United Dominion Realty Trust (UDR)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

þ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007

or

o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from          to          

 

Commission file number 1-10524

 

UDR, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite 200, Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129
(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (720) 283-6120

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

Indicate by checkmark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or other information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o     No þ

 

The aggregate market value of the shares of common stock held by non-affiliates on June 29, 2007 was approximately $2.2 billion. This calculation excludes shares of common stock held by the registrant’s officers and directors and each person known by the registrant to beneficially own more than 5% of the registrant’s outstanding shares, as such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status should not be deemed conclusive for any other purpose. As of February 15, 2008 there were 133,347,522 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

The information required by Part III of this Report, to the extent not set forth herein, is incorporated by reference from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 29, 2008.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

General

 

UDR, Inc. is a self administered real estate investment trust, or REIT, that owns, acquires, renovates, develops, and manages apartment communities nationwide. At December 31, 2007, our apartment portfolio included 234 communities located in 30 markets, with a total of 65,867 completed apartment homes.

 

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. To continue to qualify as a REIT, we must continue to meet certain tests which, among other things, generally require that our assets consist primarily of real estate assets, our income be derived primarily from real estate assets, and that we distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (other than our net capital gain) to our stockholders annually. As a qualified REIT, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes at the corporate level on our net income to the extent we distribute such net income to our stockholders annually. In 2007, we declared total distributions of $1.32 per common share to our stockholders, which represents our 31st year of consecutive dividend increases to our stockholders.

 

We were formed in 1972 as a Virginia corporation. In June 2003, we changed our state of incorporation from Virginia to Maryland. Our corporate offices are located at 1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite 200, Highlands Ranch, Colorado. As of February 15, 2008, we had 1,787 full-time employees and 132 part-time employees.

 

Our subsidiaries include two operating partnerships, Heritage Communities L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and United Dominion Realty L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and RE³, our subsidiary that focuses on development, land entitlement and short-term hold investments. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this Report to “we,” “us,” “our,” “the company,” or “UDR” refer collectively to UDR, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

 

Business Objectives

 

Our principal business objective is to maximize the economic returns of our apartment communities to provide our stockholders with the greatest possible total return and value. To achieve this objective, we intend to continue to pursue the following goals and strategies:

 

 

2007 Accomplishments

 

 

 

UDR’s Strategies and Vision

 

In the first quarter of 2007, UDR announced its vision to be the innovative multifamily real estate investment of choice. We identified four strategies to guide decision-making and accelerated growth:

 

1. Strengthen our portfolio

 

2. Expand RE³

 

3. Transform operations

 

4. Source low-cost capital

 

Strengthen our Portfolio

 

UDR is focused on increasing its presence in markets with strong job growth, low housing affordability, and a favorable demand/supply ratio for multifamily housing. Portfolio decisions consider third-party research, taking into account job growth, multifamily permitting, and housing affordability. In January 2008, UDR announced that it has entered into a contract to sell 25,684 apartment homes in 86 communities for $1.7 billion. The transaction is expected to close on or about March 3, 2008, at which time UDR will receive $1.5 billion in cash and a note in the principal amount of $200 million. The note matures on the same date as the buyer’s senior financing, may be prepaid 14 months from the date of the note, bears interest at a fixed rate of 7.5% per annum and is secured by a pledge and security agreement and a guarantee. Closing is subject to customary closing conditions. Upon completion of the transaction, UDR will own 40,183 homes in 148 communities.

 

This portfolio sale dramatically accelerates UDR’s transformation to focus on markets that have the best growth prospects based on favorable job formation and low single-family home affordability. Upon completion of the sale, UDR expects that approximately 90% of its net operating income will be generated from homes located in markets on the Pacific Coast, the Virginia-Washington, D.C. corridor and Florida.

 

Acquisitions

 

During 2007, in conjunction with our strategy to strengthen our portfolio, UDR acquired 13 communities with 2,671 apartment homes at a total cost of approximately $404.1 million, including the assumption of secured debt. In addition, we purchased six parcels of land for $70.7 million and invested $11.8 million in an operating joint venture. UDR is targeting apartment community acquisitions in markets where job growth expectations are above the national average, home affordability is low, and the demand/supply ratio for multi-family housing is favorable.

 

When evaluating potential acquisitions, we consider:

 

 

 

The following table summarizes our apartment acquisitions and our year-end ownership position for the past five years (dollars in thousands):

 

 

Dispositions

 

We regularly monitor and adjust our assets to increase the quality and performance of our portfolio. During 2007, we sold over 7,000 of our slower growing, non-core apartment homes while exiting some markets, specifically Colorado and Georgia, in an effort to increase the quality and performance of our portfolio. Proceeds from the disposition program were used primarily to reduce debt and fund acquisitions.

 

Factors we consider in deciding whether to dispose of a property include:

 

 

At December 31, 2007, we had 86 communities with a total of 25,684 apartment homes, two communities with a total of 579 condominiums, and one commercial unit classified as real estate held for disposition. In January 2008, UDR announced that it had entered into a contract in the fourth quarter of 2007 to sell 25,684 apartment homes in 86 communities for $1.7 billion.

 

Expanding RE³

 

RE³ is our subsidiary that focuses on development, land entitlement and short-term hold investments. We expanded its development and redevelopment pipelines through a variety of activities. At December 31, 2007, UDR’s total development pipeline totaled over 16,600 homes with a budget over $2.7 billion.

 

Our wholly owned, under development pipeline stands at 6,386 homes with a budgeted cost of $1.0 billion, of which 3,234 homes in five communities are under construction and the remaining 3,152 homes will be built on 12 land sites. An additional 1,594 homes budgeted at $244 million are completed developments or developments in progress in a pre-sale, contract-to-purchase program. Our completed redevelopment and redevelopment pipeline stands at 2,956 homes with a budgeted cost of $150 million, our future development pipeline of owned properties provides for construction of an additional 4,419 homes budgeted at $848 million, and the remaining 1,304 homes with a budgeted cost of $395 million comprise our interest in one consolidated development joint venture and three unconsolidated joint ventures.

Development Activities

 

The following wholly owned projects were under development as of December 31, 2007:

 

 

The first phase of the Addison Assemblage will deliver 684 homes in the third quarter of 2010.

 

In addition, we owned 12 parcels of land held for future development aggregating $124.5 million at December 31, 2007.

 

Redevelopment Activities

 

During 2007, we continued to reposition properties in targeted markets where we concluded there was an opportunity to add value and achieve greater than inflationary increases in rents over the long term. In 2007, we spent $194.4 million or $2,829 per home on capital expenditures for all of our communities, excluding development, condominium conversions and commercial properties. These capital improvements included turnover related expenditures for floor coverings and appliances, other recurring capital expenditures such as roofs, siding, parking lots, and asset preservation capital expenditures, which aggregated $44.4 million or $646 per home. In addition, revenue enhancing capital expenditures, kitchen and bath upgrades, upgrades to HVAC equipment, and other extensive exterior/interior upgrades totaled $78.2 million or $1,138 per home, and major renovations totaled $71.8 million or $1,045 per home for the year ended December 31, 2007.

 

Joint Venture Activities

 

The following consolidated joint venture project was under development as of December 31, 2007:

 

 

The following unconsolidated joint venture projects were under development as of December 31, 2007:

 

UDR owns a 20% interest in a joint venture to which UDR sold nine operating properties, consisting of 3,690 homes, and contributed Lincoln Town Square II, as noted above. In addition, UDR owns a 49% interest in an operating joint venture which owns and operates a recently completed 23-story, 166 apartment home high rise community in Bellevue, WA.

 

Transforming Operations

 

During 2007, UDR has been committed to growing net operating income through automation and improving the ease of doing business with us. Since adopting our new Corporate Strategies, UDR selected and began to deploy YieldStar revenue management software, launched a newly redesigned, customer-oriented web site with better features, and improved the quality of our photos on the web. The new www.udr.com web site features side-by-side apartment and floor plan comparisons, enhanced mapping, additional pricing options, 360 degree virtual tours, a furniture arrangement feature, mobile web site access, and click-to-chat and click-to-call for online support. In the first month following the launch, UDR experienced the highest unique visitor traffic in its history.

 

UDR also launched a new Spanish-language site, marketing to Latinos, the nation’s fastest-growing ethnic group. The site offers over 4,000 Spanish translated web pages and includes apartments for rent search resources. The website can be found at http://es.udr.com and can also be found on any web-enabled mobile device.

 

These enhancements have increased traffic and reduced administrative and marketing costs as we implemented internet initiatives and technology solutions to drive traffic from low cost or no cost sources. As a result, customer acquisition costs have been reduced significantly.

 

Sourcing Low-Cost Capital

 

During 2007, UDR established a $650 million joint venture with a large domestic institutional partner. The venture owns a portfolio of 3,690 stabilized homes located in nine multi-family communities in Austin, Dallas and Houston, Texas, and another 302 homes currently under development in Dallas, Texas. In addition to this $350 million initial pool of assets, the joint venture contains a $300 million expansion feature for future acquisitions. At closing, the venture secured a $232 million, seven year, interest only mortgage which is recourse only to the properties and bears interest at a rate of 5.61% per annum. The venture secured a commitment for a loan in the principal amount of $21.7 million to replace construction financing on an apartment community under development. The take-out loan provides for interest only, bears interest at 5.55% per annum and will have a term of 6 years. UDR realized proceeds of $326.2 million for the properties and we hold a 20% interest in the venture. In addition to the upfront proceeds, UDR has the opportunity for future proceeds after certain IRR hurdles are achieved.

 

Financing Activities

 

As part of our plan to strengthen our capital structure, we utilized proceeds from dispositions, debt and equity offerings and refinancings to extend maturities, pay down existing debt, and acquire apartment communities. The following is a summary of our major financing activities in 2007:

 

 

 

Markets and Competitive Conditions

 

Upon completion of the portfolio sale announced in January 2008, we expect that approximately 90% of our net operating income will be generated from homes located in markets on the Pacific Coast, the Virginia-Washington, D.C. corridor and Florida. We believe that this diversification increases investment opportunity and decreases the risk associated with cyclical local real estate markets and economies, thereby increasing the stability and predictability of our earnings.

 

In many of our markets, competition for new residents is intense. Some competing communities offer features that our communities do not have. Competing communities can use concessions or lower rents to obtain temporary competitive advantages. Also, some competing communities are larger or newer than our communities. The competitive position of each community is different depending upon many factors including sub-market supply and demand. In addition, other real estate investors compete with us to acquire existing properties and to develop new properties. These competitors include insurance companies, pension and investment funds, developer partnerships, investment companies and other apartment REITs. This competition could increase prices for properties of the type that we would likely pursue, and our competitors may have greater resources, or lower capital costs, than we do.

 

We believe that, in general, we are well-positioned to compete effectively for residents and investments. We believe our competitive advantages include:

 

 

Moving forward, we will continue to emphasize aggressive lease management, improved expense control, increased resident retention efforts and the realignment of employee incentive plans tied to our bottom line performance. We believe this plan of operation, coupled with the portfolio’s strengths in targeting renters across a geographically diverse platform, should position us for continued operational improvement.

 

Communities

 

At December 31, 2007, our apartment portfolio included 234 communities having a total of 65,867 completed apartment homes. The overall quality of our portfolio has significantly improved with the disposition of non-core apartment homes and our upgrade and rehabilitation program. The upgrading of the portfolio provides several key benefits related to portfolio profitability. It enables us to raise rents more significantly and to attract residents with higher levels of disposable income who are more likely to accept the transfer of expenses, such as water and sewer costs, from the landlord to the resident. In addition, it potentially reduces recurring capital expenditures per apartment home, and therefore should result in increased cash flow.

 

Same Community Comparison

 

Same community property net operating income increased 7.0% or $17.7 million compared to 2006. The increase in property net operating income was primarily attributable to a 5.0% or $18.8 million increase in

revenues from rental and other income and a 0.9% or $1.1 million increase in operating expenses. The increase in revenues from rental and other income was primarily driven by a 4.2% or $16.2 million increase in rental rates, an 11.4% or $3.0 million increase in reimbursement income and fee income, and a 16.2% or $1.0 million decrease in rental concessions. These increases were partially offset by a 6.8% or $1.3 million increase in vacancy loss. Physical occupancy decreased 0.2% to 94.6%.

 

The increase in property operating expenses was primarily driven by a 5.2% or $1.8 million increase in real estate taxes that was partially offset by a 7.6% or $0.8 million decrease in administrative and marketing costs.

 

Customers

 

Our upgrade and rehabilitation programs enable us to raise rents and attract residents with higher levels of disposable income who are more likely to accept the transfer of expenses, such as water and sewer costs, from the landlord to the resident. We believe this segment provides the highest profit potential in terms of rent growth, stability of occupancy and investment opportunities.

 

Tax Matters

 

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code. To continue to qualify as a REIT, we must continue to meet certain tests that, among other things, generally require that our assets consist primarily of real estate assets, our income be derived primarily from real estate assets, and that we distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (other than net capital gains) to our stockholders annually. Provided we maintain our qualification as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes at the corporate level on our net income to the extent such net income is distributed to our stockholders annually. Even if we continue to qualify as a REIT, we will continue to be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and property.

 

We may utilize taxable REIT subsidiaries to engage in activities that REITs may be prohibited from performing, including the provision of management and other services to third parties and the conduct of certain nonqualifying real estate transactions. Taxable REIT subsidiaries generally are taxable as regular corporations and therefore are subject to federal, state and local income taxes.

 

Inflation

 

Substantially all of our leases are for a term of one year or less, which may enable us to realize increased rents upon renewal of existing leases or the beginning of new leases. Such short-term leases generally minimize the risk to us of the adverse effects of inflation, although as a general rule these leases permit residents to leave at the end of the lease term without penalty. Short-term leases and relatively consistent demand allow rents to provide an attractive hedge against inflation.

 

Environmental Matters

 

Various environmental laws govern certain aspects of the ongoing operation of our communities. Such environmental laws include those regulating the existence of asbestos-containing materials in buildings, management of surfaces with lead-based paint (and notices to residents about the lead-based paint), use of active underground petroleum storage tanks, and waste-management activities. The failure to comply with such requirements could subject us to a government enforcement action and/or claims for damages by a private party.

 

To date, compliance with federal, state and local environmental protection regulations has not had a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position. We have a property management plan for hazardous materials. As part of the plan, Phase I environmental site investigations and reports have been completed for each property we acquire. In addition, all proposed acquisitions are inspected prior to acquisition. The inspections are conducted by qualified environmental consultants, and we review the issued report prior to the purchase or development of any property. Nevertheless, it is possible that our environmental assessments will not reveal all environmental liabilities, or that some material environmental liabilities exist of

which we are unaware. In some cases, we have abandoned otherwise economically attractive acquisitions because the costs of removal or control of hazardous materials have been prohibitive or we have been unwilling to accept the potential risks involved. We do not believe we will be required to engage in any large-scale abatement at any of our properties. We believe that through professional environmental inspections and testing for asbestos, lead paint and other hazardous materials, coupled with a relatively conservative posture toward accepting known environmental risk, we can minimize our exposure to potential liability associated with environmental hazards.

 

Federal legislation requires owners and landlords of residential housing constructed prior to 1978 to disclose to potential residents or purchasers of the communities any known lead paint hazards and imposes treble damages for failure to provide such notification. In addition, lead based paint in any of the communities may result in lead poisoning in children residing in that community if chips or particles of such lead based paint are ingested, and we may be held liable under state laws for any such injuries caused by ingestion of lead based paint by children living at the communities.

 

We are unaware of any environmental hazards at any of our properties that individually or in the aggregate may have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position. We have not been notified by any governmental authority, and we are not otherwise aware, of any material non-compliance, liability, or claim relating to environmental liabilities in connection with any of our properties. We do not believe that the cost of continued compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations will have a material adverse effect on us or our financial condition or results of operations. Future environmental laws, regulations, or ordinances, however, may require additional remediation of existing conditions that are not currently actionable. Also, if more stringent requirements are imposed on us in the future, the costs of compliance could have a material adverse effect on us and our financial condition.

 

Insurance

 

We carry comprehensive general liability coverage on our communities, with limits of liability customary within the industry to insure against liability claims and related defense costs. We are also insured, in all material respects, against the risk of direct physical damage in amounts necessary to reimburse us on a replacement cost basis for costs incurred to repair or rebuild each property, including loss of rental income during the reconstruction period.

 

Executive Officers of the Company

 

The following table sets forth information about our executive officers as of February 15, 2008. The executive officers listed below serve in their respective capacities at the discretion of our board of directors.

 

 

Set forth below is certain biographical information about our executive officers.

 

Mr. Toomey spearheads the vision and strategic direction of the company and oversees its executive officers. He joined us in February 2001 as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director. Prior to joining us, Mr. Toomey was with Apartment Investment and Management Company (AIMCO) from January 1995 until February 2001, where he served as Chief Operating Officer for two years and Chief Financial Officer for four years. During his tenure at AIMCO, Mr. Toomey was instrumental in the growth of AIMCO from 34,000 apartment homes to 360,000 apartment homes. He has also served, from 1990 to 1995, as a Senior Vice President and Treasurer at Lincoln Property Company, a national real estate development, property management and real estate consulting company. Mr. Toomey began his career at Arthur Andersen & Co. serving real estate and banking clients as an Audit Manager. He currently serves as a member of the boards of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) and the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC). Additionally, Mr. Toomey serves as Chairman of the Real Estate Roundtable Task Force on Avian Flu Pandemic Preparedness and is an Oregon State University Foundation Trustee.

 

Mr. Wallis oversees the areas of acquisitions, dispositions, asset quality and development. He joined us in April 2001 as Senior Executive Vice President responsible for acquisitions, dispositions, condominium conversions, legal and certain administrative matters. Since that time, his focus has shifted to acquisitions, dispositions, asset quality and development. Prior to joining us, Mr. Wallis was the President of Golden Living Communities, a company he established in 1995 to develop senior housing. During his tenure at Golden Living, Mr. Wallis was involved in the development of eight communities containing over 1,200 assisted and independent living apartments. From 1980 to 1995, Mr. Wallis was Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration at Lincoln Property Company where he handled interim and permanent financing for office, retail, multi-family and mixed-use developments. His responsibilities also included the negotiation of acquisitions, dispositions, and management contracts, and he oversaw the direction of the national accounting and computer services divisions. Prior to joining Lincoln, Mr. Wallis served as Vice President of Finance for Folsom Investments, Inc., a large diversified real estate developer. Mr. Wallis began his career as an auditor at Alford, Meroney and Company, a Dallas CPA firm.

 

Mr. Ernst oversees the areas of corporate accounting, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, treasury operations and SEC reporting. He joined us in July 2006 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining us, Mr. Ernst was with Prentiss Properties Trust (Prentiss), where he most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He joined Prentiss in 1997 in the role of Vice President and Treasurer, and was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 1999, and then to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2001. During his tenure at Prentiss, Mr. Ernst was involved in the development of corporate strategy, was active in corporate mergers and acquisitions activity and structured in excess of $3.5 billion in capital transactions. He was a member of Prentiss’s investment committee and was responsible for corporate and property accounting, capital markets, investor relations and financial planning and analysis. Prior to that, Mr. Ernst worked for Nations Bank, now Bank of America, where he was a Senior Vice President in their real estate finance group.

 

Mr. Giannotti oversees redevelopment projects and acquisition efforts and development projects in the mid-Atlantic region. He joined us in September 1985 as Director of Development and Construction. He was elected Assistant Vice President in 1988, Vice President in 1989, and Senior Vice President in 1996. In 1998, he was assigned the additional responsibilities of Director of Development for the Eastern Region. In 2003, Mr. Giannotti was promoted to Executive Vice President — Asset Quality to manage the company’s Asset Quality program and to be responsible for the direction of recurring capital expenditures for asset preservation, initial capital expenditures relating to acquisitions and redevelopment projects. In 2006, Mr. Giannotti’s responsibilities shifted to focus on acquisition efforts and development projects in the mid-Atlantic region as well as redevelopment projects.

Mr. Akin oversees the company’s acquisition and disposition efforts. He joined us in 1996 in connection with the merger with SouthWest Property Trust, where he had been a Financial Analyst since 1994. He was promoted to Due Diligence Analyst in April 1998 and to Asset Manager for the Western Region in 1999. Mr. Akin was promoted to Vice President, Senior Business Analyst in September 2000 and his focus shifted to acquisitions for the Western Region. In May 2004, he was promoted to Vice President — Acquisitions, and in August 2006, he was promoted to Senior Vice President — Acquisitions and Dispositions. Prior to joining SouthWest Property Trust, Mr. Akin was with Lexford Properties from 1989 to 1994, where he began as Staff Accountant and was promoted to Assistant Controller.

 

Mr. Culwell oversees all aspects of in-house development, joint venture development and pre-sale opportunities. He joined us in June 2006 as Senior Vice President — Development. Prior to joining us, Mr. Culwell served as Regional Vice President of Development for Gables Residential, where he established a $300 million pipeline of new development and redevelopment opportunities. Before joining Gables Residential, Mr. Culwell had over 30 years of real estate experience, including working for Elsinore Group, LLC, Lexford Residential Trust, Cornerstone Housing Corporation and Trammell Crow Residential Company, where his development and construction responsibilities included site selection and acquisition, construction oversight, asset management, as well as obtaining financing for acquisitions and rehabilitations. Mr. Culwell began his career, in Houston, as a broker with Vallone and Associates Real Estate Brokerage.

 

Mr. Davis oversees property operations. He originally joined us in March 1989 as Controller and subsequently moved into Operations as an Area Director. In 2001, Mr. Davis accepted the position of Chief Operating Officer of JH Management Co., a California-based apartment company. He returned to UDR in March 2002 and was promoted to Vice President, Area Director in September 2004, where he oversaw operations in California, Washington, Oregon and Arizona. In November 2007, he was promoted to Senior Vice President — Property Operations, responsible for company-wide property operations. Prior to joining us in 1989, Mr. Davis was with Crestar Bank as a Financial Analyst from 1986 to 1989. He began his career in 1984 as a Staff Accountant for Arthur Young & Co.

 

Mr. Messenger oversees all aspects of the company’s accounting functions. He joined us in August 2002 as Vice President and Controller. In that role, Mr. Messenger was responsible for SEC reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and supervision of all accounting functions. In March 2006, Mr. Messenger was appointed Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer and in January 2007, while retaining the Chief Accounting Officer title, he was promoted to Senior Vice President. Prior to joining us, Mr. Messenger was owner and President of TRC Management Company, a restaurant management company in Chicago. He has worked as a Controller at HMS Resource, Inc. Mr. Messenger began his career with Ernst & Young LLP, as a manager in their Chicago real estate division.

 

Ms. Miles-Ley oversees employee relations, organizational development, succession planning, staffing and recruitment, compensation, training and development, benefits administration, HRIS and payroll. She joined us in June 2007 as Senior Vice President — Human Resources. Prior to joining us, Ms. Miles-Ley was with Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) from 2001 to 2007 where she served as Vice President, Human Resources & Organizational Development. In this role, Ms. Miles-Ley was primarily responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of human resource functions in alignment with SEG’s business plan. Prior to her time at SEG, Ms. Miles-Ley had over twenty years of experience with both domestic and international work forces, including her tenure from 1994 to 1997 as Corporate Director of Employee Relations and Development with Tele-Communications, Incorporated. From 1993 to 1994, she held the position of HR Generalist with Sprint International, where she was responsible for the execution of HR policies across numerous worldwide business units. Ms. Miles-Ley was with Close Up Foundation in Alexandria, VA, as an HR Generalist from 1992 to 1993. She began her career at the American Red Cross as an Employee Relations Case Manager in Wildflecken, West Germany.

 

Ms. Riffe oversees all accounting and tax planning in our RE³ subsidiary, manages enterprise-wide forecasting, oversees Corporate Tax, Risk Management, Legal Administration, and is the company’s Corporate Compliance Officer. She joined us in February 2007 as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer — RE³, the company’s subsidiary that focuses on development, redevelopment, land entitlement and short term hold

investments. In June 2007, she assumed the added responsibilities of Corporate Compliance Officer and oversight of the Corporate Tax, Risk Management and Legal Administration departments. Prior to joining us, Ms. Riffe was with Sunset Financial Resources, Inc. (SFO), where she most recently served as Interim Chief Executive Officer. She joined SFO in 2005, as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, and was appointed in 2006 to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer through the completion of SFO’s merger with Alesco Financial. From 2002 to 2005, Ms. Riffe held the position of Chief Financial Officer and Secretary for U.S. Restaurant Properties Inc. (USRP), where she was responsible for capital markets, corporate governance, SEC reporting, tax compliance and was the USRP point person for the merger between USRP and CNL Restaurant Properties, Inc., now Trustreet Properties, Inc. From 1999 to 2002, she held the position of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer with The Mail Box, a privately held print and mail company in Dallas. She was with Pinnacle Restaurant Group LLC from 1998 to 1999 in the role of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that, Ms. Riffe was employed by Casa Olé Restaurants, Inc. from 1996 to 1997 as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer. From 1991 to 1996, Ms. Riffe was employed by Spaghetti Warehouse, Inc., where she began as Assistant Controller, was promoted to Director of Budgeting and Financial Planning in July 1992, and to Controller and Treasurer in May 1993. Ms. Riffe began her career in the audit department of KPMG Peat Marwick’s Dallas office.

 

Mr. Sircar oversees all aspects of the company’s Technology Management. He joined us in July 2007 as Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Sircar was with Wachovia Corporation from 1995 to 2007, where he began as a Systems Manager. In 1997 he was promoted to Strategic Technology Partner and to Vice President, Division Information Officer in 1999. Mr. Sircar was promoted to Senior Vice President, Division Information Officer of Finance Technology in 2003, where he oversaw the technology aspects of numerous business transformations and optimization initiatives. Prior to Mr. Sircar’s tenure with Wachovia, he was with Royal Insurance Company as Applications Manager from 1985 to 1995. He began his career as Project Leader, Professional Services, for Burroughs Corporation.

 

Mr. Spangler oversees internal audit, utilities management, procurement and non-rental revenue programs. He joined us in August 1998 as Assistant Vice President, Operational Planning and Asset Management, and was promoted to Vice President, Director of Operational Planning and Asset Management that same year. He was promoted to Senior Vice President — Business Development in February 2003, and served in the additional role of Chief Risk Officer from 2003 to December 2006. Prior to joining us, Mr. Spangler served for nine years as an Asset Manager for Summit Enterprises, Inc. of Virginia, a private investment management firm, where he oversaw a portfolio consisting of agricultural, commercial, mixed-use commercial, industrial and residential properties.

 

Mr. Walker oversees the company’s Asset Quality, Kitchen & Bath and “Green Building” programs in addition to all non-residential owned and leased real estate. He joined us in May 2006 as Senior Vice President — Transactions. Mr. Walker is responsible for the direction of recurring capital expenditures for asset preservation, initial capital expenditures relating to acquisitions, insurance claims, the kitchen & bath program, all of UDR owned and leased real estate, and the company’s “Green Building” program. He has authored “Green Building” articles for industry publications and has been recognized by the EPA and the Department of Energy for his contributions to the commercial real estate industry. Prior to joining us, Mr. Walker served as a consultant to the multi-family industry. He served as President of Harwood Pacific, a Dallas-based developer of mixed-use high-rise office projects. He was also President of Harwood Management, a division of Harwood International, from 1994 to 2002, where he was responsible for operations of an $800 million portfolio of properties in Europe and the U.S.

 

Ms. Norwood oversees the company’s legal department, coordinates outside legal services and is the company’s Corporate Secretary. She joined us in August 2001 as Vice President — Legal Administration and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining us, Ms. Norwood was employed by Centex Corporation in various legal capacities for 15 years, the most recent of which was as its Legal Administrator. Centex is a New York Stock Exchange listed company that operates in the home building, financial services, construction products, construction services and investment real estate business segments.

Mr. Simon oversees capital markets and treasury management. He joined us in October 2006 as Vice President and Treasurer. Prior to joining us, Mr. Simon was with Prentiss Properties Trust (Prentiss) where he most recently served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer. Mr. Simon’s tenure at Prentiss began in 1985 when he joined Cadillac Fairview US, a publicly-held precursor to Prentiss, in the role of tax analyst. In 1987 he was promoted to Corporate Controller, to Vice President Accounting in 1992, and to Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer in 1999. In May 2004, Mr. Simon took over the role of Senior Vice President and Treasurer. During his tenure at Prentiss, Mr. Simon was responsible for the design and implementation of new accounting systems; served as project leader for the implementation of Sarbanes Oxley; and the negotiation of construction financing, property level financing, corporate financings and interest rate hedge transactions. He was integrally involved in the merger of Prentiss with Brandywine Realty Trust, including the transfer, pay-off, or defeasance of the Prentiss debt portfolio. Mr. Simon began his career at Fox & Company, now Grant Thornton, as a tax accountant.

 

Available Information

 

We file electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You may obtain a free copy of our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports on the day of filing with the SEC on our website at www.udr.com, or by sending an e-mail message to ir@udr.com.

 

NYSE Certification

 

On May 31, 2007, our Chief Executive Officer submitted to the New York Stock Exchange the annual certification required by Section 303A.12(a) of the NYSE Listed Company Manual regarding our compliance with NYSE corporate governance listing standards. In addition, the certifications of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are filed as Exhibits 31.1 and 31.2, respectively, to this Report.

 

 

There are many factors that affect our business and our results of operations, some of which are beyond our control. The following is a description of important factors that may cause our actual results of operations in future periods to differ materially from those currently expected or discussed in forward-looking statements set forth in this Report relating to our financial results, operations and business prospects. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made.

 

Unfavorable Changes in Apartment Market and Economic Conditions Could Adversely Affect Occupancy Levels and Rental Rates.  Market and economic conditions in the metropolitan areas in which we operate may significantly affect our occupancy levels and rental rates and, therefore, our profitability. Factors that may adversely affect these conditions include the following:

 

 

The strength of the United States economy has become increasingly susceptible to global events and threats of terrorism. At the same time, productivity enhancements and the increased exportation of labor have resulted in limited job growth despite an improving economy. Continued weakness in job creation, or any worsening of current economic conditions, generally and in our principal market areas, could have a material adverse effect on our occupancy levels, our rental rates and our ability to strategically acquire and dispose of apartment communities. This may impair our ability to satisfy our financial obligations and pay distributions to our stockholders.

 

New Acquisitions, Developments and Condominium Projects May Not Achieve Anticipated Results.  We intend to continue to selectively acquire apartment communities that meet our investment criteria and to develop apartment communities for rental operations, to convert properties into condominiums and to develop condominium projects. Our acquisition, development and condominium activities and their success are subject to the following risks:

 

 

Possible Difficulty of Selling Apartment Communities Could Limit Operational and Financial Flexibility.  We periodically dispose of apartment communities that no longer meet our strategic objectives, but market conditions could change and purchasers may not be willing to pay prices acceptable to us. A weak market may limit our ability to change our portfolio promptly in response to changing economic conditions. Furthermore, a significant portion of the proceeds from our overall property sales may be held by intermediaries in order for some sales to qualify as like-kind exchanges under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, so that any related capital gain can be deferred for federal income tax purposes. As a result, we may not have immediate access to all of the cash flow generated from our property sales. In addition, federal tax laws limit our ability to profit on the sale of communities that we have owned for fewer than four years, and this limitation may prevent us from selling communities when market conditions are favorable.

 

Increased Competition Could Limit Our Ability to Lease Apartment Homes or Increase or Maintain Rents.  Our apartment communities compete with numerous housing alternatives in attracting residents, including other apartment communities and single-family rental homes, as well as owner occupied single- and multi-family homes. Competitive housing in a particular area could adversely affect our ability to lease apartment homes and increase or maintain rents.

 

Insufficient Cash Flow Could Affect Our Debt Financing and Create Refinancing Risk.  We are subject to the risks normally associated with debt financing, including the risk that our operating income and cash flow will be insufficient to make required payments of principal and interest, or could restrict our borrowing capacity under our line of credit due to debt covenant restraints. Sufficient cash flow may not be available to make all required principal payments and still satisfy our distribution requirements to maintain our status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, and the full limits of our line of credit may not be available to us if our operating performance falls outside the constraints of our debt covenants. Additionally, we are likely to need to refinance substantially all of our outstanding debt as it matures. We may not be able to refinance existing debt, or the terms of any refinancing may not be as favorable as the terms of the existing debt, which could create pressures to sell assets or to issue additional equity when we would otherwise not choose to do so. In

addition, our failure to comply with our debt covenants could result in a requirement to repay our indebtedness prior to its maturity, which could have an adverse effect on our cash flow and increase our financing costs.

 

Failure to Generate Sufficient Revenue Could Impair Debt Service Payments and Distributions to Stockholders.  If our apartment communities do not generate sufficient net rental income to meet rental expenses, our ability to make required payments of interest and principal on our debt securities and to pay distributions to our stockholders will be adversely affected. The following factors, among others, may affect the net rental income generated by our apartment communities:

 

 

Expenses associated with our investment in a community, such as debt service, real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs, are generally not reduced when circumstances cause a reduction in rental income from that community. If a community is mortgaged to secure payment of debt and we are unable to make the mortgage payments, we could sustain a loss as a result of foreclosure on the community or the exercise of other remedies by the mortgage holder.

 

Debt Level May Be Increased.  Our current debt policy does not contain any limitations on the level of debt that we may incur, although our ability to incur debt is limited by covenants in our bank and other credit agreements. We manage our debt to be in compliance with these debt covenants, but subject to compliance with these covenants, we may increase the amount of our debt at any time without a concurrent improvement in our ability to service the additional debt.

 

Financing May Not Be Available and Could Be Dilutive.  Our ability to execute our business strategy depends on our access to an appropriate blend of debt financing, including unsecured lines of credit and other forms of secured and unsecured debt, and equity financing, including common and preferred equity. We and other companies in the real estate industry have experienced limited availability of financing from time to time. Debt or equity financing may not be available in sufficient amounts, or on favorable terms or at all. If we issue additional equity securities to finance developments and acquisitions instead of incurring debt, the interests of our existing stockholders could be diluted.

 

Development and Construction Risks Could Impact Our Profitability.  We intend to continue to develop and construct apartment communities. Development activities may be conducted through wholly owned affiliated companies or through joint ventures with unaffiliated parties. Our development and construction activities may be exposed to the following risks:

 

 

 

Construction costs have been increasing in our existing markets, and the costs of upgrading acquired communities have, in some cases, exceeded our original estimates. We may experience similar cost increases in the future. Our inability to charge rents that will be sufficient to offset the effects of any increases in these costs may impair our profitability.

 

Some Potential Losses Are Not Covered by Insurance.  We have a comprehensive insurance program covering our property and operating activities. We believe the policy specifications and insured limits of these policies are adequate and appropriate. There are, however, certain types of extraordinary losses for which we may not have insurance. Accordingly, we may sustain uninsured losses due to insurance deductibles, self-insured retention, uninsured claims or casualties, or losses in excess of applicable coverage.

 

We may not be able to renew insurance coverage in an adequate amount or at reasonable prices. In addition, insurance companies may no longer offer coverage against certain types of losses, such as losses due to terrorist acts and mold, or, if offered, these types of insurance may be prohibitively expensive. If an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occur, we could lose all or a portion of the capital we have invested in a property, as well as the anticipated future revenue from the property. In such an event, we might nevertheless remain obligated for any mortgage debt or other financial obligations related to the property. Material losses in excess of insurance proceeds may occur in the future. If one or more of our significant properties were to experience a catastrophic loss, it could seriously disrupt our operations, delay revenue and result in large expenses to repair or rebuild the property. Such events could adversely affect our cash flow and ability to make distributions to stockholders.

 

Failure to Succeed in New Markets May Limit Our Growth.  We may from time to time make acquisitions outside of our existing market areas if appropriate opportunities arise. We may be exposed to a variety of risks if we choose to enter new markets, and we may not be able to operate successfully in new markets. These risks include, among others:

 

 

Changing Interest Rates Could Increase Interest Costs and Adversely Affect Our Cash Flow and the Market Price of Our Securities.  We currently have, and expect to incur in the future, interest-bearing debt at rates that vary with market interest rates. As of December 31, 2007, we had approximately $522.1 million of variable rate indebtedness outstanding, which constitutes approximately 15% of our total outstanding indebtedness as of such date. An increase in interest rates would increase our interest expenses and increase the costs of refinancing existing indebtedness and of issuing new debt. Accordingly, higher interest rates could adversely affect cash flow and our ability to service our debt and to make distributions to security holders. In addition, an increase in market interest rates may lead our security holders to demand a higher annual yield, which could adversely affect the market price of our common and preferred stock and debt securities.

 

Risk of Inflation/Deflation.  Substantial inflationary or deflationary pressures could have a negative effect on rental rates and property operating expenses.

 

Limited Investment Opportunities Could Adversely Affect Our Growth.  We expect that other real estate investors will compete with us to acquire existing properties and to develop new properties. These competitors include insurance companies, pension and investment funds, developer partnerships, investment companies and other apartment REITs. This competition could increase prices for properties of the type that we would likely

pursue, and our competitors may have greater resources than we do. As a result, we may not be able to make attractive investments on favorable terms, which could adversely affect our growth.

 

Failure to Integrate Acquired Communities and New Personnel Could Create Inefficiencies.  To grow successfully, we must be able to apply our experience in managing our existing portfolio of apartment communities to a larger number of properties. In addition, we must be able to integrate new management and operations personnel as our organization grows in size and complexity. Failures in either area will result in inefficiencies that could adversely affect our expected return on our investments and our overall profitability.

 

Interest Rate Hedging Contracts May Be Ineffective and May Result in Material Charges.  From time to time when we anticipate issuing debt securities, we may seek to limit our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates during the period prior to the pricing of the securities by entering into interest rate hedging contracts. We may do this to increase the predictability of our financing costs. Also, from time to time we may rely on interest rate hedging contracts to limit our exposure under variable rate debt to unfavorable changes in market interest rates. If the terms of new debt securities are not within the parameters of, or market interest rates fall below that which we incur under a particular interest rate hedging contract, the contract is ineffective. Furthermore, the settlement of interest rate hedging contracts has involved and may in the future involve material charges.

 

Potential Liability for Environmental Contamination Could Result in Substantial Costs.  Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, as a current or former owner or operator of real estate, we could be required to investigate and remediate the effects of contamination of currently or formerly owned real estate by hazardous or toxic substances, often regardless of our knowledge of or responsibility for the contamination and solely by virtue of our current or former ownership or operation of the real estate. In addition, we could be held liable to a governmental authority or to third parties for property damage and for investigation and clean-up costs incurred in connection with the contamination. These costs could be substantial, and in many cases environmental laws create liens in favor of governmental authorities to secure their payment. The presence of such substances or a failure to properly remediate any resulting contamination could materially and adversely affect our ability to borrow against, sell or rent an affected property.

 

We Would Incur Adverse Tax Consequences if We Fail to Qualify as a REIT.  We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. Our qualification as a REIT requires us to satisfy numerous requirements, some on an annual and quarterly basis, established under highly technical and complex Internal Revenue Code provisions for which there are only limited judicial or administrative interpretations, and involves the determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control. We intend that our current organization and method of operation enable us to continue to qualify as a REIT, but we may not so qualify or we may not be able to remain so qualified in the future. In addition, U.S. federal income tax laws governing REITs and other corporations and the administrative interpretations of those laws may be amended at any time, potentially with retroactive effect. Future legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT or adversely affect our stockholders.

 

If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we would be subject to federal income tax (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) on our taxable income at regular corporate rates, and would not be allowed to deduct dividends paid to our stockholders in computing our taxable income. Also, unless the Internal Revenue Service granted us relief under certain statutory provisions, we would be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which we first failed to qualify. The additional tax liability from the failure to qualify as a REIT would reduce or eliminate the amount of cash available for investment or distribution to our stockholders. This would likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of our securities and our ability to raise additional capital. In addition, we would no longer be required to make distributions to our stockholders. Even if we continue to qualify as a REIT, we will continue to be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and property.

 

We May Conduct a Portion of Our Business Through Taxable REIT Subsidiaries, Which are Subject to Certain Tax Risks.  We have established several taxable REIT subsidiaries. Despite our qualification as a REIT, our taxable REIT subsidiaries must pay income tax on their taxable income. In addition, we must

comply with various tests to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, and our income from and investments in our taxable REIT subsidiaries generally do not constitute permissible income and investments for these tests. While we will attempt to ensure that our dealings with our taxable REIT subsidiaries will not adversely affect our REIT qualification, we cannot provide assurance that we will successfully achieve that result. Furthermore, we may be subject to a 100% penalty tax, we may jeopardize our ability to retain future gains on real property sales, or our taxable REIT subsidiaries may be denied deductions, to the extent our dealings with our taxable REIT subsidiaries are not deemed to be arm’s length in nature or are otherwise not respected.

 

Certain Property Transfers May Generate Prohibited Transaction Income, Resulting in a Penalty Tax on Gain Attributable to the Transaction.  From time to time, we may transfer or otherwise dispose of some of our properties. Under the Internal Revenue Code, any gain resulting from transfers of properties that we hold as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business would be treated as income from a prohibited transaction subject to a 100% penalty tax. Since we acquire properties for investment purposes, we do not believe that our occasional transfers or disposals of property are prohibited transactions. However, whether property is held for investment purposes is a question of fact that depends on all the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular transaction. The Internal Revenue Service may contend that certain transfers or disposals of properties by us are prohibited transactions. If the Internal Revenue Service were to argue successfully that a transfer or disposition of property constituted a prohibited transaction, then we would be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on any gain allocable to us from the prohibited transaction and we may jeopardize our ability to retain future gains on real property sales. In addition, income from a prohibited transaction might adversely affect our ability to satisfy the income tests for qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.

 

Changes in Market Conditions and Volatility of Stock Prices Could Adversely Affect the Market Price of Our Common Stock.  The stock markets, including the New York Stock Exchange, on which we list our common shares, have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. As a result, the market price of our common stock could be similarly volatile, and investors in our common stock may experience a decrease in the value of their shares, including decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects.

 

Property Ownership Through Joint Ventures May Limit Our Ability to Act Exclusively in Our Interest.  We have in the past and may in the future develop and acquire properties in joint ventures with other persons or entities when we believe circumstances warrant the use of such structures. If we use such a structure, we could become engaged in a dispute with one or more of our joint venture partners that might affect our ability to operate a jointly-owned property. Moreover, joint venture partners may have business, economic or other objectives that are inconsistent with our objectives, including objectives that relate to the appropriate timing and terms of any sale or refinancing of a property. In some instances, joint venture partners may have competing interests in our markets that could create conflicts of interest.

 

Compliance or Failure to Comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or Other Safety Regulations and Requirements Could Result in Substantial Costs. The Americans with Disabilities Act generally requires that public buildings, including our properties, be made accessible to disabled persons. Noncompliance could result in the imposition of fines by the federal government or the award of damages to private litigants. From time to time claims may be asserted against us with respect to some of our properties under this Act. If, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, we are required to make substantial alterations and capital expenditures in one or more of our properties, including the removal of access barriers, it could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our properties are subject to various federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fire and life safety requirements. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we could incur fines or private damage awards. We do not know whether existing requirements will change or whether compliance with future requirements will require significant unanticipated expenditures that will affect our cash flow and results of operations.

Real Estate Tax and Other Laws.  Generally we do not directly pass through costs resulting from compliance with or changes in real estate tax laws to residential property tenants. We also do not generally pass through increases in income, service or other taxes, to tenants under leases. These costs may adversely affect funds from operations and the ability to make distributions to stockholders. Similarly, compliance with or changes in (i) laws increasing the potential liability for environmental conditions existing on properties or the restrictions on discharges or other conditions or (ii) rent control or rent stabilization laws or other laws regulating housing, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, may result in significant unanticipated expenditures, which would adversely affect funds from operations and the ability to make distributions to stockholders.

 

Risk of Damage from Catastrophic Weather Events.  Certain of our communities are located in the general vicinity of active earthquake faults, mudslides and fires, and others where there are hurricanes, tornadoes or risks of other inclement weather. The adverse weather events could cause damage or losses greater than insured levels. In the event of a loss in excess of insured limits, we could lose our capital invested in the affected community, as well as anticipated future revenue from that community. We would also continue to be obligated to repay any mortgage indebtedness or other obligations related to the community. Any such loss could materially and adversely affect our business and our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Insurance coverage for such catastrophic events is expensive due to limited industry capacity. As a result, we may experience shortages in desired coverage levels if market conditions are such that insurance is not available.

 

Terrorist Attacks May Have an Adverse Effect on Our Business and Operating Results and Could Decrease the Value of Our Assets.  Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results. Attacks that directly impact one or more of our apartment communities could significantly affect our ability to operate those communities and thereby impair our ability to achieve our expected results. Further, our insurance coverage may not cover all losses caused by a terrorist attack. In addition, the adverse effects that such violent acts and threats of future attacks could have on the U.S. economy could similarly have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

Any Weaknesses Identified in Our Internal Control Over Financial Reporting Could Have an Adverse Effect on Our Stock Price.  Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires us to evaluate and report on our internal report over financial reporting. If we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our stock price.

 

Maryland Law May Limit the Ability of a Third Party to Acquire Control of Us, Which May Not be in Our Stockholders’ Best Interests.  Maryland business statutes may limit the ability of a third party to acquire control of us. As a Maryland corporation, we are subject to various Maryland laws which may have the effect of discouraging offers to acquire our company and of increasing the difficulty of consummating any such offers, even if our acquisition would be in our stockholders’ best interests. The Maryland General Corporation Law restricts mergers and other business combination transactions between us and any person who acquires beneficial ownership of shares of our stock representing 10% or more of the voting power without our board of directors’ prior approval. Any such business combination transaction could not be completed until five years after the person acquired such voting power, and generally only with the approval of stockholders representing 80% of all votes entitled to be cast and 662/3% of the votes entitled to be cast, excluding the interested stockholder, or upon payment of a fair price. Maryland law also provides generally that a person who acquires shares of our equity stock that represents 10% (and certain higher levels) of the voting power in electing directors will have no voting rights unless approved by a vote of two-thirds of the shares eligible to vote.

 

Limitations on Share Ownership and Limitations on the Ability of Our Stockholders to Effect a Change in Control of Our Company May Prevent Takeovers That are Beneficial to Our Stockholders. One of the requirements for maintenance of our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes is that no more than 50% in value of our outstanding capital stock may be owned by five or fewer individuals, including entities specified in the Internal Revenue Code, during the last half of any taxable year. Our charter contains ownership and transfer restrictions relating to our stock primarily to assist us in complying with this and other

REIT ownership requirements; however, the restrictions may have the effect of preventing a change of control, which does not threaten REIT status. These restrictions include a provision that generally limits ownership by any person of more than 9.9% of the value of our outstanding equity stock, unless our board of directors exempts the person from such ownership limitation, provided that any such exemption shall not allow the person to exceed 13% of the value of our outstanding equity stock. These provisions may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing someone from taking control of us, even though a change of control might involve a premium price for our stockholders or might otherwise be in our stockholders’ best interests.

 

 

None.

 

 

At December 31, 2007, our apartment portfolio included 234 communities located in 30 markets, with a total of 65,867 completed apartment homes. We own approximately 50,300 square feet of office space in Richmond, Virginia, and we lease approximately 15,500 square feet of office space in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, for our corporate headquarters. The table below sets forth a summary of our real estate portfolio by geographic market at December 31, 2007.

 

SUMMARY OF REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO BY GEOGRAPHIC MARKET AT DECEMBER 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business. We cannot determine the ultimate liability with respect to such legal proceedings and claims at this time. We believe that such liability, to the extent not provided for through insurance or otherwise, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

 

 

No matters were submitted to a vote of our security holders during the fourth quarter of the year ended December 31, 2007.

PART II

 

 

Common Stock

 

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “UDR.” The following tables set forth the quarterly high and low sale prices per common share reported on the NYSE for each quarter of the last two fiscal years. Distribution information for common stock reflects distributions declared per share for each calendar quarter and paid at the end of the following month.

 

 

On February 15, 2008, the closing sale price of our common stock was $22.51 per share on the NYSE and there were 5,521 holders of record of the 133,347,522 outstanding shares of our common stock.

 

We have determined that, for federal income tax purposes, approximately 16% of the distributions for each of the four quarters of 2007 represented ordinary income, 64% represented long-term capital gain, and 20% represented unrecaptured section 1250 gain.

 

We pay regular quarterly distributions to holders of shares of our common stock. Future distributions will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our actual funds from operations, financial condition and capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, and other factors. The annual distribution payment for calendar year 2007 necessary for us to maintain our status as a REIT was approximately $0.18 per share of common stock. We declared total distributions of $1.32 per share of common stock for 2007.

 

Series E Preferred Stock

 

The Series E Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock has no stated par value and a liquidation preference of $16.61 per share. Subject to certain adjustments and conditions, each share of the Series E is convertible at any time and from time to time at the holder’s option into one share of our common stock. The holders of the Series E are entitled to vote on an as-converted basis as a single class in combination with the holders of common stock at any meeting of our stockholders for the election of directors or for any other purpose on which the holders of common stock are entitled to vote. The Series E has no stated maturity and is not subject to any sinking fund or any mandatory redemption.

 

Distributions declared on the Series E in 2007 were $1.33 per share or $0.3322 per quarter. The Series E is not listed on any exchange. At December 31, 2007, a total of 2,803,812 shares of the Series E were outstanding.

Series F Preferred Stock

 

We are authorized to issue up to 20,000,000 shares of our Series F Preferred Stock. Our Series F Preferred Stock may be purchased by holders of our operating partnership units, or OP Units, described below under “Operating Partnership Units,” at a purchase price of $0.0001 per share. OP Unitholders are entitled to subscribe for and purchase one share of our Series F Preferred Stock for each OP Unit held. At December 31, 2007, a total of 666,293 shares of the Series F Preferred Stock were outstanding at a value of $66.63. Holders of the Series F Preferred Stock are entitled to one vote for each share of the Series F Preferred Stock they hold, voting together with the holders of our common stock, on each matter submitted to a vote of securityholders at a meeting of our stockholders. The Series F Preferred Stock does not entitle its holders to any other rights, privileges or preferences.

 

Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan

 

We have a Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan under which holders of our common stock may elect to automatically reinvest their distributions and make additional cash payments to acquire additional shares of our common stock. Stockholders who do not participate in the plan continue to receive dividends as declared. As of February 15, 2008, there were 3,183 participants in the plan.

 

Operating Partnership Units

 

From time to time we issue shares of our common stock in exchange for OP Units tendered to our operating partnerships, United Dominion Realty, L.P. and Heritage Communities L.P., for redemption in accordance with the provisions of their respective partnership agreements. At December 31, 2007, there were 8,653,560 OP Units and 316,452 OP Units in United Dominion Realty, L.P. and Heritage Communities L.P., respectively, that were owned by limited partners. The holder of the OP Units has the right to require United Dominion Realty, L.P. to redeem all or a portion of the OP Units held by the holder in exchange for a cash payment based on the market value of our common stock at the time of redemption. However, United Dominion Realty, L.P.’s obligation to pay the cash amount is subject to the prior right of the company to acquire such OP Units in exchange for either the cash amount or shares of our common stock. Heritage Communities L.P. OP Units are convertible into common stock in lieu of cash, at our option, once the holder elects to convert, at an exchange ratio of 1.575 shares for each OP Unit. In December 2007, the Series A limited liability company was dissolved, the Series A OPPS were distributed to the members of the Series A limited liability company and, as a result, the members of Series A limited liability company became limited partners in United Dominion Realty, L.P. These OP Units are convertible into common stock, once the holders elected to convert, at an exchange ratio of 1.5091 shares for each OP Unit. During 2007, we issued a total of 1,031,627 shares of common stock in exchange for OP Units.

 

Purchases of Equity Securities

 

In February 2006, our Board of Directors authorized a 10 million share repurchase program. This program authorizes the repurchase of our common stock in open market purchases, in block purchases, privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise. As reflected in the table below, 1,232,300 shares of common stock were repurchased under this program or otherwise during the quarter ended December 31, 2007.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our common stock repurchases during the quarter ended December 31, 2007:

 

 

 

Comparison of Cumulative Total Returns

 

The following graph provides a comparison from December 31, 2002 through December 31, 2007 of the cumulative total stockholder return (assuming reinvestment of any dividends) among UDR, the NAREIT Equity REIT Index, Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index, the NAREIT Equity Apartment Index and the MSCI US REIT Index. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2002, in each of our common stock and the indices presented. Historical stock price performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

 

Performance Graph

 

 

 

The foregoing graph and chart shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating by reference this Report into any filing under the Securities Act or under the Exchange Act, except to the extent we specifically incorporate this information by reference.

 

The following table sets forth selected consolidated financial and other information as of and for each of the years in the five-year period ended December 31, 2007. The table should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, included elsewhere in this Report.

 

 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements concerning property acquisitions and dispositions, development activity and capital expenditures, capital raising activities, rent growth, occupancy, and rental expense growth. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results of operations or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among other things, unanticipated adverse business developments affecting us, or our properties, adverse changes in the real estate markets and general and local economies and business conditions. Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore such statements included in this Report may not prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the results or conditions described in such statements or our objectives and plans will be achieved.

 

Business Overview

 

We are a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that owns, acquires, renovates, develops, and manages apartment communities nationwide. We were formed in 1972 as a Virginia corporation. In June 2003, we changed our state of incorporation from Virginia to Maryland. Our subsidiaries include two operating partnerships, Heritage Communities L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and United Dominion Realty, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this Report to “we,” “us,” “our,” “the company,” or “UDR” refer collectively to UDR, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

At December 31, 2007, our portfolio included 234 communities with 65,867 apartment homes nationwide. The following table summarizes our market information by major geographic markets (includes real estate held for disposition, real estate under development, and land, but excludes commercial properties):