The Company is focused on investing in and maintaining a real estate portfolio that consists of well-located MOBs that allow for the efficient delivery of healthcare over the long-term. To date, we have invested $7.0$6.8 billion to create one of the largest portfolios (based on GLA) of healthcare real estate that is focused on the MOB sector in the U.S. We look to allocate capital to properties that exhibit the following key attributes:

We plan to grow externally through targeted investments and developments that improve the quality of our portfolio and are accretive to our cost of capital. To achieve this growth in competitive markets we seek:

We have and continue to actively manage our balance sheet to maintain an attractive investment grade credit rating, to maintain conservative leverage and to preserve financing flexibility, which ultimately hedges against inherent risk and provides us with attractive capital sources that allow us to take advantage of strategic external growth opportunities. In addition, we may also strategically dispose of properties that we believe no longer align with our strategic growth objectives in order to redeploy the capital generated by these dispositions into higher yielding MOBs that we believe have better longer-term growth prospects. The strength of our balance sheet is demonstrated by our investment grade credit ratings. To maintain our strong and conservative balance sheet, we:

The U.S. population is experiencing significant aging of its population, as advancements in medical technology and changes in treatment methods enable people to live longer. This is expected to drive healthcare utilization higher as individuals consume more healthcare as they get older.age. Between 20162020 and 2026,2030, the U.S. population over 65 years of age is projected to increase by more than 32%almost 31% and total over 19%20% of the U.S. population as the baby boomer generation enters retirement.population. Individuals of this age spend the highest amounts on healthcare, averaging approximately $6,000more than $6,500 per individual over the age of 65 according to a 20162017 Consumer Expenditure Survey. This compares to healthcare expenditures of less than $1,200approximately $1,550 per year for individuals under the age of 25.25 and under. The older population group will increasingly require treatment and management of chronic and acute health ailments. We believe much of this increased care will take place in lower cost outpatient settings, which should continue to support MOB demand in the long term.

In addition, the large millennial generation is just now starting to reach their thirties and form families. During this age period, healthcare expenditures double on average. As this large generation utilizes additional healthcare services, it is expected they will do so in more convenient outpatient settings.settings, typically in MOBs.

The number of insured individuals in the U.S. continues to increase, as the population grows and as a result of the impact of U.S. government actions, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (the “Affordable Care Act”). Since 1999, the number of individuals covered by healthcare insurance in the U.S. has increased over 20%23%. Although the current political administration has sought to unsuccessfully repeal the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion remains in place with some states seeking to expand coverage. Thus far, the removal of the individual mandate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”) has seen limited noticeable impact.

As a result of these factors, the healthcare sector is one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy and is growing faster than GDP. According to the latest data from 2017, Americans spent nearly $3.3$3.5 trillion, or 17.9%, of total GDP, on healthcare expenditures in 2016,2017, an increase of 4.3%3.9% over the previous year. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services project that total healthcare expenditures will reach approximately $5.6$5.7 trillion by 2025.2026. Healthcare expenditures are projected to grow an average of 5.6% annually through 20252026 and account for 19.9%19.7% of GDP by 2025.2026. This growth in healthcare expenditures reflects the increasing demand for healthcare. It is also driving demand for cost effective healthcare which generally takes place in outpatient settings such as MOBs.

Employment in the healthcare industry has steadily increased for at least 20 years despite three recessions.recessions during that period. Healthcare-related jobs are among the fastest growing occupations, projected to increase by 18% between 2016 and 2026, significantly higher than the general U.S. employment growth projection of 7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects ten out of the top twenty occupations with the highest growth for workers will be in the healthcare sector. We expect the increased growth in the healthcare industry will correspond with a growth in demand for MOBs and other facilities that serve the healthcare industry.

These new laws, initiatives and CMS rules reflect an ongoing effort to reduce healthcare costs and reimburse medical providers based on criteria other than fee-for-service. Although their impact is difficult to predict, these laws, initiatives and CMS rules may adversely impact medical providers’ reimbursement and our tenants’ ability to make rent payments to us.

We concentrate our investments in the healthcare property sector. As a result, we are subject to risks inherent to investments in a single industry. A downturn or slowdown in the healthcare property sector would have a greater adverse impact on our business than if we had investments in multiple industries. Specifically, a downturn in the healthcare property sector could negatively impact the ability of our tenants to make lease payments to us as well as our ability to maintain rental and occupancy rates, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

At any given time, we may be pursuing property acquisitions or have properties subject to letters of intent, but we cannot assure you that we will acquire any such properties because the letters of intent are non-binding and potential transaction opportunities are subject to a variety of factors, including: (i) the willingness of the current property owner to proceed with a potential transaction with us; (ii) our completion of due diligence that is satisfactory to us and our receipt of internal approvals; (iii) the negotiation and execution of mutually acceptable binding purchase agreements; and (iv) the satisfaction of closing conditions, including our receipt of third-party consents and approvals. We also compete with many other entities engaged in real estate investment activities for the acquisition of MOBs and other facilities that serve the healthcare industry, including national, regional and local operators, acquirers and developers of healthcare properties. The competition for the acquisition of healthcare properties may significantly increase the prices we must pay for MOBs and other facilities that serve the healthcare industry or other real estate related assets we seek to acquire. This competition may also effectively limit the number of suitable investment opportunities offered to us or the number of properties that we are able to acquire, and may increase the bargaining power of property owners seeking to sell to us, making it more difficult for us to acquire new properties on attractive terms. The potential sellers of our acquisition targets may find our competitors to be more attractive purchasers because they may have greater resources, may be willing to pay more to acquire the properties, may have pre-existing relationships or may have a more compatible operating philosophy. In particular, larger healthcare REITs may enjoy significant competitive advantages over us that result from, among other things, a lower cost of capital and enhanced operating efficiencies. Moreover, our competitors generally may be able to accept more risk with respect to their acquisitions than we can prudently manage or are willing to accept. In addition, the number of our competitors and the amount of funds competing for suitable investment properties may increase, which could result in increased demand for these properties and, therefore, increased prices to acquire them. Because of an increased interest in single-property acquisitions among tax-motivated individual purchasers, we may pay higher prices for the purchase of single properties in comparison with the purchase of multi-property portfolios. If we pay higher prices for MOBs and other facilities that serve the healthcare industry, or otherwise incur significant costs and divert management attention in connection with the evaluation and negotiation of potential acquisitions, including potential transactions that we are subsequently unable or elect not to complete, our business, financial condition and results of operations, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders may be adversely affected.

The success of our business depends to a large extent on our past, current and future relationships with hospitals, healthcare systems and developers, including our ability to acquire properties directly from hospitals, healthcare systems and developers. We invest a significant amount of time to develop and maintain these relationships, and these relationships have helped us secure acquisition opportunities. Facilities that are acquired directly from hospitals, healthcare systems and developers are typically more attractive to us as a purchaser because of the absence of a formal competitive marketing process, which could lead to higher prices. If any of our relationships with hospitals, healthcare systems and developers deteriorates, or if a conflict of interest or a non-compete arrangement prevents us from expanding these relationships, our professional reputation within the industry could be damaged and we may not be able to secure attractive acquisition opportunities directly from hospitals, healthcare systems and developers in the future, which could adversely affect our ability to locate and acquire facilities at attractive prices.

Our business is sensitive to national, regional and local economic conditions, as well as the commercial real estate and credit markets. For example, a financial disruption or credit crisis could negatively impact the value of commercial real estate assets, contributing to a general slowdown in our industry. A slow economic recovery could cause a reduction in the overall volume of transactions, number of sales and leasing activities of the type that we previously experienced. We are unable to predict future changes in national, regional or local economic, demographic or real estate market conditions.

Adverse economic conditions in the commercial real estate and credit markets may result in:

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives and to pay distributions is dependent upon the performance of our Board of Directors, our executive officers and our other employees, in the identification and acquisition of investments, the determination and finalization of our financing arrangements, the asset management of our investments, and the operation of our day-to-day activities. Our stockholders will have no opportunity to evaluate the terms of transactions or other economic or financial data concerning our investments that are not described in this Annual Report or other periodic filings with the SEC. We rely primarily on the management ability of our executive officers and the governance by the members of our Board of Directors, each of whom would be difficult to replace. We do not have any key-person life insurance on our executive officers. Although we have entered into employment agreements with each of our executive officers, these employment agreements contain various termination and resignation rights. If we were to lose the benefit of the experience, efforts and abilities of these executives, without satisfactory replacements, our operating results could suffer. In addition, if any member of our Board of Directors were to resign, we would lose the benefit of such director’s governance, experience and familiarity with us and the sector within which we operate. As a result of the foregoing, we may be unable to achieve our investment objectives or to pay distributions to our stockholders.

We may continue to acquire properties by issuing limited partnership units of our operating partnership, HTALP, in exchange for a property owner contributing property to us. If we continue to enter into such transactions in order to induce the contributors of such properties to accept units of our operating partnership rather than cash in exchange for their properties, it may be necessary for us to provide additional incentives. For instance, our operating partnership’s limited partnership agreement provides that any holder of units may exchange limited partnership units on a one-for-one basis for, at our option, cash equal to the value of an equivalent number of shares of common stock. We may, however, enter into additional contractual arrangements with contributors of property under which we would agree to repurchase a contributor’s units for shares of our common stock or cash, at the option of the contributor, at set times. If the contributor required us to repurchase units for cash pursuant to such a provision, it would limit our liquidity and, thus, our ability to use cash to make other investments, satisfy other obligations or make distributions to stockholders. Moreover, if we were required to repurchase units for cash at a time when we did not have sufficient cash to fund the repurchase, we might be required to sell one or more of our properties to raise funds to satisfy this obligation. Furthermore, we might agree that if distributions the contributor received as a limited partner in our operating partnership did not provide the contributor with an established return level, then upon redemption of the contributor’s units we would pay the contributor an additional amount necessary to achieve that return. Such a provision could further negatively impact our liquidity and flexibility. Finally, in order to allow a contributor of a property to defer taxable gain on the contribution of property to our operating partnership, we might agree not to sell a contributed property for a defined period of time or until the contributor exchanged the contributor’s units for cash or shares. Such an agreement would prevent us from selling those properties, even if market conditions would allow such a sale to be favorable to us.

Our Board of Directors determines our investment objectives and major strategies, including our strategies regarding investments, financing, growth, debt capitalization, REIT qualification and distributions. Our Board of Directors may amend or revise these and other strategies without a vote of the stockholders. Under our charter and Maryland law, our stockholders will have a right to vote only on the following matters:

In the case of the business combination provisions of the MGCL, our Board of Directors has adopted a resolution providing that any business combination between us and any other person is exempted from this statute, provided that such business combination is first approved by our Board. This resolution, however, may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time. In the case of the control share provisions of the MGCL, we have opted out of these provisions pursuant to a provision in our bylaws. We may, however, by amendment to our bylaws, opt in to the control share provisions of the MGCL. We may also choose to adopt a classified board or other takeover defenses in the future. Any such actions could deter a transaction that may otherwise be in the interest of our stockholders.

Lease payment defaults by our tenants would cause us to lose the revenue associated with such leases. Although 61%59% of our annualized base rent was derived from tenants (or their parent companies) that have a credit rating, a tenants’ credit rating (or its’ parents credit rating) is no guarantee of a tenant’s ability to perform its lease obligations and a parent company may choose not to satisfy the obligations of a subsidiary that fails to perform its obligations. If the property is subject to a mortgage, a default by a significant tenant on its lease payments to us may result in a foreclosure on the property if we are unable to find an alternative source of revenue to meet mortgage payments. In the event of a tenant default, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as a landlord and we may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing our property, and we may not be able to re-lease the property for the rent previously received, if at all. Lease terminations and expirations could also reduce the value of our properties.

We are exposed to the risk that our tenants could become bankrupt or insolvent. This risk would be magnified to the extent that a tenant leased space from us in multiple facilities. The bankruptcy and insolvency laws afford certain rights to a party that has filed for bankruptcy or reorganization. For example, a debtor-tenant may reject its lease with us in a bankruptcy proceeding. In such a case, our claim against the debtor-tenant for unpaid and future rents would be limited by the statutory cap of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This statutory cap might be substantially less than the remaining rent actually owed to us under the lease, and it is quite likely that any claim we might have against the tenant for unpaid rent would not be paid in full. In addition, a debtor-tenant may assert in a bankruptcy proceeding that its lease should be re-characterized as a financing agreement. If such a claim is successful, our rights and remedies as a lender, compared to our rights and remedies as a landlord, would generally be more limited.

Our MOBs, developments, redevelopments, and other facilities that serve the healthcare industry often face competition from nearby hospitals, developers, and other MOBs that provide comparable services. Some of those competing facilities are owned by governmental agencies and supported by tax revenues, while others are owned by nonprofit corporations and may be supported to a large extent by endowments and charitable contributions. These types of financial support are not available to buildings we own or develop.

Similarly, our tenants face competition from other medical practices in nearby hospitals and other medical facilities. Further, referral sources, including physicians and managed care organizations, may change their lists of hospitals or physicians to which they refer patients. Competition and loss of referrals could adversely affect our tenants’ ability to make rental payments, which could adversely affect our rental revenues. Any reduction in rental revenues resulting from the inability of our MOBs and other facilities that serve the healthcare industry and our tenants to compete successfully may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

Our MOB operations and other facilities that serve the healthcare industry depend on the viability of the hospitals on whose campuses our MOBs are located and their affiliated healthcare systems in order to attract physicians and other healthcare-related users. The viability of these hospitals, in turn, depends on factors such as the quality and mix of healthcare services provided, competition, demographic trends in the surrounding community, market position and growth potential, as well as the ability of the affiliated healthcare systems to provide economies of scale and access to capital. If a hospital whose campus is located on or near one of our MOBs is unable to meet its financial obligations, and if an affiliated healthcare system is unable to support that hospital, the hospital may not be able to compete successfully or could be forced to close or relocate, which could adversely impact its ability to attract physicians and other healthcare-related users. Because we rely on our proximity to and affiliations with these hospitals to create tenant demand for space in our MOBs, their inability to remain competitive or financially viable, or to attract physicians and physician groups, could adversely affect our MOB operations and have an adverse effect on us.

Some of the properties we own or may seek to acquire are specialized medical facilities or otherwise designed or built for a particular tenant of a specific type of use known as a single use facility. For example, senior healthcare facilities present unique challenges with respect to leasing and transfer. Skilled nursing, assisted living and independent living facilities are typically highly customized and may not be easily modified to accommodate non-healthcare-related uses. The improvements generally required to conform a property to healthcare use, such as upgrading electrical, gas and plumbing infrastructure, are costly and oftentimes operator-specific. As a result, these property types may not be suitable for lease to traditional office tenants or other healthcare tenants with unique needs without significant expenditures or renovations. A new or replacement tenant may require different features in a property, depending on that tenant’s particular operations.

If we or our tenants terminate or do not renew the leases for our properties or our tenants lose their regulatory authority to operate such properties or default on their lease obligations to us for any reason, we may not be able to locate, or may incur additional costs to locate, suitable replacement tenants to lease the properties for their specialized uses. Alternatively, we may be required to spend substantial amounts to modify a property for a new tenant, or for multiple tenants with varying infrastructure requirements, before we are able to re-lease the space or we could otherwise incur re-leasing costs. Furthermore, because transfers of healthcare facilities may be subject to regulatory approvals not required for transfers of other types of property,properties, there may be significant delays in transferring operations of senior healthcare facilities to successor operators. Any loss of revenues or additional capital expenditures required as a result may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

If we are unable to successfully operate acquired properties, our financial condition, results of operations, the market price of our common stock, cash flow and ability to satisfy our principal and interest obligations and to make distributions to our stockholders could be adversely affected.

As of December 31, 2017,2018, we held interests in MOB properties and other facilities that serve the healthcare industry through leasehold interests in the land on which the buildings are located and we may acquire additional properties in the future that are subject to ground leases or other similar agreements. As of December 31, 2017,2018, these properties represented 38%40% of our total GLA. Many of our ground leases and other similar agreements limit our uses of these properties and may restrict our ability to sell or otherwise transfer such properties without the ground landlord’s consent, which may impair their value.

A component of our current growth strategy is, when appropriate, to pursue accretive development and redevelopment projects. However, there are inherent risks associated with these development and redevelopment projects, including, but not limited to the following:

If we make additional investments in real estate notes receivable, we will be at risk of loss on those investments, including losses as a result of borrower defaults on mortgage loans. These losses may be caused by many conditions beyond our control, including economic conditions affecting real estate values, tenant defaults and lease expirations, interest rate levels and the other economic and liability risks associated with real estate as described elsewhere under this heading. Furthermore, if there are borrower defaults under our mortgage loan investments, we may not be able to foreclose on or obtain a suitable remedy with respect to such investments. Specifically, we may not be able to repossess and sell the properties under our mortgage loans quickly, which could reduce the value of our investment. For example, an action to foreclose on a property securing a mortgage loan is regulated by state statutes and rules and is subject to many of the delays and expenses of lawsuits if the defendant raises defenses or counterclaims. In the event of a borrower default, these restrictions, among other things, may impede our ability to foreclose on or sell the mortgaged property or to obtain proceeds sufficient to repay all amounts due to us on the mortgage loan. Additionally, if we acquire property by foreclosure following a borrower default under our mortgage loan investments, we will have the economic and liability risks as the owner described above. Thus, we do not know whether the values of the property securing any of our investments in real estate related assets will remain at the levels existing on the dates we initially make the related investment. If the values of the underlying properties decline, our risk will increase and the value of our interests may decrease.

We have entered into and may in the future enter into long-term leases with tenants at certain of our properties. Certain of our long-term leases provide for rent to increase over time. However, if we do not accurately judge the potential for increases in market rental rates, we may set the terms of these long-term leases at levels such that even after contractual rental increases, the rent under our long-term leases is less than then-current market rental rates. Further, we may have no ability to terminate those leases or to adjust the rent to then-prevailing market rates. As a result, our income and distributions could be lower than if we did not enter into long-term leases.

The healthcare industry is heavily regulated by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Our tenants generally are subject to laws and regulations covering, among other things, licensure, certification for participation in government programs, and relationships with physicians and other referral sources. Changes in these laws and regulations could negatively affect the ability of our tenants to make lease payments to us and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

Many of our medical properties and our tenants may require a license or multiple licenses or a CON to operate. Failure to obtain a license or a CON or loss of a required license or a CON would prevent a facility from operating in the manner intended by the tenant. These events could adversely affect our tenants’ ability to make rent payments to us. State and local laws also may regulate expansion, including the addition of new beds or services or acquisition of medical equipment, and the construction of facilities that serve the healthcare industry, by requiring a CON or other similar approval. State CON laws are not uniform throughout the U.S. and are subject to change. We cannot predict the impact of state CON laws on our facilities or the operations of our tenants.

In limited circumstances, loss of state licensure or certification or closure of a facility could ultimately result in loss of authority to operate the facility and require new CON authorization to re-institute operations. As a result, a portion of the value of the facility may be reduced, which would adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

In March 2010, then President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act, along with other healthcare reform efforts has resulted in comprehensive healthcare reform in the U.S. through a phased approach, which began in 2010 and will conclude in 2018. It remains difficult to predict the impact of these laws on us due to their complexity, lack of implementing regulations or interpretive guidance, and the gradual implementation of the laws over a multi-year period. During the 2016 Presidential and Congressional campaigns, Republicans promised they would seek the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. On January 20, 2017, newly-sworn-in President Trump issued an executive order aimed at seeking the prompt repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and directed the heads of all executive departments and agencies to minimize the economic and regulatory burdens of the Affordable Care Act to the maximum extent permitted by law. In addition, there have been and continue to be numerous Congressional attempts to amend and repeal the law. We cannot predict whether any of these attempts to amend or repeal the law will be successful. The future of the Affordable Care Act is uncertain and any changes to existing laws and regulations, including the Affordable Care Act’s repeal, modification or replacement, could have a long-term financial impact on the delivery of and payment for healthcare. Both our tenants and us may be adversely affected by the law or its repeal, modification or replacement.

The healthcare industry also faces various challenges, including increased government and private payor pressure on healthcare providers to control or reduce costs. A focus on controlling costs could have an adverse effect on the financial condition of some or all of our tenants. The financial impact on our tenants could restrict their ability to make rent payments to us, which would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

Adverse U.S. economic conditions have negatively affected state budgets, which may put pressure on states to decrease reimbursement rates with the goal of decreasing state expenditures under state Medicaid programs. The need to control Medicaid expenditures may be exacerbated by the potential for increased enrollment in state Medicaid programs due to unemployment, declines in family incomes and eligibility expansions required by the recently enacted healthcare reform law. These potential reductions could be compounded by the potential for federal cost-cutting efforts that could lead to reductions in reimbursement rates under both the federal Medicare program and state Medicaid programs. Potential reductions in reimbursements under these programs could negatively impact the ability of our tenants and their ability to meet their obligations to us, which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

As described in the Item 1 - Business, there are various federal and state laws prohibiting fraudulent and abusive business practices by healthcare providers who participate in, receive payments from, or are in a position to make referrals in connection with, government-sponsored healthcare programs, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In the ordinary course of their business, our tenants may be subject to inquiries, investigations and audits by federal and state agencies as well as whistleblower suits under the False Claims Act from private individuals. An investigation by a federal or state governmental agency for violation of fraud and abuse laws, a whistleblower suit, or the imposition of criminal/civil penalties upon one of our tenants could jeopardize that tenant’s ability to operate or to make rent payments. In turn, this may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

As of December 31, 2017,2018, we had fixed and variable ratetotal debt outstanding of $2.8 billion outstanding.$2.5 billion. We intend to continue to finance a portion of the purchase price of our investments in real estate and other real estate related assets by borrowing funds. In addition, we may incur mortgage debt and pledge some or all of our real properties as security for that debt to obtain funds to acquire additional real properties or for working capital. We may also borrow funds to satisfy the REIT tax qualification requirement that we distribute at least 90% of our annual ordinary taxable income to our stockholders. Furthermore, we may borrow if we otherwise deem it necessary or advisable to ensure that we maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We have historically maintained a low leveraged balance sheet and intend to continue to maintain this structure over the long run.term. However, our total leverage may fluctuate on a short term basis as we execute our business strategy.

High debt levels will cause us to incur higher interest charges, which would result in higher debt service payments and could be accompanied by restrictive covenants. If there is a shortfall between the cash flow from a property and the cash flow needed to service mortgage debt on that property, then the amount available for distributions to our stockholders may be reduced. In addition, incurring mortgage debt increases the risk of loss since defaults on indebtedness secured by a property may result in lenders initiating foreclosure actions. In that case, we could lose the property securing the loan that is in default, thus reducing the value of the Company. For tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our properties will be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the property, we will recognize taxable income on foreclosure, but we would not receive any cash proceeds.proceeds related thereto. We may give full or partial guarantees to lenders of mortgage debt to our affiliated entities that own our properties. When we give a guaranty on behalf of an affiliated entity that owns one of our properties, we will be responsible to the lender for satisfaction of the debt if it is not paid by our affiliated entity. If any mortgage contains cross-collateralization or cross-default provisions, a default by us on a single property could affect multiple properties. If any of our properties are foreclosed upon due to a default by us, our ability to pay cash distributions to our stockholders could be adversely affected.

Our credit ratings are based on our operating performance, liquidity and leverage ratios, overall financial position and other factors employed by the credit rating agencies in their rating analysis of us. Our credit ratings can affect the amount and type of capital we can access, as well as the terms of any financings we may obtain. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our current credit ratings, and, in the event that our current credit ratings deteriorate, we would likely incur higher borrowing costs and it may be more difficult or expensive for us to obtain additional financing or refinance existing obligations and commitments. Also, a downgrade in our credit ratings would trigger additional costs or other potentially negative consequences for us under our current and future credit facilities and debt instruments.

In connection with the purchase of real estate, we have entered and may continue to enter into joint ventures with third parties. We may also purchase or develop properties in co-ownership arrangements with the sellers of the properties, developers or other persons. Our joint venture partners may also have rights to take actions over which we have no control and may take actions contrary to our interests. Joint ownership of an investment in real estate may involve risks not associated with direct ownership of real estate, including the following:

Under certain joint venture arrangements, neither venture partner may have the power to control the venture and, thus, an impasse could occur, which might adversely affect the joint venture and decrease potential returns to our stockholders. If we have a right of first refusal or buy/sell right to buy-out a venture partner, we may be unable to finance such a buy-out or we may be forced to exercise those rights at a time when it would not otherwise be in our best interest to do so. If our interest is subject to a buy/sell right in favor of us, we may not have sufficient cash, available borrowing capacity or other capital resources to allow us to purchase an interest of a venture partner subject to the buy/sell right, in which case we may be forced to sell our interest when we would otherwise prefer to retain our interest. In addition, we may not be able to sell our interest in a joint venture on a timely basis or on acceptable terms if we desire to exit the venture for any reason, particularly if our interest is subject to a right of first refusal in favor of our venture partner.

We elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with our taxable year ended December 31, 2007 and we believe that our current and intended manner of operation will enable us to continue to meet the requirements to be taxed as a REIT. To qualify as a REIT, we must meet various requirements set forth in the Code concerning, among other things, the ownership of our outstanding common stock, the nature of our assets, the sources of our income and the amount of our distributions to our stockholders. The REIT qualification requirements are extremely complex and interpretations of the federal income tax laws governing qualification as a REIT are limited. Accordingly, we cannot be certain that we will be successful in operating so as to qualify as a REIT. At any time, new laws, interpretations or court decisions may change the federal tax laws relating to, or the federal income tax consequences of, qualification as a REIT. It is possible that future economic, market, legal, tax or other considerations may cause our Board of Directors to revoke our REIT election, which it may do without stockholder approval.

As a result of all these factors, our failure to qualify as a REIT could impair our ability to expand our business and raise capital, and would substantially reduce our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

To obtain the favorable tax treatment accorded to REITs, we normally will be required each year to distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and by excluding net capital gains. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our undistributed taxable income and net capital gain and to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which distributions we pay with respect to any calendar year are less than the sum of: (a) 85% of our ordinary income; (b) 95% of our capital gain net income; and (c) 100% of our undistributed income from prior years. These requirements could cause us to make distributions to our stockholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution, or we may be required to liquidate otherwise attractive investments. These requirements could additionally cause us to distribute amounts that otherwise would be spent on acquisitions of properties and it is possible that we might be required to borrow funds, use proceeds from the issuance of securities or sell assets in order to distribute enough of our taxable income to maintain our qualification as a REIT and to avoid the payment of federal income and excise taxes. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.