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AvalonBay Communities

avb · NYSE Real Estate
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Ticker avb
Exchange NYSE
Sector Real Estate
Industry REIT - Residential
Employees 1001-5000
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FY2009 Annual Report · AvalonBay Communities
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Where You 
Want to Be

2009 ANNUAL REPORT

AvalonBay Communities, Inc. is an equity REIT primarily engaged in developing, redeveloping, acquiring, 

and managing quality apartment communities in high barrier-to-entry markets within the United States. 

Our  markets  are  located  in  the  Northeast,  Mid-Atlantic,  Midwest,  Pacific  Northwest,  and  Northern  and 

Southern California. At year-end 2009, our total market capitalization was $10.7 billion. Over the last ten 

years, the compound annual growth rate of our total shareholder return was 14.4% and the compound 

annual growth rate of our dividend was 5.7% during the same time period. Our strategy is to be leaders in 

customer insight, market research and capital allocation, delivering a range of multifamily offerings tailored 

to serve the needs of the most attractive customer segments in the best-performing US submarkets.  

AvalonBay Communities’ common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker 

symbol AVB and are included in the S&P 500 Index. More information about AvalonBay may be found on 

our website at www.avalonbay.com. 

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NAV PER SHARE GROWTH (2)

FFO PER SHARE GROWTH ( 3)

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AVB              Multifamily Sector Avg.

AVB              Multifamily Sector Avg.

Source: SNL Financial

AVB              Multifamily Sector Avg.

Source: SNL Financial, Green Street Advisors

COVER ANd OPPOSITE:  VIEwS Of NEw YORk CITY fROM AVALON fORT GREENE. 

LOCATEd IN dOwNTOwN BROOkLYN, ThIS 42-STORY  dEVELOPMENT BEGAN 

LEASING IN fOURTh QUARTER 2009 ANd CONTAINS 631 APARTMENT hOMES.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Where You 
Want to Be

F o r  ou r   c u s t o m e r s ,   a s s o c i a t e s

&  ou r   sHa r eHo l d e r s

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.  1

A v Al o n   b u r bAn k ,   cA

2  AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.

T O O U R ShA R EhO LdE R S

W     e began 2009 immersed in one of the most 

years, and ended the year with a sense that 

the worst had passed. Indeed, markets recovered robustly 

challenging  economic  environments  in  75 

from troughs reached during early 2009, as the S&P 500 

Index was up 26% for the year and the Morgan Stanley 

REIT  Index  rose  29%.  for  AvalonBay,  Total  Shareholder 

Return was 44% in 2009.

despite  these  improved  returns,  the  economic  and  op-

erating environment we faced in 2009 left little room for 

error.  Our  response  to  the  challenges  presented  by  last 

year’s turmoil was supported by a strong balance sheet, 

a proven long-term business strategy and more than 20 

years  of  cycle-tested  management  experience.  we  ex-

pected  apartment  fundamentals  to  deteriorate  through-

out  the  year  at  an  accelerating  pace  and  they  did.  As 

the  capital  markets  began  to  heal,  we  enhanced  our  fi-

nancial flexibility by improving liquidity, extending debt 

maturities and adding equity to our capital structure. At 

the same time, we kept our eye on the future and the im-

proving long-term fundamentals we expect will emerge. 

By year-end, we had increased investment activity – both 

development and acquisitions – to levels appropriate for 

an emerging economic recovery. 

Last year’s report, titled Built to Endure, described an or-

ganization with the experience and resources to preserve 

value  during  periods  of  economic  stress  and  to  pursue 

opportunities out of reach for others. This year, whether 

you are an investor, an associate within our company, or 

a resident in one of our communities, we believe Avalon-

Bay is Where You Want To Be:  an organization alert and 

responsive to challenging market conditions while being 

prepared for the next phase of growth and opportunities.

In this letter, we’ll review results and how actions we took 

last year position us for continued success.  we will then 

look at the demand/supply fundamentals influencing both 

our  business  and  our  industry  now  and  going  forward.  

This context will provide the backdrop for a discussion of 

trends we see emerging with the new decade ahead that 

will affect both our industry and our business.

Looking Back: 2009 In Review  

Our  early  outlook  anticipated  a  difficult  operating  envi-

ronment with revenue declining at an accelerating pace 

for  much  of  the  year.  while  that  early  directional  read 

on  operating  trends  was  accurate,  job  losses  exceeded 

expectations  and  Net  Operating  Income  (NOI)  from  our 

Same Store portfolio decreased 7% for the year, slightly 

more than our original outlook of 5%.

Earnings  per  Share  (EPS)  declined  63%  to  $1.93  from 

lower NOI, reduced gains on asset sales and impairment 

losses  recognized  as  we  re-scaled  the  business.  funds 

from Operations (ffO) decreased 4% to $3.89. Adjusting 

for non-routine charges, operating ffO decreased 11%.

Unprecedented economic uncertainty called for caution, 

and we responded in a number of ways:

•   Anticipating  weak  operating  fundamentals  in  2009  

and  into  2010,  we  reduced  investment  activity  and  

  development risk during 2009 by deferring new devel- 

  opment starts until the fourth quarter. By then, greater  

visibility on the economy, the capital markets and the  

  prospect  of  improving  fundamentals  supported  a  

  measured level of new development. Accordingly, we  

  broke  ground  on  two  communities  in  late  2009  at  a  

total cost of $65 million.

•   we completed and delivered nine new communities,  

totaling over 2,500 apartment homes for a Total Capi- 

tal  Cost  of  $800  million.  At  year-end  2009,  we  had  

seven  developments  under  construction  –  half  the 

volume underway at the prior year-end.  

•   we  sold  five  assets,  compared  to  11  sold  in  the  

  prior  year,  for  an  aggregate  price  of  $180  million. 

  These  sales  provided  a  total  Economic  Gain  of  $44  

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.  3

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A v Al o n   Mo r nInG S I D E   P Ar k,  nY

W He r e  Yo u  W a n t t o  Be

We have a diverse, high-quality 
portfolio of apartment homes  
in the nation’s premier, supply-
constrained coastal markets.

To visit all our communities, go to www.avaloncommunities.com.

4  AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.

  million,  a  13%  Unleveraged  IRR  on  our  investment  

more than three years, allowing us to avoid additional se-

at a weighted average Initial Year Market Cap Rate of  

cured debt and preserve access to the unsecured markets.

6.5% - evidence of long-term value creation. 

•  Redevelopment  activity  resulted  in  four  completions  

  during  the  year  for  a  Total  Capital  Cost  of  approxi- 

  mately  $30  million  (excluding  costs  incurred  prior  to  

redevelopment).  we  started  four  redevelopments  

  with  incremental  estimated  Total  Capital  Costs  of  

$50 million.

This  investment  activity  was  supported  by  significant  fi-

nancing activity. we sourced over $1.7 billion of new capi-

tal in 2009, boosting liquidity, lowering interest rates and 

FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY

Fund II Equity
Commitments
$92 Million

Continuous
Equity 
Program
$103 Million

Unsecured Debt
     $500 Million

Dispositions
$193 Million

Secured Debt
$834 Million

reducing  refinancing  risk  by  extending  durations.  we  is-

Source: Company Reports

sued  unsecured  debt,  tendered  for  and  redeemed  unse-

cured notes, and launched a Continuous Equity Program 

(CEP). These efforts left us with cash on hand and modest 

during  2009  we  issued  $103  million  of  common  stock 

capital needs heading into 2010.

under  the  CEP.  This  program  is  an  efficient  and  cost  

effective source of equity capital and financial flexibility, 

while  refinancing  activity  for  the  year  mitigated  finan-

allowing  us  to  better  match  investment  with  financing 

cial  and  maturity  risk,  it  also  provided  substantial  cost  

activity while mitigating pricing risk.

savings.  The  weighted  average  interest  rate  on  all  our 

debt  at  the  beginning  of  2009  was  5.3%.  By  year-end, 

Last year’s capital markets activity was extraordinary and 

that same measure had dropped to 5.1% on $4 billion of  

underscores  not  only  the  substantial  improvement  in 

debt,  representing  an  annual  savings  of  $8  million  per 

the capital markets during the year but also the financial 

year.  floating  rate  debt  declined  to  just  9%  of  our  Total 

strength  and  flexibility  we  enjoy  with  one  of  the  stron-

Market Capitalization.

gest balance sheets in the REIT industry. 

with these savings comes enhanced financial flexibility. 

The issuance of unsecured debt in 2009 was our first in 

The National Economy
and Apartment Fundamentals

M ODEST  NE AR-TE RM  MAT URIT IES

year’s job losses, which were unusual in scale and breadth 

Our operating results in 2009 reflect the severity of last 

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with no major metro area spared. during the first half of 

2009, an average of 500,000 jobs were lost each month. 

Losses continued into the second half of 2009 at a lesser 

pace, with monthly job losses averaging 250,000. But the 

damage was already done and, by year-end, unemploy-

ment reached 10%, further weakening renter demand.

while job losses continue, emerging GdP growth, healing 

8
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credit markets and rising consumer confidence suggest 

 2010       2011       2012       2013       2014       2015       2016       2017       2018   

2010 will be a transition year. Experience teaches us that 

Source: Company Reports

job growth lags GdP growth by three or four quarters. So 

for 2010, we expect job losses early in the year will turn 

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.  5

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
W He r e  Yo u  W a n t t o  Be

From product design to the level  
of service in our communities,  
we focus relentlessly on meeting  
the needs of our customers—to 
make their AvalonBay experience 
Time Well Spent.

6  AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.

to job gains and apartment fundamentals will transition 

a struggling economy slows household formation, it also 

from weak to modestly positive during the year. Changes 

creates  pent-up  demand  for  apartments  that  will  be  re-

in rental revenue historically lag employment changes by 

leased once job growth resumes. 

one to two quarters, suggesting a sustained positive im-

pact on rental revenue is unlikely until 2011.

The  longer-term  outlook  supports  our  expectations  for  

a  positive  and  compelling  story,  driven  by  historically 

low levels of new construction and anticipated demand 

from  both  economic  recovery  and  demographic  trends. 

Between 2004 and 2007, construction starts for new mul-

tifamily  rental  product  averaged  210,000  units  per  year. 

By 2009, that number had fallen to 83,000 units and for 

2010 we expect only 58,000 starts – a 70% decline from 

2004-2007 levels.

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CONSTRAINE D SUPPLY (4)

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2004-07 Avg.

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Source: Witten Advisors

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STRONG DEMAND FROM
FAVORABLE DEMOGRAPHICS

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2004-2009                        2010-2015

Source: Census Bureau, National Multi-Housing Council

Looking Ahead:  The New Decade

Over  the  last  two  decades,  we’ve  successfully  steered  

the  company  through  several  business  cycles.  while 

apartment fundamentals will continue to operate within 

cyclical ebbs and flows, the economic times we’re facing 

are extraordinary and appear to be producing important 

shifts impacting our industry:

•  Shifts in Capital Formation. It will likely be harder to  

raise capital and those companies with balance sheet  

strength  will  disproportionately  benefit.  Going  for- 

Over the last four years, AvalonBay’s markets were less 

  ward, access to the public capital markets will be a sig- 

impacted by the housing oversupply that crippled some 

  nificant  competitive  advantage,  as  increased  regula- 

other markets. Measured as a percentage of total housing 

tion  of  the  financial  services  industry  may  further  

supply,  new  housing  increased  by  3.7%  in  our  markets 

constrain  capital  formation  for  private  real  estate  

from 2005 through 2009 compared to 6.6% nationally.

  owners. Most “merchant build” business models are  

simply not viable in today’s environment, strengthen- 

while  these  numbers  suggest  constrained  supply,  par-

ing  the  competitive  environment  for  well-capitalized  

ticularly for our high barrier coastal markets, it’s only part  

  public companies such as AvalonBay.

of  the  story.  demographic  trends  suggest  strong  renter 

demand is on the horizon. The population of young adults 

•  Shifts in Demand/Supply. for demand, we noted the  

age 25 to 34 is expected to increase by 2.5 million over 

  demographic shift towards growth in younger age co- 

the next five years, compared to1.6 million over the past 

  horts  with  higher  propensities  to  rent.  for  supply,  a  

five  years,  a  60%  increase.  Individuals  under  35  years 

tougher credit environment will put further constraints  

of  age  have  the  highest  propensity  to  rent  of  any  age 

  on new development for many of our competitors. 

group,  which  bodes  well  for  apartment  demand.  while  

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.  7

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A v Al o n   tIn t o n   f Al lS,  nJ

W He r e  Yo u  W a n t t o  Be

With one of the strongest balance 
sheets in the industry and a proven, 
time-tested strategy, we are  
well positioned for continued long-
term growth.

8  AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.

COM PE LL ING  F UNDA MENTA L S  IN  F U TU RE   YEARS (5)

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0

-100,000

-200,000

 2008

 2009

 2010

 2011

 2012

New Renter Demand                  New Apartment Supply

caution, we believe we are where we want to be to pursue 

emerging opportunities:

•  Liquidity. Our liquidity position is strong, leverage re- 

  mains modest by industry standards, and our commu- 

  nities  remain 

largely  unencumbered,  preserving  

access  to  the  unsecured  debt  markets.  Based  on  

  development  and  redevelopment  activity  currently  

  underway,  we  can  meet  all  of  our  investment  and  

  financing commitments well into 2012. 

•  Dividend.  Our goal is to retain as much capital as pos- 

sible while ensuring we cover the dividend from recur- 

ring  cash  flow  through  all  phases  of  the  real  estate 

cycle.  Over  the  past  ten  years,  our  regular  quarterly  

Source: Witten Advisors

  dividend has increased 70% compared to a decline of  

7% for the Multifamily Sector Average. 

•  Shift  Toward  Deleveraging.  Increased  stock  price  vola- 

tility for REITs is in part related to leverage levels. while  

OUTSIZED DIVIDEND GROWTH (6)

  deleveraging has been and will continue to be painful for  

some, well-capitalized public REITs are better-positioned  

to  reap  the  benefits  of  a  simple,  more  equity-oriented  

capital structure. 

•  Shifts  in  Government  Policies.  More  government  

regulation  of  energy  use  along  with  a  greater  focus  

  on environmental protection will likely have a signifi- 

cant  impact  on  urban  growth  patterns.  Changes  in  

zoning to encourage greater density and proximity to  

  mass transit will benefit multifamily housing – particu- 

larly those companies with a core competency in high- 

  density development like AvalonBay.

•  Shifts in Rent vs. Buy Patterns. The housing correction  

  proved that the rise in U.S. homeownership was un- 

sustainable.  Since  2006,  the  U.S.  homeownership  

rate has dropped from its peak of approximately 69%  

to about 67%, a gain of over 1.5 million potential renter  

  households.  Indeed,  historic  government  support  for  

  homeownership could wane as policymakers conclude  

that  the  nation  is  better  served  by  a  more  balanced  

  housing policy.

Given these likely future trends, it’s fair to ask:  how well is 

AvalonBay positioned for the next decade? After a year of 

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AVB

Multifamily Sector Avg.

Source: Company Reports, SNL Financial

•  Value Creation. A recovering economy, reduced con- 

struction  costs,  expectations  for  a  shortage  of  new  

apartments  and  improving  capital  markets  now  sup- 

  port  a  modest  level  of  new  starts.  At  higher  initial  

yields, delivering new apartment homes into what we  

expect  will  be  a  period  of  improving  fundamentals  

should provide outsized risk adjusted returns. 

•  Multiple Growth Platforms. In markets where develop- 

  ment  is  less  attractive,  we  will  allocate  capital  to  re- 

  develop  assets  to  enhance  returns.  In  addition,  we  

  have over $1 billion of capacity to pursue acquisitions  

  of existing assets in our markets through our invest- 

  ment management platform.

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.  9

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A v Al o n  Ir vInE,  cA

10  AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.

Conclusion

we  entered  the  downturn  in  a  strong  position,  with  a 

proven business strategy and sound financial foundation. 

Today, the private “merchant build” model is under stress 

and may not survive a new era of constrained capital for-

mation. But while the competitive landscape has changed, 

new competitors will emerge. As the economic recovery 

unfolds, the decisions we made last year position us well 

to continue our long track record of outperformance.

we believe one of the most important aspects of our mis-

sion  is  to  be  a  leader  in  capital  allocation.  Our  strategy 

of allocating capital to deliver a range of multifamily of-

ferings tailored to serve the needs of the most attractive 

customer  segments  in  the  best  performing  US  submar-

kets will serve our investors well. Going forward, as our 

supply-constrained markets experience improving renter 

demand as we expect, we would ask:  where do you want 

to be? whether through building, operating, upgrading or 

acquiring high quality product in a risk-measured way, or 

from thoughtful management of a strong balance sheet, 

we  believe  we  are  on  track  to  continue  providing  total 

shareholder  return  and  NAV  growth  near  the  top  of  the 

15%

10%

5%

0%

-5%

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LONG-TERM OUTPERFORMANCE (1,2,3)

%
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NAV

TSR

AVB             Multifamily Sector Avg.

Source: Green Street Advisors, SNL Financial

And  as  always,  thank  you  to  our  shareholders  for  their 

continued support, to our associates for their extraordi-

nary  efforts,  and  to  our  residents  who  have  chosen  to 

make an AvalonBay community their home.

sector as we have done over the last decade.

BRYCE BLAIR,  ChAIRMAN & CEO

In  closing,  we  want  to  recognize  Mike  Meyer,  who  will 

be retiring from our Board of directors this year. One of 

the  founders  of  AvalonBay  Communities,  Mike  is  a  rec-

ognized  leader  in  the  real  estate  industry  and  has  con-

tributed greatly to AvalonBay’s success through his prior 

role  as  AvalonBay’s  Executive  Chairman  and  his  long-

term  service  on  our  Board.  we  are  grateful  for  his  past 

contributions and wish him the best.

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.  11

 
 
 
 
 
 
A v Al o n  AnAhE I M St

A D IuM,   cA

12  AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.

NOTES

1. 

Total Shareholder Return: The change in value over the period stated with all dividends reinvested. Total Shareholder Return is sometimes presented as the compound annual 

growth rate. The Total Shareholder Return for each year within the timeframe presented may vary. 

2. 

Estimated NAV per Share Growth: The compound annual growth rate of Estimated NAV per Share as estimated by Green Street Advisors, Inc. during the periods indicated. Estimated 

NAV per Share Growth for each year within the timeframe presented may vary.

3. 

ffO per Share Growth: The compound annual growth rate of ffO per Share as reported during the period stated. ffO per Share Growth for each year within the timeframe presented 

may vary. See page 15 for 10 year ffO reconciliation.

4. 

US Multifamily Rental Construction Starts defined as construction starts per US Census Bureau data (historic data through 2009) and forecasts from witten Advisors (2010 forecast as 

of 4Q 2009).

5. 

New Renter demand defined as net apartment absorption (US) based on the year/year change in occupancy (US). New Apartment Supply defined as total US rental apartment 

home completions. data and forecast from witten Advisors as of 4Q 2009.

6. 

Includes regular dividends declared for each quarter of the ten years presented.

TABLE Of CONTENTS

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 

          33

Selected financial data 

Management’s discussion and Analysis of financial Condition and Results of Operations 

Quantitative and Qualitative disclosures About Market Risk 

Changes in and disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and financial disclosure 

Consolidated financial Statements 

          35

          38

          58

          60 

          f-3

form 10-k Page

dEfINITIONS ANd RECONCILIATIONS Of NON-GAAP fINANCIAL MEASURES ANd OThER TERMS

This Annual Report contains certain non-GAAP financial measures and other terms. The definition and calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures and other terms may differ from the 

definitions and methodologies used by other REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable. The non-GAAP financial measures referred to below should not be considered an alternative to net 

income as an indication of our performance. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures do not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and therefore 

should not be considered as an alternative measure of liquidity or as indicative of cash available to fund cash needs. The definitions of non-GAAP financial measures and other terms not included 

below (funds from Operations, Net Operating Income, Established/Same Store Communities) are contained in our Annual Report on form 10-k.

Net Asset Value (NAV) Per Share

The estimated market value of a company’s assets less the estimated market value of all current and long-term liabilities divided by the number of outstanding common shares and operating 

partnership units.  

Interest Coverage

EBITdA from continuing operations, excluding land gains and gain on the sale of investments in real estate joint ventures, divided by the sum of interest expense, net, and preferred dividends.

Interest Coverage is presented by the Company because it provides rating agencies and investors an additional means of comparing our ability to service debt obligations to that of other 

companies. EBITdA is defined by the Company as net income before interest income and expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITdA has been adjusted in the reconciliation 

below to exclude $26,972,000 of costs associated with the tender offer completed in October 2009. A reconciliation of EBITdA and a calculation of Interest Coverage for the fourth quarter of 

2009 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

Net income attributable to the Company 

Interest expense, net 

depreciation expense 

depreciation expense (discontinued operations) 

Tender offer costs 

EBITdA (adj. for Tender offer costs) 

EBITdA from continuing operations (adj. for Tender offer costs) 

EBITdA from discontinued operations 

EBITdA 

EBITdA from continuing operations 

Land gains 

EBITdA from continuing operations (adj. for Tender offer costs), excluding land gains 

    Interest charges 

Interest coverage 

$32,394

42,107

55,392

1,200

26,972

$158,065

$117,078

40,987

$158,065

$117,078

(4,589)

$112,489

$42,107

2.7

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.  13

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Initial Year Market Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate)

Projected NOI of a single community for the first (or next succeeding) 12 months of operations (assuming no repositioning), less estimates for non-routine allowance of approximately $200 

- $300 per apartment home, divided by the gross sales price for the community. Projected NOI, as referred to above, represents management’s estimate of projected rental revenue minus 

projected operating expenses before interest, income taxes (if any), depreciation, amortization and extraordinary items. for this purpose, management’s projection of operating expenses for 

the community includes a management fee of 3.0% - 3.5%. The Initial Year Market Cap Rate, which may be determined in a different manner by others, is a measure frequently used in the real 

estate industry when determining the appropriate purchase price for a property or estimating the value for a property. Buyers may assign different Initial Year Market Cap Rates to different 

communities  when  determining  the  appropriate  value  because  they  (i)  may  project  different  rates  of  change  in  operating  expenses  and  capital  expenditure  estimates  and  (ii)  may  project 

different rates of change in future rental revenue due to different estimates for changes in rent and occupancy levels. The weighted average Initial Year Market Cap Rate is weighted based on the 

gross sales price of each community. Projected stabilized rental revenue represents management’s estimate of projected gross potential (based on leased rents for occupied homes and market 

rents, for vacant homes) minus projected economic vacancy and adjusted for concessions. Projected stabilized operating expenses do not include interest, income taxes (if any), depreciation 

or amortization, or any allocation of corporate-level property management overhead or general and administrative costs.  

Leverage

Total debt as a percentage of Total Market Capitalization.  Total Market Capitalization represents the aggregate of the market value of the Company’s common stock, the market value of the 

Company’s operating partnership units outstanding (based on the market value of the Company’s common stock), and the outstanding principal balance of the Company’s debt.  Management 

believes that Leverage can be one useful measure of a real estate operating company’s long-term liquidity and balance sheet strength, because it shows an approximate relationship between a 

company’s total debt and the current total market value of its assets based on the current price at which the Company’s common stock trades.  Changes in Leverage also can influence changes 

in per share results.  A calculation of Leverage as of december 31, 2009 is as follows (dollars in thousands):

Total debt 

Common stock 

Operating partnership units 

Total debt 

Total Market Capitalization 

$3,977,092

$6,694,343

1,260

3,977,092

$10,672,696

debt as % of capitalization                                                                                                                                                   37.3% 

Because Leverage changes with fluctuations in the Company’s stock price, which occur regularly, the Company’s Leverage may change even when the Company’s earnings, interest and debt 

levels remain stable.  Investors should also note that the net realizable value of the Company’s assets in liquidation is not easily determinable and may differ substantially from the Company’s 

Total Market Capitalization.

Multifamily Sector Average

The Multifamily Sector Average is a weighted average based on Total Capitalization per SNL financial. The weighted average for “Total Shareholder Return” and “Outsized dividend Growth” 

consists of AEC, AIV, BRE, CPT, EQR, ESS, hME, MAA, PPS and UdR. The weighted average for “ffO per Share Growth”consists of AEC, AIV, BRE, CPT, EQR, ESS, hME, MAA and UdR. The 

weighted average for “NAV per Share Growth” includes all companies under Green Street Advisors, Inc.’s coverage for which data is available during each of the time periods presented and 

consists of AEC, BRE, CPT, EQR, PPS and UdR.

Total Capital Cost

Includes all capitalized costs projected to be or actually incurred to develop the respective development or redevelopment community, or development right, including land acquisition costs, 

construction costs, real estate taxes, capitalized interest and loan fees, permits, professional fees, allocated development overhead and other regulatory fees, all as determined in accordance 

with GAAP. for redevelopment communities, Total Capital Cost excludes costs incurred prior to the start of redevelopment when indicated. with respect to communities where development 

or redevelopment was completed in a prior or the current period, Total Capital Cost reflects the actual cost incurred, plus any contingency estimate made by management. Total Capital Cost 

for communities identified as having joint venture ownership, either during construction or upon construction completion, represents the total projected joint venture contribution amount. for 

joint ventures not in construction, Total Capital Cost is equal to gross real estate cost.

Economic Gain

The  gain  on  sale  in  accordance  with  GAAP,  less  accumulated  depreciation  through  the  date  of  sale  and  any  other  non-cash  adjustments  that  may  be  required  under  GAAP  accounting. 

Management generally considers Economic Gain to be an appropriate supplemental measure to gain on sale in accordance with GAAP because it helps investors understand the relationship 

between the cash proceeds from a sale and the cash invested in the sold community. A reconciliation of Economic Gain to gain on sale in accordance with GAAP for the full year 2009 is 

presented below (dollars in thousands):

Number of 

Communities Sold 

5 Communities 

Gross Sales 

Price 

 $179,675  

GAAP Gain 

$61,116  

Accumulated 

depreciation 

and Other 

$16,626  

Economic 

Gain       

$44,490

Unleveraged IRR 

Refers to the internal rate of return on sold communities calculated by the Company considering the timing and amounts of (i) total revenue during the period owned by the Company and (ii)

the gross sales price net of selling costs, offset by (iii) the undepreciated capital cost of the communities at the time of sale and (iv) total direct operating expenses during the period owned by 

the Company. Each of the items (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) are calculated in accordance with GAAP.

The calculation of Unleveraged IRR does not include an adjustment for the Company’s general and administrative expense, interest expense, or corporate-level property management and other 

indirect operating expenses. Therefore, Unleveraged IRR is not a substitute for net income as a measure of our performance. Management believes that the Unleveraged IRR achieved during 

the period a community is owned by the Company is useful because it is one indication of the gross value created by the Company’s acquisition, development or redevelopment, management 

and sale of a community, before the impact of indirect expenses and Company overhead. The Unleveraged IRR achieved on the communities as cited in this annual report should not be viewed 

as an indication of the gross value created with respect to other communities owned by the Company, and the Company does not represent that it will achieve similar Unleveraged IRRs upon 

the disposition of other communities. The weighted average Unleveraged IRR for sold communities is weighted based on all cash flows over the holding period for each respective community, 

including net sales proceeds.

14 AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock Performance Graph

The stock performance graph provides a comparison, from december 2004 through december 2009, of the cumulative total shareholder return (assuming reinvestment of dividends) among 

the Company, the Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Index, and a peer group index composed of 15 publicly-traded apartment REITs, including the Company (the “fTSE NAREIT Apartment REIT 

Index”) based on an initial purchase price of $100. The fTSE NAREIT Apartment REIT Index includes only REITs that invest directly or indirectly primarily in the equity ownership of multifamily 

residential apartment communities. Upon written request to the Company’s Secretary, the Company will provide any stockholder with a list of REITs included in the fTSE NAREIT Apartment 

REIT Index. The historical information set forth below is not necessarily indicative of future performance. data for the fTSE NAREIT Apartment REIT Index and the S&P 500 Index were provided 

to the Company by NAREIT.

STOCK  PERFORMANCE

$200

$150

$100

$50

$0

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

AVB              FTSE NAREIT Apartment REIT Index              S&P 500 Index 

Source: NAREIT  Benchmarked at 12/04=$100

dec 2004 

dec 2005 

dec 2006 

dec 2007 

dec 2008 

dec 2009

S&P 500 Index 

fTSE NAREIT Apartment REIT Index 

AvalonBay 

 $100  

100 

100 

 $105  

115 

123 

 $121 

160 

184 

 $128  

120 

137 

 $81  

90 

95 

 $102 

117

137

Ten Year ffO Reconciliation

  for the Year Ended

(dollars in thousands) 

12-31--09 

12-31-08 

12-31-07 

12-31-06 

12-31-05 

12-31-04 

12-31-03 

12-31-02 

12-31-01 

12-31-00 

12-31-99

Net income 

$155,647 

$411,487 

$358,160  

$266,546 

$310,468 

$207,779 

$262,503 

$173,125 

$248,997 

$210,604 

$172,276 

dividends attributable to preferred stock 

— 

(10,454) 

(8,700) 

(8,700) 

(8,700) 

(8,700) 

(10,744) 

(17,896) 

(40,035) 

(39,779) 

(39,779) 

depreciation—real estate assets,

  including discontinued operations and

  joint venture adjustments 

distributions to noncontrolling interests

  including discontinued operations 

Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle 

Gain on sale of unconsolidated entities 

Gain on sale of operating communities 

funds from Operations attributable

  to common stockholders 

weighted average common shares

  outstanding—diluted 

221,415 

203,082 

184,731 

 165,982 

163,252 

159,221 

129,207 

143,026 

128,086 

120,208 

108,679 

66 

— 

— 

216 

— 

280 

— 

391 

— 

(3,483) 

(59,927) 

(6,609) 

1,363 

— 

— 

3,048 

(4,547) 

— 

1,263 

1,601 

1,559 

1,759 

1,975 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(63,887) 

(284,901) 

(106,487) 

(97,411) 

(195,287) 

(121,287) 

(159,756) 

(48,893) 

(62,852) 

(40,779) 

(47,093) 

$313,241 

$315,947 

$368,057 

$320,199 

$271,096 

$235,514 

$222,473 

$250,963 

$275,755 

$252,013 

$196,058 

80,599,657  77,578,852  79,856,927  75,586,898  74,759,318  73,354,956  70,203,467  70,674,211 

69,781,719  68,140,998  66,110,664 

EPS—diluted 

$1.93 

$5.17 

$4.38 

$3.42 

$4.05 

$2.75 

$3.60 

$2.22 

$3.02 

$2.53 

$2.03 

ffO per common share—diluted 

$3.89 

$4.07 

$4.61 

$4.24 

$3.63 

$3.21 

$3.17 

$3.55 

$3.95 

$3.70 

$2.97 

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.  15

 
 
 
         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
AVALONBAY CORPORATE INfORMATION

BOARd Of dIRECTO RS

Bryce Blair
Chairman and CEO 
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. 

Bruce A. Choate (2,4,5)
President and CEO
watson Land Company 
A real estate investment trust

John J. healy, Jr. (2,4,5)
founder and President
hyde Street holdings
A real estate investment trust

Gilbert M. Meyer (4)
President and CEO
Greenbriar homes Communities, Inc. 
A residential developer and builder

Timothy J. Naughton (4)
President
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. 

Lance R. Primis (1,3,5)
Managing Partner
Lance R. Primis and Partners, LLC 
A management consulting firm

Peter S. Rummel (3,4)
Private Investor

h. Jay Sarles (2,3)
Private Investor 

w. Edward walter (2,4)
President and CEO
host hotels & Resorts, Inc.
A real estate investment trust

1  Lead Independent director
2  Audit Committee
3  Compensation Committee
4  Investment and finance Committee
5  Nominating and Corporate  
Committee 

OffICERS

Bryce Blair
Chairman and CEO 

Timothy J. Naughton
President

Thomas J. Sargeant
Chief financial Officer

Leo S. horey
Executive Vice President
Property Operations

Sean J. Breslin
Executive Vice President
Redevelopment and Asset 
Management

Bill McLaughlin
Executive Vice President
development & Construction–
Northeast

Steve wilson
Executive Vice President
development & Construction– 
west Coast and Mid-Atlantic

david w. Bellman
Senior Vice President
Construction–East Coast

deborah A. Coombs
Senior Vice President
Property Operations–
Northern CA, Pacific Nw

Jonathan B. Cox
Senior Vice President
development–
Mid-Atlantic, Mid-west 

Lili f. dunn
Senior Vice President
Investments–National 

frederick S. harris
Senior Vice President
development–NY

Joanne M. Lockridge
Senior Vice President
finance, Assistant Treasurer
and Assistant Secretary–National 

J. Richard Morris
Senior Vice President
Construction–National 

kevin P. O’Shea
Senior Vice President
Investment Management

Christopher L. Payne
Senior Vice President
development–Southern CA

Edward M. Schulman
Senior Vice President
General Counsel and  
Secretary–National

Bernard J. ward
Senior Vice President
Property Operations–
East Coast, Mid-west 

danyell d. Alders
Vice President
Property Operations–Southern CA

Trinity M. Blue
Vice President
Property Operations–Metro NY

Shannon E. Brennan 
Vice President
Property Operations–
Mid-Atlantic

Alfred Brockunier III
Vice President
Construction–NY 

duane w. Carlson 
Vice President
Construction–Northern CA

Sean M. Clark 
Vice President
Redevelopment and 
Asset Management 

Scott w. dale
Vice President
development–MA

Tsippora dingott
Vice President
Information Services–National

Mark forlenza
Vice President
development–CT

Brian E. fritz 
Vice President
development–Pacific Nw

Patrick Gniadek
Vice President
Investments

karen A. hollinger
Vice President
Operations–National 

Suzanne Jakstavich
Vice President
human Resources–National

Scott R. kinter
Vice President
Construction–Northeast

Ronald S. Ladell
Vice President
development–NJ 

Lyn C. Lansdale
Vice President
Strategic Business Services–
National

Sarah k. Mathewson
Vice President
Property Operations–MA, RI

Mike f. Nootens
Vice President
Engineering–National

Michael J. Roberts
Vice President
development–MA 

Robert S. Salkovitz 
Vice President
Construction–Southern CA

keri A. Shea
Vice President
finance and Treasurer–National 

Mona R. Stahling
Vice President
Operations–National

B. kevin Thompson
Vice President
Marketing–National 

Matthew B. whalen
Vice President
development–Long Island 

Philip M. wharton
Vice President
development–NY

16  AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC.

 
 
 
 
 
 
fORM 10 -k

A copy of the Company’s annual report  
on form 10-k as filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission may be obtained 
without charge by contacting Investor Rela-
tions.

S TOCk  LIST INGS

NYSE–AVB

fOR wA Rd-L OOkING STATEM ENTS

This Annual Report contains “forward-
looking statements” within the meaning of 
the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934. Please see our discus-
sion titled “forward-Looking Statements” 
on page 55 of our Annual Report on form 
10k for a discussion regarding risks associ-
ated with these statements.

AVALONBAY CORPORATE INfORMATION

San Jose, CA
400 Race Street
Suite 200
San Jose, CA 95126
Phone:  
fax:  

(408) 983-1500
(408) 287-9167

Seattle, wA
11808 Northup way
Suite w311
Bellevue, wA 98005
Phone: 
fax: 

(425) 576-2100
(425) 576-8447

Virginia Beach, VA
2901 Sabre Street
Suite 100
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
(757) 631-5000
Phone: 
(757) 486-1063
fax: 

woodbridge, NJ
woodbridge Place
517 Route One South
Suite 5500
Iselin, NJ 08830
Phone: 
fax: 

(732) 404-4800
(732) 283-9101

IN VE S TOR R ELAT IONS

Investor Relations
AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
Ballston Tower
671 N. Glebe Road
Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 
ir@avalonbay.com

(703) 329-6300 ext. 4747

wE BSITE

www.avalonbay.com

T RAN SfE R A GENT

BNY Mellon Shareowner Services
P.O. Box 358015
Pittsburgh, PA 15252-8015
(866) 230-0668
Phone:  

INdE P E NdE NT A UdIT ORS

Ernst & Young, LLP
8484 westpark drive
McLean, VA 22102
Phone: 

(703) 747-1000

hEAdQUARTERS

washington, dC
Ballston Tower
671 N. Glebe Road
Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 
fax:       

(703) 329-6300
(703) 329-1459

REGIONAL Of fI CE S

Boston, MA
51 Sleeper Street
Suite 750
Boston, MA 02210
Phone: 
fax: 

(617) 654-9500
(617) 426-1610

Chicago, IL
180 North Arlington heights Road
Arlington heights, IL 60004
Phone: 
fax: 

(847) 342-0065
(847) 342-0075 

Shelton, CT
1000 Bridgeport Avenue 
Suite 258
Shelton, CT 06484
Phone: 
fax: 

(203) 926-2300
(203)-926-9744 

Long Island, NY
135 Pinelawn Road
Suite 130 South
Melville, NY 11747
Phone: 
fax: 

(631) 843-0736
(631) 843-0737 

Los Angeles, CA
16255 Ventura Boulevard
Suite 950
Encino, CA 91436
Phone: 
fax: 

(818) 784-2800
(818) 784-2810

Newport Beach, CA
4440 Von karman Avenue
Suite 300
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 955-6200
Phone:  
(949) 724-9208
fax: 

New York, NY
275 Seventh Avenue
25th floor
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 
fax: 

(212) 370-9269
(212) 370-1415

San francisco, CA
185 Berry Street
Suite 3500
San francisco, CA 94107
(415) 284-9080
Phone:  
(415) 546-4138
fax:  

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Ballston Tower
671 N. Glebe Road 
Suite 800  •  Arlington  •  VA  •  22203   
www.avalonbay.com