relative positioning of our strategies, initiatives or operational activities; and other matters, may be based in whole or in part on general observations of our management, limited or anecdotal evidence and/or business or industry experience without in-depth or any particular empirical investigation, inquiry or analysis.
Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors. The most important risk factors that could cause our actual performance and future events and actions to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
•general economic, employment and business conditions;
•population growth, household formations and demographic trends;
•conditions in the capital, credit and financial markets;
•our ability to access external financing sources and raise capital through the issuance of common stock, debt or other securities, and/or project financing, on favorable terms;
•the execution of any securities repurchases pursuant to our board of directors’ authorization;
•material and trade costs and availability, including building materials and appliances;
•consumer and producer price inflation;
•changes in interest rates;
•our debt level, including our ratio of debt to capital, and our ability to adjust our debt level and maturity schedule;
•our compliance with the terms of the Credit Facility;
•volatility in the market price of our common stock;
•home selling prices, including our homes’ selling prices, increasing at a faster rate than consumer incomes;
•weak or declining consumer confidence, either generally or specifically with respect to purchasing homes;
•competition from other sellers of new and resale homes;
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•weather events, significant natural disasters and other climate and environmental factors;
•any failure of lawmakers to agree on a budget or appropriation legislation to fund the federal government’s operations, and financial markets’ and businesses’ reactions to any such failure;
•government actions, policies, programs and regulations directed at or affecting the housing market (including the tax benefits associated with purchasing and owning a home, and the standards, fees and size limits applicable to the purchase or insuring of mortgage loans by government-sponsored enterprises and government agencies), the homebuilding industry, or construction activities;
•changes in existing tax laws or enacted corporate income tax rates, including those resulting from regulatory guidance and interpretations issued with respect thereto;
•changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and duties on homebuilding materials and products, and related trade disputes with and retaliatory measures taken by other countries;
•the adoption of new or amended financial accounting standards and the guidance and/or interpretations with respect thereto;
•the availability and cost of land in desirable areas and our ability to timely develop acquired land parcels and open new communities;
•our warranty claims experience with respect to homes previously delivered and actual warranty costs incurred;
•costs and/or charges arising from regulatory compliance requirements or from legal, arbitral or regulatory proceedings, investigations, claims or settlements, including unfavorable outcomes in any such matters resulting in actual or potential monetary damage awards, penalties, fines or other direct or indirect payments, or injunctions, consent decrees or other voluntary or involuntary restrictions or adjustments to our business operations or practices that are beyond our current expectations and/or accruals;
•our ability to use/realize the net deferred tax assets we have generated;
•our ability to successfully implement our current and planned strategies and initiatives related to our product, geographic and market positioning, gaining share and scale in our served markets and in entering into new markets;
•our operational and investment concentration in markets in California;
•consumer interest in our new home communities and products, particularly from first-time homebuyers and higher-income consumers;
•our ability to generate orders and convert our backlog of orders to home deliveries and revenues, particularly in key markets in California;
•our ability to successfully implement our business strategies and achieve any associated financial and operational targets and objectives, including those discussed in this report or in other public filings, presentations or disclosures;
•income tax expense volatility associated with stock-based compensation;
•the ability of our homebuyers to obtain residential mortgage loans and mortgage banking services;
•the performance of mortgage lenders to our homebuyers;
•the performance of KBHS;
•information technology failures and data security breaches;
•an epidemic or pandemic (such as the outbreak and worldwide spread of COVID-19), and the control response measures that international, federal, state and local governments, agencies, law enforcement and/or health authorities implement to address it, which may (as with COVID-19) precipitate or exacerbate one or more of the above-mentioned and/or other risks, and significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period;
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•widespread protests and civil unrest, whether due to political events, efforts to institute law enforcement and other social and political reforms, and the impacts of implementing or failing to implement any such reforms, or otherwise; and
•other events outside of our control.