UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

 

Commission file number 1-9186

 

TOLL BROTHERS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

(215) 938-8000

 

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

 

 

 

* Includes associated Right to Purchase Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

 

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

 

None

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

As of April 30, 2008, the aggregate market value of the Common Stock held by non-affiliates (all persons other than executive officers and directors of Registrant) of the Registrant was approximately $2,951,122,000.

 

As of December 10, 2008, there were approximately 160,466,000 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

 

Documents Incorporated by Reference:

 

Portions of the proxy statement of Toll Brothers, Inc. with respect to the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, scheduled to be held on March 11, 2009, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

 

 

PART I

 

 

General

 

Toll Brothers, Inc., a Delaware corporation formed in May 1986, began doing business through predecessor entities in 1967. When this report uses the words “we,” “us,” and “our,” it refers to Toll Brothers, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

 

We design, build, market and arrange financing for single-family detached and attached homes in luxury residential communities. We are also involved, directly and through joint ventures, in projects where we are building, or converting existing rental apartment buildings into high-, mid- and low-rise luxury homes. We cater to move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, age-qualified and second-home buyers in 21 states of the United States. In the five years ended October 31, 2008, we delivered 35,851 homes from 637 communities, including 4,831 homes from 370 communities in fiscal 2008. Included in the five-year and fiscal 2008 deliveries are 424 units and 88 units, respectively, that were delivered from several communities where we used the percentage of completion accounting method to recognize revenues and cost of revenues.

 

Our traditional, single-family communities are generally located on land we have either acquired and developed or acquired fully approved and, in some cases, improved. Currently, we operate in the major suburban and urban residential areas of:

 

 

 

We continue to explore additional geographic areas and markets for expansion, as appropriate.

 

We operate our own land development, architectural, engineering, mortgage, title, landscaping, lumber distribution, house component assembly, and manufacturing operations. We also develop, own and operate golf courses and country clubs associated with several of our master planned communities.

 

Since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005, we have experienced a slowdown in our business. This slowdown has worsened over the past several months. The value of net new contracts signed in fiscal 2008 was 78% lower than the value of net new contracts signed in fiscal 2005. This slowdown, which we believe started with a decline in consumer confidence, an overall softening of demand for new homes and an oversupply of homes available for sale, has been exacerbated by, among other things, a decline in the overall economy, increasing unemployment, fear of job loss, a significant decline in the securities markets, a continuing decline in home prices, a large number of homes that are or will be available for sale due to foreclosure, the inability of our home buyers to sell their current homes, a deterioration in the credit markets, and the direct and indirect impact of the turmoil in the mortgage loan market. We believe that the key to a recovery in our business is the return of consumer confidence and a stabilization of financial markets and home prices.

 

For information and analyses of recent trends in our operations and financial condition, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of this Form 10-K, and for financial information about our revenues, earnings, assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity and cash flows, please see the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

 

At October 31, 2008, we were operating from 323 communities containing approximately 22,560 home sites that we owned or controlled through options. Of the 22,560 home sites, 20,514 were available for sale and 2,046 were under agreement of sale but not yet delivered (“backlog”). Of our 323 communities, 273 were offering homes for sale, 21 had been offering homes for sale but were temporarily closed due to business conditions or the lack of availability of improved home sites, 2 were preparing to open and 27 were sold out but not all homes had been completed and delivered. At October 31, 2008, we also owned or controlled through options approximately 17,224 home sites in 137 proposed communities. We expect to be selling from approximately 255 communities by October 31, 2009. Of the approximately 39,800 total home sites that we owned or controlled through options at October 31, 2008, we owned approximately 32,100.

 

At October 31, 2008, we were offering single-family detached homes in 194 communities at prices, excluding customized options and lot premiums, generally ranging from $263,000 to $2,000,000. During fiscal 2008, we delivered 2,786 detached homes at an average base price of approximately $674,300. On average, our detached home buyers added approximately 24.4%, or $164,500 per home, in customized options and lot premiums to the base price of detached homes we delivered in fiscal 2008.

 

At October 31, 2008, we were offering attached homes in 79 communities at prices, excluding customized options and lot premiums, generally ranging from $229,000 to $2,160,000, with some units offered at prices higher than $2,160,000. During fiscal 2008, we delivered 1,957 attached homes at an average base price of approximately $514,600. On average, our attached home buyers added approximately 9.5%, or $48,900 per home, in customized options and lot premiums to the base price of attached homes we delivered in fiscal 2008.

 

We had a backlog of $1.33 billion (2,046 homes) at October 31, 2008 and $2.85 billion (3,950 homes) at October 31, 2007. Backlog at October 31, 2007 was reduced by $55.2 million for revenue we recognized using the percentage of completion accounting method. Of the homes in backlog at October 31, 2008, approximately 95% are scheduled to be delivered by October 31, 2009.

 

In recognition of our achievements, we have received numerous awards from national, state and local home builder publications and associations. We are the only publicly traded national home builder to have won all three of

the industry’s highest honors: America’s Best Builder (1996), the National Housing Quality Award (1995), and Builder of the Year (1988).

 

We attempt to reduce certain risks by: controlling land for future development through options whenever we can, thus allowing the necessary governmental approvals to be obtained before acquiring title to the land; generally commencing construction of a home only after executing an agreement of sale with a buyer; and using subcontractors to perform home construction and land development work on a fixed-price basis. In order to obtain better terms or prices, or due to competitive pressures, we may purchase properties outright, or acquire an underlying mortgage, prior to obtaining all of the governmental approvals necessary to commence development. Our risk reduction strategy of generally not commencing the construction of a home until we had an agreement of sale with a buyer was effective in the past, but due to the significant number of cancellations of agreements of sale that we have had in the current downturn in the housing market, many of which were for homes on which we had commenced construction, and the increase in the number of multi-family communities that we have under construction, the number of homes under construction for which we do not have an agreement of sale has increased from our historical levels.

 

Our Communities

 

Our communities are generally located in affluent suburban areas near major highways providing access to major cities. We are also operating in the affluent urban markets of Hoboken and Jersey City, New Jersey; New York City, New York; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We currently operate in 21 states. The following table lists the states in which we operate and the fiscal years in which we or our predecessors commenced operations:

 

 

We market our high-quality single-family homes to “upscale” luxury home buyers, generally comprised of those persons who have previously owned a principal residence and who are seeking to buy a larger home — the so-called “move-up” market. We believe our reputation as a developer of homes for this market enhances our competitive position with respect to the sale of our smaller, more moderately priced detached homes, as well as our attached homes.

We also market to the 50+ year-old “empty-nester” market and believe that this market has strong growth potential. We have developed a number of home designs with features such as one-story living and first floor master bedroom suites, as well as communities with recreational amenities such as golf courses, marinas, pool complexes, country clubs and recreation centers, that we believe appeal to this category of home buyer. We have integrated these designs and features in our other home types and communities.

 

In 1999, we opened for sale our first active-adult, age-qualified community for households in which at least one member is 55 years of age. We are currently selling from 19 such communities and expect to open additional age-qualified communities during the next few years. In fiscal 2008, approximately 10% of the value of new contracts signed was in active-adult communities.

 

We also sell homes in the second-home market. We have been selling homes in this market for several years and currently offer them in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

 

In order to serve a growing market of affluent move-up families, empty-nesters and young professionals seeking to live in or close to major cities, we have developed and are developing a number of high-density, high-, mid- and low-rise urban luxury communities and are in the process of converting several for-rent apartment buildings to condominiums. These communities, which we are currently developing on our own or through joint ventures, are located in Phoenix, Arizona; Dublin, California; Singer Island, Florida; Bloomingdale, Illinois; North Bethesda, Maryland; Hoboken and Jersey City, New Jersey; the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and its suburbs; and Leesburg, Virginia.

 

We believe that the demographics of the move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, age-qualified and second-home up-scale markets will provide us with the potential for growth in the coming decade. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of households earning $100,000 or more (in constant 2007 dollars) now stands at 23.6 million households, or approximately 20.2% of all households. This group has grown at five times the rate of increase of all U.S. households since 1980. According to Claritas, Inc., a provider of demographic information, approximately 10.3 million of these households are located in our current markets. According to Harvard University, the number of projected new household formations during the ten year period between 2010 and 2020 will be approximately 14.4 million.

 

Although the leading edge of the baby boom generation is now in its late 50’s and early 60’s, the largest group of baby boomers, the more than four million born annually between 1954 and 1964, are now in their peak move-up home buying years. The number of households with persons 55 to 64 years old, the focus of our age-qualified communities, is projected to increase significantly over the next 10 years.

 

We develop individual stand-alone communities as well as multi-product master planned communities. We currently have 28 master planned communities. Our master planned communities, many of which include golf courses and other country club-type amenities, enable us to offer multiple home types and sizes to a broad range of move-up, empty-nester, active-adult and second-home buyers. We seek to realize efficiencies from shared common costs such as land development and infrastructure over the several communities within the master planned community. We currently have master planned communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

 

Each of our single-family detached-home communities offers several home plans, with the opportunity for home buyers to select various exterior styles. We design each community to fit existing land characteristics. We strive to achieve diversity among architectural styles within an overall planned community by offering a variety of house models and several exterior design options for each house model, by preserving existing trees and foliage whenever practicable, and by curving street layouts which allow relatively few homes to be seen from any vantage point. Normally, homes of the same type or color may not be built next to each other. Our communities have attractive entrances with distinctive signage and landscaping. We believe that our added attention to community detail avoids a “development” appearance and gives each community a diversified neighborhood appearance that enhances home values.

Our traditional attached home communities generally offer one- to four-story homes, provide for limited exterior options and often include commonly-owned recreational facilities such as playing fields, swimming pools and tennis courts.

 

Our Homes

 

In most of our single-family detached home communities, we offer at least four different house floor plans, each with several substantially different architectural styles. In addition, the exterior of each basic floor plan may be varied further by the use of stone, stucco, brick or siding. Our traditional attached home communities generally offer several different floor plans with two, three or four bedrooms.

 

In all of our communities, a wide selection of options is available to home buyers for additional charges. The number and complexity of options typically increase with the size and base selling price of our homes. Major options include additional garages, guest suites and other additional rooms, finished lofts and extra fireplaces. On average, options purchased by our detached home buyers, including lot premiums, added approximately 24.4%, or $164,500 per home, to the base price of homes delivered in fiscal 2008, and options purchased by our attached home buyers, including lot premiums, added approximately 9.5%, or $48,900 per home, to the base price of homes delivered in fiscal 2008.

 

The general range of base sales prices for our different lines of homes at October 31, 2008, was as follows:

 

 

At October 31, 2008, we were offering some of our single-family, high-rise attached units at prices that were considerably higher than $2,160,000.

 

Contracts for the sale of homes are at fixed prices. In the past, the prices at which homes were offered in a community generally increased during the period in which that community was offering homes for sale; however, the current weak market has adversely affected that pattern. In fiscal 2008, the average sales incentive on homes delivered was approximately $70,200, as compared to approximately $34,100 in fiscal 2007. At October 31, 2008, we were offering sales incentives that averaged $60,900 per home, as compared to $44,800 at October 31, 2007.

 

We offer some of the same basic home designs in similar communities. However, we are continuously developing new designs to replace or augment existing ones to ensure that our homes reflect current consumer tastes. We use our own architectural staff, and also engage unaffiliated architectural firms, to develop new designs. During the past year, we introduced 43 new single-family detached models, 6 new single-family attached models and 20 new condominium unit models.

 

We operate in the following four geographic segments around the United States: the North, consisting of Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island; the Mid-Atlantic, consisting of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia; the South, consisting of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas; and the West, consisting of Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada. We began operations in Georgia in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007. We stopped selling homes in Ohio in fiscal 2005 and delivered our last home there in fiscal 2006. We stopped selling homes in Rhode Island in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 and delivered our last home there in the first quarter of fiscal 2008. Our operations in Ohio and Rhode Island were immaterial to the North geographic segment.

The following table summarizes by geographic segment, revenues and new contracts signed during fiscal 2008, 2007 and 2006, and backlog at October 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 (dollars in millions):

 

Revenues — Twelve months ended October 31,

 

 

Contracts — Twelve months ended October 31,

 

Backlog at October 31,

 

 

 

 

Revenues — Twelve months ended October 31,

 

 

 

 

The following table summarizes certain information with respect to our residential communities under development at October 31, 2008:

 

 

At October 31, 2008, significant site improvements had not yet commenced on approximately 11,900 of the 20,514 available home sites. Of the 20,514 available home sites, 1,996 were not yet owned by us, but were controlled through options.

 

Of our 323 communities under development at October 31, 2008, 273 were offering homes for sale, 21 had previously been offering homes for sale but were temporarily closed at October 31, 2008 due to business conditions or the unavailability of improved home sites, 2 were preparing to open and 27 were sold out but not all homes had been completed and delivered. Of the 273 communities in which homes were being offered for sale at October 31, 2008, 194 were single-family detached home communities containing a total of 304 homes (exclusive of model homes) under construction or completed but not under contract, and 79 were attached home communities containing a total of 1,042 homes (exclusive of model homes and 183 units that are temporarily being held as rental units) under construction or completed but not under contract. Of the 1,042 homes under construction or completed but not under contract in attached home communities at October 31, 2008, 522 were in high- and mid-rise projects and 51 were in two communities that we acquired and are converting to condominium units.

 

At the end of each fiscal quarter, we review the profitability of each of our operating communities. For those communities operating below certain profitability thresholds, we estimate the expected future cash flow for each of those communities. For those communities whose estimated cash flow is not sufficient to recover its carrying value, we estimate the fair value of these communities in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” (“SFAS 144”) and recognize an impairment charge for the difference between the estimated fair value of each community and its carrying value. In fiscal 2008, 2007 and 2006, we recognized impairment charges related to operating communities and land owned of $543.5 million, $581.6 million, and $61.1 million, respectively.

 

For more information regarding revenues, income before income taxes and assets by geographic segment, see Note 15 of the “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements,” “Information on Business Segments.”

 

Land Policy

 

Before entering into an agreement to purchase a land parcel, we complete extensive comparative studies and analyses on detailed Company-designed forms that assist us in evaluating the acquisition. We generally attempt to enter into option agreements to purchase land for future communities. However, in order to obtain better terms or

prices, or due to competitive pressures, we may acquire property outright from time to time. We have also entered into several joint ventures with other builders or developers to develop land for the use of the joint venture participants or for sale to outside third parties. In addition, we have, at times, acquired the underlying mortgage on a property and subsequently obtained title to that property.

 

We generally enter into agreements to purchase land, referred to in this Form 10-K as “land purchase contracts,” “purchase agreements,” “options” or “option agreements” on a non-recourse basis, thereby limiting our financial exposure to the amounts expended in obtaining any necessary governmental approvals, the costs incurred in the planning and design of the community and, in some cases, some or all of our deposit. The use of options or purchase agreements may increase the price of land that we eventually acquire, but reduces our risk by allowing us to obtain the necessary development approvals before acquiring the land or allowing us to delay the acquisition to a later date. Historically, as approvals were obtained, the value of the options, purchase agreements and land generally increased. However, in any given time period, this may not happen. We have the ability to extend many of these options for varying periods of time, in some cases by making an additional payment and, in other cases, without any additional payment. Our purchase agreements are typically subject to numerous conditions including, but not limited to, the ability to obtain necessary governmental approvals for the proposed community. Our deposit under an agreement may be returned to us if all approvals are not obtained, although pre-development costs may not be recoverable. We generally have the right to cancel any of our agreements to purchase land by forfeiture of some or all of the deposits we have made pursuant to the agreement.

 

Our ability to continue development activities over the long-term will be dependent, among other things, upon a suitable economic environment and our continued ability to locate and enter into options or agreements to purchase land, obtain governmental approvals for suitable parcels of land, and consummate the acquisition and complete the development of such land.

 

The following is a summary of the parcels of land that we either owned or controlled through options or purchase agreements at October 31, 2008 for proposed communities, as distinguished from those communities currently under development:

 

 

 

 

Of the 17,224 planned home sites at October 31, 2008, we owned 11,517 and controlled 5,707 through options and purchase agreements. At October 31, 2008, the aggregate purchase price of land parcels under option and purchase agreements in current and future communities was approximately $637.0 million (including $147.0 million of land to be acquired from joint ventures in which we have invested). Of the $637.0 million of land purchase commitments at October 31, 2008, we had paid or deposited $70.8 million and had investments in or guaranteed loans on behalf of joint ventures of $113.4 million. The purchases of these home sites are scheduled to take place over the next several years.

 

We evaluate all of the land under our control for proposed communities on an ongoing basis for continued economic and market feasibility. During each of the fiscal years ended October 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, such feasibility analyses resulted in approximately $101.5 million, $37.9 million, and $90.9 million, respectively, of capitalized costs related to proposed communities being charged to cost of revenue because they were no longer deemed to be recoverable.

We have a substantial amount of land currently under control for which approvals have been obtained or are being sought (as set forth in the tables above). We devote significant resources to locating suitable land for future development and to obtaining the required approvals on land under our control. There can be no assurance that the necessary development approvals will be secured for the land currently under our control or for land which we may acquire control of in the future or that, upon obtaining such development approvals, we will elect to complete the purchases of land under option or complete the development of land that we own. We generally have been successful in obtaining governmental approvals in the past. Based upon our current decreased level of business, we believe that we have an adequate supply of land in our existing communities and proposed communities (assuming that all properties are developed) to maintain our operations at current levels for several years.

 

Community Development

 

We expend considerable effort in developing a concept for each community, which includes determining the size, style and price range of the homes, the layout of the streets and individual home sites, and the overall community design. After the necessary governmental subdivision and other approvals have been obtained, which may take several years, we improve the land by clearing and grading it; installing roads, underground utility lines and recreational amenities; erecting distinctive entrance structures; and staking out individual home sites.

 

Each community is managed by a project manager. Working with sales staff, construction managers, marketing personnel and, when required, other in-house and outside professionals such as accountants, engineers, architects and legal counsel, the project manager is responsible for supervising and coordinating the various developmental steps from the approval stage through land acquisition, marketing, selling, construction and customer service, and for monitoring the progress of work and controlling expenditures. Major decisions regarding each community are made in consultation with senior members of our management team.

 

For our single-family detached and attached homes that generally take less than one year to build, we recognize revenue and costs from these home sales only when title and possession of a home is transferred to the buyer, which usually occurs shortly after home construction is substantially completed. For high-rise/mid-rise projects where the construction time is substantially longer than one year and which qualify under Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 66 for percentage of completion accounting, revenues and costs of individual communities are recognized on the individual projects’ aggregate value of units for which the home buyers have signed binding agreements of sale, less an allowance for cancellations, and is based on the percentage of total estimated construction costs which have been incurred. For high-rise/mid-rise projects that do not qualify for percentage of completion accounting, we recognize revenues and costs when title and possession of a home is transferred to the buyer. During the past two years, we completed construction on four projects for which we used the percentage of completion accounting method to recognize revenues and costs; the remaining units in these projects will be accounted for using the completed contract method of accounting. Based upon the current accounting rules and interpretations, we do not believe that any of our current or future communities qualify for percentage of completion accounting.

 

The most significant variable affecting the timing of our revenue stream, other than housing demand, is the opening of the community for sale, which generally occurs shortly after receipt of final land regulatory approvals. Receipt of approvals permits us to begin the process of obtaining executed sales contracts from home buyers. Although our sales and construction activities vary somewhat by season, which can affect the timing of closings, any such seasonal effect is relatively insignificant compared to the effect of the timing of receipt of final governmental approvals, the opening of the community and the subsequent timing of closings. In the current economic and housing slowdown, we have delayed the opening of new communities to reduce operating expenses and conserve cash.

 

We act as a general contractor for many of our projects. Subcontractors perform all home construction and land development work, generally under fixed-price contracts. We purchase most of the materials we use to build our homes and in our land development activities directly from the manufacturers or producers. We generally have multiple sources for the materials we purchase and we have not experienced significant delays due to unavailability of necessary materials. See “Manufacturing/Distribution Facilities” in Item 2.

 

Our construction managers and assistant construction managers coordinate subcontracting activities and supervise all aspects of construction work and quality control. One of the ways in which we seek to achieve home

buyer satisfaction is by providing our construction managers with incentive compensation arrangements based on each home buyer’s satisfaction as expressed by their responses on pre-closing and post-closing questionnaires.

 

We maintain insurance, subject to deductibles and self-insured amounts, to protect us against various risks associated with our activities, including, among others, general liability, “all-risk” property, workers’ compensation, automobile and employee fidelity. We accrue for our expected costs associated with the deductibles and self-insured amounts.

 

Marketing and Sales

 

We believe that our marketing strategy, which emphasizes our more expensive “Estate” and “Executive” lines of homes, has enhanced our reputation as a builder-developer of high-quality upscale housing. We believe this reputation results in greater demand for all of our lines of homes. To enhance this image, we generally include attractive decorative features such as chair rails, crown moldings, dentil moldings, vaulted and coffered ceilings and other aesthetic elements, even in our less expensive homes, based on our belief that this additional construction expense improves our marketing and sales effort.

 

In determining the prices for our homes, we utilize, in addition to management’s extensive experience, an internally developed value analysis program that compares our homes with homes offered by other builders in each local marketing area. In our application of this program, we assign a positive or negative dollar value to differences between our product features and those of our competitors, such as house and community amenities, location and reputation.

 

We expend great effort in designing and decorating our model homes, which play an important role in our marketing. In our models, we attempt to create an attractive atmosphere, which may include bread baking in the oven, fires burning in fireplaces, and music playing in the background. Interior decorating varies among the models and is carefully selected to reflect the lifestyles of prospective buyers. During the past several years, we have received numerous awards from various home builder associations for our interior merchandising.

 

We typically have a sales office in each community that is staffed by our own sales personnel. Sales personnel are generally compensated with both salary and commission. A significant portion of our sales is also derived from the introduction of customers to our communities by local cooperating realtors.

 

We advertise in newspapers, other local and regional publications, and on billboards. We also use attractive color brochures to market our communities. The Internet is also an important resource we use in marketing and providing information to our customers. A visitor to our award winning web site, www.tollbrothers.com, can obtain detailed information regarding our communities and homes across the country, take panoramic or video tours of our homes and design their own homes based upon our available floor plans and options.

 

Due to the current weak market conditions and in an effort to promote the sales of homes, including the significant number of speculative homes that we had due to sales contract cancellations, we have been increasing the amount of sales incentives offered to home buyers. These incentives will vary by type and amount on a community-by-community and home-by-home basis. The average value of sales incentives given to home buyers on homes delivered in fiscal 2008, 2007 and 2006 was approximately $70,200, $34,100 and $10,100, respectively.

 

All of our homes are sold under our limited warranty as to workmanship and mechanical equipment. Many homes also come with a limited ten-year warranty as to structural integrity.

 

We have a two-step sales process. The first step takes place when a potential home buyer visits one of our communities and decides to purchase one of our homes, at which point the home buyer signs a non-binding deposit agreement and provides a small, refundable deposit. This deposit will reserve, for a short period of time, the home site or unit that the home buyer has selected and will lock in the base price of the home. Deposit rates are tracked on a weekly basis to help us monitor the strength or weakness in demand in each of our communities. If demand for homes in a particular community is strong, senior management will determine whether the base selling prices in that community should be increased, whereas if demand for the homes in a particular community is weak, we may determine whether sales incentives and/or discounts on home prices should be added to the community’s sales

effort. Because these deposit agreements are non-binding, they are not recorded as signed contracts, nor are they recorded in backlog.

 

The second step in the sales process occurs when we actually sign a binding agreement of sale with the home buyer and the home buyer gives us a cash down payment. Cash down payments currently average approximately 10% of the total purchase price of a home, although, historically, they have averaged approximately 7% of the total purchase price of a home. Between the time that the home buyer signs the non-binding deposit agreement and the binding agreement of sale, he or she is required to complete a financial questionnaire that gives us the ability to evaluate whether the home buyer has the financial resources necessary to purchase the home. If we determine that the home buyer is not financially qualified, we will not enter into an agreement of sale with the home buyer. During fiscal 2008, 2007 and 2006, our customers signed 3,920, 6,025 and 7,470 gross contracts, respectively. They cancelled 993, 1,585 and 1,306 contracts during fiscal 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. Contract cancellations in a fiscal year include all contracts cancelled in that fiscal year, including contracts signed in that fiscal year as well as contracts signed in prior fiscal years. When we report contracts signed, the number and value of contracts signed are reported net of any cancellations occurring during the reporting period, whether signed in that reporting period or in a prior period. Only outstanding agreements of sale that have been signed by both the home buyer and us as of the end of the period for which we are reporting are included in backlog. Of the value of backlog reported on October 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, home buyers subsequently cancelled approximately 20.9%, 19.9% and 19.2% of such value of backlog, respectively. As a result of these cancellations, we retained $32.5 million, $36.5 million and $15.4 million of customer deposits in fiscal 2008, 2007 and fiscal 2006, respectively. These retained deposits are included in other income in our statements of operations.

 

While we try to avoid selling homes to speculators and generally do not build detached homes without first having a signed agreement of sale, we have been impacted by an overall increase in the supply of homes available for sale in many markets as speculators attempt to sell the homes they purchased or cancel contracts for homes under construction, the large number of homes that are or will be available for sale due to foreclosures, and as other builders, who, as part of their business strategy, were building homes in anticipation of capturing additional sales in a demand-driven market, attempt to reduce their inventories by lowering prices and adding incentives. In addition, based on the high cancellation rates reported by us and by other builders, cancellations by non-speculative buyers are also adding to the oversupply of homes in the marketplace. At October 31, 2008, we had 1,295 unsold units under construction (excluding condominium conversion units), including 522 units in high density product that generally have a longer construction time than our traditional product. At October 31, 2007, we had 1,613 unsold units (excluding condominium conversion units), including 672 units in high density product that generally have a longer construction time than our traditional product.

 

At October 31, 2008, our backlog of homes was $1.33 billion (2,046 homes). Of the homes in backlog at October 31, 2008, approximately 95% of the homes were scheduled to be delivered by October 31, 2009.

 

Our mortgage subsidiary provides mortgage financing for a portion of our home closings. Our mortgage subsidiary determines whether the home buyer qualifies for the mortgage he or she is seeking based upon information provided by the home buyer, and other sources. For those home buyers that qualify, our mortgage subsidiary provides the home buyer with a mortgage commitment that specifies the terms and conditions of a proposed mortgage loan based upon then-current market conditions. Prior to the actual closing of the home and funding of the mortgage, the home buyer will lock in an interest rate based upon the terms of the commitment. At the time of rate lock, our mortgage subsidiary agrees to sell the proposed mortgage loan to one of several outside recognized mortgage financing institutions (“investors”) that it uses, which is willing to honor the terms and conditions, including interest rate, committed to the home buyer. We believe that these investors have adequate financial resources to honor their commitments to our mortgage subsidiary. At October 31, 2008, our mortgage subsidiary was committed to fund $486.8 million of mortgage loans. Of these commitments, $95.8 million, as well as $49.3 million of mortgage loans receivable, have “locked in” interest rates. Our mortgage subsidiary has commitments from investors to acquire $142.7 million of these locked-in loans and receivables. Our home buyers have not “locked-in” the interest rate on the remaining $390.9 million.

Competition

 

The homebuilding business is highly competitive and fragmented. We compete with numerous home builders of varying sizes, ranging from local to national in scope, some of which have greater sales and financial resources than we have. Sales of existing homes, whether by a homeowner or by a financial institution who has acquired a home through a foreclosure, also provide competition. We compete primarily on the basis of price, location, design, quality, service and reputation; however, we believe our financial stability, relative to most others in our industry, has become an increasingly favorable competitive factor. When our industry recovers, we believe that we will see reduced competition from the small and mid-sized private builders in the luxury market. Their access to capital already appears to be severely constrained. We envision that there will be fewer and more selective lenders serving our industry at that time. We believe that those lenders likely will gravitate to the home building companies that offer them the greatest security, the strongest balance sheets and the broadest array of potential business opportunities.

 

Regulation and Environmental Matters

 

We are subject to various local, state and federal statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning zoning, building design, construction and similar matters, including local regulations which impose restrictive zoning and density requirements in order to limit the number of homes that can eventually be built within the boundaries of a particular property or locality. In a number of our markets, there has been an increase in state and local legislation authorizing the acquisition of land as dedicated open space, mainly by governmental, quasi-public and non-profit entities. In addition, we are subject to various licensing, registration and filing requirements in connection with the construction, advertisement and sale of homes in our communities. The impact of these laws has been to increase our overall costs, and may have delayed the opening of communities or caused us to conclude that development of particular communities would not be economically feasible, even if any or all necessary governmental approvals were obtained. See “Land Policy” in this Item 1. We also may be subject to periodic delays or may be precluded entirely from developing communities due to building moratoriums in one or more of the areas in which we operate. Generally, such moratoriums relate to insufficient water or sewage facilities or inadequate road capacity.

 

In order to secure certain approvals, in some areas, we may be required to provide affordable housing at below market rental or sales prices. The impact on us depends on how the various state and local governments in the areas in which we engage, or intend to engage, in development implement their programs for affordable housing. To date, these restrictions have not had a material impact on us.

 

We also are subject to a variety of local, state and federal statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning protection of public health and the environment (“environmental laws”). The particular environmental laws that apply to any given community vary greatly according to the location and environmental condition of the site, and the present and former uses of the site. Complying with these environmental laws may result in delays, may cause us to incur substantial compliance and other costs, and/or may prohibit or severely restrict development in certain environmentally sensitive regions or areas.

 

We maintain a policy of engaging independent environmental consultants to evaluate land for the potential of hazardous or toxic materials, wastes or substances before consummating an acquisition. Because we generally have obtained such assessments for the land we have purchased, we have not been significantly affected to date by the presence of such materials.

 

Our mortgage subsidiary is subject to various state and federal statutes, rules and regulations, including those that relate to licensing, lending operations and other areas of mortgage origination and financing. The impact of those statutes, rules and regulations can increase our home buyers’ cost of financing, increase our cost of doing business, as well as to restrict our home buyers’ access to some types of loans.

 

Employees

 

At October 31, 2008, we employed 3,160 persons full-time. Of the 3,160 full-time employees at October 31, 2008, 201 were in executive management positions, 395 were engaged in sales activities, 213 were engaged in project management activities, 1,231 were engaged in administrative and clerical activities, 417 were engaged in

construction activities, 70 were engaged in architectural and engineering activities, 353 were engaged in golf course operations, and 280 were engaged in manufacturing and distribution. At October 31, 2008, we were subject to one collective bargaining agreement that covered approximately 1.5% of our employees. We consider our employee relations to be good.

 

Available Information

 

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s public reference room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room.

 

Our principal Internet address is www.tollbrothers.com. We make available free of charge on or through www.tollbrothers.com our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The contents of our website are not, however, a part of this report.

 

Our Board of Directors has an audit committee, an executive compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Each of these committees has a formal charter. We also have Corporate Governance Guidelines, a Code of Ethics for the Principal Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers, and a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct which applies to all directors, officers and employees. Copies of these charters, guidelines and codes, and any waivers or amendments to such codes which are applicable to our executive officers, senior financial officers or directors, can be obtained free of charge from our web site, www.tollbrothers.com.

 

In addition, you may request a copy of the foregoing filings (excluding exhibits), charters, guidelines and codes, and any waivers or amendments to such codes which are applicable to our executive officers, senior financial officers or directors, at no cost by writing to us at Toll Brothers, Inc., 250 Gibraltar Road, Horsham, PA 19044, Attention: Director of Investor Relations, or by telephoning us at (215) 938-8000.

 

 

Factors That May Affect Our Future Results (Cautionary Statements Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995)

 

Certain information included in this report or in other materials we have filed or will file with the SEC (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by us) contains or may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They contain words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “may,” “can,” “could,” “might,” “should” and other words or phrases of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, information relating to anticipated operating results (including, for example, changes in revenues, profitability and operating margins), financial resources, interest expense, inventory impairments and write-downs, changes in accounting treatment, effects of home buyer cancellations, growth and expansion, anticipated income to be realized from our investments in unconsolidated entities, the ability to acquire land and gain approvals to open new communities, to sell homes and properties, to deliver homes from backlog, to secure materials and subcontractors, to produce the liquidity and capital necessary to expand and take advantage of opportunities in the future, industry trends, and stock market valuations. From time to time, forward-looking statements also are included in our other periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K, in press releases, in presentations, on our web site and in other materials released to the public.

 

Any or all of the forward-looking statements included in this report and in any other reports or public statements made by us are not guarantees of future performance and may turn out to be inaccurate. This can occur as a result of incorrect assumptions or as a consequence of known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Many factors mentioned in this report or in other reports or public statements made by us, such as government regulation and the

competitive environment, will be important in determining our future performance. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from those that might be anticipated from our forward-looking statements.

 

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

On December 4, 2008, we issued a press release and held a conference call to review the results of operations for our fiscal year ended October 31, 2008 and to discuss the current state of our business. The information contained in this report is consistent with that given in the press release and on the conference call on December 4, 2008, and we are not reconfirming or updating that information in this Form 10-K. However, any further disclosures made on related subjects in our subsequent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K should be consulted.

 

The following cautionary discussion of risks, uncertainties and possible inaccurate assumptions relevant to our business includes factors we believe could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results. Other factors beyond those listed below, including factors unknown to us and factors known to us which we have not determined to be material, could also adversely affect us. This discussion is provided as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and all of our forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referenced in this section.

 

The homebuilding industry is undergoing a significant downturn, and its duration and ultimate severity are uncertain in the current state of the economy. A continued slowdown in our business will continue to adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

 

The downturn in the homebuilding industry, which is in its fourth year, has become one of the most severe in U.S. history. This downturn, which we believe started with a decline in consumer confidence, a decline in home prices and an oversupply of homes available for sale, has been exacerbated by, among other things, a decline in the overall economy, increasing unemployment, fear of job loss, a decline in the securities markets, the number of homes that are or will be available for sale due to foreclosures, an inability of home buyers to sell their current homes, a deterioration in the credit markets, and the direct and indirect impact of the turmoil in the mortgage loan market. All of these factors, in an economy that is now in recession, have contributed to the significant decline in the demand for new homes. Moreover, the government’s legislative and administrative measures aimed at restoring liquidity to the credit markets and providing relief to homeowners facing foreclosure have only recently begun. It is unclear whether these measures will effectively stabilize prices and home values or restore consumer confidence and increase demand in the homebuilding industry.

 

As a result of this downturn, our sales and results of operations have been adversely affected, we have incurred significant inventory impairments and other write-offs, our gross margins have declined significantly, and we incurred a substantial loss, after write-offs, during fiscal 2008. We cannot predict the duration or ultimate severity of the current challenging conditions, nor can we provide assurance that our responses to the current downturn or the government’s attempts to address the troubles in the economy will be successful. If these conditions persist or continue to worsen, they will further adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

 

Additional adverse changes in economic conditions where we conduct our operations and where prospective purchasers of our homes live could further reduce the demand for homes and, as a result, could further reduce our results of operations and continue to adversely affect our financial condition.

 

Adverse changes in national, regional and local economic conditions where we conduct our operations and where prospective purchasers of our homes live, have had and may continue to have a negative impact on our business. Adverse changes in employment levels, job growth, consumer confidence, interest rates and population growth, or an oversupply of homes for sale may further reduce demand, depress prices for our homes and cause home buyers to cancel their agreements to purchase our homes. This, in turn, could further reduce our results of operations and continue to adversely affect our financial condition.

Continued higher than normal cancellations of existing agreements of sale will have a continued adverse effect on our business.

 

Our backlog reflects agreements of sale with our home buyers for homes that have not yet been delivered. We have received a deposit from our home buyer for each home reflected in our backlog, and generally we have the right to retain the deposit if the home buyer does not complete the purchase. In some cases, however, a home buyer may cancel the agreement of sale and receive a complete or partial refund of the deposit for reasons such as state and local law, the home buyer’s inability to obtain mortgage financing, his or her inability to sell their current home or our inability to complete and deliver the home within the specified time. Our home buyers have cancelled a higher than normal number of agreements of sale since the fourth quarter of our fiscal 2005. If the current industry downturn continues, if the current decline in economic conditions continues, or if mortgage financing becomes less available, more home buyers may cancel their agreements of sale with us. The continued high levels of home buyer cancellations will continue to have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

The homebuilding industry is highly competitive and, if others are more successful or offer better value to our customers, our business could decline.

 

We operate in a very competitive environment which is characterized by competition from a number of other home builders in each market in which we operate. We compete with large national and regional home building companies and with smaller local home builders for land, financing, raw materials and skilled management and labor resources. We also compete with the resale, or “previously owned,” home market which has increased significantly due to the large number of homes that have been foreclosed on or will be foreclosed on due to the current economic downturn. Increased competition could cause us to increase our selling incentives and/or reduce our prices. An oversupply of homes available for sale and the heavy discounting of home prices by some of our competitors have adversely affected demand for our homes and the results of our operations. If we are unable to compete effectively in our markets, our business could decline disproportionately to our competitors.

 

If we are not able to obtain suitable financing or our credit ratings are lowered, our business and results of operations may decline.

 

Our business and results of operations depend substantially on our ability to obtain financing for the development of our residential communities, whether from bank borrowings or from financing in the public debt markets. Our revolving credit facility matures in March 2011, $343.0 million of our senior subordinated debt becomes due and payable in 2011 and $1.15 billion of our senior notes become due and payable at various times from November 2012 through May 2015. The availability of financing from banks and the public debt markets has declined significantly. Due to the deterioration of the credit markets and the uncertainties that exist in the economy and for home builders in general, we cannot be certain that we will be able to replace existing financing or find additional sources of financing.

 

If we are not able to obtain suitable financing or replace existing debt and credit facilities when they become due or expire, our costs for borrowings will likely increase and our revenues may decrease, or we could be precluded from continuing our operations at current levels.

 

Increases in interest rates can make it more difficult and/or expensive for us to obtain the funds we need to operate our business. The amount of interest we incur on our revolving bank credit facility fluctuates based on changes in short-term interest rates, the amount of borrowings we incur and the ratings that national rating agencies assign to our outstanding debt securities. Increases in interest rates generally and/or any downgrading in the ratings that national rating agencies assign to our outstanding debt securities could increase the interest rates we must pay on any subsequent issuances of debt securities, and any such ratings downgrade could also make it more difficult for us to sell such debt securities.

 

If we cannot obtain letters of credit and surety bonds, our ability to operate may be restricted.

 

We use letters of credit and surety bonds to secure our performance under various construction and land development agreements, escrow agreements, financial guarantees and other arrangements. Should banks decline

to issue letters of credit or surety companies decline to issue surety bonds, our ability to operate could be significantly restricted and could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

If our home buyers or our home buyers’ buyers are not able to obtain suitable financing, our results of operations may further decline.

 

Our results of operations also depend on the ability of our potential home buyers to obtain mortgages for the purchase of our homes. The uncertainties created by recent events in the mortgage markets and their impact on the overall mortgage market, including the tightening of credit standards, could adversely affect the ability of our customers to obtain financing for a home purchase, thus preventing our potential home buyers from purchasing our homes. Moreover, increases in the cost of home mortgage financing could prevent our potential home buyers from purchasing our homes. In addition, where our potential home buyers must sell their existing homes in order to buy a home from us, increases in mortgage costs and/or lack of availability of mortgages could prevent the buyers of our potential home buyers’ existing homes from obtaining the mortgages they need to complete the purchase, which would result in our potential customers’ inability to buy a home from us. Similar risks apply to those buyers who are in our backlog of homes to be delivered. If our home buyers, potential buyers or buyers of our home buyers’ current homes cannot obtain suitable financing, our sales and results of operations would be adversely affected.

 

If our ability to resell mortgages to investors is impaired, our home buyers will be required to find alternative financing.

 

Generally, when our mortgage subsidiary closes a mortgage for a home buyer at a previously locked in rate, it already has an agreement in place with an investor to acquire the mortgage following the closing. Due to the deterioration of the credit and financial markets, the number of investors that are willing to purchase our mortgages has decreased and the underwriting standards of the remaining investors have become more stringent. Should the resale market for our mortgages further decline or the underwriting standards of our investors become more stringent, our ability to sell future mortgages could decline and our home buyers will be required to find an alternative source of financing. If our home buyers cannot obtain an alternative source of financing in order to purchase our homes, our sales and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

If land is not available at reasonable prices, our sales and results of operations could decrease.

 

In the long-term, our operations depend on our ability to obtain land for the development of our residential communities at reasonable prices. Due to the current downturn in our business, our supply of available home sites, both owned and optioned, has decreased from 91,200 home sites controlled at April 30, 2006 to 39,800 at October 31, 2008. In the future, changes in the general availability of land, competition for available land, availability of financing to acquire land, zoning regulations that limit housing density and other market conditions may hurt our ability to obtain land for new residential communities at prices that will allow us to make a reasonable profit. If the supply of land appropriate for development of our residential communities becomes more limited because of these factors, or for any other reason, the cost of land could increase and/or the number of homes that we sell and build could be reduced.

 

If the market value of our land and homes drop, our results of operations will likely decrease.

 

The market value of our land and housing inventories depends on market conditions. We acquire land for expansion into new markets and for replacement of land inventory and expansion within our current markets. If housing demand decreases below what we anticipated when we acquired our inventory, we may not be able to make profits similar to what we have made in the past, may experience less than anticipated profits and/or may not be able to recover our costs when we sell and build homes. Due to the significant decline in our business since September 2005, we have recognized significant write-downs of our inventory in fiscal 2006, fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2008. If these adverse market conditions continue or worsen, we may have to write-down our inventories further and/or may have to sell land or homes at a loss.

Errors in estimates and judgments that affect decisions about how we operate and on the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses could have a material impact on us.

 

In the ordinary course of doing business, we must make estimates and judgments that affect decisions about how we operate and on the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. These estimates include, but are not limited to, those related to the recognition of income and expenses; impairment of assets; estimates of future improvement and amenity costs; estimates of sales levels and sales prices; capitalization of costs to inventory; provisions for litigation, insurance and warranty costs; cost of complying with government regulations; and income taxes. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate and adjust our estimates based upon the information then currently available. Actual results may differ from these estimates, assumptions and conditions.

 

We participate in certain joint ventures where we may be adversely impacted by the failure of the joint venture or its participants to fulfill their obligations.

 

We have investments in and commitments to certain joint ventures with unrelated parties to develop land. These joint ventures usually borrow money to help finance their activities. In certain circumstances, the joint venture participants, including ourselves, are required to provide guarantees of certain obligations relating to the joint ventures. As a result of the continued downturn in the homebuilding industry, some of these joint ventures or their participants have or may become unable or unwilling to fulfill their respective obligations. In addition, in many of these joint ventures, we do not have a controlling interest and, as a result, we are not be able to require these joint ventures or their participants to honor their obligations or renegotiate them on acceptable terms. If the joint ventures or their participants do not honor their obligations, we may be required to expend additional resources or suffer losses, which could be significant.

 

Government regulations and legal challenges may delay the start or completion of our communities, increase our expenses or limit our homebuilding activities, which could have a negative impact on our operations.

 

The approval of numerous governmental authorities must be obtained in connection with our development activities, and these governmental authorities often have broad discretion in exercising their approval authority. We incur substantial costs related to compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Any increase in legal and regulatory requirements may cause us to incur substantial additional costs, or in some cases cause us to determine that the property is not feasible for development. Various local, state and federal statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning building, zoning, sales and similar matters apply to and/or affect the housing industry. Governmental regulation affects construction activities as well as sales activities, mortgage lending activities and other dealings with consumers. The industry also has experienced an increase in state and local legislation and regulations that limit the availability or use of land. We may be required to apply for additional approvals or modify our existing approvals because of changes in local circumstances or applicable law. Further, we may experience delays and increased expenses as a result of legal challenges to our proposed communities, whether brought by governmental authorities or private parties.

 

Expansion of regulation in the housing industry has increased the time required to obtain the necessary approvals to begin construction and has prolonged the time between the initial acquisition of land or land options and the commencement and completion of construction. These delays can increase our costs and decrease our profitability.

 

Municipalities may restrict or place moratoriums on the availability of utilities, such as water and sewer taps. In some areas, municipalities may enact growth control initiatives, which will restrict the number of building permits available in a given year. If municipalities in which we operate take actions like these, it could have an adverse effect on our business by causing delays, increasing our costs or limiting our ability to operate in those municipalities.

 

Increases in taxes or government fees could increase our costs, and adverse changes in tax laws could reduce customer demand for our homes.

 

Increases in real estate taxes and other local government fees, such as fees imposed on developers to fund schools, open space, road improvements, and/or provide low and moderate income housing, could increase our costs and have an adverse effect on our operations. In addition, increases in local real estate taxes could adversely affect our potential customers who may consider those costs in determining whether to make a new home purchase

and decide, as a result, not to purchase one of our homes. In addition, any changes in the income tax laws that would reduce or eliminate tax deductions or incentives to homeowners, such as a change limiting the deductibility of interest on home mortgages, could make housing less affordable or otherwise reduce the demand for housing, which in turn could reduce our sales and hurt our results of operations.

 

Adverse weather conditions and conditions in nature beyond our control could disrupt the development of our communities, which could harm our sales and results of operations.

 

Adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and fires, can have serious effects on our ability to develop our residential communities. We also may be affected by unforeseen engineering, environmental or geological problems. Any of these adverse events or circumstances could cause delays in the completion of, or increase the cost of, developing one or more of our residential communities and, as a result, could harm our sales and results of operations.

 

If we experience shortages or increased costs of labor and supplies or other circumstances beyond our control, there could be delays or increased costs in developing our communities, which could adversely affect our operating results.

 

Our ability to develop residential communities may be affected by circumstances beyond our control, including: work stoppages, labor disputes and shortages of qualified trades people, such as carpenters, roofers, electricians and plumbers; changes in laws relating to union organizing activity; lack of availability of adequate utility infrastructure and services; our need to rely on local subcontractors who may not be adequately capitalized or insured; and shortages, or delays in availability, or fluctuations in prices of, building materials. Any of these circumstances could give rise to delays in the start or completion of, or could increase the cost of, developing one or more of our residential communities. We may not be able to recover these increased costs by raising our home prices because the price for each home is typically set months prior to its delivery pursuant to the agreement of sale with the home buyer. If that happens, our operating results could be harmed. Additionally, we may be limited in the amount we can raise sales prices by our home buyers’ unwillingness to pay higher prices.

 

We are subject to one collective bargaining agreement that covers approximately 1.5% of our employees. We have not experienced any work stoppages due to strikes by unionized workers, but we cannot assure you that there will not be any work stoppages due to strikes or other job actions in the future. We use independent contractors to construct our homes. At any given point in time, some or all of these subcontractors may be unionized.

 

Product liability litigation and warranty claims that arise in the ordinary course of business may be costly, which could adversely affect our business.

 

As a home builder, we are subject to construction defect and home warranty claims arising in the ordinary course of business. These claims are common in the homebuilding industry and can be costly. In addition, the costs of insuring against construction defect and product liability claims are high, and the amount of coverage offered by insurance companies is currently limited. There can be no assurance that this coverage will not be further restricted and become more costly. If we are not able to obtain adequate insurance against these claims, we may experience losses that could hurt our financial results.

 

Our principal stockholders may effectively exercise control over matters requiring stockholder approval.

 

As of December 10, 2008, Robert I. Toll and his affiliates owned, directly or indirectly, or had the right to acquire within 60 days, approximately 15.3% of the outstanding shares of Toll Brothers, Inc.’s common stock, and his brother Bruce E. Toll and his affiliates owned, directly or indirectly, or had the right to acquire within 60 days, approximately 3.9% of the outstanding shares of Toll Brothers, Inc.’s common stock. All our directors and executive officers as a group and their affiliates (including the shares of Robert I. Toll and Bruce E. Toll and their affiliates) owned, directly or indirectly, or had the right to acquire within 60 days, approximately 22.1% of the outstanding shares of Toll Brothers, Inc.’s common stock as of December 10, 2008. To the extent that Robert I. Toll, Bruce E. Toll and our other directors and executive officers vote their shares in the same manner, their combined stock ownership may have a significant or decisive effect on the election of all of the directors and control the management, operations and affairs of Toll Brothers, Inc. Their ownership may discourage someone from making a significant equity investment in Toll Brothers, Inc., even if we needed the investment to operate our business. The size of their combined stock holdings could be a significant factor in delaying or preventing a change of control

transaction that other stockholders may deem to be in their best interests, such as a transaction in which the other stockholders would receive a premium for their shares over their current trading prices.

 

Our business is seasonal in nature, so our quarterly operating results fluctuate.

 

Our quarterly operating results typically fluctuate with the seasons. A significant portion of our agreements of sale are entered into with customers in the winter and spring months. Construction of a customer’s home typically proceeds after signing the agreement of sale and can require 12 months or more to complete. Weather-related problems may occur in the late winter and early spring, delaying starts or closings or increasing costs and reducing profitability. In addition, delays in opening new communities or new sections of existing communities could have an adverse impact on home sales and revenues. Expenses are not incurred and recognized evenly throughout the year. Because of these factors, our quarterly operating results may be uneven and may be marked by lower revenues and earnings in some quarters than in others.

 

Changes in accounting principles, interpretations and practices may affect our reported revenues, earnings and results of operations.

 

Generally accepted accounting principles and their accompanying pronouncements, implementation guidelines, interpretations and practices for certain aspects of our business are complex and may involve subjective judgments, such as revenue recognition, inventory valuations and income taxes. Changes in interpretations could significantly affect our reported revenues, earnings and operating results, and could add significant volatility to those measures without a comparable underlying change in cash flows from operations.

 

Changes in tax laws or the interpretation of tax laws may negatively affect our operating results.

 

We believe that our recorded tax balances are adequate. However, it is not possible to predict the effects of possible changes in the tax laws or changes in their interpretation and whether they could have a material negative effect on our operating results.

 

We may not be able to realize our deferred tax assets.

 

At October 31, 2008, we had $405.7 million of net deferred tax assets (net of $24.1 million of valuation allowances). Realization of our deferred tax assets is dependent upon taxable income in the future and/or our ability to carryback future tax losses against prior year taxable income. Losses for federal income tax purposes can generally be carried forward for a period of 20 years.

 

For financial reporting purposes, a valuation allowance must be established when, based upon available evidence, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The valuation allowance may be increased or decreased as conditions change and the ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets depends on sufficient taxable income in future carryforward periods. If the slowdown in our business persists or continues to worsen, we might not be able to project future income to apply against our deferred tax assets and we would be required to increase our valuation allowances against our deferred tax assets.

 

Our cash flows and results of operations could be adversely affected if legal claims are brought against us and are not resolved in our favor.

 

Claims, including a securities class action and a related shareholder derivative action, have been brought against us in various legal proceedings that have not had, and are not expected to have, a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition. Should claims be filed in the future, it is possible that our cash flows and results of operations could be affected, from time to time, by the negative outcome of one or more of such matters.

 

Future terrorist attacks against the United States or increased domestic or international instability could have an adverse effect on our operations.

 

In the weeks following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, we experienced a sharp decrease in the number of new contracts signed for homes and an increase in the cancellation of existing contracts. Although new home purchases stabilized and subsequently recovered in the months after that initial period, adverse developments in the war on terrorism, future terrorist attacks against the United States, or increased domestic or international instability could adversely affect our business.

 

 

Not applicable

 

 

Headquarters

 

Our corporate office, which we lease from an unrelated third party, contains approximately 200,000 square feet, and is located in Horsham, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

 

Manufacturing/Distribution Facilities

 

We own a manufacturing facility of approximately 300,000 square feet located in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a manufacturing facility and warehouse of approximately 186,000 square feet located in Emporia, Virginia and a manufacturing facility of approximately 134,000 square feet in Knox, Indiana. We lease a facility of approximately 144,000 square feet located in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. At these facilities, we manufacture open wall panels, roof and floor trusses, and certain interior and exterior millwork to supply a portion of our construction needs. These facilities supply components used in our North, Mid-Atlantic and South geographic segments. These operations also permit us to purchase wholesale lumber, plywood, windows, doors, certain other interior and exterior millwork and other building materials to supply to our communities. We believe that increased efficiencies, cost savings and productivity result from the operation of these plants and from the wholesale purchase of materials.

 

Office and Other Facilities

 

We lease other office and warehouse space in various locations, none of which are material to our business.

 

 

In January 2006, we received a request for information pursuant to Section 308 of the Clean Water Act from Region 3 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) concerning storm water discharge practices in connection with our homebuilding projects in the states that comprise EPA Region 3. The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has now assumed responsibility for the oversight of this matter. To the extent the DOJ’s review were to lead it to assert violations of state and/or federal regulatory requirements and request injunctive relief and/or civil penalties, we would defend and attempt to resolve any such asserted violations.

 

In October 2006, the Illinois Attorney General and State Attorney of Lake County, Illinois brought suit against us alleging violations in Lake County, IL of certain storm water discharge regulations. In August 2008, we signed a consent order with the Illinois Attorney General and the State Attorney of Lake County, Illinois. Under the order, we will pay $80,000 to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; pay $30,000 to the State Attorney of Lake County; and make a contribution of $100,000 to the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center Lakes Management Unit for use toward an environmental restoration project. We also agreed to implement certain management, record-keeping and reporting practices related to storm water discharges at the subject site. On October 9, 2008, the consent order was entered and the case was dismissed with prejudice.

 

On April 17, 2007, a securities class action suit was filed against Toll Brothers, Inc. and Robert I. Toll and Bruce E. Toll in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on behalf of the purported class of purchasers of our common stock between December 9, 2004 and November 8, 2005. The original plaintiff has been replaced by two new lead plaintiffs: The City of Hialeah Employees’ Retirement System and the Laborers Pension Trust Funds for Northern California. On August 14, 2007, an amended complaint was filed and the following individual defendants, who are directors and/or officers of Toll Brothers, Inc., were added to the suit: Zvi Barzilay, Joel H. Rassman, Robert S. Blank, Richard J. Braemer, Carl B. Marbach, Paul E. Shapiro and Joseph R. Sicree. The amended complaint filed on behalf of the purported class alleges that the defendants violated federal securities laws by issuing various materially false and misleading statements that had the effect of artificially inflating the market price of our stock. They further allege that the individual defendants sold shares for a substantial gain during the class period. The purported class is seeking compensatory damages, counsel fees, and expert costs.

 

On November 4, 2008, a shareholder derivative action was filed in the Chancery Court of Delaware against Robert I. Toll, Zvi Barzilay, Joel H. Rassman, Bruce E. Toll, Paul E. Shapiro, Robert S. Blank, Carl B. Marbach, and Richard J. Braemer. The plaintiff, Milton Pfeiffer, purports to bring his claims on behalf of Toll Brothers, Inc. and

alleges that the director and officer defendants breached their fiduciary duties to us and our stockholders with respect to the stock sales alleged in the securities class action discussed above, by selling while in possession of material inside information about the Company. The plaintiff seeks contribution and indemnification from the individual director and officer defendants for any liability found against us in the securities class action suit. In addition, again purportedly on our behalf, the plaintiff seeks disgorgement of the defendants’ profits from their stock sales.

 

Other than as set forth above, there are no proceedings required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 103 of Regulation S-K.

 

We are involved in various other claims and litigation arising principally in the ordinary course of business. We believe that the disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our business or our financial condition.

 

 

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders, through the solicitation of proxies or otherwise, during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008.

 

 

The following table includes information with respect to all of our executive officers at October 31, 2008. All executive officers serve at the pleasure of our Board of Directors.

 

 

Robert I. Toll, with his brother Bruce E. Toll, the Vice Chairman of the Board and a Director of Toll Brothers, Inc., co-founded our predecessors’ operations in 1967. Robert I. Toll has been our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board since our inception.

 

Zvi Barzilay joined us as a project manager in 1980 and has been an officer since 1983. Mr. Barzilay was elected a Director of Toll Brothers, Inc. in 1994. He has held the position of Chief Operating Officer since May 1998 and the position of President since November 1998.

 

Joel H. Rassman joined us as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in 1984. Mr. Rassman has been a Director of Toll Brothers, Inc. since 1996. He has held the position of Executive Vice President since May 2002.

 

PART II

 

 

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol: TOL).

The following table sets forth the price range of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange for each fiscal quarter during the two years ended October 31, 2008.

 

 

On October 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, the closing price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $23.12, $22.91 and $28.91, respectively.

 

For information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans, see “Equity Compensation Plan Information” in Item 12.

 

During the three months ended October 31, 2008, we repurchased the following shares under our repurchase program (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):

 

 

 

 

Except as set forth above, we did not repurchase any of our equity securities during the three-month period ended October 31, 2008.

 

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and expect that, for the foreseeable future, we will not do so; rather, we will follow a policy of retaining earnings in order to finance our business and, from time to time, repurchase shares of our common stock. The payment of dividends is within the discretion of our Board of Directors and any decision to pay dividends in the future will depend upon an evaluation of a number of factors, including our earnings, capital requirements, our operating and financial condition, and any contractual limitation then in effect. In this regard, our senior subordinated notes contain restrictions on the amount of dividends we may pay on our common stock. In addition, our bank credit agreement requires us to maintain a minimum tangible net worth (as defined in the agreement), which restricts the amount of dividends we may pay. At October 31, 2008, under the most restrictive of these provisions, we could have paid up to approximately $964.0 million of cash dividends.

 

At December 10, 2008, there were approximately 900 record holders of our common stock.

 

 

The following tables set forth selected consolidated financial and housing data at and for each of the five fiscal years in the period ended October 31, 2008. It should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto, included in this report beginning at page F-1, and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, included in Item 7 of this Form 10-K.

 

Summary Consolidated Statements of Operations and Balance Sheets (amounts in thousands, except per share data):

 

 

Housing Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

On December 4, 2008, we issued a press release and held a conference call to review the results of operations for our fiscal year ended October 31, 2008 and to discuss the current state of our business. The information and estimates contained in this report are consistent with those given in the press release and on the conference call on December 4, 2008, and we are not reconfirming or updating that information.

 

OVERVIEW

 

In fiscal 2008, we recognized $3.16 billion of revenues and recorded a net loss of $297.8 million, compared to $4.65 billion of revenues and $35.7 million of net income in fiscal 2007. The loss recognized in fiscal 2008, as compared to the income recognized in fiscal 2007, was due primarily to the higher inventory impairment charges and write-offs and joint venture impairment charges recognized in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, a 32% decline in revenues in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, and the negative impact on profit margins due to the higher sales incentives given on the homes delivered in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, offset in part by the positive impact on cost of sales on homes settled in fiscal 2008 from communities that had reduced inventory values as a result of impairments previously recognized. We recognized inventory impairment charges and write-offs, joint venture impairment charges and goodwill impairment charges of $848.9 million in fiscal 2008, as compared to $687.7 million in fiscal 2007. Cost of sales was reduced by approximately $121.7 million and $21.1 million in fiscal 2008 and 2007, respectively, due to reduced inventory values as a result of impairments previously recognized.

 

The value of net new contracts signed declined by 47% in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007. The decrease in the value of net new contracts signed was the result of a 34% decrease in the number of net new contracts signed and a 19% decline in the average value of the contracts signed. When we report the number and value of net new contracts signed, we report such totals net of any cancellations that occur during the reporting period, whether signed in that reporting period or in a prior period. The decrease in the number of net new contracts signed was due to the slowdown in our business discussed below. The decrease in the average value of contracts signed in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, was due primarily to higher sales incentives given to home buyers in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007 and a shift in the number of contracts signed to less expensive areas and/or products in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007. During fiscal 2008, our customers cancelled 993 contracts with an aggregate sales value of $733.3 million, as compared to 1,585 cancelled contracts with an aggregate sales value of $1.17 billion in fiscal 2007. In fiscal 2008 and 2007, these cancellations represented 25.3% and 26.3%, respectively, of the gross number of contracts signed, and 31.3% and 27.9%, respectively, of the gross value of contracts signed.

 

Our backlog at October 31, 2008 of $1.33 billion decreased 54%, as compared to our backlog at October 31, 2007 of $2.85 billion. Backlog consists of homes under contract but not yet delivered to our home buyers for our communities accounted for using the completed contract method of accounting. Only outstanding agreements of sale that have been signed by both the home buyer and us as of the end of the period for which we are reporting are included in backlog. Of the value of backlog reported on October 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, home buyers subsequently cancelled approximately 20.9%. 19.9% and 19.2%, respectively.

 

Since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005, we have experienced a slowdown in our business. This slowdown has worsened over the past several months. The value of net new contracts signed in fiscal 2008 is 78% lower than the value of contracts signed in fiscal 2005. This slowdown, which we believe started with a decline in consumer confidence, an overall softening of demand for new homes and an oversupply of homes available for sale, has been exacerbated by, among other things, a decline in the overall economy, increasing unemployment, fear of job loss, a significant decline in the securities markets, the continuing decline in home prices, the large number of homes that are or will be available due to foreclosures, the inability of some of our home buyers to sell their current home, the deterioration in the credit markets, and the direct and indirect impact of the turmoil in the mortgage loan market. We believe that the key to a recovery in our business is the return of consumer confidence and a stabilization of financial markets and home prices.

 

We continue to seek a balance between our short-term goal of selling homes in a tough market and our long-term goal of maximizing the value of our communities. We believe that many of our communities are in locations that are difficult to replace and in markets where approvals have been increasingly difficult to achieve. We believe

that many of these communities have substantial embedded value that will be realizable in the future and that this value should not necessarily be sacrificed in the current soft market.

 

We are concerned about the dislocation in the secondary mortgage market. We maintain relationships with a widely diversified group of mortgage financial institutions, most of which are among the largest and, we believe, most reliable in the industry. Our buyers generally have been able to obtain adequate financing. Nevertheless, tightening credit standards have shrunk the pool of potential home buyers and the availability of certain loan products previously available to our home buyers. Mortgage market liquidity issues and higher borrowing rates may impede some of our home buyers from closing, while others may find it more difficult to sell their existing homes as their prospective buyers face the problem of obtaining a mortgage. We believe that our home buyers generally should be able to continue to secure mortgages, due to their typically lower loan-to-value ratios and attractive credit profiles, as compared to the average home buyer. Because we cannot predict the short- and long-term liquidity of the credit markets, we continue to caution that, with the uncertainties in these markets, the pace of home sales could slow further until these markets stabilize.

 

Based on our experience during prior downturns in the housing market, we believe that unexpected opportunities may arise in difficult times for those builders that are well-prepared. In the current challenging environment, we believe our strong balance sheet, liquidity and access to capital, our broad geographic presence, our diversified product lines, our experienced personnel and our national brand name all position us well for such opportunities now and in the future. At October 31, 2008, we had $1.63 billion of cash and cash equivalents on hand and approximately $1.32 billion available under our revolving credit facility which extends to 2011. We believe we have the resources available to fund attractive opportunities, should they arise.

 

When our industry recovers, we believe that we will see reduced competition from the small and mid-sized private builders who are our primary competitors in the luxury market. We believe that the access of these private builders to capital already appears to be severely constrained. We envision that there will be fewer and more selective lenders serving our industry at that time. Those lenders likely will gravitate to the home building companies that offer them the greatest security, the strongest balance sheets and the broadest array of potential business opportunities. We believe that this reduced competition, combined with attractive long-term demographics, will reward those well-capitalized builders who can persevere through the current challenging environment.

 

Notwithstanding the current market conditions, we believe that geographic and product diversification, access to lower-cost capital, and strong demographics have in the past and will in the future, as market conditions improve over time, benefit those builders that can control land and persevere through the increasingly difficult regulatory approval process. We believe that these factors favor the large publicly traded home building companies with the capital and expertise to control home sites and gain market share. We believe that, as builders reduce the number of home sites being taken through the approval process and this process continues to become more difficult, and if the political pressure from no-growth proponents continues to increase, our expertise in taking land through the approval process and our already approved land positions will allow us to grow in the years to come, as market conditions improve.

 

Because of the length of time that it takes to obtain the necessary approvals on a property, complete the land improvements on it, and deliver a home after a home buyer signs an agreement of sale, we are subject to many risks. We attempt to reduce certain risks by: controlling land for future development through options (also referred to herein as “land purchase contracts,” “contracts,” “purchase agreements” or “option agreements”) whenever we can, thus allowing the necessary governmental approvals to be obtained before acquiring title to the land; generally commencing construction of a detached home only after executing an agreement of sale and receiving a substantial down payment from the buyer; and using subcontractors to perform home construction and land development work on a fixed-price basis. Our risk reduction strategy of generally not commencing the construction of a home until we had an agreement of sale with a buyer was effective in the past, but due to the significant number of cancellations of agreements of sale, that we have had in the current downturn in the housing market, many of which were for homes on which we had commenced construction, and the increase in the number of multi-family communities that we have under construction, the number of homes under construction for which we do not have an agreement of sale has increased from our historical levels.

In response to current market conditions, we have been reevaluating and renegotiating or canceling many of our land purchase contracts. As a result, we have reduced our land position from a high of approximately 91,200 home sites at April 30, 2006, to approximately 39,800 home sites at October 31, 2008. Of the 39,800 home sites that we controlled at October 31, 2008, we owned approximately 32,100 of them. Of the 32,100 home sites owned at October 31, 2008, significant improvements have been completed on approximately 14,000 of them.

 

At October 31, 2008, we were selling from 273 communities compared to 315 communities at October 31, 2007. We expect to be selling from approximately 255 communities at October 31, 2009.

 

Given the current business climate in which we are operating and the numerous uncertainties related to sales paces, sales prices, mortgage markets, cancellations, market direction and the potential for and magnitude of future impairments, it is difficult to provide guidance for fiscal 2009. Subject to our caveats and risks reported elsewhere and the preceding caveats, we currently estimate that we will deliver between 2,000 and 3,000 homes in fiscal 2009 at an average sales price of between $600,000 and $625,000 per home. We believe that, as a result of continuing sales incentives given to our home buyers and slower sales per community, our cost of sales as a percentage of revenues, before impairment charges and write-downs, will be higher in fiscal 2009 than in fiscal 2008. Additionally, based on fiscal 2009’s lower projected revenues, our selling, general and administrative expenses, which we expect to be lower in fiscal 2009 than in fiscal 2008, will be higher as a percentage of revenues.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

We believe the following critical accounting policies reflect the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

 

Inventory

 

Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or fair value, as determined in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” (“SFAS 144”). In addition to direct land acquisition, land development and home construction costs, costs also include interest, real estate taxes and direct overhead related to development and construction, which are capitalized to inventory during the period beginning with the commencement of development and ending with the completion of construction. For those communities that have been temporarily closed, no additional interest is allocated to the community’s inventory until it re-opens and other carrying costs are expensed as incurred. Once a parcel of land has been approved for development and we open the community, it may take four to five years to fully develop, sell and deliver all the homes in one of our typical communities. Longer or shorter time periods are possible depending on the number of home sites in a community and the sales and delivery pace of the homes in a community. Our master planned communities, consisting of several smaller communities, may take up to ten years or more to complete. Because of the downturn in our business, the aforementioned estimated community lives will likely be significantly longer. Because our inventory is considered a long-lived asset under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, we are required, under SFAS 144, to regularly review the carrying value of each of our communities and write down the value of those communities for which we believe the values are not recoverable.

 

Current Communities:  When the profitability of a current community deteriorates, the sales pace declines significantly or some other factor indicates a possible impairment in the recoverability of the asset, the asset is reviewed for impairment by comparing the estimated future undiscounted cash flow for the community to its carrying value. If the estimated future undiscounted cash flow is less than the community’s carrying value, the carrying value is written down to its estimated fair value. Estimated fair value is primarily determined by discounting the estimated future cash flow of each community. The impairment is charged to cost of revenues in the period in which the impairment is determined. In estimating the future undiscounted cash flow of a community, we use various estimates such as: (a) the expected sales pace in a community, based upon general economic conditions that will have a short-term or long-term impact on the market in which the community is located and on competition within the market, including the number of home sites available and pricing and incentives being offered in other communities owned by us or by other builders; (b) the expected sales prices and sales incentives to be offered in a community; (c) costs expended to date and expected to be incurred in the future, including, but not limited to, land and land development costs, home construction costs, interest costs and overhead costs; (d) alternative product

offerings that may be offered in a community that will have an impact on sales pace, sales price, building cost or the number of homes that can be built on a particular site; and (e) alternative uses for the property such as the possibility of a sale of the entire community to another builder or the sale of individual home sites.

 

Future Communities:  We evaluate all land held for future communities or future sections of current communities, whether owned or under contract, to determine whether or not we expect to proceed with the development of the land as originally contemplated. This evaluation encompasses the same types of estimates used for current communities described above, as well as an evaluation of the regulatory environment in which the land is located and the estimated probability of obtaining the necessary approvals, the estimated time and cost it will take to obtain the approvals and the possible concessions that will be required to be given in order to obtain the approvals. Concessions may include cash payments to fund improvements to public places such as parks and streets, dedication of a portion of the property for use by the public or as open space or a reduction in the density or size of the homes to be built. Based upon this review, we decide (a) as to land under contract to be purchased, whether the contract will likely be terminated or renegotiated, and (b) as to land we own, whether the land will likely be developed as contemplated or in an alternative manner, or should be sold. We then further determine whether costs that have been capitalized to the community are recoverable or should be written off. The write-off is charged to cost of revenues in the period in which the need for the write-off is determined.

 

The estimates used in the determination of the estimated cash flows and fair value of both current and future communities are based on factors known to us at the time such estimates are made and our expectations of future operations and economic conditions. Should the estimates or expectations used in determining estimated fair value deteriorate in the future, we may be required to recognize additional impairment charges and write-offs related to current and future communities.

 

Variable Interest Entities:  We have a significant number of land purchase contracts and several investments in unconsolidated entities which we evaluate in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Interpretation No. 46 “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, an interpretation of ARB No. 51,” as amended by FASB Interpretation No. 46R (collectively referred to as “FIN 46”). Pursuant to FIN 46, an enterprise that absorbs a majority of the expected losses or receives a majority of the expected residual returns of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) is considered to be the primary beneficiary and must consolidate the VIE. A VIE is an entity with insufficient equity investment or in which the equity investors lack some of the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. For land purchase contracts with sellers meeting the definition of a VIE, we perform a review to determine which party is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. This review requires substantial judgment and estimation. These judgments and estimates involve assigning probabilities to various estimated cash flow possibilities relative to the entity’s expected profits and losses and the cash flows associated with changes in the fair value of the land under contract. At October 31, 2008, we determined that we were the primary beneficiary of two VIEs related to land purchase contracts and had recorded $20.9 million of inventory and $17.3 million of accrued expenses.

 

Revenue and Cost Recognition

 

Home Sales-Completed Contract Method:  The construction time of our homes is generally less than one year, although some homes may take more than one year to complete. Revenues and cost of revenues from these home sales are recorded at the time each home is delivered and title and possession are transferred to the buyer. Closing normally occurs shortly after construction is substantially completed. In addition, we have several high-rise/mid-rise projects which do not qualify for percentage of completion accounting in accordance with SFAS No. 66, “Accounting for Sales of Real Estate” (“SFAS 66”), which are included in this category of revenues and costs.

 

For our standard attached and detached homes, land, land development and related costs, both incurred and estimated to be incurred in the future, are amortized to the cost of homes closed based upon the total number of homes to be constructed in each community. Any changes resulting from a change in the estimated number of homes to be constructed or in the estimated costs subsequent to the commencement of delivery of homes are allocated to the remaining undelivered homes in the community. Home construction and related costs are charged to the cost of homes closed under the specific identification method. The estimated land, common area development and related costs of master planned communities, including the cost of golf courses, net of their estimated residual

value, are allocated to individual communities within a master planned community on a relative sales value basis. Any changes resulting from a change in the estimated number of homes to be constructed or in the estimated costs are allocated to the remaining home sites in each of the communities of the master planned community.

 

For high-rise/mid-rise projects that do not qualify for percentage of completion accounting, land, land development, construction and related costs, both incurred and estimated to be incurred in the future, are generally amortized to the cost of units closed based upon an estimated relative sales value of the units closed to the total estimated sales value. Any changes resulting from a change in the estimated total costs or revenues of the project are allocated to the remaining units to be delivered.

 

Forfeited customer deposits are recognized in other income in the period in which we determine that the customer will not complete the purchase of the home and when we determine that we have the right to retain the deposit.

 

Home Sales-Percentage of Completion Method:  During the past two years, we completed construction on four projects for which we used the percentage of completion accounting method to recognize revenues and costs; the remaining units in these projects will be accounted for using the completed contract method of accounting. Based upon the current accounting rules and interpretations, we do not believe that any of our current or future communities qualify for percentage of completion accounting. Under the provisions of SFAS 66, revenues and costs are recognized using the percentage of completion method of accounting for those communities that qualify when construction is beyond the preliminary stage, the buyer is committed to the extent of being unable to require a refund except for non-delivery of the unit, sufficient units in the project have been sold to ensure that the property will not be converted to rental property, the sales proceeds are collectible and the aggregate sales proceeds and the total cost of the project can be reasonably estimated. Revenues and costs of individual projects are recognized on the individual project’s aggregate value of units for which the home buyers have signed binding agreements of sale, less an allowance for cancellations, and are based on the percentage of total estimated construction costs that have been incurred. Total estimated revenues and costs are reviewed periodically, and any change is applied to current and future periods.

 

Forfeited customer deposits are recognized as a reduction in the amount of revenues reversed in the period in which we determine that the customer will not complete the purchase of the home and when we determine that we have the right to retain the deposit.

 

Sales Incentives:  In order to promote sales of our homes, we grant our home buyers sales incentives from time-to-time. These incentives will vary by type of incentive and by amount on a community-by-community and home-by-home basis. Incentives that impact the value of the home or the sales price paid, such as special or additional options, are generally reflected as a reduction in sales revenues. Incentives that we pay to an outside party, such as paying some or all of a home buyer’s closing costs are recorded as an additional cost of revenues. Incentives are recognized at the time the home is delivered to the home buyer and we receive the sales proceeds.

 

Land Sales:  Land sales revenues and cost of revenues are recorded at the time that title and possession of the property have been transferred to the buyer. We recognize the pro-rata share of land sales revenues and cost of land sales revenues to entities in which we have a 50% or less interest based upon the ownership percentage attributable to the non-Company partners. Any profit not recognized in a transaction reduces our investment in the entity or is recorded as an accrued expense on our consolidated balance sheets.

 

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

 

We have investments in and advances to various joint ventures and to Toll Brothers Realty Trust Group (“Trust”) and Toll Brothers Realty Trust Group II (“Trust II”). At October 31, 2008, we had investments in and advances to these entities of $151.8 million, and were committed to invest or advance additional funds to these entities if needed and had guaranteed several of these entities’ indebtedness and/or loan commitments. See Note 3 of the “Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements” — “Investments in and Advances to Unconsolidated Entities” for more information regarding these entities. Our investments in these entities are accounted for using the equity method.

 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

The following table compares certain statement of operations items related to fiscal 2008, 2007 and 2006 ($ amounts in millions):

 

 

Note:  Percentages for cost of revenues for completed contract, percentage of completion and land sales are based on the corresponding item under revenues. Percentages for interest expense and selling, general and administrative expenses are based on total revenues. Amounts may not add due to rounding.

 

FISCAL 2008 COMPARED TO FISCAL 2007

 

Unless otherwise stated, contracts signed represents a number or amount equal to the gross number or amount of contracts signed during the relevant period, less the number or amount of contracts cancelled during the relevant period, which includes contracts that were signed during the relevant period and contracts signed in prior periods.

 

Revenues and Costs — Completed Contract

 

Revenues in fiscal 2008 were lower than those for fiscal 2007 by $1.39 billion, or 31%. The decrease was primarily attributable to a 29% decrease in the number of homes delivered and a 3% decrease in the average price of the homes delivered. The decrease in the number of homes delivered was primarily due to the lower backlog of homes at October 31, 2007 as compared to October 31, 2006. This lower backlog of homes was primarily the result of a 28% decrease in the number of net new contracts signed in fiscal 2007 over fiscal 2006. The decline in the average price of the homes delivered in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, was due primarily to higher sales incentives given on homes closed in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, which was offset by the settlement of units in several of our higher-priced high rise projects (not accounted for under the percentage of completion accounting method) in fiscal 2008 that did not have settlements in fiscal 2007, and a shift in product mix during fiscal 2008 to higher-priced product. Sales incentives given on homes delivered in fiscal 2008 averaged $70,200 per home, as compared to $34,100 per home in fiscal 2007.

 

The aggregate value of net new sales contracts signed decreased 46% in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007. The value of net new sales contracts signed was $1.61 billion (2,922 homes) in fiscal 2008 and $2.99 billion (4,413 homes) in fiscal 2007. The decrease in fiscal 2008 was the result of a 34% decrease in the number of net new contracts

signed and a 19% decrease in the average value of each contract signed. We believe the decrease in the number of new contracts signed was attributable to the overall softening of demand for new homes. (See “Overview” above for an expanded discussion related to the decrease in the number of signed contracts and the slowdown in our business.)

 

The decrease in the average value of net new contracts signed in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, was due primarily to higher sales incentives given to home buyers in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, and a shift in the number of contracts signed to less expensive areas and/or products in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007. At October 31, 2008, we were offering sales incentives that averaged approximately 9.5% of the sales price of the home, as compared to an average of approximately 7.5% at October 31, 2007.

 

At October 31, 2008, our backlog of homes under contract was $1.33 billion (2,046 homes), 53% lower than our $2.82 billion (3,867 homes) backlog at October 31, 2007. The decrease in backlog at October 31, 2008 compared to our backlog at October 31, 2007 was primarily attributable to a lower backlog at October 31, 2007, as compared to the backlog at October 31, 2006, and the decrease in the value and number of net new contracts signed in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007, offset in part by lower deliveries in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007.

 

Home costs, including inventory impairment charges and write-offs but before interest, as a percentage of home sales revenue were 96.4% in fiscal 2008, as compared to 86.9% in fiscal 2007. In fiscal 2008 and 2007, we recognized inventory impairment charges and write-offs of $645.0 million and $619.5 million, respectively. Excluding inventory impairment charges and write-offs, cost of revenues was 75.7% in fiscal 2008, as compared to 73.1% in fiscal 2007. The increase in the cost of revenues percentage before inventory impairment charges and write-offs was due primarily to higher sales incentives on the homes delivered and higher overhead costs per home due to decreased construction activity, offset in part by the positive impact on cost of sales on homes settled in fiscal 2008 from communities that had reduced inventory values as a result of impairments previously recognized.

 

Revenues and Costs — Percentage of Completion

 

In fiscal 2008 and 2007, we recognized $41.9 million and $139.5 million of revenues, respectively, and $36.2 million and $109.0 million of costs (excluding interest), respectively, on projects accounted for using the percentage of completion method. This decline in revenues in fiscal 2008 was primarily the result of the delivery of available units to be sold in projects accounted for using the percentage of completion method and the lack of new projects that qualify under the accounting rules for the application of the percentage of completion accounting method. During the past two years, we completed construction on four projects for which we used the percentage of completion accounting method to recognize revenues and costs; the remaining units in these projects will be accounted for using the completed contract method of accounting. Based upon the current accounting rules and interpretations, we do not believe that any of our current or future communities qualify for the percentage of completion accounting method.

 

Revenues and Costs — Land Sales

 

We are developing several communities in which we expect to sell a portion of the land to other builders or unrelated entities. The amount and profitability of land sales will vary from year to year depending upon the sale and delivery of the specific land parcels. In fiscal 2008 and 2007, we recognized $10.0 million and $11.9 million of land sales revenues, respectively, and $4.8 million and $8.1 million of costs (excluding interest), respectively.

 

Interest Expense

 

In our homebuilding operations that are accounted for using the completed contract method of accounting, we determine interest expense on a specific lot-by-lot basis, and for land sales, on a parcel-by-parcel basis. As a percentage of total revenues, interest expense varies depending on many factors, including the period of time that we owned the land, the length of time that the homes delivered during the period were under construction, and the interest rates and the amount of debt carried by us in proportion to the amount of our inventory during those periods.

 

For projects that used the percentage of completion method of revenue recognition, we determined interest expense based on the total estimated interest for the project and the percentage of total estimated construction costs that had been incurred. Any change in the estimated interest expense for the project was applied to current and future periods from the date the estimate was made.

 

Interest expense as a percentage of revenues was 2.8% of total revenues in fiscal 2008, as compared to 2.2% in fiscal 2007. The increase in interest expense as a percentage of revenues in fiscal 2008 was due to the added length of

time that the homes delivered in fiscal 2008 remained in inventory and accumulated additional capitalized interest. In addition, as our inventory has been reduced, there is less available inventory to which we allocate the interest incurred.

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (“SG&A”)

 

As a percentage of revenues, SG&A was 13.6% in fiscal 2008, as compared to 11.1% in fiscal 2007. SG&A spending decreased by $86.8 million, or 16.8%, in fiscal 2008, as compared to fiscal 2007. The reduction in spending was due primarily to reduced compensation costs and reduced costs for advertising, promotions and marketing.

 

Goodwill Impairment

 

During fiscal 2008, due to the continued decline of the Nevada and Florida housing markets, we re-evaluated the carrying value of goodwill associated with the acquisition of two small home builders in these markets. During fiscal 2007, due to the continued decline of the Detroit housing market, we re-evaluated the carrying value of goodwill associated with the acquisition of a small home builder. We estimated the fair value of our assets in these markets, including goodwill. Fair value was determined based on the discounted future cash flow expected to be generated in these markets. Based upon this evaluation and our expectation that these markets would not recover for a number of years, we determined that the related goodwill had been impaired. We recognized $3.2 million and $9.0 million of impairment charges in fiscal 2008 and 2007, respectively. After recognizing these charges, we do not have any goodwill remaining on our balance sheet at October 31, 2008.

 

Losses From Unconsolidated Entities

 

We are a participant in several joint ventures and in the Trust and Trust II. We recognize our proportionate share of the earnings and losses from these entities. Many of our joint ventures are land development projects or high-rise/mid-rise construction projects and do not generate revenues and earnings for a number of years during the development of the property. Once development is complete, the joint ventures generally, over a relatively short period of time, are expected to generate revenues and earnings until all the assets of the entities are sold. Because there is not a steady flow of revenues and earnings from these entities, the operating results recognized from these entities will vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year.

 

In fiscal 2008, we recognized $186.4 million of losses from unconsolidated entities as compared to $40.4 million of losses in fiscal 2007. The loss in fiscal 2008 was the result of $200.7 million of impairment charges related to seven of our investments in unconsolidated entities. The loss in fiscal 2007 was attributable to $59.2 million of impairment charges related to two of our investments in unconsolidated entities.

 

Interest and Other Income