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EX-31.1 - REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LTD IVreal4_ex31z1.htm
EX-32.1 - REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LTD IVreal4_ex32z1.htm
EX-31.2 - REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LTD IVreal4_ex31z2.htm

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

[X]   QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2009

 

or

 

[ ]   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 0-12439

 

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED IV

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

California

95-3718731

(State or other jurisdiction of

(I.R.S. Employer

incorporation or organization)

Identification No.)

 

55 Beattie Place, PO Box 1089

Greenville, South Carolina  29602

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(864) 239-1000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

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.  [X] Yes  [ ] No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). [ ] Yes  [ ] No

 

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.

 

Large accelerated filer [ ]

Accelerated filer [ ]

Non-accelerated filer [ ]

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company [X]

 

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

 


PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

 

Item 1.     Financial Statements

 

 

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED IV

 

BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

September 30,

December 31,

 

2009

2008

 

(Unaudited)

(Note)

Assets

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 1,168

  $ 1,302

Investments in and advances to Local Limited

 

 

 Partnerships (Note 2)

       --

       --

Receivables – limited partners

       85

       81

Total assets

  $ 1,253

  $ 1,383

 

 

 

Liabilities and Partners' Equity

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

  $    24

  $    27

 

 

 

Contingencies (Note 5)

 

 

 

 

 

Partners' equity

 

 

General partners

       38

       39

Limited partners

    1,191

    1,317

 

    1,229

    1,356

Total liabilities and partners’ equity

  $ 1,253

  $ 1,383

 

Note: The balance sheet at December 31, 2008 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements


 

 

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED IV

 

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

 

(in thousands, except per interest data)

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

 

September 30,

September 30,

 

2009

2008

2009

2008

Revenues:

 

 

 

 

Interest income

$    --

$     5

$      1

$     27

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

  Legal and accounting

     14

     14

      37

      36

  Management fees - partners

 

 

 

 

    (Note 3)

      7

      7

      21

      21

  General and administrative

      4

      2

      11

      11

Total operating expenses

     25

     23

      69

      68

 

 

 

 

 

Loss from partnership operations

    (25)

    (18)

     (68)

     (41)

Distributions from Local Limited

 

 

 

 

  Partnerships recognized as

 

 

 

 

    income (Note 2)

     --

      2

      --

       2

Advances made to Local Limited

 

 

 

 

  Partnerships recognized as

 

 

 

 

    expense (Note 2)

     --

     --

     (59)

      (1)

Net loss

$   (25)

$   (16)

 $  (127)

 $   (40)

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss allocated to general

 

 

 

 

partners  (1%)

$    --

$    --

 $    (1)

 $    --

Net loss allocated to limited

 

 

 

 

 partners (99%)

    (25)

    (16)

    (126)

     (40)

 

 

 

 

 

 

$   (25)

$   (16)

 $  (127)

 $   (40)

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss per limited

 

 

 

 

  partnership interest (Note 1)

$ (1.91)

$ (1.22)

 $ (9.61)

 $ (3.05)

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements


 

 

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED IV

 

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS' EQUITY

(Unaudited)

 

(in thousands, except partnership interests)

 

 

 

 

General

Limited

 

 

Partners

Partners

Total

 

 

 

 

Partnership interests (A)

 

  13,117

 

 

 

 

 

Partners' equity,

 

 

 

  December 31, 2008

 $   39

$  1,317

$  1,356

 

 

 

 

Net loss for the nine months

 

 

 

  ended September 30, 2009

     (1)

    (126)

    (127)

 

 

 

 

Partners' equity,

 

 

 

  September 30, 2009

 $   38

$  1,191

$  1,229

 

(A)     Consists of 13,117 partnership interests at September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements


 

 

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED IV

 

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

September 30,

 

2009

2008

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

Net loss

 $  (127)

 $   (40)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash

 

 

used in operating activities:

 

 

Advances made to Local Limited Partnerships

 

 

 recognized as expense

      59

       1

Change in accounts:

 

 

Receivables – limited partners

      (4)

      (1)

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

      (3)

       2

Net cash used in operating activities

     (75)

     (38)

 

 

 

Cash flows used in investing activities:

 

 

Advances to Local Limited Partnerships

     (59)

      (1)

 

 

 

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

    (134)

     (39)

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

   1,302

   1,356

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

 $ 1,168

 $ 1,317

 

See Accompanying Notes to Financial Statements


 

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED IV

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

 

Note 1 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

General

 

The information contained in the following notes to the unaudited financial statements is condensed from that which would appear in the annual audited financial statements; accordingly, the financial statements included herein should be reviewed in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes thereto contained in the annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 filed by Real Estate Associates Limited IV (the "Partnership").  Accounting measurements at interim dates inherently involve greater reliance on estimates than at year end.  The results of operations for the interim period presented are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the entire year.

 

In the opinion of the Partnership, the accompanying unaudited financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting primarily of normal recurring items) necessary to present fairly the financial position as of September 30, 2009 and the results of operations and changes in cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008.

 

The general partners collectively have a one percent interest in operating profits and losses of the Partnership.  The limited partners have the remaining 99 percent interest in proportion to their respective individual investments. The general partners of the Partnership are National Partnership Investments Corp. (“NAPICO” or the “Corporate General Partner”) and National Partnership Investments Associates. The Corporate General Partner is an affiliate of Apartment Investment and Management Company (“AIMCO”), a publicly traded real estate investment trust.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

 

The Partnership’s management evaluated subsequent events through the time this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q was filed.

 

Net Loss Per Limited Partnership Interest

 

Net loss per limited partnership interest is computed by dividing the limited partners’ share of net loss by the number of limited partnership interests outstanding at the beginning of the year.  The number of limited partnership interests was 13,117 and 13,133 as of September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

Method of Accounting for Investment in Local Limited Partnerships

 

The investment in local limited partnerships (the “Local Limited Partnerships”) is accounted for using the equity method.

 

Variable Interest Entities

 

The Partnership consolidates any variable interest entities in which the Partnership holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. Generally, a variable interest entity, or VIE, is an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about an entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights.  The primary beneficiary of a VIE is generally the entity that will receive a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, receive a majority of a VIE’s expected residual returns, or both.

 

In determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, the Partnership considers qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: the amount and characteristics of the Partnership’s investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Partnership or other investors to provide financial support; the Partnership’s and the other investors’ ability to control or significantly influence key decisions for the VIE; and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Partnership and the other investors.  Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair values and performance of real estate held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

 

At September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, the Partnership holds variable interests in five VIEs for which the Partnership is not the primary beneficiary.  These five VIEs consist of Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership acquired an interest prior to the adoption of FIN 46 that are directly engaged in the ownership and management of five apartment properties with a total of 174 units.  The Partnership is involved with those VIEs as a non-controlling limited partner equity holder. The Partnership’s maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Partnership’s recorded investments in and receivables from these VIEs, which were zero at September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.  The Partnership may be subject to additional losses to the extent of any financial support that the Partnership voluntarily provides in the future. Additionally, the provisions of financial support in the future may require the Partnership to consolidate a VIE.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 168, The FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles—a replacement of FASB Statement No. 162, or SFAS No. 168, which is effective for financial statements issued for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  Upon the effective date of SFAS No. 168, the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, or the FASB ASC, became the single source of authoritative GAAP recognized by the FASB to be applied by nongovernmental entities. Rules and interpretive releases of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, under authority of federal securities laws are also sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants. The FASB ASC superseded all then-existing non-SEC accounting and reporting standards, and all other non-grandfathered non-SEC accounting literature not included in the FASB ASC is now non-authoritative.  Subsequent to the effective date of SFAS No. 168, the FASB will issue Accounting Standards Updates that serve to update the FASB ASC.

 

In June 2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 167, Amendments to FASB Interpretation No. 46R (SFAS 167). SFAS 167 amends FIN 46R to require ongoing analysis to determine whether a company holds a controlling financial interest in a VIE. The amendments include a new approach for determining who should consolidate a VIE, requiring a qualitative rather than a quantitative analysis. SFAS 167 also changes when it is necessary to reassess who should consolidate a VIE. Previously an enterprise was required to reconsider whether it was the primary beneficiary of a VIE only when specific events had occurred.  The new standard requires continuous reassessment of an enterprise's interest in the VIE to determine its primary beneficiary. This statement will be effective for the Partnership in 2010. Early adoption is prohibited.  The Partnership does not believe that the adoption of SFAS 167 will have a significant effect on the Partnerships financial statements.  As of September 30, 2009, SFAS 167 had not been added to the FASB ASC.

 

Note 2 – Investments in and Advances to Local Limited Partnerships

 

As of September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, the Partnership holds limited partnership interests in five Local Limited Partnerships. The Local Limited Partnerships own residential low income rental projects consisting of 174 apartment units. The mortgage loans of these projects are payable to or insured by various governmental agencies.

 

The Partnership, as a limited partner, does not have a contractual relationship with the Local Limited Partnerships or exercise control over the activities and operations, including refinancing or selling decisions, of the Local Limited Partnerships that would require or allow for consolidation. Accordingly, the Partnership accounts for its investments in the Local Limited Partnerships using the equity method. The Partnership is allocated profits and losses of the Local Limited Partnerships based upon its respective ownership percentage (between 95% and 99%). Distributions of surplus cash from operations from most of the Local Limited Partnerships are restricted by the Local Limited Partnerships’ Regulatory Agreements with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). These restrictions limit the distribution to a portion, generally less than 10%, of the initial invested capital. The excess surplus cash is deposited into a residual receipts reserve, of which the ultimate realization by the Partnership is uncertain as HUD frequently retains it upon sale or dissolution of the Local Limited Partnership. The Partnership is allocated profits and losses and receives distributions from refinancings and sales in accordance with the Local Limited Partnerships’ partnership agreements. These agreements usually limit the Partnership’s distributions to an amount substantially less than its ownership percentage in the Local Limited Partnership. 

 

The individual investments are carried at cost plus the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s profits less the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s losses, distributions and impairment charges. The Partnership is not legally liable for the obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships and is not otherwise committed to provide additional support to them. Therefore, it does not recognize losses once its investment in each of the Local Limited Partnerships reaches zero.  Distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for as a reduction of the investment balance until the investment balance is reduced to zero. When the investment balance has been reduced to zero, subsequent distributions received are recognized as income in the accompanying statements of operations. During the nine months ended September 30, 2008, the Partnership received approximately $2,000 from operations of one Local Limited Partnership. The Partnership received no distributions from Local Limited Partnerships during the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

 

For those investments where the Partnership has determined that the carrying value of its investments approximates the estimated fair value of those investments, the Partnership’s policy is to recognize equity in income of the Local Limited Partnerships only to the extent of distributions received and amortization of acquisition costs from those Local Limited Partnerships. Therefore, the Partnership limits its recognition of equity earnings to the amount it expects to ultimately realize.

 

At September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, the investment balance in all of the Local Limited Partnerships had been reduced to zero.

 

The Partnership advanced approximately $59,000 and $1,000 to the Local Limited Partnerships during the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively, to fund operations. These amounts are included in advances to Local Limited Partnerships recognized as expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, as the investment balance in the Local Limited Partnerships had been reduced to zero and the Partnership believes that the collection of these advances is doubtful.

 

The difference between the investment per the accompanying balance sheets at September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008 and the equity per the Local Limited Partnerships' condensed combined financial statements is due primarily to cumulative unrecognized equity in losses of certain Local Limited Partnerships, additional basis and costs capitalized to the investment account, cumulative distributions recognized as income and recognition of impairment losses.

 

The following are unaudited condensed combined estimated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 for the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has investments:

 

 

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

 

September 30,

September 30,

 

2009

2008

2009

2008

 

(in thousands)

(in thousands)

Revenues

 

 

 

 

  Rental and other income

$   386

$   308

$ 1,144

$ 1,188

Expenses

 

 

 

 

  Operating expense

    218

    236

    646

    763

  Financial expenses

     81

     87

    243

    262

  Depreciation and amortization

 

 

 

 

    expenses

     60

     55

    181

    165

Total expenses

    359

    378

  1,070

  1,190

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

$    27

 $   (70)

$    74

 $    (2)

 

In addition to being the Corporate General Partner of the Partnership, NAPICO, or one of its affiliates, is the general partner and property management agent for one of the Local Limited Partnerships included above.  The Local Limited Partnership pays the affiliate property management fees in the amount of 5 percent of their gross rental revenue and data processing fees.  The amounts paid were approximately $18,000 and $9,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

Green Ko Enterprises LP

 

In October 2009, the mortgage lender for Village of Broadhead filed an action against Green Ko Enterprises LP for alleged default under the loan encumbering the Local Limited Partnership’s property. The Local Operating General Partner has not yet responded to the complaint. The Partnership had no investment balance in this Local Limited Partnership at September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.

 

The current policy of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) is to not renew the Housing Assistance Payment (“HAP”) Contracts on a long term basis on the existing terms.  In connection with renewals of the HAP Contracts under current law and policy, the amount of rental assistance payments under renewed HAP Contracts will be based on market rentals instead of above market rentals, which may be the case under existing HAP Contracts.  The payments under the renewed HAP Contracts may not be in an amount that would provide sufficient cash flow to permit owners of properties subject to HAP Contracts to meet the debt service requirements of existing loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration of HUD (“FHA”) unless such mortgage loans are restructured.  In order to address the reduction in payments under HAP Contracts as a result of this new policy, the Multi-family Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (“MAHRAA”) provides for the restructuring of mortgage loans insured by the FHA with respect to properties subject to the Section 8 program.  Under MAHRAA, an FHA-insured mortgage loan can be restructured into a first mortgage loan which will be amortized on a current basis and a low interest rate second mortgage loan

payable to FHA which will only be payable on maturity of the first mortgage loan.  This restructuring results in a reduction in annual debt service payable by the owner of the FHA-insured mortgage loan and is expected to result in an insurance payment from FHA to

the holder of the FHA-insured loan due to the reduction in the principal amount.  MAHRAA also phases out project-based subsidies on selected properties serving families not located in rental markets with limited supply, converting such subsidies to a tenant-based subsidy.

 

When the HAP Contracts are subject to renewal, there can be no assurance that the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has an investment will be permitted to restructure its mortgage indebtedness under MAHRAA.  In addition, the economic impact on the Partnership of the combination of the reduced payments under the HAP Contracts and the restructuring of the existing FHA-insured mortgage loans under MAHRAA is uncertain. 

 

Note 3 – Related Party Transactions

 

Under the terms of the Restated Certificate and Agreement of Limited Partnership, the Partnership is obligated to NAPICO for an annual management fee equal to 0.4 percent of the Partnership’s original remaining invested assets of the Local Limited Partnerships at the beginning of the year.  Invested assets is defined as the costs of acquiring project interests, including the proportionate amount of the mortgage loans related to the Partnership's interests in the capital accounts of the respective Local Limited Partnerships.  The management fee was approximately $21,000 for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008.

 

In addition to being the Corporate General Partner, NAPICO, or one of its affiliates, is the general partner and property management agent for Better Housing Associates.  This Local Limited Partnership pays the affiliate property management fees in the amount of 5 percent of its gross rental revenue and data processing fees.  The amounts paid were approximately $18,000 and $9,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

Note 4 – Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

FASB ASC Topic 825 requires disclosure of fair value information about financial instruments, whether or not recognized in the balance sheet, for which it is practicable to estimate fair value. Fair value is defined as the amount at which the instruments could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties, other than in a forced or liquidation sale. The Partnership believes that the carrying amounts of its assets and liabilities at September 30, 2009 approximated their fair value due to the short term maturity of these instruments.

 

Note 5 - Contingencies

 

The Corporate General Partner is involved in various lawsuits arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management and the Corporate General Partner, the claims will not result in any material liability to the Partnership.


Item 2.     Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” for forward-looking statements in certain circumstances. Certain information included in this Quarterly Report contains or may contain information that is forward-looking, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Partnership’s future financial performance and the effect of government regulations. Actual results may differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements and, in addition, will be affected by a variety of risks and factors some of which are beyond the Partnership’s control including, without limitation: financing risks, including the availability and cost of financing and the risk that the Partnership’s cash flows from operations may be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest; national and local economic conditions; the general level of interest rates; the terms of governmental regulations that affect the Partnership and its investment in limited partnerships and interpretations of those regulations; the competitive environment in which the Partnership operates; real estate risks, including fluctuations in real estate values and the general economic climate in local markets and competition for tenants in such markets; litigation, including costs associated with prosecuting or defending claims and any adverse outcomes; and possible environmental liabilities, including costs, fines or penalties that may be incurred due to necessary remediation of contamination of properties presently owned or previously owned by the limited partnerships in which the Partnership has invested.   Readers should carefully review the Partnership’s financial statements and the notes thereto and the other documents the Partnership files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

The Corporate General Partner monitors developments in the area of legal and regulatory compliance.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

The properties in which the Partnership has invested, through its investments in the Local Limited Partnerships, receive one or more forms of assistance from the Federal Government.  As a result, the Local Limited Partnerships’ ability to transfer funds either to the Partnership or among themselves in the form of cash distributions, loans or advances is generally restricted by these government assistance programs. These restrictions, however, are not expected to impact the Partnership’s ability to meet its cash obligations.

 

The Partnership's primary sources of funds include distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has invested. It is not expected that any of the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has invested will generate cash flow sufficient to provide for distributions to limited partners in any material amount. An infrequent source of funds is from the sale of a property held by a Local Limited Partnership or from the sale of the Partnership’s interest in a Local Limited Partnership. As of September 30, 2009, the Partnership had cash of approximately $1,168,000, compared to approximately $1,302,000 at December 31, 2008. This resulted in the Partnership earning approximately $1,000 and $27,000 in interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

The Partnership advanced approximately $59,000 and $1,000 to the Local Limited Partnerships during the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively, to fund operations. These amounts are included in advances to Local Limited Partnerships recognized as expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, as the investment balance in the Local Limited Partnerships had been reduced to zero and the Partnership believes that the collection of these advances is doubtful. 


Results of Operations

 

At September 30, 2009, the Partnership had investments in five Local Limited Partnerships all of which own housing projects that were substantially rented. The Partnership, as a limited partner, does not have a contractual relationship with the Local Limited Partnerships or exercise control over the activities and operations, including refinancing and selling decisions, of the Local Limited Partnerships that would require or allow for consolidation. Accordingly, the Partnership accounts for its investments in the Local Limited Partnerships using the equity method.  Thus, the individual investments are carried at cost plus the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s profits less the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s losses, distributions and any impairment charges.  However, since the Partnership is not legally liable for the obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships, or is not otherwise committed to provide additional support to them, it does not recognize losses once its investment in each of the Local Limited Partnerships reaches zero.  Distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for as a reduction of the investment balance until the investment balance is reduced to zero.  When the investment balance has been reduced to zero, subsequent distributions received are recognized as income in the statements of operations.  For those investments where the Partnership has determined that the carrying value of its investments approximates the estimated fair value of those investments, the Partnership’s policy is to recognize equity in income of the Local Limited Partnerships only to the extent of distributions received and amortization of acquisition costs from those Local Limited Partnerships. During the nine months ended September 30, 2008, the Partnership received approximately $2,000 from operations of one Local Limited Partnership. The Partnership received no distributions during the nine months ended September 30, 2009. The investment balance in all of the Partnership's Local Limited Partnerships had been reduced to zero as of September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.

 

Partnership revenues consist primarily of interest income earned on the investment of funds not required for investment in Local Limited Partnerships and distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has invested. Interest income was approximately $1,000 and $27,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

A recurring partnership expense is the annual management fee. The fee is payable to the Corporate General Partner and is calculated at 0.4 percent of the original remaining invested assets as of the beginning of the year. The fee is paid to the Corporate General Partner for its continuing management of the Partnership's affairs. Management fees were approximately $21,000 for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008.

 

Operating expenses, other than management fees, consist of legal and accounting fees for services rendered to the Partnership and general and administrative expenses. Legal and accounting fees were approximately $37,000 and $36,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively, and approximately $14,000 for each of the three months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008. General and administrative expenses were approximately $11,000 for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, and approximately $4,000 and $2,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

The current policy of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) is to not renew the Housing Assistance Payment (“HAP”) Contracts on a long term basis on the existing terms.  In connection with renewals of the HAP Contracts under current law and policy, the amount of rental assistance payments under renewed HAP Contracts will be based on market rentals instead of above market rentals, which may be the case under existing HAP Contracts.  The payments under the renewed HAP Contracts may not be in an amount that would provide sufficient cash flow to permit owners of properties subject to HAP Contracts to meet the debt service requirements of existing loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) of HUD unless such mortgage loans are restructured.  In order to address the reduction in payments under HAP Contracts as a result of this new policy, the Multi-family Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (“MAHRAA”) provides for the restructuring of mortgage loans insured by the FHA with respect to properties subject to the Section 8 program.  Under MAHRAA, an FHA-insured mortgage loan can be restructured into a first mortgage loan which will be amortized on a current basis and a low interest rate second mortgage loan payable to FHA which will only be payable on maturity of the first mortgage loan.  This restructuring results in a reduction in annual debt service payable by the owner of the FHA-insured mortgage loan and is expected to result in an insurance payment from FHA to the holder of the FHA-insured loan due to the reduction in the principal amount.  MAHRAA also phases out project-based subsidies on selected properties serving families not located in rental markets with limited supply, converting such subsidies to a tenant-based subsidy. 

 

When the HAP Contracts are subject to renewal, there can be no assurance that the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has an investment will be permitted to restructure its mortgage indebtedness under MAHRAA.  In addition, the economic impact on the Partnership of the combination of the reduced payments under the HAP Contracts and the restructuring of the existing FHA-insured mortgage loans under MAHRAA is uncertain.

 

The Partnership, as a limited partner in the Local Limited Partnerships in which it has invested, is subject to the risks incident to the management and ownership of improved real estate.  The Partnership investments are also subject to adverse general economic conditions, and, accordingly, the status of the national economy, including substantial unemployment, concurrent inflation and changing legislation, could increase vacancy levels, rental payment defaults, and operating expenses, which in turn, could substantially increase the risk of operating losses for the projects.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

The Partnership owns limited partnership interests in unconsolidated Local Limited Partnerships, in which the Partnership’s ownership percentage ranges from 95% to 99%.  However, based on the provisions of the relevant partnership agreements, the Partnership, as a limited partner, does not have control or a contractual relationship with the Local Limited Partnerships that would require or allow for consolidation under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (see “Note 1 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the financial statements in “Item 1. Financial Statements”).  There are no lines of credit, side agreements or any other derivative financial instruments between the Local Limited Partnerships and the Partnership.  Accordingly the Partnership’s maximum risk of loss related to these unconsolidated Local Limited Partnerships is limited to the recorded investments in and receivables from the Local Limited Partnerships.  See “Note 2 – Investments in and Advances to Local Limited Partnerships” of the financial statements in “Item 1. Financial Statements” for additional information about the Partnership’s investments in unconsolidated Local Limited Partnerships.

 

Other

 

In addition to its indirect ownership of the general partner interest in the Partnership, AIMCO and its affiliates owned 1,457.47 limited partnership units (the "Units") or 2,914.94 limited partnership interests in the Partnership representing 22.22% of the outstanding Units at September 30, 2009. A Unit consists of two limited partnership interests. It is possible that AIMCO or its affiliates will acquire additional Units in exchange for cash or a combination of cash and units in AIMCO Properties, L.P., the operating partnership of AIMCO. Pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, unitholders holding a majority of the Units are entitled to take action with respect to a variety of matters that include, but are not limited to, voting on certain amendments to the Partnership Agreement and voting to remove the Corporate General Partner. Although the Corporate General Partner owes fiduciary duties to the limited partners of the Partnership, the Corporate General Partner also owes fiduciary duties to AIMCO as its sole stockholder. As a result, the duties of the Corporate General Partner, as Corporate General Partner, to the Partnership and its limited partners may come into conflict with the duties of the Corporate General Partner to AIMCO as its sole stockholder.

 

Variable Interest Entities

 

The Partnership consolidates any variable interest entities in which the Partnership holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. Generally, a variable interest entity, or VIE, is an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about an entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights.  The primary beneficiary of a VIE is generally the entity that will receive a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, receive a majority of a VIE’s expected residual returns, or both.

 

In determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, the Partnership considers qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: the amount and characteristics of the Partnership’s investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Partnership or other investors to provide financial support; the Partnership’s and the other investors’ ability to control or significantly influence key decisions for the VIE; and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Partnership and the other investors.  Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair values and performance of real estate held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

 

At September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, the Partnership holds variable interests in five VIEs for which the Partnership is not the primary beneficiary.  These five VIEs consist of Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership acquired an interest prior to the adoption of FIN 46 that are directly engaged in the ownership and management of five apartment properties with a total of 174 units.  The Partnership is involved with those VIEs as a non-controlling limited partner equity holder. The Partnership’s maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Partnership’s recorded investments in and receivables from these VIEs, which were zero at September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.  The Partnership may be subject to additional losses to the extent of any financial support that the Partnership voluntarily provides in the future. Additionally, the provisions of financial support in the future may require the Partnership to consolidate a VIE.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

The financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which require the Partnership to make estimates and assumptions. The Partnership believes that of its significant accounting policies, the following may involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity.

 

Method of Accounting for Investments in Local Limited Partnerships

 

The Partnership, as a limited partner, does not have a contractual relationship with the Local Limited Partnerships or exercise control over the activities and operations, including refinancing or selling decisions, of the Local Limited Partnerships that would require or allow for consolidation. Accordingly, the Partnership accounts for its investments in the Local Limited Partnerships using the equity method. The Partnership is allocated profits and losses of the Local Limited Partnerships based upon its respective ownership percentage (between 95% and 99%). Distributions of surplus cash from operations from most of the Local Limited Partnerships are restricted by the Local Limited Partnerships’ Regulatory Agreements with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). These restrictions limit the distribution to a portion, generally less than 10%, of the initial invested capital. The excess surplus cash is deposited into a residual receipts reserve, of which the ultimate realization by the Partnership is uncertain as HUD frequently retains it upon sale or dissolution of the Local Limited Partnership. The Partnership is allocated profits and losses and receives distributions from refinancings and sales in accordance with the Local Limited Partnerships’ partnership agreements. These agreements usually limit the Partnership’s distributions to an amount substantially less than its ownership percentage in the Local Limited Partnership. 

 

The individual investments are carried at cost plus the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s profits less the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s losses, distributions and impairment charges. The Partnership is not legally liable for the obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships and is not otherwise committed to provide additional support to them. Therefore, it does not recognize losses once its investment in each of the Local Limited Partnerships reaches zero.  Distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for as a reduction of the investment balance until the investment balance is reduced to zero. When the investment balance has been reduced to zero, subsequent distributions received are recognized as income in the statements of operations.  

 

For those investments where the Partnership has determined that the carrying value of its investments approximates the estimated fair value of those investments, the Partnership’s policy is to recognize equity in income of the Local Limited Partnerships only to the extent of distributions received and amortization of acquisition costs from those Local Limited Partnerships. Therefore, the Partnership limits its recognition of equity earnings to the amount it expects to ultimately realize.

 

Item 4T.    Controls and Procedures

 

(a)   Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

The Partnership’s management, with the participation of the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Corporate General Partner, who are the equivalent of the Partnership’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Partnership’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Corporate General Partner, who are the equivalent of the Partnership’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively, have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Partnership’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective. 

 

(b)   Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There has been no change in the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the fiscal quarter to which this report relates that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting.

 


PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

Item 6.     Exhibits

 

See Exhibit Index.

 


SIGNATURES

 

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED IV

 

 

 

By:   National Partnership Investments Corp.

 

      Corporate General Partner

 

 

Date: November 16, 2009

By:   /s/Steven D. Cordes

 

      Steven D. Cordes

 

      Senior Vice President

 

 

Date: November 16, 2009

By:   /s/Stephen B. Waters

 

      Stephen B. Waters

 

      Senior Director

 

 


REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED IV

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

 

Exhibit     Description of Exhibit

 

3         Articles of incorporation and by laws.  The Registrant is not incorporated.  The Partnership Agreement was filed with Form S-11, File No. 274063 which is hereby incorporated by reference.

 

3.1       Amendments to Restated Certificate and Agreement of Limited Partnership (filed with Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 2, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference).

 

3.2       Restated Certificate and Agreement of Limited Partnership (complete text as amended) (filed with Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 2, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference).

 

31.1      Certification of equivalent of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

31.2      Certification of equivalent of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

32.1      Certification of equivalent of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.