STRATUS PROPERTIES INC 10-Q

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations . In Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A), “we,” “us,” “our” and “Stratus” refer to Stratus Properties Inc. and all entities owned or controlled by Stratus Properties Inc. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, related MD&A and discussion of our business and properties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (2023 Form 10-K) filed with the United States (U.S.) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the unaudited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in this Form 10-Q. The results of operations reported and summarized below are not necessarily indicative of future operating results, and future results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements (refer to “Cautionary Statement” and Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our 2023 Form 10-K for further discussion). All subsequent references to “Notes” refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) located in Part I, Item 1. “Financial Statements” herein, unless otherwise stated. OVERVIEW We are a diversified real estate company with headquarters in Austin, Texas. We are engaged primarily in the entitlement, development, management, leasing and sale of multi-family and single-family residential and commercial real estate properties in the Austin, Texas area and other select markets in Texas. In addition to our developed properties, we have a development portfolio that consists of approximately 1,600 acres of commercial and multi-family and single-family residential projects under development or undeveloped land held for future use. We generate revenues and cash flows from the sale of our developed and undeveloped properties, the lease of our retail, mixed-use and multi-family properties and development and asset management fees received from our properties. Refer to Note 9 for discussion of our operating segments and “Business Strategy” below for a discussion of our business strategy. BUSINESS STRATEGY Our primary business objective is to create value for stockholders by methodically developing and enhancing the value of our properties and then selling them or holding them for lease. We endeavor to sell properties at times when we believe market conditions are favorable to us. We are focused on the development of pure residential and residential-centric mixed-use projects in Austin and other select markets in Texas, which we believe continue to be attractive locations. Our successful development program of securing and maintaining development entitlements, developing and stabilizing properties, and selling them or holding them as part of our leasing operations is a key element of our strategy. We may also seek to refinance properties, in order to benefit from, when available, an increase in the value of the property or from lower interest rates, or for other reasons. From time to time, when deemed appropriate by our Board of Directors (the Board) and permitted pursuant to the terms of our debt agreements, we may return capital to stockholders, as we did in 2022 and 2017 with special cash dividends totaling approximately $40 million and $8 million respectively, and as we did during 2022 and 2023 through our $10.0 million share repurchase program, which was completed in October 2023. In November 2023, our Board approved a new $5.0 million share repurchase program. Our investment strategy focuses on projects that we believe will provide attractive long-term returns, while limiting our financial risk. We plan to continue to develop properties using project-level debt and third-party equity capital through joint ventures in which we receive development management fees and asset management fees, with our potential returns increasing above our relative equity interest in each project as negotiated return hurdles are achieved. Refer to Note 3. We expect to continue our limited use of our revolving credit facility and to retain sufficient cash to operate our business, taking into account risks associated with changing market conditions and the variability in cash flows from our business. Our main sources of revenue and cash flow are expected to be sales of our properties to third parties or distributions from joint ventures, the timing of and proceeds from which are difficult to predict and depend on market conditions and other factors. We also generate cash flow from rental income in our leasing operations and from development and asset management fees received from our properties. Due to the nature of our development-focused business, we do not expect to generate sufficient recurring cash flow to cover our general and administrative expenses each period. However, we believe that the unique nature and location of our assets, and our team’s ability to execute successfully on development projects, have provided and will continue to provide us with positive cash flows and net income over time, as evidenced by our sales of The Santal and The Saint Mary in 14 Table of Contents 2021 and Block 21 in 2022, the cash distribution from the Holden Hills partnership in 2023 and our property sales in first-quarter 2024. Further, we believe our investment strategy, current liquidity and portfolio of projects provide us with many opportunities to increase value for our stockholders. We do not currently have any material commitments to contribute additional cash to our joint venture projects or wholly owned development projects other than the potential additional $10.0 million of capital that we may be required to contribute to our Holden Hills joint venture and our share (related to Section N) of the cost of the Tecoma Improvements. However, during 2023 and first-quarter 2024, we made operating loans totaling $3.3 million and $2.7 million, respectively, to the limited partnerships for The Annie B and for The Saint June. In April 2024, we made an additional operating loan of $85 thousand to the limited partnership of The Saint June and the Class B limited partner made an additional operating loan of $165 thousand to the limited partnership of The Saint June. We anticipate making future operating loans to the limited partnerships for The Annie B and The Saint George totaling up to $3.6 million over the next 12 months. Our estimates of future operating loans are based on estimates of future costs of the partnerships and anticipated future operating loans from the Class B limited partner of approximately $2.5 million. Refer to Note 3 and “Capital Resources and Liquidity” for further discussion. In addition, our development plans for future projects require significant additional capital. Largely as a result of our property sales in 2021 and 2022, the cash distribution from the Holden Hills partnership in 2023, our property sales in first-quarter 2024 and focused liquidity management on our part, as of March 31, 2024, consolidated cash totaled $20.7 million and we had $39.6 million available under our revolving credit facility, net of $13.3 million of letters of credit committed against the facility, with no amounts drawn on the facility. We were challenged by difficult conditions in the real estate business in 2023. Interest rates, which began rising in 2022, continued to increase, and costs remained elevated. We saw limited opportunities for transactions on favorable terms. Accordingly, during this market cycle, we have been working to maintain our business, advance our projects under construction or development, control costs and advance entitlements, relationships and opportunities to position us to capture value when market conditions improve. During 2023, among other things, we completed construction and began lease-up of The Saint June multi-family project, continued construction of The Saint George multi-family project, advanced road and utility infrastructure construction on the Holden Hills project, managed our completed retail projects and advanced entitlements on other projects. Although 2023 was challenging, we see reasons for optimism regarding improving real estate market conditions in our markets as the year 2024 progresses. At March 31, 2024, our retail portfolio consisted of five stabilized projects, namely Jones Crossing, Kingwood Place, Lantana Place – Retail, Magnolia Place – Retail and West Killeen Market. In first-quarter 2024, we entered into a contract to sell West Killeen Market for $12.8 million, which we expect to close in second-quarter 2024. After repaying the project loan, we expect the sale to generate approximately $7.2 million of pre-tax net cash proceeds. We have engaged brokers to explore the sale of Lantana Place – Retail, Magnolia Place – Retail and Kingwood Place. In connection with such sales, we anticipate returning capital to stockholders, subject to obtaining required consents from Comerica Bank. We believe we have sufficient liquidity and access to capital to sell properties when market conditions are favorable to us and to hold our properties or to continue to develop our properties, as applicable, through the market cycle. We expect to re-evaluate our strategy as sales and development progress on the projects in our portfolio and as market conditions continue to evolve. OVERVIEW OF FINANCIAL RESULTS Sources of revenue and income. Our Real Estate Operations segment encompass our activities associated with our entitlement, development, and sale of real estate. The current focus of our real estate operations is multi-family and single-family residential properties and residential-centric mixed-use properties. We may sell or lease the properties we develop, depending on market conditions. Multi-family and retail rental properties that we develop are reclassified to our Leasing Operations segment when construction is completed and they are ready for occupancy. Revenue in our Real Estate Operations segment may be generated from the sale of properties that are developed, undeveloped or under development, depending on market conditions. Developed property sales can include an individual tract of land that has been developed and permitted for residential use, or a developed lot with a residence already built on it. In addition to our developed properties, we have a development portfolio that consists of approximately 1,600 acres of commercial and multi-family and single-family residential projects under development or undeveloped land held for future use. 15 Table of Contents Revenue in our Leasing Operations segment is generated from the lease of space at retail and mixed-use properties that we developed and the lease of residences in the multi-family projects that we developed. We may also generate income from the sale of our leased properties, depending on market conditions. Summary financial results for first-quarter 2024. Our revenues totaled $26.5 million in first-quarter 2024 compared with $5.8 million in first-quarter 2023. The $19.6 million increase in revenues from our Real Estate Operations segment in first-quarter 2024, compared to first-quarter 2023, is primarily a result of the sales of approximately 47 acres of undeveloped land at Magnolia Place for $14.5 million and two Amarra Villas homes for a total of $7.6 million, compared with the sale of one Amarra Villas home in first-quarter 2023 for $2.5 million. In addition, revenues from our Leasing Operations segment increased by $1.1 million, primarily reflecting new revenue from The Saint June, which had no rental revenue in first-quarter 2023, as well as increased revenue from Lantana Place – Retail and Kingwood Place, primarily due to new leases. Refer to “Results of Operations” below for further discussion of the results of operations of our segments. Our net income attributable to common stockholders totaled $4.6 million, or $0.56 per diluted share in first-quarter 2024, compared to net loss attributable to common stockholders of $5.8 million, or $0.73 per diluted share, in first-quarter 2023, with the increase due primarily to the increase in revenues. RECENT DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES Recent Residential Activities The discussion below focuses on our recent significant residential activity. For a description of our properties containing additional information, refer to Items 1. and 2. “Business and Properties” and to “Recent Development Activities” in MD&A in our 2023 Form 10-K. Barton Creek Amarra Villas. The Villas at Amarra Drive (Amarra Villas) project is a 20-unit development in Barton Creek. In first-quarter 2023, we completed and sold one home for $2.5 million. In first-quarter 2024, we completed construction on two of the homes, and we sold two of the homes for a total of $7.6 million, leaving two completed homes in inventory as of March 31, 2024. Construction on the last six homes continues to progress and is expected to be completed in second-quarter 2024. As of May 10, 2024, one home was under contract to sell for $3.6 million and seven homes remain available for sale. The Saint June. In third-quarter 2021, we began construction on The Saint June, a 182-unit luxury garden-style multi-family project within the Amarra development. The Saint June is comprised of multiple buildings featuring one, two and three bedroom units for lease with amenities that include a resort-style clubhouse, fitness center, pool and extensive green space. The first units were available for occupancy in July 2023, and construction was completed in fourth-quarter 2023. As of May 10, 2024, we had signed leases for approximately 90 percent of the units. Holden Hills. Our final large residential development within the Barton Creek community, Holden Hills, consists of 495 acres. The community has been designed to feature unique residences to be developed in multiple phases with a focus on health and wellness, sustainability and energy conservation. We entered into a limited partnership agreement with a third-party equity investor for this project in January 2023, and in February 2023 obtained construction financing for Phase I of the project and commenced infrastructure construction. Construction is progressing well for Holden Hills’ road and utility infrastructure. We are currently continuing development of Phase I of our Holden Hills project according to our previously disclosed plans and anticipate that we could start building homes and/or selling home sites in late 2025, assuming regulators timely fulfill their permit processing obligations . As a result of the ETJ (as defined below) process described below, our development plans for Holden Hills are under review. For additional discussion, refer to Items 1. and 2. “Business and Properties” in our 2023 Form 10-K. Section N. Using an entitlement strategy similar to that used for Holden Hills, we continue to progress the development plans for Section N, our approximately 570-acre tract located along Southwest Parkway in the southern portion of the Barton Creek community adjacent to Holden Hills. We are designing a dense, mid-rise, mixed-use project, with extensive multi-family and retail components, coupled with limited office, entertainment and hospitality uses, surrounded by extensive outdoor recreational and greenspace amenities, which is expected to 16 Table of Contents result in a significant increase in development density as compared to our prior plans. In addition, due to the ETJ process described below, our development plans for Section N are under review. ETJ Process . Texas Senate Bill 2038 (the ETJ Law) became effective September 1, 2023. We have completed the statutory process to remove all of our relevant land subject to development, including primarily Holden Hills and Section N from the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of the City of Austin, as permitted by the ETJ Law. We have also made filings with Travis County to grandfather the Holden Hills and Section N projects under most laws in effect in Travis County at the time of the filings. A number of cities in Texas have brought lawsuits challenging the ETJ Law. If the ETJ Law is upheld, we expect that the removal of our properties from the ETJ of the City of Austin will streamline the development permitting process, allow greater flexibility in the design of projects, potentially decrease certain development costs, and potentially permit meaningful increases in development density. In light of the ETJ Law, we have begun work on assessing potential revisions to our development plans for Holden Hills and Section N. For additional discussion, refer to Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our 2023 Form 10-K. The Saint George In fourth-quarter 2021, we purchased the land for The Saint George, a 316-unit luxury wrap-style, multi-family project in north-central Austin. We entered into a construction loan for this project and began construction in third-quarter 2022. We currently expect to achieve substantial completion by third-quarter 2024. Lakeway Multi-Family After extensive negotiation with the City of Lakeway, utility suppliers and neighboring property owners, during 2023 we secured the right to develop a multi-family project on approximately 35 acres of undeveloped property in Lakeway, Texas located in the greater Austin area. The multi-family project is expected to utilize the road, drainage and utility infrastructure we are required to build, subject to certain conditions, which is secured by a $2.3 million letter of credit under our revolving credit facility. Our goal is to commence construction on the multi-family project or to sell the site, as soon as infrastructure construction is complete and market conditions warrant. Refer to Note 6 and “Capital Resources and Liquidity – Revolving Credit Facility and Other Financing Arrangements” below for additional discussion. The Annie B In third-quarter 2021, we purchased the land and announced plans for The Annie B, a proposed luxury high-rise project in downtown Austin to be developed as a 400-foot tower, consisting of approximately 420,000 square feet with 316 luxury residential units. We continue to work to finalize our development plans and to evaluate whether the project is most profitable as a for rent or for sale product. Our goal is to commence construction as soon as financing and other market conditions warrant. Magnolia Place In February 2024, we completed the sale of approximately 47 acres of undeveloped land in Magnolia, Texas planned for a second phase of retail development, all remaining pad sites and up to 600 multi-family units, for $14.5 million. In connection with the sale, the Magnolia Place construction loan, which had a balance of $8.8 million was repaid. Following the sale, we have retained our existing two retail buildings totaling 18,582 square feet, potential development of approximately 11 acres planned for 275 multi-family units and approximately $12 million of potential future reimbursement from the municipal utility district (MUD). Other Residential We have advanced development plans for The Saint Julia, an approximately 300-unit multi-family project that is part of Lantana Place, a partially developed, mixed-use development project located south of Barton Creek in Austin. Our goal is to commence construction or sell the site, as soon as financing and/or market conditions warrant. We continue to evaluate options for the 21-acre multi-family component of Jones Crossing, an H-E-B grocery anchored, mixed-use development located in College Station, Texas. During 2023, we separated the ground lease for the multi-family parcel from the primary ground lease. Recent Commercial Activities The discussion below focuses on our recent significant commercial activity. For a description of our properties containing additional information, refer to Items 1. and 2. “Business and Properties” and to “Recent Development Activities” in MD&A in our 2023 Form 10-K. 17 Table of Contents Section N As described above under the heading “Recent Residential Activities,” our Section N project has been envisioned to include a significant commercial component. Due to the ETJ process, our development plans for Section N are under review. Stabilized Retail Projects As of March 31, 2024, we also owned and operated the following stabilized retail projects that we developed: • West Killeen Market is our H-E-B shadow-anchored retail project in West Killeen, Texas, near Fort Cavazos. As of March 31, 2024, we had signed leases for approximately 74 percent of the 44,493-square-foot retail space. • Jones Crossing is our H-E-B-anchored mixed-use project in College Station, Texas, the location of Texas A&M University. As of March 31, 2024, we had signed leases for substantially all of the completed retail space, including the H-E-B grocery store, totaling 154,092 square feet, and a ground lease on one retail pad site. Four retail pad sites remain available for lease. The Jones Crossing site has additional commercial development potential of approximately 104,750 square feet of commercial space. • Lantana Place – Retail is part of our mixed-use development project within the Lantana community south of Barton Creek in Austin, Texas. As of March 31, 2024, we had signed leases for substantially all of the 99,377-square-foot retail space, including the anchor tenant, Moviehouse & Eatery, and a ground lease for an AC Hotel by Marriott that opened in November 2021. • Kingwood Place is our H-E-B-anchored, mixed-use development project in Kingwood, Texas (in the greater Houston area). We have constructed 151,877 square feet of retail space at Kingwood Place, including an H-E-B grocery store. As of March 31, 2024, we had signed leases for substantially all of the retail space, including the H-E-B grocery store. We have also signed ground leases on four of the retail pad sites. One retail pad site remains available for lease. • Magnolia Place – Retail is our H-E-B shadow-anchored, mixed-use development project in Magnolia, Texas. We have constructed 18,582 square feet of retail space at Magnolia Place. As of March 31, 2024, we had signed leases for all the retail space in the first phase of development, and all tenants were open for business. As discussed above, in February 2024, we sold the land planned for a second phase of retail development and all remaining pad sites. In first-quarter 2024, we entered into a contract to sell West Killeen Market for $12.8 million, which we expect to close in second-quarter 2024. After repaying the project loan, we expect the sale to generate approximately $7.2 million of pre-tax net cash proceeds. We have engaged brokers to explore the sale of Lantana Place – Retail, Magnolia Place – Retail and Kingwood Place. Potential Development Projects and Pipeline Our development plans for The Annie B, Section N and The Saint Julia will require significant additional capital, which we currently intend to pursue through project-level debt and third-party equity capital arrangements through joint ventures in which we receive development management fees and asset management fees and with our potential returns increasing above our relative equity interest in each project as negotiated return hurdles are achieved. We anticipate seeking additional debt to finance the development of Phase II of Holden Hills. We are also pursuing other development projects. These potential development projects and projects in our portfolio could require extensive additional permitting and will be dependent on market conditions and financing. Because of the nature and cost of the approval and development process and uncertainty regarding market demand for a particular use, there is uncertainty regarding the nature of the final development plans and whether we will be able to successfully execute the plans. Market Conditions Our industry has been experiencing inflation, higher borrowing costs, tightened bank credit, more limited availability of equity capital, increased construction costs, higher labor costs, labor shortages, and supply chain constraints. Inflation in the U.S. increased rapidly during 2021 through June 2022. Since June 2022, the rate of inflation generally has declined; however, it has remained at high levels compared to recent historical periods. In response, the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds target rate multiple times from March 2022 through July 2023, by 525 basis points on a cumulative basis. These factors have increased our costs, adversely impacted the projected profitability of our new projects, delayed the start of or completion of projects, adversely impacted our ability to raise 18 Table of Contents equity capital on attractive terms and in our desired time frame and adversely impacted our ability to sell some properties at attractive prices in our desired time frame. To manage the risks of rising construction and labor costs, we go through extensive pricing exercises culminating with competitive bids from reputable contractors based on final plans and specifications. Because we typically engage third-party general contractors to construct our projects on a fixed-price or guaranteed maximum price basis, our exposure to construction and labor cost increases on projects under construction is limited; however, rising costs and delays in delivery of materials may increase the risk of default by contractors and subcontractors. Also, as discussed elsewhere in this report, higher costs have required us to make operating loans to some of our joint ventures, and we expect to make additional operating loans during the next 12 months. Refer to Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our 2023 Form 10-K for more information regarding our risk factors. Austin, our primary market, has experienced significant growth in demand for residential projects in recent years, particularly due to growth in the technology-related sector in the region and, during 2020 and 2021 related in part to COVID-19 pandemic-influenced in-migration. Although prices and demand for residential real estate in the Austin area generally moderated and in some submarkets declined during 2023, we believe the residential market in Austin remains attractive compared to other U.S. urban markets. The U.S. Federal Reserve has signaled that it may lower rates in 2024, although there is no certainty with respect to the timing and pace of potential decreases or if such decreases will occur. We continue to see reasons for optimism regarding improving real estate market conditions in our Texas markets as the year 2024 progresses. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS We are continually evaluating the development and sale potential of our properties and will continue to consider opportunities to enter into transactions involving our properties, including possible sales, joint ventures or other arrangements. As a result, and because of numerous factors affecting our business activities as described herein and in our 2023 Form 10-K, our past operating results are not necessarily indicative of our future results. We use operating income or loss to measure the performance of our operating segments. Corporate, eliminations and other includes consolidated general and administrative expenses, which primarily consist of employee compensation and other costs described herein. The following table summarizes our operating results (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Operating income (loss): Real Estate Operations a $ 6,801 $ (2,021) Leasing Operations 1,333 1,142 Corporate, eliminations and other b (4,449) (4,714) Operating income (loss) $ 3,685 $ (5,593) Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders $ 4,552 $ (5,801) a. Includes sales commissions and other revenues together with related expenses. b. Includes consolidated general and administrative expenses and eliminations of intersegment amounts. We have two operating segments: Real Estate Operations and Leasing Operations (refer to Note 9). The following is a discussion of our operating results by segment. 19 Table of Contents Real Estate Operations The following table summarizes our Real Estate Operations segment results (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Revenues: Developed property sales $ 7,623 $ 2,493 Undeveloped property sales 14,500 — Total revenues 22,123 2,493 Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization (15,278) (4,487) Depreciation and amortization (44) (27) Operating income (loss) $ 6,801 $ (2,021) Developed Property Sales. The following table summarizes our developed property sales (dollars in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Homes Revenues Average Cost Per Home Homes Revenues Average Cost Per Home Barton Creek Amarra Drive: Amarra Villas homes 2 $ 7,623 $ 3,130 1 $ 2,493 $ 2,172 Total Residential 2 $ 7,623 1 $ 2,493 The increase in revenues from developed property sales for first-quarter 2024, compared to first-quarter 2023, reflects the sale of two Amarra Villas homes in first-quarter 2024 compared to the sale of one Amarra Villas home in first-quarter 2023, as well as an increase in average sales price by approximately 53 percent, from $2.5 million per home in first-quarter 2023 to $3.8 million per home in first-quarter 2024, reflecting higher prices per square foot in the community. We entered into a contract in April 2024 to sell an Amarra Villas home for $3.6 million. No assurances can be given that the pending sale will be completed or that future sale prices will be as high as sale prices to date in 2024. Undeveloped Property Sales. In first-quarter 2024, we completed the sale of approximately 47 acres of undeveloped land at Magnolia Place that was planned for a second phase of retail development, all remaining pad sites and up to 600 multi-family units, for $14.5 million. Real Estate Cost of Sales. Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization, includes costs of property sold, project operating and marketing expenses and allocated overhead costs. Cost of sales increased to $15.3 million in first-quarter 2024 compared to $4.5 million in first-quarter 2023, primarily reflecting the sale of undeveloped property at Magnolia Place and the sales of two Amarra Villas homes in first-quarter 2024 compared with no undeveloped property sales and the sale of one Amarra Villas home in first-quarter 2023. In addition, the average cost of the Amarra Villas homes sold increased by approximately 44 percent. Leasing Operations The following table summarizes our Leasing Operations segment results (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Rental revenue $ 4,384 $ 3,309 Rental cost of sales, excluding depreciation (1,678) (1,261) Depreciation (1,373) (906) Operating income $ 1,333 $ 1,142 20 Table of Contents Rental Revenue. In first-quarter 2024 and first-quarter 2023, rental revenue primarily included revenue from our retail and mixed-use projects Lantana Place – Retail, Kingwood Place, Jones Crossing, West Killeen Market and Magnolia Place – Retail. In first-quarter 2024, rental revenue also included revenue from our multi-family project, The Saint June. The increase in rental revenue in first-quarter 2024, compared with first-quarter 2023, primarily reflects revenue from The Saint June, which had no rental revenue in first-quarter 2023, as well as increased revenue from Lantana Place – Retail and Kingwood Place, primarily due to new leases. Rental Cost of Sales and Depreciation. Rental cost of sales and depreciation expense increased in first-quarter 2024 compared with first-quarter 2023, primarily as a result of The Saint June, which had no operating expenses or depreciation expense in first-quarter 2023, partially offset by the costs of landscaping repairs and replacements at retail properties following the Texas winter storm in February 2023. Corporate, Eliminations and Other Corporate, eliminations and other (refer to Note 9) includes consolidated general and administrative expenses, which primarily consist of employee compensation and other costs. Consolidated general and administrative expenses decreased to $4.5 million in first-quarter 2024 compared to $4.7 million in first-quarter 2023 primarily as a result of lower compensation costs for estimated cash incentive awards for 2024. In first-quarter 2023 we also had fees related to a consulting arrangement to help raise third-party equity capital. Non-Operating Results Interest Expense, Net. Interest costs (before capitalized interest) totaled $4.0 million in first-quarter 2024 compared with $2.4 million in first-quarter 2023. Interest costs in first-quarter 2024 were higher, compared to first-quarter 2023, primarily reflecting higher interest rates as well as an increase in average debt balances. As of March 31, 2024, all of our debt was variable-rate debt, and for all of such debt, the interest rates have increased over the past year, including for first-quarter 2024, and may continue to rise in the future if prevailing market interest rates increase. All of our interest costs in first-quarter 2024 and first-quarter 2023 were capitalized. Capitalized interest is primarily related to development activities at Barton Creek (primarily Holden Hills, Section N and The Saint June), The Saint George and The Annie B for both periods presented. Provision for Income Taxes. We recorded a provision for income taxes of $0.1 million in first-quarter 2024 compared to $1.2 million in first-quarter 2023. Refer to Note 8 for further discussion of income taxes. Total Comprehensive Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests in Subsidiaries . Our partners' share of losses totaled $0.9 million in first-quarter 2024 compared to $0.5 million in first-quarter 2023. CAPITAL RESOURCES AND LIQUIDITY Volatility in the real estate market, including the markets in which we operate, can impact the timing of and proceeds received from sales of our properties, which may cause uneven cash flows from period to period. However, we believe that the unique nature and location of our assets will provide us positive cash flows over time. Comparison of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 Operating Activities. Cash provided by operating activities totaled $6.5 million in first-quarter 2024, compared with cash used in operating activities of $18.4 million in first-quarter 2023. The increase in operating cash flow is primarily due to property sales in first-quarter 2024. Expenditures for purchases and development of real estate properties totaled $9.0 million in first-quarter 2024, primarily related to development of our Barton Creek properties, particularly Holden Hills and Amarra Villas, and $9.0 million in first-quarter 2023, primarily related to development of our Barton Creek properties, particularly Amarra Villas and, to a lesser extent, Holden Hills. The cash outflow resulting from the decrease in accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other in first-quarter 2024 and first-quarter 2023 is primarily related to the timing of property tax payments. Investing Activities. Cash used in investing activities totaled $8.4 million in first-quarter 2024 and $10.2 million in first-quarter 2023. Capital expenditures totaled $8.1 million in first-quarter 2024, primarily for The Saint George and to a lesser extent for tenant improvements at Lantana Place – Retail, and $10.0 million in first-quarter 2023, primarily for The Saint June and The Saint George. Financing Activities. Cash used in financing activities totaled $9.1 million in first-quarter 2024 and cash provided by financing activities totaled $42.7 million in first-quarter 2023. In both the first-quarter 2024 and first-quarter 2023, we 21 Table of Contents had no net borrowings on the Comerica Bank revolving credit facility. In first-quarter 2024, net payments on project and term loans totaled $8.3 million, primarily reflecting the payoff of the Magnolia Place construction loan and paydowns on the Amarra Villas credit facility and the Annie B land loan, partially offset primarily by borrowings on The Saint George and Holden Hills construction loans and the Amarra Villas credit facility. In first-quarter 2023 net borrowings on project and term loans totaled $5.1 million, primarily reflecting borrowings on The Saint June construction loan and the Amarra Villas revolving credit facility, partially offset by the payoff of the New Caney land loan. Refer to “Revolving Credit Facility and Other Financing Arrangements” and “Debt Maturities and Other Contractual Obligations” below for a discussion of our outstanding debt at March 31, 2024. In first-quarter 2023, we received a contribution from a noncontrolling interest owner of $40.0 million, related to the Holden Hills partnership. On September 1, 2022, with written consent from Comerica Bank, our Board declared a special cash dividend of $4.67 per share (totaling $40.0 million) on our common stock, which was paid on September 29, 2022 to stockholders of record as of September 19, 2022. During first-quarter 2023, $0.2 million of accrued dividends for unvested restricted stock units (RSUs) were paid to the holders upon the vesting of the RSUs, and during first-quarter 2024, $0.4 million of accrued dividends for unvested RSUs were paid to the holders upon the vesting of the RSUs, leaving $0.3 million of dividends accrued for unvested RSUs presented in accrued liabilities as of March 31, 2024. The remaining accrued dividends will be paid to the holders of the RSUs as the RSUs vest. In 2022, with written consent from Comerica Bank, our Board also approved a share repurchase program, which authorized repurchases of up to $10.0 million of our common stock. During first-quarter 2023, we spent $0.9 million on share repurchases under the program. In October 2023, we completed the share repurchase program. In total, under the completed share repurchase program, we acquired 389,378 shares of our common stock for a total cost of $10.0 million at an average price of $25.68 per share. In November 2023, with written consent from Comerica Bank, our Board approved a new share repurchase program, which authorizes repurchases of up to $5.0 million of our common stock. The repurchase program authorizes us, in management’s and the Capital Committee of the Board’s discretion, to repurchase shares from time to time, subject to market conditions and other factors. The timing, price and number of shares that may be repurchased under the program will be based on market conditions, applicable securities laws and other factors considered by management and the Capital Committee of the Board. Share repurchases under the program may be made from time to time through solicited or unsolicited transactions in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with securities laws. The share repurchase program does not obligate us to repurchase any specific amount of shares, does not have an expiration date, and may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time without prior notice. As of March 31, 2024, we had not repurchased any shares under the new program. Revolving Credit Facility and Other Financing Arrangements As of March 31, 2024, we had $20.7 million in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of $0.8 million, and no amount was borrowed under our revolving credit facility. Of the $20.7 million in consolidated cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2024, $2.8 million held at certain consolidated subsidiaries is subject to restrictions on distribution to the parent company pursuant to project loan agreements. As of March 31, 2024, we had total debt of $170.1 million based on the principal amounts outstanding compared with $177.4 million at December 31, 2023. As of March 31, 2024, the maximum amount that could be borrowed under the Comerica Bank revolving credit facility was $52.9 million, resulting in availability of $39.6 million, net of letters of credit totaling $13.3 million issued under the revolving credit facility, $11.0 million of which secure our obligation to build certain roads and utilities facilities benefiting Holden Hills and Section N and $2.3 million of which secure our obligation to construct and pay for certain utility infrastructure in Lakeway, Texas. Refer to “Debt Maturities and Other Contractual Obligations” below for a table illustrating the timing of principal payments due on our outstanding debt as of March 31, 2024. In April 2023, we made an operating loan of $1.5 million to Stratus Block 150, L.P. to facilitate the partnership’s ability to pay ongoing costs of The Annie B project during the pre-construction period. In August 2023 and February 2024, we made additional operating loans of $800 thousand and $2.4 million, respectively, to Stratus Block 150, L.P. The loans are subordinate to The Annie B land loan and must be repaid before distributions may be made to the partners. Until February 2024, the interest rate on the loans was the one-month Bloomberg Short Term Bank Yield 22 Table of Contents Index (BSBY) Rate plus 5.00 percent. In February 2024, the interest rate on the loans was changed to the one-month Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus 5.00 percent. In June 2023, we made an operating loan of $750 thousand to The Saint June, L.P. to support the partnership’s ability to pay its construction loan interest, which has risen above the amount originally budgeted due to rising interest rates. In October 2023 and January 2024, we made additional operating loans of $250 thousand and $339 thousand, respectively, to The Saint June, L.P., and the Class B Limited Partner made operating loans of $250 thousand and $339 thousand, respectively, to The Saint June, L.P. In April 2024, we made an additional operating loan of $85 thousand to The Saint June, L.P., and the Class B Limited Partner made an additional operating loan of $165 thousand to The Saint June, L.P. The loans bear interest at the one-month Term SOFR plus 5.00 percent, are subordinate to The Saint June construction loan and must be repaid before distributions may be made to the partners. In February 2024, The Annie B land loan was modified to extend the maturity to September 1, 2025, and change the interest rate to the Term SOFR Rate plus 3.00 percent. Under The Annie B land loan, the Term SOFR Rate is defined as one-month Term SOFR plus 0.10 percent and is subject to a floor of 0.50 percent. In connection with the modification, we made a $1.4 million principal payment on the loan and are required to make another principal payment of $630 thousand in February 2025. During first-quarter 2024, we paid off the $8.8 million Magnolia Place construction loan in connection with our sale of approximately 47 acres of undeveloped land, and we made principal payments of $7.2 million on our Amarra Villas revolving credit facility in connection with our sales of two Amarra Villas homes. During the quarter, we increased borrowings under The Saint George, The Saint June and Holden Hills construction loans. Refer to Note 6 for further discussion. Our debt agreements require compliance with specified financial covenants. Refer to Note 6 and MD&A in our 2023 Form 10-K for a discussion of the financial covenants in our debt agreements. As of March 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all of our financial covenants. Stratus’ and its subsidiaries’ debt arrangements, including Stratus’ guaranty agreements contain significant limitations that may restrict Stratus’ and its subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: borrow additional money or issue guarantees; pay dividends, repurchase equity or make other distributions to equityholders; make loans, advances or other investments; create liens on assets; sell assets; enter into sale-leaseback transactions; enter into transactions with affiliates; permit a change of control or change in management; sell all or substantially all of its assets; and engage in mergers, consolidations or other business combinations. Our Comerica Bank revolving credit facility, Amarra Villas revolving credit facility, The Annie B land loan, The Saint George construction loan, Kingwood Place construction loan and the Holden Hills construction loan require Comerica Bank’s prior written consent for any common stock repurchases in excess of $1.0 million or any dividend payments, which was obtained in connection with the special cash dividend and share repurchase programs. Any future declaration of dividends or decision to repurchase our common stock is at the discretion of our Board, subject to restrictions under our Comerica Bank debt agreements, and will depend on our financial results, cash requirements, projected compliance with covenants in our debt agreements, outlook and other factors deemed relevant by our Board. Our future debt agreements, future refinancings of or amendments to existing debt agreements or other future agreements may restrict our ability to declare dividends or repurchase shares. Our project loans are generally secured by all or substantially all of the assets of the projects, and our Comerica Bank revolving credit facility is secured by substantially all of our assets other than those encumbered by separate project financing. In addition, we are typically required to guarantee all or part of the payment of our project loans, in some cases until certain development milestones and/or financial conditions are met, except for the Jones Crossing loan guaranty, which has generally been limited to non-recourse carve-out obligations since inception of the loan. We were released as guarantor under the Lantana Place construction loan guaranty in 2022 and the guaranty of The Saint June construction loan was changed to a 50.0 percent repayment guaranty upon completion of The Saint June in fourth-quarter 2023. The Kingwood Place construction loan has a 25.0 percent repayment guaranty, and The Saint George construction loan has a completion guaranty and a 25.0 percent repayment guaranty. The Holden Hills construction loan has a completion guaranty and a full repayment guaranty. The Annie B land loan, the Amarra Villas revolving credit facility and the West Killeen Market construction loan each have a full repayment guaranty. Refer to Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements in our 2023 Form 10-K for additional discussion. 23 Table of Contents Our construction loans typically permit advances only in accordance with budgeted allocations and subject to specified conditions and require lender consent for changes to plans and specifications exceeding specified amounts. If the lender deems undisbursed proceeds insufficient to meet costs of completing the project, the lender may decline to make additional advances until the borrower deposits with the lender sufficient additional funds to cover the deficiency the lender deems to exist. The inability to satisfy a condition to receive advances for a specified time period after lender’s refusal, or the failure to complete a project by a specified completion date, may be an event of default, subject to exceptions for force majeure. Debt Maturities and Other Contractual Obligations The following table summarizes our debt maturities based on the principal amounts outstanding as of March 31, 2024 (in thousands): 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Thereafter Total Comerica Bank revolving credit facility $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — Jones Crossing loan — — 22,581 — — 22,581 The Annie B land loan — 12,600 — — — — 12,600 Construction loans: The Saint George — — 32,378 — — — 32,378 The Saint June a 28,697 — — — — — 28,697 Kingwood Place b 28,241 — — — — — 28,241 Lantana Place 237 348 375 22,000 — — 22,960 Amarra Villas revolving credit facility c 9,888 — — — — — 9,888 Holden Hills — — 7,518 — — — 7,518 West Killeen Market d 44 5,197 — — — — 5,241 Total $ 67,107 $ 18,145 $ 62,852 $ 22,000 $ — $ — $ 170,104 a. Includes operating loans from our third-party partner of $589 thousand. The maturity date of The Saint June construction loan is October 2, 2024. We have options to extend the maturity for two additional 12-month terms if certain conditions are met. b. The maturity date is December 6, 2024. c. The maturity date for this credit facility is June 19, 2024, and we are in discussions with the lender about extending the loan. d. We expect to pay off this loan in full in connection with the closing of the sale of the property, which is expected to occur in second-quarter 2024. 24 Table of Contents The following table summarizes the weighted-average interest rate of each loan, all of which have variable rates, for the periods presented: Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Comerica Bank revolving credit facility a — % — % Jones Crossing loan 7.70 6.73 The Annie B land loan 8.41 7.44 Construction loans: The Saint George b 7.73 — The Saint June 8.19 7.29 Kingwood Place 8.20 7.15 Lantana Place 7.74 6.93 Amarra Villas revolving credit facility 8.39 7.45 Holden Hills c 8.39 — West Killeen Market d 8.09 7.24 Magnolia Place e — 7.79 a. We did not have an outstanding balance during first-quarter 2024 or 2023. At March 31, 2024, the interest rate for the revolving credit facility was 9.38 percent. b. We did not have an outstanding balance during first-quarter 2023. c. We did not have an outstanding balance during first-quarter 2023. d. We expect to pay off this loan in full in connection with the closing of the sale of the property, which is expected to occur in second-quarter 2024. e. In February 2024, this loan was repaid with proceeds from the sale of approximately 47 acres of undeveloped land. We had firm commitments totaling approximately $33.0 million at March 31, 2024 primarily related to construction of The Saint George, Holden Hills and Amarra Villas. We have construction loans to fund these projected cash outlays for the projects over the next 12 months, except for anticipated operating loans to Stratus Block 150, L.P. and The Saint George Apartments, L.P. described below and 60 percent of the costs of the Tecoma Improvements for which we have agreed to reimburse the Holden Hills partnership. As of March 31, 2024, the Holden Hills partnership had $6.4 million remaining to complete the Tecoma Improvements. Also, we anticipate making future operating loans to Stratus Block 150, L.P. and The Saint George Apartments, L.P. totaling up to $3.6 million over the next 12 months to enable the partnerships to pay debt service and project costs. The operating loans would bear interest at the one-month SOFR Rate plus 5.00 percent and the one-month BSBY Rate plus 5.00 percent, respectively, would be subordinate to the project loans and would be repaid before distributions may be made to the partners. We project that we will be able to meet our debt service and other cash obligations for at least the next 12 months. Our stabilized commercial properties (West Killeen Market, Jones Crossing, Lantana Place – Retail, Kingwood Place and Magnolia Place – Retail) are projected to generate positive cash flow after debt service over the next 12 months. In first-quarter 2024, we entered into a contract to sell West Killeen Market for $12.8 million, which we expect to close in second-quarter 2024. After repaying the project loan, we expect the sale to generate approximately $7.2 million of pre-tax net cash proceeds. For other projected pre-development costs, much of which are discretionary, and for our costs of the Tecoma Improvements and projected general and administrative expenses, we have cash on hand of $20.7 million at March 31, 2024 and availability under our revolving credit facility (which matures on March 27, 2025) of approximately $39.6 million as of March 31, 2024 which is expected to be sufficient to fund these cash requirements for the next 12 months. We expect to successfully extend the maturities of, or to refinance, our debt that matures in the next 12 months. For future potential significant development projects, we would not plan to enter into commitments to incur material costs for the projects until we obtain what we project to be adequate financing to cover anticipated cash outlays. As discussed under “Business Strategy” above, our main source of revenue and cash flow is expected to come from sales of our properties to third parties or distributions from joint ventures, the timing of and proceeds from which are difficult to predict and depend on market conditions and other factors. We also generate cash flow from rental 25 Table of Contents revenue in our leasing operations and from development and asset management fees received from our properties. Due to the nature of our development-focused business, we do not expect to generate sufficient recurring cash flow to cover our general and administrative expenses each period. However, we believe that the unique nature and location of our assets, and our team’s ability to execute successfully on development projects, will provide us with positive cash flows and net income over time. No assurances can be given that the results anticipated by our projections will occur. Refer to Note 6 in this report and in our 2023 Form 10-K and “Risk Factors” included in Part I, Item 1A. of our 2023 Form 10-K for further discussion. Our ability to meet our cash obligations over the longer term will depend on our future operating and financial performance and cash flows, including our ability to sell or lease properties profitably and extend or refinance debt as it becomes due, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES There have been no changes in our critical accounting estimates from those discussed in our 2023 Form 10-K. RECENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS In August 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU), No. 2023-05, “Business Combinations – Joint Venture Formations.” This ASU addresses the accounting for contributions made to a joint venture, upon formation, in a joint venture’s separate financial statements. The pronouncement requires a joint venture to initially measure contributions at fair value upon formation, which is more relevant than the carrying amounts of the contributed net assets and would reduce equity method basis differences. The ASU is effective prospectively for all joint venture formations with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025. We do not expect the pronouncement to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting – Improvements to Reportable Segments Disclosures”, which enhances disclosures of significant segment expenses regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, extends certain annual disclosures to interim periods and permits more than one measure of segment profit or loss to be reported under certain conditions. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and early adoption of the amendment is permitted. We expect adoption of the pronouncement will lead to additional segment disclosure in our consolidated financial statements beginning with our annual report for 2024. In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740) – Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”. This ASU requires public business entities to disclose a tabular rate reconciliation of both percentages and reporting currency amounts on an annual basis. The ASU also requires disclosure of information on amount of income taxes paid disaggregated by federal, state and foreign taxes. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. We do not expect the pronouncement to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS In the ordinary course of business, we engage in certain activities that are not reflected on our consolidated balance sheets, generally referred to as off-balance sheet arrangements. For additional information regarding these types of activities, refer to the discussion about our firm commitments in “Capital Resources and Liquidity” above and Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements in our 2023 Form 10-K. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements in which we discuss factors we believe may affect our future performance. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical fact, such as plans, projections or expectations related to inflation, interest rates, supply chain constraints, availability of bank credit, our ability to meet our future debt service and other cash obligations, future cash flows and liquidity, the Austin and Texas real estate markets, the planning, financing, development, construction, completion and stabilization of our development projects, plans to sell, recapitalize, or refinance properties, future operational and financial performance, MUD reimbursements for infrastructure costs, regulatory matters, including the expected impact of the ETJ Law and related ongoing litigation, leasing activities, tax rates, future capital 26 Table of Contents expenditures and financing plans, possible joint ventures, partnerships, or other strategic relationships, other plans and objectives of management for future operations and development projects, and potential future cash returns to stockholders, including the timing and amount of repurchases under our share repurchase program. The words “anticipate,” “may,” “can,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “target,” “intend,” “likely,” “will,” “should,” “to be” and any similar expressions or statements are intended to identify those assertions as forward-looking statements. Under our Comerica Bank debt agreements, we are not permitted to repurchase our common stock in excess of $1.0 million or pay dividends on our common stock without Comerica Bank's prior written consent, which was obtained in connection with our current $5.0 million share repurchase program. Any future declaration of dividends or decision to repurchase our common stock is at the discretion of our Board, subject to restrictions under our Comerica Bank debt agreements, and will depend on our financial results, cash requirements, projected compliance with covenants in our debt agreements, outlook and other factors deemed relevant by our Board. Our future debt agreements, future refinancings of or amendments to existing debt agreements or other future agreements may restrict our ability to declare dividends or repurchase shares. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated, expected, projected or assumed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that can cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to implement our business strategy successfully, including our ability to develop, construct and sell or lease properties on terms our Board considers acceptable, increases in operating and construction costs, including real estate taxes, maintenance and insurance costs, and the cost of building materials and labor, increases in inflation and interest rates, supply chain constraints, availability of bank credit, defaults by contractors and subcontractors, declines in the market value of our assets, market conditions or corporate developments that could preclude, impair or delay any opportunities with respect to plans to sell, recapitalize or refinance properties, a decrease in the demand for real estate in select markets in Texas where we operate, particularly in Austin, changes in economic, market, tax, business and geopolitical conditions, potential U.S. or local economic downturn or recession, the availability and terms of financing for development projects and other corporate purposes, our ability to collect anticipated rental payments and close projected asset sales, loss of key personnel, our ability to enter into and maintain joint ventures, partnerships, or other strategic relationships, including risks associated with such joint ventures, any major public health crisis, our ability to pay or refinance our debt, extend maturity dates of our loans or comply with or obtain waivers of financial and other covenants in debt agreements and to meet other cash obligations, eligibility for and potential receipt and timing of receipt of MUD reimbursements, industry risks, changes in buyer preferences, potential additional impairment charges, competition from other real estate developers, our ability to obtain various entitlements and permits, changes in laws, regulations or the regulatory environment affecting the development of real estate, opposition from special interest groups or local governments with respect to development projects, weather- and climate-related risks, environmental risks, litigation risks, including the timing and resolution of the ongoing litigation challenging the ETJ Law and our ability to implement any revised development plans in light of the ETJ Law, the failure to attract buyers or tenants for our developments or such buyers’ or tenants’ failure to satisfy their purchase commitments or leasing obligations, cybersecurity incidents and other factors described in more detail under the heading “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A. of our 2023 Form 10-K, filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned that many of the assumptions upon which our forward-looking statements are based are likely to change after the date the forward-looking statements are made. Further, we may make changes to our business plans that could affect our results. We caution investors that we undertake no obligation to update our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, notwithstanding any changes in our assumptions, business plans, actual experience or other changes. Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk . Not applicable.