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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is intended to help the reader understand our Company, business, operations and present business environment and is provided as a supplement to, and should be read together with the sections entitled “Risk Factors,” “Selected Financial Data,” and the financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

In addition, the statements in this discussion and analysis regarding industry outlook, our expectations regarding the performance of our business, anticipated financial results, liquidity and the other non-historical statements are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described in “Forward-Looking Statements” and in “Risk Factors” above. Our actual results may differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements.

Executive Overview and Outlook

Market Conditions

The demand for new and existing homes is dependent on a variety of demographic and economic factors, including job and wage growth, household formation, consumer confidence, mortgage financing, and overall housing affordability. As we began our fiscal 2021, the U.S. economy had begun to recover from the severe impacts of the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, and housing market conditions were generally healthy.

Demand for new homes in our markets was strong throughout fiscal 2021. Many factors contributed to this level of demand, including historically low mortgage interest rates, a structural shortage of homes to purchase, favorable demographics, as well as workplace changes as a result of the pandemic. The strong demand also contributed to a rise in home prices. Fiscal 2021 was also impacted by a variety of supply chain disruptions, including increases in labor and direct building costs, as well as lack of availability of certain materials and construction labor. In response to elongated construction cycle times caused by supply chain disruptions, we proactively limited sales in a number of communities during the latter half of the fiscal year to better align sales pace with our production capacity. While we have been carefully managing our sales pace, the supply chain for labor and materials continues to negatively impact construction cycle times.

The magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown. If economic conditions deteriorate, we may experience material declines in our net new orders, closings, revenues, cash flow and/or profitability in fiscal 2022, compared to the corresponding prior-year periods, and compared to our expectations. In addition, if conditions in the overall housing market or in a specific market worsen in the future beyond our current expectations, if future changes in our business strategy significantly affect any key assumptions used in our projections of future cash flows, or if there are material changes in any of the other items we consider in assessing recoverability, we may recognize charges in future periods for inventory impairments related to our current inventory assets. Any such charges could be material to our consolidated financial statements. For further discussion of the potential impacts on our business from the COVID-19 pandemic, see Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors above.

Balanced Growth Strategy

Fiscal 2021 represented continued progress towards the execution of our balanced growth strategy. Specifically, we believe our strong improvements in sales pace, homes in backlog, average selling price, homebuilding gross margin, operating margin, lot count, and use of lot option agreements have positioned us well for fiscal 2022 growth. We have also successfully improved our balance sheet by reducing our debt balance, which puts us closer to our goal of having less than $1.0 billion of outstanding debt by the end of fiscal 2022.

As we begin to look to 2022, we see continued strength in market demand, although higher home prices relative to income growth and disciplined industry-wide mortgage underwriting are likely to moderate the extent of home price appreciation. We believe the combination of demographics, household formation, workplace changes, and the structural deficit in new home supply will keep housing market fundamentals strong for some time to come. Our focus for fiscal 2022 will be to increase our land acquisition and development investments and continue our use of lot option agreements to support future community count growth. In addition to growing our land position, we expect to emphasize the following strategic business objectives in fiscal 2022:

•Improve operating margin - Our operating margin increased by 320 basis points to 6.9% for the year ended September 30, 2021 from 3.7% for the year ended September 30, 2020. We remain focused on improving overhead cost management in relation to our revenue growth to drive operating margin improvement.

•Deliver extraordinary customer experience - We regularly survey our customers throughout the homebuyer journey to measure and improve the customer experience, including through use of third-party customer surveys such as Trustbuilder and GuildQuality. In fiscal 2022, we remain focused on delivering extraordinary value and a great customer experience for our homebuyers.

•Encourage employee well-being - We believe that our employees are critical to our continued growth and success. We consistently measure employee engagement and remain focused on delivering programs that enhance employee engagement and work-life balance.

Overview of Results for Our Fiscal 2021

The following is a summary of our performance against certain key operating and financial metrics during fiscal 2021:

•Sales per community per month was 3.7 and 3.2 for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase in sales pace is reflective of the high demand for new homes primarily driven by low interest rates, short supply of homes, and consumers' reassessment of living arrangements. Given the high demand and construction cycle time constraints, we have deliberately slowed down sales in a number of our communities during the latter half of the fiscal year to better align sales pace with production capacity, to ensure a positive customer experience, and to drive price appreciation to maximize margins.

•During the year ended September 30, 2021, our net new orders decreased to 5,564, down 11.6% from the prior year. Our average active community count of 127 was down 22.3% from the prior year. We ended the year with an active community count of 117 in part due to strong sales pace experienced during fiscal 2021 as well as the temporary reduction in land spend during fiscal 2020. We are working to rebuild community counts by investing in new communities. We invested $595.5 million and $440.8 million in land acquisition and land development during the year endedSeptember 30, 2021and September 30, 2020, respectively.

•As of September 30, 2021, our land position includes 21,987 controlled lots, up 23.3% from 17,830 from the prior year. Excluding land held for future development and land held for sale lots, we controlled 21,422 active lots, up 26.7% from a year earlier. Through expansion of our use of lot option agreements, as of September 30, 2021, we had 9,992 lots, or 46.6% of our total active lots, under option contracts as compared to 5,878 lots, or 34.8% of our total active lots, under option contracts as of September 30, 2020.

•Aggregated dollar value of homes in backlog as of September 30, 2021 was $1,284.0 million, up 29.0% compared to the prior year. As a result of our strong sales pace, we ended the year with 2,786 homes in backlog, up 11.0% compared to the prior year. ASP in backlog as of September 30, 2021 has risen 16.2% versus the prior year to $460.9 thousand.

•Homebuilding gross margin for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 was 18.9%, up from 16.4% in the prior year. Homebuilding gross margin excluding impairments, abandonments, and interest for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 was 23.0%, up from 21.0% in the prior year. Our homebuilding gross margin has been favorably impacted by the strong demand and price appreciation, although cost pressures and the availability of labor has affected and may continue to temper gross margin expansion in the future.

•SG&A for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 was 11.4% of total revenue compared with 11.9% a year earlier. We remain focused on improving overhead cost management in relation to our revenue growth, contributing to our balanced growth strategy.

Seasonal and Quarterly Variability: Our homebuilding operating cycle historically has reflected escalating new order activity in the second and third fiscal quarters and increased closings in the third and fourth fiscal quarters. However, these seasonal patterns may be impacted or reduced by a variety of factors. During fiscal 2021, supply chain disruptions as well as our efforts to actively manage sales pace resulted in a shift from our typical seasonal trend such that higher levels of new order activity were observed during the first and second quarters of fiscal 2021, which led to increased closing levels starting in the second fiscal quarter.

The following tables present new order and closings data for the periods presented:

New Orders (Net of Cancellations)

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr Total

Closings

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr Total

RESULTS OF CONTINUING OPERATIONS

The following table summarizes certain key income statement metrics for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Revenue:

Gross profit (loss):

Gross margin:

Land sales and other (b) 20.1 % (4.6) % (381.2) %

G&A as a percentage of total revenue 7.6 % 8.0 % 7.7 %

Operating income (loss) as a percentage of total revenue 6.9 % 3.7 % (4.3) %

Loss on extinguishment of debt, net $ (2,025) $ — $ (24,920)

(a) Homebuilding gross margin for fiscal 2019 was impacted by $110.0 million of impairments primarily related to impairments recorded in the second quarter for certain projects in progress in California. Excluding impairments, abandonments, and interest amortized to cost of sales, homebuilding gross margin was 23.0%, 21.0%, and 19.7% for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. Please see "Homebuilding Gross Profit and Gross Margin" section below for a reconciliation of homebuilding gross profit and the related gross margin excluding impairments and abandonments and interest amortized to cost of sales to homebuilding gross profit and gross margin, the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

(b) Calculated as land sales and other gross profit (loss) divided by land sales and other revenue. Land sales and other gross margin is shown as a significant negative percentage for fiscal 2019 due to the $38.6 million of impairments recorded in the second quarter related to land held for sale assets in California.

(c) Calculated as tax expense (benefit) for the period divided by income (loss) from continuing operations. Due to a variety of factors, our income tax expense (benefit) is not always directly correlated to the amount of pre-tax income (loss) for the associated periods. Our effective tax rate was impacted by, among other factors, energy efficiency tax credits of $12.1 million, $0.9 million and $14.9 million for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. Please see Note 13 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K for details of significant items that impact our effective tax rate.

Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to total company net income (loss), the most directly comparable GAAP measure, is provided for each period discussed below. Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA assists investors in understanding and comparing the operating characteristics of homebuilding activities by eliminating many of the differences in companies' respective capitalization, tax position, and level of impairments. These EBITDA measures should not be considered alternatives to net income (loss) determined in accordance with GAAP as an indicator of operating performance.

The following table reconciles our net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Litigation settlement in discontinued operations 120 1,260 — — —

Restructuring and severance expenses (10) 1,317 — — —

Joint venture impairment and abandonment charges — — — 341 —

Write-off of deposit on legacy land investment — — — — 2,700

(a) In periods during which we impaired certain of our inventory assets, capitalized interest that is impaired is included in the line above titled “Interest amortized to home construction and land sales expenses and capitalized interest impaired."

Homebuilding Operations Data

The following table summarizes new orders and cancellation rates by reportable segment for the periods presented:

New Orders, net Cancellation Rates

Net new orders for the year ended September 30, 2021 decreased to 5,564, down 11.6% from the year ended September 30, 2020. The decrease in net new orders was driven primarily by a decrease in active community count from 163 in the prior year to 127, partially offset by an increase in sales pace from 3.2 sales per community per month in the prior year to 3.7, and a decrease in cancellation rates from 15.8% in the prior year to 11.1%. We are working to grow community counts by investing in new communities, and we are also actively managing sales pace, in part by selectively increasing prices and limiting lot releases in some communities, to optimize margins and lot supply.

The table below summarizes backlog units by reportable segment as well as the aggregate dollar value and ASP of homes in backlog as of September 30, 2021, 2020, and 2019:

As of September 30,

Backlog Units:

Backlog reflects the number of homes for which the Company has entered into a sales contract with a customer but has not yet delivered the home. Homes in backlog have historically been delivered within three to six months following commencement of construction. Due to the stronger than expected demand for new homes during the economic recovery, we have seen disruptions in our supply chain during the latter half of fiscal 2021, including the availability of certain materials and construction labor, which has led to extended construction cycle times. As a result, homes in backlog are currently delivered within four to nine months following commencement of construction. The aggregate dollar value of homes in backlog as of September 30, 2021 increased 29.0% compared to the prior year due to a 16.2% increase in the ASP of homes in backlog and an 11.0% increase in backlog units.

Homebuilding Revenue, Average Selling Price, and Closings

The table below summarizes homebuilding revenue, ASP of our homes closed, and closings by reportable segment for the periods presented:

Homebuilding Revenue Average Selling Price

Closings

The slight increase in our overall homebuilding revenue for fiscal 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020 is the result of an increase in ASP, partially offset by a decrease in closings. The ASP changes were impacted primarily by price appreciation due to strong demand and short supply of homes, as well as a change in mix of closings between geographies, products, and among communities within each individual market as compared to the prior year. On average, we anticipate that our ASP will continue to increase in the near-term as indicated by the ASP for homes in backlog as of September 30, 2021.

West Segment: Homebuilding revenue decreased by 6.0% for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 compared to the prior fiscal year due to a 8.1% decrease in closings, partially offset by a 2.4% increase in ASP. The decrease in closings is due to a decrease in backlog conversion rates as a result of longer production cycle times compared to the prior year, partially offset by higher units in beginning backlog for fiscal 2021 compared to fiscal 2020.

East Segment: Homebuilding revenue increased by 18.9% for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 compared to the prior fiscal year due to a 13.4% increase in closings as well as a 4.8% increase in ASP. The year-over-year increase in closings in the East segment was primarily the result of higher units in beginning backlog for fiscal 2021 compared to fiscal 2020.

Southeast Segment: Homebuilding revenue decreased by 1.9% for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 compared to the prior fiscal year due to a decrease in closings of 6.8%, partially offset by a 5.2% increase in ASP. The decrease in closings is due to a decrease in backlog conversion rates as a result of longer production cycle times compared to the prior year, partially offset by higher units in beginning backlog for fiscal 2021 compared to fiscal 2020.

Homebuilding Gross Profit and Gross Margin

The following tables present our homebuilding (HB) gross profit and gross margin by reportable segment and in total. In addition, such amounts are presented excluding inventory impairments and abandonments and interest amortized to cost of sales (COS). Homebuilding gross profit is defined as homebuilding revenue less home cost of sales (which includes land and land development costs, home construction costs, capitalized interest, indirect costs of construction, estimated warranty costs, closing costs, and inventory impairment and abandonment charges).

Reconciliation of homebuilding gross profit and the related gross margin excluding impairments and abandonments and interest amortized to cost of sales to homebuilding gross profit and gross margin, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, is provided for each period discussed below. Management believes that this information assists investors in comparing the operating characteristics of homebuilding activities by eliminating many of the differences in companies' respective level of impairments and level of debt. These measures should not be considered alternatives to homebuilding gross profit and gross margin determined in accordance with GAAP as an indicator of operating performance.

$ in thousands Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2021

$ in thousands Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2020

$ in thousands Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2019

(a) Corporate and unallocated includes capitalized interest and capitalized indirect costs expensed to homebuilding cost of sale related to homes closed, as well as capitalized interest and capitalized indirect costs impaired in order to reflect projects in progress assets at fair value.

Our homebuilding gross profit increased by $53.6 million to $401.7 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, from $348.1 million in the prior year. The increase in homebuilding gross profit was primarily driven by growth in homebuilding revenue of $10.8 million, and an increase in gross margin of 250 basis points to 18.9%. However, as shown in the tables above, the comparability of our gross profit and gross margin was modestly impacted by impairment and abandonment charges which decreased by $0.8 million and interest amortized to homebuilding cost of sales which decreased by $7.8 million year-over-year (refer to Note 5 and Note 6 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K for additional details). When excluding the impact of impairment and abandonment charges and interest amortized to homebuilding cost of sales, homebuilding gross profit increased by $45.0 million compared to the prior year while homebuilding gross margin increased by 200 basis points to 23.0%. The year-over-year improvement in gross margin for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021 is primarily driven by lower sales incentives and pricing increases, although cost pressures and the availability of labor has affected and may continue to temper gross margin expansion in the future.

West Segment: Compared to the prior fiscal year, homebuilding gross profit increased by $12.0 million primarily due to higher gross margin. Homebuilding gross margin, excluding impairments and abandonments, increased to 24.4%, up from 22.0% in the prior year. The increase in gross margin was driven primarily by lower sales incentives and pricing increases.

East Segment: Compared to the prior fiscal year, homebuilding gross profit increased by $27.5 million due to the increase in homebuilding revenue and higher gross margin. Homebuilding gross margin, excluding impairments and abandonments, increased to 22.3%, up from 20.7% in the prior year. The increase in gross margin was driven primarily by lower sales incentives and pricing increases.

Southeast Segment: Compared to the prior fiscal year, homebuilding gross profit increased by $10.6 million due to higher gross margin. Homebuilding gross margin, excluding impairments and abandonments, increased to 21.9%, up from 19.2% in the prior year. The increase in gross margin was driven primarily by lower sales incentives and pricing increases.

Measures of homebuilding gross profit and gross margin after excluding inventory impairments and abandonments, interest amortized to cost of sales, and other non-recurring items are not GAAP financial measures. These measures should not be considered alternatives to homebuilding gross profit and gross margin determined in accordance with GAAP as an indicator of operating performance.

In particular, the magnitude and volatility of non-cash inventory impairment and abandonment charges for the Company and other homebuilders have been significant historically and, as such, have made financial analysis of our industry more difficult. Homebuilding metrics excluding these charges, as well as interest amortized to cost of sales and other similar presentations by analysts and other companies, are frequently used to assist investors in understanding and comparing the operating characteristics of homebuilding activities by eliminating many of the differences in companies' respective level of impairments and levels of debt. Management believes these non-GAAP measures enable holders of our securities to better understand the cash implications of our operating performance and our ability to service our debt obligations as they currently exist and as additional indebtedness is incurred in the future. These measures are also useful internally, helping management to compare operating results and to measure cash available for discretionary spending.

In a given period, our reported gross profit is generated from both communities previously impaired and communities not previously impaired. In addition, as indicated above, certain gross profit amounts arise from recoveries of prior period costs, including warranty items that are not directly tied to communities generating revenue in the period. Home closings from communities previously impaired would, in most instances, generate very low or negative gross margins prior to the impact of the previously recognized impairment. Gross margin for each home closing is higher for a particular community after an impairment because the carrying value of the underlying land was previously reduced to the present value of future cash flows as a result of the impairment, leading to lower cost of sales at the home closing. This improvement in gross margin resulting from one or more prior impairments is frequently referred to in the aggregate as the “impairment turn” or “flow-back” of impairments within the reporting period. The amount of this impairment turn may exceed the gross margin for an individual impaired asset if the gross margin for that asset prior to the impairment would have been negative. The extent to which this impairment turn is greater than the reported gross margin for the individual asset is related to the specific historical cost basis of that individual asset.

The asset valuations that result from our impairment calculations are based on discounted cash flow analyses and are not derived by simply applying prospective gross margins to individual communities. As such, impaired communities may have gross margins that are somewhat higher or lower than the gross margins for unimpaired communities. The mix of home closings in any particular quarter varies to such an extent that comparisons between previously impaired and never impaired communities would not be a reliable way to ascertain profitability trends or to assess the accuracy of previous valuation estimates. In addition, since any amount of impairment turn is tied to individual lots in specific communities, it will vary considerably from period to period. As a result of these factors, we review the impairment turn impact on gross margin on a trailing 12-month basis rather than a quarterly basis as a way of considering whether our impairment calculations are resulting in gross margins for impaired communities that are comparable to our unimpaired communities. For fiscal 2021, our homebuilding gross margin was 18.9% and excluding interest and inventory impairments and abandonments, it was 23.0%. For the same period, homebuilding gross margin was as follows in those communities that have previously been impaired, which represented 8.2% of total closings during fiscal 2021:

Homebuilding Gross Margin from previously impaired communities:

Pre-impairment turn gross margin 6.3 %

Impact of interest amortized to COS related to these communities 3.9 %

Pre-impairment turn gross margin, excluding interest amortization 10.2 %

Impact of impairment turns 16.9 %

Gross margin (post impairment turns), excluding interest amortization 27.1 %

For a further discussion of our impairment policies and communities impaired during the current and prior two fiscal years, refer to Note 2 and Note 5 of the notes to consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K.

Land Sales and Other Revenue and Gross Profit (Loss)

Land sales relate to land and lots sold that do not fit within our homebuilding programs and strategic plans. We also have other revenue related to title examinations provided for our homebuyers in certain markets. The following tables summarize our land sales and other revenue and related gross profit (loss) by reportable segment for the periods presented:

$ in thousands Land Sales and Other Revenue

$ in thousands Land Sales and Other Gross Profit (Loss)

(a) Corporate and unallocated includes capitalized interest and capitalized indirect costs expensed to land cost of sale related to land sold, as well as capitalized interest and capitalized indirect costs impaired in order to reflect land held for sale assets at net realizable value.

To further support our efforts to reduce leverage, we continued to focus on closing a number of land sales for land positions that did not fit within our strategic plans. Future land and lot sales will depend on a variety of factors, including local market conditions, individual community performance, and changing strategic plans.

Operating Income (Loss)

The table below summarizes operating income (loss) by reportable segment for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

(a) Corporate and unallocated includes amortization of capitalized interest, capitalization and amortization of indirect costs, impairment of capitalized interest and capitalized indirect costs, expenses related to numerous shared services functions that benefit all segments but are not allocated to the operating segments, and certain other amounts that are not allocated to our operating segments.

(b) Operating income (loss) is impacted by impairment and abandonment charges incurred during the periods presented (see Note 5 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K).

Our operating income increased by $67.8 million to $146.9 million for the year ended September 30, 2021, compared to operating income of $79.1 million for year ended September 30, 2020, primarily driven by the previously discussed increase in gross profit. Additionally, SG&A as a percentage of total revenue decreased year-over-year by 50 basis points from 11.9% to 11.4%.

West Segment: The $19.5 million increase in operating income compared to the prior year was primarily due to the increase in gross profit previously discussed, lower commissions expense on lower homebuilding revenue, lower sales and marketing expenses, and lower remaining G&A expenses in the segment.

East Segment: The $28.3 million increase in operating income compared to the prior year was primarily due to the increase in gross profit previously discussed and lower sales and marketing expenses, partially offset by higher commissions expense on higher homebuilding revenue in the segment.

Southeast Segment: The $16.8 million increase in operating income compared to the prior year was primarily due to the increase in gross profit previously discussed, lower commissions expense on lower homebuilding revenue, lower sales and marketing expenses, and lower remaining G&A expenses in the segment.

Corporate and Unallocated: Our Corporate and unallocated results include amortization of capitalized interest, capitalization and amortization of indirect costs, impairment of capitalized interest and capitalized indirect costs, expenses for various shared services functions that benefit all segments but are not allocated, including information technology, treasury, corporate finance, legal, branding and national marketing, and certain other amounts that are not allocated to our operating segments. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, corporate and unallocated net expenses decreased by $3.1 million from the prior fiscal year, primarily due toa decrease in capitalized interest amortized to cost of sales, partially offset by higher incentive compensation expenses.

Below operating income (loss), we had two noteworthy fluctuations between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020 as follows: (1) we experienced a decline in other expense, net, primarily attributable to a year-over-year decrease in interest expense not qualified for capitalization; and (2) we recorded a loss on extinguishment of debt of $2.0 million during fiscal 2021 as compared to no such loss in fiscal 2020. See Note 6 and Note 7 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of these items.

Income Taxes

Our income tax assets and liabilities and related effective tax rate are affected by various factors, the most significant of which is the valuation allowance recorded against a portion of our deferred tax assets. Due to the effect of our valuation allowance adjustments beginning in fiscal 2008, a comparison of our annual effective tax rates must consider the changes in our valuation allowance. As such, our effective tax rates have not been meaningful metrics, as our income tax expense/benefit was not directly correlated to the amount of pretax income or loss for the associated periods.

We recognized income tax expense from continuing operations of $21.5 million in our fiscal 2021, compared to income tax expense from continuing operations of $18.0 million in our fiscal 2020 and income tax benefit from continuing operations of

$37.2 million in our fiscal 2019. The income tax expense in our fiscal 2021 and 2020 primarily resulted from income generated in the fiscal year and permanent book/tax differences, partially offset by the generation of additional federal tax credits. The income tax benefit recorded in our fiscal 2019 primarily resulted from the loss generated in the fiscal year and the generation of additional federal tax credits.

Refer to Note 13 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K for a further discussion of our income taxes.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our sources of liquidity include, but are not limited to, cash from operations, proceeds from Senior Notes, our Secured Revolving Credit Facility (the Facility) and other bank borrowings, the issuance of equity and equity-linked securities, and other external sources of funds. Our short-term and long-term liquidity depends primarily upon our level of net income, working capital management (cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other liabilities), and available credit facilities.

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash increased as follows for the periods presented:

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities was $31.7 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. The primary drivers of operating cash flows are typically cash earnings and changes in inventory levels, including land acquisition and land development spending. Net cash provided by operating activities during the period was primarily driven by income before income taxes of $143.5 million, which included $28.1 million of non-cash charges, a net decrease in non-inventory working capital of $7.6 million, partially offset by an increase in inventory of $147.5 million resulting from of land acquisition, land development, and house construction spending to support continued growth.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $289.1 million during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, primarily driven by income before income taxes of $69.9 million, which included $28.2 million of non-cash charges, a net decrease in non-inventory working capital of $36.1 million, and a decrease in inventory of $154.9 million as a result of from home sales, partially offset by land acquisition, land development, and house construction spending to support continued growth.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, was $14.2 million and $10.2 million, respectively, primarily driven in both periods by capital expenditures for model homes.

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities was $85.9 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 primarily driven by installment payment of the Senior Unsecured Term Loan (the Term Loan), partial extinguishment of our 2027 Senior Notes, the payment of cash for debt issuance costs, and tax payments for stock-based compensation awards vesting.

Net cash used in financing activities was $59.2 million during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 driven by installment payment of the Term Loan, common stock repurchases under our share repurchase program, tax payments for stock-based compensation awards vesting, cash settlement of performance-based restricted stock, the repayment of other secured notes payable, and payment of debt issuance costs.

Financial Position

As of September 30, 2021, our liquidity position consisted of $246.7 million in cash and cash equivalents and $250.0 million of remaining capacity under the Facility.

While we believe we possess sufficient liquidity, we are mindful of potential short-term or seasonal requirements for enhanced liquidity that may arise to operate and grow our business. As of the date of this report, we believe we have adequate capital resources and sufficient access to external financing sources to satisfy our current and reasonably anticipated requirements for funds to conduct our operations and meet other needs in the ordinary course of our business.

During this time, we may also engage in capital markets, bank loan, project debt or other financial transactions, including the repurchase of debt or potential new issuances of debt or equity securities to support our business needs. The amounts involved in these transactions, if any, may be material. In addition, as necessary or desirable, we may adjust or amend the terms of and/or expand the capacity of the Facility, or enter into additional letter of credit facilities, or other similar facility arrangements, in each case with the same or other financial institutions, or allow any such facilities to mature or expire.

Debt

We generally fulfill our short-term cash requirements with cash generated from our operations and available borrowings. Additionally, our Secured Revolving Credit Facility provides working capital and letter of credit capacity of $250.0 million. As of September 30, 2021, no borrowings and no letters of credit were outstanding under the Facility, resulting in $250.0 million remaining capacity.

We have also entered into a number of stand-alone, cash-secured letter of credit agreements with banks. These combined facilities provide for letter of credit needs collateralized by either cash or assets of the Company. We currently have $21.8 million of outstanding letters of credit under these facilities, which are secured by cash collateral that is maintained in restricted accounts totaling $22.3 million.

To provide greater letter of credit capacity, the Company has also entered into a reimbursement agreement, which provides for the issuance of performance letters of credit, and an unsecured credit agreement that provides for the issuance of up to $50.0 million of standby letters of credit to backstop the Company's obligations under the reimbursement agreement (collectively, the "Bilateral Facility"). As of September 30, 2021, the total stated amount of performance letters of credit issued under the reimbursement agreement was $11.8 million (and the stated amount of the backstop standby letter of credit issued under the credit agreement was $40.0 million).

In the future, we may from time to time seek to continue to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash repurchases or in exchange for other debt securities, in open market purchases, privately-negotiated transactions, or otherwise. In addition, any material variance from our projected operating results could require us to obtain additional equity or debt financing. There can be no assurance that we will be able to complete any of these transactions in the future on favorable terms or at all. See Note 8 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K for additional details related to our borrowings.

Supplemental Guarantor Information

As discussed in Note 8 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K, the Company's obligations to pay principal and interest under certain debt agreements are guaranteed on a joint and several basis by substantially all of the Company's subsidiaries. Some of the immaterial subsidiaries do not guarantee the Senior Notes. The guarantees are full and unconditional.

The following summarized financial information is presented for Beazer Homes USA, Inc. and the guarantor subsidiaries on a combined basis after elimination of intercompany transactions between entities in the combined group and amounts related to investments in any subsidiary that is a non-guarantor.

As of September 30,

Due from non-guarantor subsidiary $ 1,532 $ 417

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Credit Ratings

Our credit ratings are periodically reviewed by rating agencies. In June 2021, S&P upgraded the Company’s corporate rating to a B from a B- and reaffirmed the Company's positive outlook. In August 2021, Moody's upgraded the Company's issuer corporate family rating from B3 to B2 and revised the Company's outlook from positive to stable. These ratings and our current credit condition affect, among other things, our ability to access new capital. Negative changes to these ratings may result in more stringent covenants and higher interest rates under the terms of any new debt. Our credit ratings could be lowered, or rating agencies could issue adverse commentaries in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. In particular, a weakening of our financial condition, including any further increase in our leverage or decrease in our profitability or cash flows, could adversely affect our ability to obtain necessary funds, could result in a credit rating downgrade or change in outlook, or could otherwise increase our cost of borrowing.

Stock Repurchases and Dividends Paid

During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company's Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program that authorizes the Company to repurchase up to $50.0 million of its outstanding common stock. As part of this program, the Company has repurchased common stock during fiscal 2019 and 2020 through open market transactions, 10b5-1 plans, and accelerated share repurchase (ASR) agreements. All shares have been retired upon repurchase. The aggregate reduction to stockholders’ equity related to share repurchases during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019 was $3.3 million and $34.6 million, respectively. No share repurchases were made during fiscal 2021. As of September 30, 2021, the remaining availability of the share repurchase program was $12.0 million.

The indentures under which our Senior Notes were issued contain certain restrictive covenants, including limitations on our payment of dividends. There were no dividends paid during our fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2020, or 2019.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Aggregate Contractual Commitments

Lot Option Agreements

We historically have attempted to control a portion of our land supply through lot option agreements. As of September 30, 2021, we controlled 21,987 lots, which includes 272 lots of land held for future development and 293 lots of land held for sale. Of the total 21,422 active lots, we owned 11,430, or 53.4%, of these lots and the remaining 9,992 of these lots, or 46.6%, were under option contracts, primarily through lot option agreements with land developers and land bankers, which generally require the payment of cash or the posting of a letter of credit for the right to acquire lots during a specified period of time at a certain price. In comparison, we controlled 5,878 lots, or 34.8% of our total active lot position, through option contracts as of September 30, 2020. As a result of the flexibility that these options provide us, upon a change in market conditions, we may renegotiate the terms of the options prior to exercise or terminate the agreement. Under option contracts, purchase of the properties is contingent upon satisfaction of certain requirements by us and the sellers, and our liability is generally limited to forfeiture of the non-refundable deposits and other non-refundable amounts incurred, which totaled approximately $114.7 million as of September 30, 2021. The total remaining purchase price, net of cash deposits, committed under all options was $676.1 million as of September 30, 2021. Based on market conditions and our liquidity, we may further expand our use of option agreements to supplement our owned inventory supply.

We expect to exercise, subject to market conditions and seller satisfaction of contract terms, most of our option contracts. Various factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as market conditions, weather conditions, and the timing of the completion of development activities, will have a significant impact on the timing of option exercises or whether lot options will be exercised at all.

We have historically funded the exercise of lot options with operating cash flows. We expect these sources to continue to be adequate to fund anticipated future option exercises. Therefore, we do not anticipate that the exercise of our lot options will have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

Occasionally, we use legal entities in which we have less than a controlling interest. We enter into the majority of these arrangements with land developers, other homebuilders, and financial partners to acquire attractive land positions, to manage our risk profile, and to leverage our capital base. The underlying land positions are developed into finished lots for sale to the unconsolidated entity’s members or other third parties. We account for our interest in unconsolidated entities under the equity method.

Historically, we and our partners have provided varying levels of guarantees of debt or other obligations of our unconsolidated entities. As of September 30, 2021, we had no repayment guarantees outstanding related to the debt of our unconsolidated entities. See Note 2 and Note 4 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K for more information.

Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds

In connection with the development of our communities, we are frequently required to provide performance, maintenance, and other bonds and letters of credit in support of our related obligations with respect to such developments. The amount of such obligations outstanding at any time varies in accordance with our pending development activities. In the event any such bonds or letters of credit are drawn upon, we would be obligated to reimburse the issuer of such bonds or letters of credit. We had outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds of $33.6 million and $282.3 million, respectively, as of September 30, 2021, primarily related to our obligations to local governments to construct roads and other improvements in various developments.

Contractual Commitments

The following table summarizes our aggregate contractual commitments as of September 30, 2021:

Payments Due by Period

in thousands Total Less than 1 Year 1-3 Years 3-5 Years More than 5 Years

Uncertain tax positions (c) — — — — —

(a) For a listing of our borrowings, refer to Note 8 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K.

(b) Interest on variable rate obligations is based on rates effective as of September 30, 2021.

(c) Based on its current inventory of uncertain tax positions and tax carryforward attributes, the Company does not expect a cash settlement of unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions in future years. See Note 13 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Company's unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions as of September 30, 2021.

We had outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds of $33.6 million and $282.3 million, respectively, as of September 30, 2021, primarily related to our obligations to local governments to construct roads and other improvements in various developments.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our critical accounting policies require the use of judgment in their application and in certain cases require estimates of inherently uncertain matters. Although our accounting policies are in compliance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), a change in the facts and circumstances of the underlying transactions could significantly change the application of the accounting policies and the resulting financial statement impact. It is also possible that other professionals applying reasonable judgment to the same set of facts and circumstances could reach a different conclusion. Listed below are those policies that we believe are critical and require the use of complex judgment in their application.

Inventory Valuation - Projects in Progress

Projects in progress inventory includes homes under construction and land under development grouped together as communities. Generally, upon the commencement of land development activities, it may take three to five years (depending on, among other things, the size of the community and its sales pace) to fully develop, sell, construct and close all the homes in a typical community. Projects in progress are stated at cost unless facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable.

We assess our projects in progress inventory for indicators of impairment at the community level on a quarterly basis. We evaluate, among other things, the average sales price and margins on recent home closings, homes in backlog and expected future home sales for each community. If indicators of impairment are present for a community with more than ten homes remaining to close, we perform a recoverability test by comparing the expected undiscounted cash flows for the community to its carrying value. For those communities whose carrying values exceed the aggregate undiscounted cash flows, we perform a discounted cash flow analysis to determine the fair value of the community, and impairment charges are recorded if the fair value of the community's inventory is less than its carrying value.

There is uncertainty associated with preparing the undiscounted cash flow analyses because future market conditions will almost certainly be different, either better or worse, than current conditions. Significant valuation assumptions include expected pace of closings, average sales price, expected costs for land development, direct construction, overhead, and interest. The risk of over or under-stating any of the important cash flow variables is greater with longer-lived communities and within markets that have historically experienced greater home price volatility. To address these risks, we consider home price and construction cost appreciation in future years for certain communities that are expected to be selling for more than a year and/or if the market has typically exhibited high levels of price volatility. Absent these assumptions on cost and sales price appreciation, we believe the long-term cash flow analysis would be unrealistic. Finally, we also ensure that the pace of sales and closings used in our undiscounted cash flow analyses are reasonable by considering seasonal variations in sales and closings, our development schedules and what we have achieved historically, and by comparing to those achieved by our competitors for comparable communities.

The fair value of the community is estimated based on the present value of the estimated future cash flows using discount rates commensurate with the risk associated with the underlying community. The discount rate used may be different for each community. The factors considered when determining an appropriate discount rate for a community include, among others: (1) community specific factors such as product types, development stage and expected duration of the project, and the competitive factors influencing the sales performance of the community and (2) local market factors such as employment levels, consumer confidence and the existing supply of new and used homes for sale. The assumptions used in the determination of fair value of projects in progress communities are based on factors known to us at the time such estimates are made and our expectations of future operations and market conditions. Due to uncertainties in the estimation process, the significant volatility in market conditions, the long life cycles of many communities, and potential changes in our strategy related to certain communities, actual results could differ significantly from our estimates.

Warranty Reserves

The adequacy of our warranty reserves is based on historical experience and management's estimate of the costs to remediate any claims. Our review includes a quarterly analysis of the historical data and trends in warranty expense by division. An analysis by division allows us to consider market specific factors such as our warranty experience, the number of home closings, the prices of homes, product mix, and other data in estimating our warranty reserves. In addition, our analysis also factors in the existence of any non-recurring or community-specific warranty matters that might not be contemplated in our historical data and trends that may need to be separately estimated based on management's judgment of the ultimate cost of repair for that specific issue.

At September 30, 2021, our warranty reserve was $12.9 million, reflecting an accrual range of 0.3% to 1.0% of total revenue recognized for each home closed depending on our loss history in the division in which the home was built. A ten basis point increase in our warranty reserve rate would have increased our accrual and corresponding cost of sales by $2.3 million as of September 30, 2021.

There were no material changes in assumptions in calculating our reserve balance for the year ended September 30, 2021.

Our estimation process is discussed in Note 9 of notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K. While we believe that our current warranty reserves are adequate, there can be no assurances that historical data and trends will accurately predict our actual warranty costs or that future developments might not lead to a significant change in the reserve.

Income Taxes - Valuation Allowance

The carrying amounts of deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if an assessment of their components indicates that it is more likely than not that all or some portion of these assets will not be realized. Judgment is required in estimating valuation allowances for deferred tax assets. The realization of a deferred tax asset ultimately depends on the existence of sufficient taxable income in either the carryback or carryforward periods under tax law. We assess the need for valuation allowances for deferred tax assets based on more-likely-than-not realization threshold criteria. In our assessment, appropriate consideration is given to all positive and negative evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax assets. This assessment considers, among other matters, (1) the nature, frequency and severity of any current and cumulative losses; (2) forecasts of future profitability; (3) the duration of statutory carryforward periods; (4) our experience with operating loss and tax credit carryforwards not expiring unused; (5) the Section 382 limitation on our ability to carryforward pre-ownership change net operating losses; (6) recognized built-in losses or deductions; and (7) tax planning alternatives.

Our assessment of the need for the valuation of deferred tax assets includes assessing the likely future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns. We base our estimate of deferred tax assets and liabilities on current tax laws and rates and, in certain cases, business plans and other expectations about future outcomes. Changes in existing tax laws or rates could affect actual tax results and future business results may affect the amount of deferred tax liabilities or the valuation of deferred tax assets over time. Our analysis includes several scenarios with both increases and decreases in our estimates of operating income across future periods. Routine or cyclical reductions in our pre-tax earnings would not have changed our assessment of our ability to utilize various tax carryforwards. In addition to various company-specific factors, we consider several positive and negative external factors that may impact our estimates. These factors may include broad economic considerations such as mortgage interest rates, the relative health of the U.S. economy and employment levels, as well as industry or market specific factors such as housing supply and demand outlook.

Our accounting for deferred tax consequences represents our best estimate of future events. It is possible there will be changes that are not anticipated in our current estimates. If those changes resulted in significant and sustained reduction in our pre-tax earnings or our utilization of existing tax carryforwards, it is likely such changes would have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. The nature and amounts of the various tax attributes comprising our deferred tax assets are discussed in Note 13 of notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We are exposed to a number of market risks in the ordinary course of business. Our primary market risk exposure relates to fluctuations in interest rates. We do not believe that our exposure in this area is material to our cash flows or results of operations. As of September 30, 2021, we had variable-rate debt outstanding, totaling approximately $70.2 million. A one percent increase in the interest rate for these notes would result in an increase of our interest expense by approximately $1.0 million over the next twelve-month period. The estimated fair value of our fixed rate debt as of September 30, 2021 was $1.05 billion, compared to a carrying value of $0.98 billion. The effect of a hypothetical one-percentage point decrease in our estimated discount rates would increase the estimated fair value of the fixed rate debt instruments from $1.05 billion to $1.10 billion as of September 30, 2021.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

ASSETS

Investments in unconsolidated entities 4,464 4,003

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Stockholders’ equity:

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Equity in income of unconsolidated entities 594 347 404

Loss on extinguishment of debt, net (2,025) — (24,920)

Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax (159) (1,090) (99)

Weighted-average number of shares:

Basic income (loss) per share:

Diluted income (loss) per share:

Discontinued operations — (0.04) (0.01)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Common Stock Paid-in Capital Accumulated Deficit

in thousands Shares Amount Total

Net loss and comprehensive loss — — — (79,520) (79,520)

Stock-based compensation expense — — 10,526 — 10,526

Shares issued under employee stock plans, net 917 — — — —

Forfeiture of restricted stock (68) — — — —

Common stock redeemed for tax liability (185) — (1,969) — (1,969)

Net income and comprehensive income — — — 52,226 52,226

Stock-based compensation expense — — 10,036 — 10,036

Exercises of stock options 52 — 226 — 226

Shares issued under employee stock plans, net 588 — — — —

Forfeiture and other settlements of restricted stock (26) — (2,058) — (2,058)

Common stock redeemed for tax liability (173) — (2,686) — (2,686)

Stock-based compensation expense — — 12,167 — 12,167

Shares issued under employee stock plans, net 417 — — — —

Forfeiture and other settlements of restricted stock (29) — — — —

Common stock redeemed for tax liability (304) — (3,044) — (3,044)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Cash flows from operating activities:

Gain on sale of fixed assets (392) (335) (232)

Change in allowance for doubtful accounts (68) 54 (74)

Equity in income of unconsolidated entities (594) (347) (403)

Cash distributions of income from unconsolidated entities 132 306 408

Loss on extinguishment of debt, net 2,025 — 24,920

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable (5,800) 6,524 (1,674)

Decrease in income tax receivable 460 315 —

(Increase) decrease in other assets (1,922) 3 323

Cash flows from investing activities:

Proceeds from sale of fixed assets 456 478 251

Acquisition, net of cash acquired — — (4,088)

Return of capital from unconsolidated entities — — 68

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from issuance of new debt — — 500,000

Repayment of borrowings from credit facility — (390,000) (425,000)

Tax payments for stock-based compensation awards (3,044) (2,686) (1,969)

Stock option exercises and other financing activities 569 (1,832) 314

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(1) Description of Business

Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our,” “Beazer,” “Beazer Homes” and the “Company”) is a geographically diversified homebuilder with active operations in 13 states within three geographic regions in the United States: the West, East, and Southeast.

Our homes are designed to appeal to homeowners at different price points across various demographic segments, and are generally offered for sale in advance of their construction. Our objective is to provide our customers with homes that incorporate exceptional value and quality, while seeking to maximize our return on invested capital over the course of a housing cycle.

(2) Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), and present the consolidated financial position, income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows of Beazer Homes USA, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Our net income (loss) is equivalent to our comprehensive income (loss), so we have not presented a separate statement of comprehensive income (loss).

In the past, we have discontinued homebuilding operations in various markets. Results from certain of these exited markets are reported as discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for all periods presented (see Note 19 for a further discussion of our discontinued operations).

Our fiscal year 2021 began on October 1, 2020 and ended on September 30, 2021. Our fiscal year 2020 began on October 1, 2019 and ended on September 30, 2020. Our fiscal year 2019 began on October 1, 2018 and ended on September 30, 2019.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make informed estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Accordingly, actual results could differ from these estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

We consider highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less when acquired to be cash equivalents. As of September 30, 2021, the majority of our cash and cash equivalents were on demand deposits with major banks. These assets were valued at par and had no withdrawal restrictions. Restricted cash includes cash restricted by state law or a contractual requirement, including cash collateral for our outstanding cash-secured letters of credit (refer to Note 8).

Accounts Receivable and Allowance

Accounts receivable include escrow deposits to be received from title companies associated with closed homes, receivables from municipalities related to the development of utilities or other infrastructure, land banker reimbursements to be received related to land development costs, rebates to be received from our suppliers and other miscellaneous receivables. Generally, we receive cash from title companies within a few days of the home being closed. We regularly review our receivable balances for collectability and record an allowance against any receivable for which collectability is deemed to be uncertain.

Owned Inventory

Owned inventory includes land acquisition costs, land development costs, home construction costs, capitalized interest, real estate taxes, direct overhead costs and capitalized indirect costs incurred during land development and home construction, and common costs that benefit the entire community, less impairments, if any. Land acquisition, land development and other common costs (both incurred and estimated to be incurred) are allocated to individual lots on a pro-rata basis, and the cost of individual lots is transferred to homes under construction when home construction begins. Changes in estimated land and other common costs to be incurred in a community are generally allocated to the remaining lots on a prospective basis. Home construction costs are accumulated on a per-home basis. Cost of home closings includes the specific construction costs of the home and the allocated lot costs. Refer to Note 5 for a further discussion and detail of our inventory balance.

Inventory Valuation - Projects in Progress

We assess our projects in progress inventory for indicators of impairment at the community level on a quarterly basis. We evaluate, among other things, the average sales price and margins on recent home closings, homes in backlog and expected future home sales for each community. If indicators of impairment are present for a community with more than ten homes remaining to close, we perform a recoverability test by comparing the expected undiscounted cash flows for the community to its carrying value. This undiscounted cash flow analysis requires important assumptions including, among other things, the current and future home sale prices, margins and the pace of closings to occur into the future. For those communities whose carrying values exceed the aggregate undiscounted cash flows, we perform a discounted cash flow analysis to determine the fair value of the community, and impairment charges are recorded if the fair value of the community's inventory is less than its carrying value.

The assumptions used in the determination of fair value of projects in progress communities are based on factors known to us at the time such estimates are made and our expectations of future operations and market conditions. The fair value of the community is estimated using the present value of the estimated future cash flows using discount rates commensurate with the risk associated with the underlying community. Should the estimates or expectations used in determining estimated fair values deteriorate in the future, we may be required to recognize additional impairment charges and write-offs related to these assets, and such amounts could be material.

Inventory Valuation - Land Held for Future Development

Land held for future development consists of communities for which construction and development activities are expected to occur in the future or have been idled. All applicable carrying costs, such as interest and real estate taxes, are expensed as incurred. Land held for future development is stated at cost unless facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable, such as the future enactment of a development plan or the occurrence of outside events. We evaluate the potential plans for each community in land held for future development if changes in facts and circumstances occur that would give rise to a more detailed analysis for a change in the status of a community.

Inventory Valuation - Land Held for Sale

Land held for sale includes land and lots that do not fit within our homebuilding programs and strategic plans in certain markets. We record land held for sale at the lower of the asset's carrying value or fair value less costs to sell (net realizable value). Land is classified as held for sale when the following criteria are met:

•management has the authority and commits to a plan to sell the land;

•the land is available for immediate sale in its present condition, subject only to terms that are usual and customary for sales of land assets;

•there is an active program to locate a buyer and the plan to sell the property has been initiated;

•the sale of the land is probable within one year;

•the property is being actively marketed at a reasonable sale price relative to its current fair value; and

•it is unlikely that the plan to sell will be withdrawn or that significant changes to the plan will be made.

We evaluate the net realizable value of a land held for sale asset when indicators of impairment are present. In determining the fair value of the assets less cost to sell, we consider factors including current sales prices for comparable assets in the area, recent market analysis studies, appraisals, any recent legitimate offers and listing prices of similar properties. If the current carrying value of the asset exceeds the estimated fair value less cost to sell, the asset is impaired and written down to its estimated fair value less cost to sell.

Due to uncertainties in the estimation process, it is reasonably possible that actual results could differ from the estimates used in our analysis. Our assumptions about land sales prices require significant judgment because the market is highly sensitive to changes in economic conditions. We calculate the estimated fair values of land held for sale based on current market conditions

and assumptions made by management, which may differ materially from actual results and may result in additional impairments if market conditions deteriorate.

Lot Option Agreements and Variable Interest Entities (VIE)

In addition to purchasing land directly, we utilize lot option agreements that enable us to defer acquiring portions of properties owned by third parties and unconsolidated entities until we have determined whether to exercise our lot option. The majority of our lot option agreements require a non-refundable cash deposit or irrevocable letter of credit based on a percentage of the purchase price of the land for the right to acquire lots during a specified period at a specified price. Purchase of the properties under these agreements is contingent upon satisfaction of certain requirements by us and the sellers. Under lot option agreements, our liability is generally limited to forfeiture of the non-refundable deposits, letters of credit and other non-refundable amounts incurred. If the Company cancels a lot option agreement, it would result in a write-off of the related deposits and pre-acquisition costs, but would not expose the Company to the overall risks or losses of the applicable entity we are purchasing from. We expect to exercise, subject to market conditions and seller satisfaction of contract terms, most of our remaining option contracts. Various factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as market conditions, weather conditions, and the timing of the completion of development activities, will have a significant impact on the timing of option exercises or whether lot options will be exercised at all.

The following table provides a summary of our interests in lot option agreements as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 810, Consolidation (ASC 810), if the entity holding the land under option is a variable VIE, the Company's deposit represents a variable interest in that entity. ASC 810 requires a company consolidate a VIE if the company is determined to be the primary beneficiary. To determine whether we are the primary beneficiary of the VIE, we first evaluate whether we have the ability to control the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact its economic performance. Such activities include, but are not limited to, (1) the ability to determine the budget and scope of land development work, if any; (2) the ability to control financing decisions for the VIE; (3) the ability to acquire additional land into the VIE or dispose of land in the VIE not under contract with Beazer; and (4) the ability to change or amend the existing option contract with the VIE. If we are not determined to control such activities, we are not considered the primary beneficiary of the VIE and thus do not consolidate the VIE. If we do have the ability to control such activities, we will continue our analysis by determining if we are expected to absorb a potentially significant amount of the VIE's losses or, if no party absorbs the majority of such losses, if we will benefit from potentially a significant amount of the VIE's expected gains.

If we are the primary beneficiary of the VIE, we will consolidate the VIE even though creditors of the VIE have no recourse against the Company. For those we consolidate, we record the remaining contractual purchase price under the applicable lot option agreement, net of option deposits already paid, to consolidated inventory not owned with an offsetting increase to obligations related to consolidated inventory not owned on our consolidated balance sheets. Also, to reflect the total purchase price of this inventory on a consolidated basis, we present the related option deposits as consolidated inventory not owned. No VIEs required consolidation as of September 2021 and 2020 because we have determined that we were not the primary beneficiary of any VIEs.

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

We participate in a number of joint ventures and other investments in which we have less than a controlling interest. We enter into the majority of these investments with land developers, other homebuilders and financial partners to acquire attractive land positions, to manage our risk profile and to leverage our capital base. The land positions are developed into finished lots for sale to the unconsolidated entity's members or other third parties. We recognize our share of equity in income (loss) and profits (losses) from the sale of lots to other buyers. Our share of profits from lots we purchase from the unconsolidated entities is deferred and treated as a reduction of the cost of the land purchased from the unconsolidated entity. Such profits are subsequently recognized at the time the home closes and title passes to the homebuyer. We evaluate our investments in unconsolidated entities for impairment during each reporting period. A series of operating losses of an investee or other factors may indicate that a decrease in the value of our investment in the unconsolidated entity has occurred that is other-than-temporary. The amount of impairment recognized is the excess of the investment’s carrying value over its estimated fair value, which is determined primarily using a discounted cash flow model. Our unconsolidated entities typically obtain secured acquisition, development and construction financing. We account for our interest in unconsolidated entities under the equity method. For additional discussion of these entities, refer to Note 4.

Property and Equipment, Net

Our property and equipment is recorded at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis based on estimated useful lives as follows:

Asset Class Useful Lives

Buildings 25 - 30 years

Information systems Lesser of estimated useful life of the asset or 5 years

Furniture, fixtures and computer and office equipment 3 - 7 years

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the identifiable net assets from the businesses that we acquire. The Company's entire goodwill balance is recorded in our Southeast reportable segment. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually during the fourth quarter or more often if indicators of impairment exist.

The Company has the option to perform a qualitative or quantitative assessment to determine whether the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value. Qualitative factors may include, but are not limited to economic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance of the reporting unit and other entity and reporting unit specific events. If after assessing these qualitative factors, the Company determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, then a quantitative assessment is performed.

The fair value of the reporting unit is estimated using a combination of the income approach, utilizing the discounted cash flow method, and the market approach, utilizing readily available market valuation multiples. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment will be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. Determining the fair value of a reporting unit under the quantitative goodwill impairment assessment requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions regarding future operating results, cash flows (including timing), discount rates, expected growth rates, capital expenditures and cost of capital, similar to those a market participant would use to assess fair value. We also make certain assumptions about future economic conditions and other data. Many of the factors used in assessing fair value are outside the control of management, and these assumptions and estimates may change in future periods.

During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company performed its annual goodwill impairment analysis and concluded our goodwill was not impaired.

Other Assets

Our other assets principally include prepaid expenses, unamortized debt issuance costs on our Secured Revolving Credit Facility, and assets related to our deferred compensation plan (refer to Note 15 for a discussion of our deferred compensation plan).

Other Liabilities

Our other liabilities principally include accrued compensations and benefits, accrued interest on our outstanding borrowings, customer deposits, accrued warranty expense, litigation accruals, income tax liabilities and other accruals related to our operations. Refer to Note 12 for a detail of our other liabilities.

Income Taxes

Our provision for income taxes is comprised of taxes that are currently payable and deferred taxes that relate to temporary differences between financial reporting carrying values and tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities result from deductible or taxable amounts in future years when such assets and liabilities are recovered or settled, and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the assets and liabilities are recovered or settled. We include any estimated interest and penalties on tax related matters in income taxes payable. We recognize the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized. We record interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense within our consolidated statements of operations. Changes in recognition of measurement are recorded in the period in which the change in judgment occurs. Refer to Note 13 for a detailed discussion of our tax provision, deferred tax assets and valuation allowance.

Our income tax receivable includes the refundable portion of our alternative minimum tax credit. The alternative minimum tax credit became a refundable credit when the alternative minimum tax was eliminated with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017. During fiscal 2019, we recorded our initial refund claim of $4.6 million, or half of our outstanding $9.2 million credit. During fiscal 2020, the enactment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020 enabled us to claim the entire $9.2 million alternative minimum tax credit with the filing of our fiscal 2019 return. As a result, we reduced our deferred tax asset by the remaining $4.6 million of alternative minimum tax credits and increased our tax receivable for the refund we expect to receive.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue upon the transfer of promised goods to our customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled by applying the following five-step process specified in ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.

•Identify the contract(s) with a customer

•Identify the performance obligations

•Determine the transaction price

•Allocate the transaction price

•Recognize revenue when the performance obligations are met

The following table presents our total revenue disaggregated by revenue stream:

Fiscal Year Ended

September 30,

(a) Please see Note 18 for total revenue disaggregated by reportable segment.

Homebuilding revenue

Homebuilding revenue is reported net of any discounts and incentives and is generally recognized when title to and possession of the home are transferred to the buyer at the closing date. The performance obligation to deliver the home is generally satisfied in less than one year from the original contract date. Home sale contract assets consist of cash from home closings held

by title companies in escrow for our benefit, typically for less than five days, and are considered accounts receivable. Contract liabilities include customer deposits related to sold but undelivered homes and totaled $28.5 million and $18.9 million as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, respectively. Of the customer liabilities outstanding as of September 30, 2020, $18.1 million was recognized in revenue during the year ended September 30, 2021, upon closing of the related homes, and $0.8 million was refunded to or forfeited by the buyer.

Land sales and other revenue

Land sales revenue relates to land that does not fit within our homebuilding programs and strategic plans. Land sales typically require cash consideration on the closing date, which is generally when performance obligations are satisfied. We also provide title examinations for our homebuyers in certain markets. Revenues associated with our title operations are recognized as closing services are rendered and title insurance policies are issued, both of which generally occur as each home is closed.

Home Construction Expenses

Home construction expenses includes the specific construction costs of the home and the allocated lot costs (land acquisition, land development and other common costs are allocated to individual lots on a pro-rata basis based on the number of lots remaining to close). All home closing costs are charged to home construction expenses in the period when the revenues from home closing are recognized.

Sales discounts and incentives include cash discounts, discounts on home building options, option upgrades and seller-paid financing or closing costs. Cash discounts are accounted for as a reduction in the sale price of the home, thereby decreasing the amount of revenue we recognize on that closing. All sales incentives other than cash discounts are recognized as a cost of selling the home and are included in home construction expenses.

Estimated future warranty costs are charged to home construction expense in the period when the revenues from home closings are recognized. Such estimated warranty costs generally range from 0.3% to 1.0% of total revenue recognized for each home closed. Additional warranty costs are charged to home construction expenses as necessary based on management's estimate of the costs to remediate existing claims. See Note 9 for a more detailed discussion of warranty costs and related reserves.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs related to continuing operations of $14.0 million, $15.9 million, and $17.9 million for our fiscal years 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, were expensed as incurred and were included in general and administrative (G&A) expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

Fair Value Measurements

Certain of our assets are required to be recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, for example, the fair value of our deferred compensation plan assets are based on market-corroborated inputs (level 2). Certain of our assets are required to be recorded at fair value on a non-recurring basis when events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recovered (level 3). For example, we review our long-lived assets, including inventory, for recoverability when factors indicate an impairment may exist, but no less than quarterly. Fair value is based on estimated cash flows discounted for market risks associated with the long-lived assets. The fair value of certain of our financial instruments approximates their carrying amounts due to the short maturity of these assets and liabilities or the variable interest rates on such obligations. The fair value of our publicly-held debt is generally estimated based on quoted bid prices for these instruments (level 2). Certain of our other financial liabilities are estimated by discounting scheduled cash flows through maturity or using market rates currently being offered on loans with similar terms and credit quality. See Note 10 for additional discussion of our fair value measurements.

Stock-Based Compensation

We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to value our stock option grants. Restricted stock awards with market conditions are valued using the Monte Carlo valuation method. Other restricted stock awards without market conditions are valued based on the market price of the Company's common stock on the date of the grant. In addition, we reflect the benefits of tax deductions in excess of recognized compensation cost as an operating cash outflow. Compensation cost arising from all stock-based compensation awards is recognized as expense using the straight-line method over the vesting period and is included in G&A in our consolidated statements of operations. See Note 16 for additional discussion of our stock-based compensation.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Reference Rate Reform. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (ASU 2020-04). ASU 2020-04 provides companies with optional guidance to ease the potential accounting burden associated with transitioning away from reference rates that are expected to be discontinued. This guidance is effective beginning on March 12, 2020, and all entities may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of adopting the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

(3) Supplemental Cash Flow Information

The following table presents supplemental disclosure of non-cash and cash activity as well as a reconciliation of total cash balances between the condensed consolidated balance sheets and condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activity:

Beginning operating lease liabilities (ASC 842 adoption)(a) — 16,028 —

Increase in operating lease right-of-use assets (b) $ 2,905 3,104 —

Increase in operating lease liabilities (b) 2,905 3,104 —

Supplemental disclosure of cash activity:

Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:

(a) On October 1, 2019, we adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-02, Leases (ASU 2016-02) and related amendments, collectively codified in ASC Topic 842, Leases (ASC 842). Upon adoption of ASC 842, we recorded net operating lease right-of-use (ROU) assets of $13.9 million and operating lease liabilities of $16.0 million. Existing prepaid rent and accrued rent were recorded as an offset to the gross operating lease ROU assets.

(b) Represents additional leases that commenced during the year ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020.

(4) Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

Unconsolidated Entities

As of September 30, 2021, the Company participated in certain joint ventures and had investments in unconsolidated entities in which it had less than a controlling interest. The following table presents the Company's investment in these unconsolidated entities as well as the total equity and outstanding borrowings of these unconsolidated entities as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

Investment in unconsolidated entities $ 4,464 $ 4,003

Total equity of unconsolidated entities 7,316 7,079

Total outstanding borrowings of unconsolidated entities 12,708 8,807

Equity in income from unconsolidated entity activities included in income from continuing operations is as follows for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Equity in income of unconsolidated entities $ 594 $ 347 $ 404

For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, there were no impairments related to investments in unconsolidated entities.

Guarantees

Historically, the Company's joint ventures typically obtained secured acquisition, development, and construction financing. In addition, the Company and its joint venture partners provided varying levels of guarantees of debt and other debt-related obligations for these unconsolidated entities. However, as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, the Company had no outstanding guarantees or other debt-related obligations related to our investments in unconsolidated entities.

The Company and its joint venture partners generally provide unsecured environmental indemnities to land development joint venture project lenders. These indemnities obligate the Company to reimburse the project lenders for claims related to environmental matters for which they are held responsible. During our fiscal years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company was not required to make any payments related to environmental indemnities.

In assessing the need to record a liability for these guarantees, the Company considers its historical experience in being required to perform under the guarantees, the fair value of the collateral underlying these guarantees, and the financial condition of the applicable unconsolidated entities. In addition, the fair value of the collateral of unconsolidated entities is monitored to ensure that the related borrowings do not exceed the specified percentage of the value of the property securing the borrowings. As of September 30, 2021, no liability was recorded for the contingent aspects of any guarantees that were determined to be reasonably possible but not probable.

(5) Owned Inventory

The components of our owned inventory are as follows as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

Homes under construction include homes substantially finished and ready for delivery and homes in various stages of construction, including costs of the underlying lot, direct construction costs and capitalized indirect costs. As of September 30, 2021, we had 2,912 homes under construction, including 576 spec homes totaling $116.4 million (542 in-process spec homes totaling $105.2 million, and 34 finished spec homes totaling $11.2 million). As of September 30, 2020, we had 2,562 homes under construction, including 649 spec homes totaling $135.7 million (516 in-process spec units totaling $93.5 million, and 133 finished spec units totaling $42.2 million).

Land under development consist principally of land acquisition, land development and other common costs. These land related costs are allocated to individual lots on a pro-rata basis, and the lot costs are transferred to homes under construction when home construction begins for the respective lots. Certain of the fully developed lots in this category are reserved by a customer deposit or sales contract.

Land held for future development consists of communities for which construction and development activities are expected to occur in the future or have been idled and are stated at cost unless facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. All applicable carrying costs, such as interest and real estate taxes, are expensed as incurred.

Land held for sale includes land and lots that do not fit within our homebuilding programs and strategic plans in certain markets, and land is classified as held for sale once certain criteria are met (refer to Note 2). These assets are recorded at the lower of the carrying value or fair value less costs to sell (net realizable value).

The amount of interest we are able to capitalize depends on our qualified inventory balance, which considers the status of our inventory holdings. Our qualified inventory balance includes the majority of our homes under construction and land under development but excludes land held for future development and land held for sale (see Note 6 for additional information on capitalized interest).

Total owned inventory by reportable segment is presented in the table below as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

(a) Projects in progress include homes under construction, land under development, capitalized interest, and model home categories from the preceding table.

(b) Projects in progress amount includes capitalized interest and indirect costs that are maintained within our Corporate and unallocated segment.

Inventory Impairments

The following table presents, by reportable segment, our total impairment and abandonment charges for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Projects in Progress:

Southeast — — 858

Corporate and unallocated (a) — — 16,260

Total impairment charges on projects in progress $ — $ — $ 110,030

Land Held for Sale:

Southeast — 8 —

Corporate and unallocated (a) — 1,160 625

Total impairment charges on land held for sale $ — $ 1,257 $ 38,588

Abandonments:

West $ — $ 923 $ —

Total abandonment charges $ 853 $ 1,646 $ —

(a) Amount represents capitalized interest and indirects balance that was impaired. Capitalized interest and indirects are maintained within our Corporate and unallocated segment.

Projects in Progress Impairments

We assess our projects in progress inventory for indicators of impairment at the community level on a quarterly basis. If indicators of impairment are present for a community with more than ten homes remaining to close, we perform a recoverability test by comparing the expected undiscounted cash flows for the community to its carrying value. If the aggregate undiscounted cash flows are in excess of the carrying value, the asset is considered to be recoverable and is not impaired. If the carrying value exceeds the aggregate undiscounted cash flows, we perform a discounted cash flow analysis to determine the fair value of the community, and impairment charges are recorded if the fair value of the community's inventory is less than its carrying value.

During the years ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, we performed our quarterly projects in progress impairment assessments and determined that no community required an undiscounted cash flow analysis. No project in progress impairments were recognized during fiscal 2021 and 2020.

During the year ended September 30, 2019, we performed discounted cash flow analyses on ten communities, nine in the West segment and one in the Southeast segment, and recognized a total of $110.0 million impairment charges related to our projects in progress.

The table below presents, by reportable segment, details of the impairment charges taken on projects in progress for fiscal 2019:

Results of Discounted Cash Flow Analyses Prepared

(a) Amount represents the capitalized interest and indirect cost that were impaired. Capitalized interest and indirect costs are maintained within our Corporate and unallocated segment.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2019, we recognized impairment charges of $147.6 million related to fifteen communities in our California submarkets, all of which were previously land held for future development assets. As of the beginning of the quarter, nine of these communities were included in projects in progress due to their activation for development in prior periods, while the remaining six communities were classified as land held for future development and were subsequently reclassified to land held for sale during the second quarter of fiscal 2019 (refer to below section titled "Land Held for Sale Impairments" for further discussion). We performed discounted cash flow analyses for the nine communities in projects in progress and recognized $109.0 million impairment charges, principally due to a reduction in price that is other than temporary based on competitive and market dynamics. Valuation assumptions for communities tested for impairment are specific to each community. The discount rate used depends on the development stage and expected duration of the project, local market conditions, and other specific factors. The estimated future cash flows for each community were determined based on the expected pace of closings and average sales price of the community less expected costs for land acquisition and land development, direct construction, overhead, and interest.

The table below presents the ranges or values of significant quantitative unobservable inputs we used in determining the fair value of the communities impaired during fiscal 2019:

Unobservable Inputs

Average selling price (in thousands) $350 - $615

Closings per community per month 1 - 4

Land Held for Sale Impairments

Impairments on land held for sale generally represent write downs of these properties to net realizable value based on sales contracts, letters of intent, current market conditions and recent comparable land sale transactions, as applicable. Absent an executed sales contract, our assumptions related to land sales prices require significant judgment because the real estate market is highly sensitive to changes in economic conditions, and our estimates of sale prices could differ significantly from actual results.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, we recognized no land held for sales impairment charges compared to $1.3 million land held for sales impairment charges recognized during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2019, concurrent with the California projects in progress impairment analyses described above, we performed a strategic review of our remaining land held for future development assets in California and determined to sell these parcels. As a consequence of change in strategy with respect to the future use of these assets, we recognized land held for sale impairments totaling $38.6 million for six communities in our West segment.

Abandonments

From time-to-time, we may determine to abandon lots or not exercise certain option contracts that are not projected to produce adequate results, or no longer fit with our long-term strategic plan. Additionally, in certain limited instances, we are forced to abandon lots due to seller non-performance, or permitting or other regulatory issues that do not allow us to build on those lots. If we intend to abandon or walk away from a property, we record an abandonment charge to earnings for the deposit amount and any related capitalized costs in the period such decision is made. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, we recognized $0.9 million and $1.6 million abandonment charges, respectively. There were no abandonment charges recognized during our fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

(6) Interest

Interest capitalized during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019 was limited by the balance of inventory eligible for capitalization. The following table presents certain information regarding interest for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Capitalized interest impaired — (792) (13,907)

(a) The amount of interest capitalized depends on the qualified inventory balance, which considers the status of the Company's inventory holdings. Qualified inventory balance includes the majority of homes under construction and land under development but excludes land held for future development and land held for sale.

(b) Capitalized interest amortized to home construction and land sales expenses varies based on the number of homes closed during the period and land sales, if any, as well as other factors.

(7) Property and Equipment

The following table presents our property and equipment as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

Model furnishings and sales office improvements $ 19,617 $ 17,604

Furniture, fixtures and office equipment 10,613 10,287

(8) Borrowings

The Company's debt, net of unamortized debt issuance costs consisted of the following as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

in thousands Maturity Date September 30, 2021 September 30, 2020

Unamortized debt issuance costs (8,983) (10,891)

Revolving Credit Facility February 2024 — —

As of September 30, 2021, the future maturities of our borrowings were as follows:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

in thousands

Secured Revolving Credit Facility

The Secured Revolving Credit Facility provides working capital and letter of credit capacity of $250.0 million. The Facility is currently with four lenders.

On September 24, 2021, the Company executed a Tenth Amendment (the ""Amendment") to the Facility. The Tenth Amendment, among other things, extended the termination date of the Facility from February 15, 2023 to February 15, 2024.

The Facility allows us to issue letters of credit against the undrawn capacity. Subject to our option to cash collateralize our obligations under the Facility upon certain conditions, our obligations under the Facility are secured by liens on substantially all of our personal property and a significant portion of our owned real property. We also pledged approximately $1.1 billion of inventory assets to the Facility to collateralize potential future borrowings or letters of credit (in addition to the letters of credit already issued under the Facility, if any).

As of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, no borrowings and no letters of credit were outstanding under the Facility, resulting in a remaining capacity of $250.0 million. The Facility requires compliance with certain covenants, including negative covenants and financial covenants. As of September 30, 2021, the Company believes it was in compliance with all such covenants.

Senior Unsecured Term Loan

On September 9, 2019, the Company entered into a term loan agreement, which provides for a Senior Unsecured Term Loan. The principal balance as of September 30, 2021 is $50.0 million. The Term Loan will (1) mature in September 2022, with the remaining $50.0 million annual repayment installment due in September 2022; (2) bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.875%; and (3) includes an option to prepay, subject to certain conditions and the payment of certain premiums. The Term Loan contains covenants generally consistent with the covenants contained in the Facility. As of September 30, 2021, the Company believes it was in compliance with all such covenants.

Letter of Credit Facilities

The Company has entered into stand-alone, cash-secured letter of credit agreements with banks to maintain pre-existing letters of credit and to provide for the issuance of new letters of credit (in addition to the letters of credit issued under the Facility). As of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, the Company had letters of credit outstanding under these additional facilities of $21.8 million and $12.7 million, respectively, all of which were secured by cash collateral in restricted accounts totaling $22.3 million and $12.9 million, respectively. The Company may enter into additional arrangements to provide additional letter of credit capacity.

In May 2018, the Company entered into a reimbursement agreement, which provides for the issuance of performance letters of credit, and an unsecured credit agreement that provides for the issuance of up to $50.0 million of standby letters of credit to backstop the Company's obligations under the reimbursement agreement (collectively, the "Bilateral Facility"). On June 17, 2020, the Company executed an Amendment No. 1 to the Bilateral Facility that extends the termination date of the agreement from June 10, 2021 to June 10, 2022. As of September 30, 2021, the total stated amount of performance letters of credit issued under the reimbursement agreement was $11.8 million (and the stated amount of the backstop standby letter of credit issued under the credit agreement was $40.0 million). The Company may enter into additional arrangements to provide greater letter of credit capacity.

Senior Notes

The Company's Senior Notes are unsecured obligations ranking pari passu with all other existing and future senior indebtedness. Substantially all of the Company's significant subsidiaries are full and unconditional guarantors of the Senior Notes and are jointly and severally liable for obligations under the Senior Notes and the Facility. Each guarantor subsidiary is a 100% owned subsidiary of Beazer Homes.

All unsecured Senior Notes rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future senior unsecured obligations, senior to all of the Company's existing and future subordinated indebtedness and effectively subordinated to the Company's existing and future secured indebtedness, including indebtedness under the Facility, if outstanding, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. The unsecured Senior Notes and related guarantees are structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other liabilities of all of the Company's subsidiaries that do not guarantee these notes, but are fully and unconditionally guaranteed jointly and severally on a senior basis by the Company's wholly-owned subsidiaries party to each applicable indenture.

The Company's Senior Notes are issued under indentures that contain certain restrictive covenants which, among other things, restrict our ability to pay dividends, repurchase our common stock, incur certain types of additional indebtedness, and make certain investments. Compliance with the Senior Note covenants does not significantly impact the Company's operations. The Company believes it was in compliance with the covenants contained in the indentures of all of its Senior Notes as of September 30, 2021.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, we repurchased $30.7 million of our outstanding 2027 Notes using cash on hand, resulting in a loss on extinguishment of debt of $2.0 million. We had no loss on extinguishment of debt during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020.

For additional redemption features, refer to the table below that summarizes the redemption terms of our Senior Notes:

Senior Note Description Issuance Date Maturity Date Redemption Terms

Junior Subordinated Notes

The Company's unsecured junior subordinated notes (Junior Subordinated Notes) mature on July 30, 2036 and have an aggregate principal balance of $100.8 million as of September 30, 2021. The securities have a floating interest rate as defined in the Junior Subordinated Notes Indentures, which was a weighted-average of 3.82% as of September 30, 2021. The obligations relating to these notes are subordinated to the Facility and the Senior Notes. In January 2010, the Company restructured $75.0 million of these notes and recorded them at their then estimated fair value. Over the remaining life of the Junior Subordinated Notes, we will increase their carrying value until this carrying value equals the face value of the notes. As of September 30, 2021, the unamortized accretion was $30.6 million and will be amortized over the remaining life of the notes. The remaining $25.8 million of these notes are subject to the terms of the original agreement, have a floating interest rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 2.45% per annum, resetting quarterly, and are redeemable in whole or in part at par value. The material terms of the $75.0 million restructured notes are identical to the terms of the original agreement except that the floating interest rate is subject to a floor of 4.25% and a cap of 9.25%. In addition, beginning on June 1, 2012, the Company has the option to redeem the $75.0 million principal balance in whole or in part at 75% of par value; beginning on June 1, 2022, the redemption price will increase by 1.785% annually. As of September 30, 2021, the Company believes it was in compliance with all covenants under the Junior Subordinated Notes.

(9) Contingencies

Beazer Homes and certain of its subsidiaries have been and continue to be named as defendants in various construction defect claims, complaints, and other legal actions. The Company is subject to the possibility of loss contingencies related to these defects as well as others arising from its business. In determining loss contingencies, we consider the likelihood of loss and our ability to reasonably estimate the amount of such loss. An estimated loss is recorded when it is considered probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated.

Warranty Reserves

We currently provide a limited warranty ranging from one to two years covering workmanship and materials per our defined quality standards. In addition, we provide a limited warranty for up to ten years covering only certain defined structural element failures.

Our homebuilding work is performed by subcontractors who typically must agree to indemnify us with regard to their work and provide certificates of insurance demonstrating that they have met our insurance requirements and have named us as an additional insured under their policies. Therefore, many claims relating to workmanship and materials that result in warranty spending are the primary responsibility of these subcontractors.

Warranty reserves are included in other liabilities within the consolidated balance sheets, and the provision for warranty accruals is included in home construction expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Reserves covering anticipated warranty expenses are recorded for each home closed. Management assesses the adequacy of warranty reserves each reporting period based on historical experience and the expected costs to remediate potential claims. Our review includes a quarterly analysis of the historical data and trends in warranty expense by division. An analysis by division allows us to consider market specific factors such as warranty experience, the number of home closings, the prices of homes, product mix, and other data in estimating warranty reserves. In addition, the analysis also contemplates the existence of any non-recurring or community-specific warranty-related matters that might not be included in historical data and trends that may need to be separately estimated based on management's judgment of the ultimate cost of repair for that specific issue. While estimated warranty liabilities are adjusted each reporting period based on the results of our quarterly analyses, we may not accurately predict actual warranty costs, which could lead to significant changes in the reserve.

In addition, we maintain third-party insurance, subject to applicable self-insured retentions, for most construction defects that we encounter in the normal course of business. We believe that our warranty and litigation accruals and third-party insurance are adequate to cover the ultimate resolution of our potential liabilities associated with known and anticipated warranty and construction defect related claims and litigation. However, there can be no assurance that the terms and limitations of the limited warranty will be effective against claims made by homebuyers; that we will be able to renew our insurance coverage or renew it at reasonable rates; that we will not be liable for damages, the cost of repairs, and/or the expense of litigation surrounding possible construction defects, soil subsidence, or building related claims; or that claims will not arise out of events or circumstances not covered by insurance and/or not subject to effective indemnification agreements with our subcontractors.

Changes in warranty reserves are as follows for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

(a) Accruals for warranties issued are a function of the number of home closings in the period, the selling prices of the homes closed and the rates of accrual per home estimated as a percentage of the selling price of the home.

Insurance Recoveries

The Company has insurance policies that provide for the reimbursement of certain warranty costs incurred above specified thresholds for each period covered. Amounts recorded for anticipated insurance recoveries are reflected within the consolidated statements of income as a reduction of home construction expenses. Amounts not yet received from our insurer are recorded on a gross basis, without any reduction for the associated warranty expense, within accounts receivable on our consolidated balance sheets.

Litigation

In the normal course of business, we are subject to various lawsuits. We cannot predict or determine the timing or final outcome of these lawsuits or the effect that any adverse findings or determinations in pending lawsuits may have on us. In addition, an estimate of possible loss or range of loss, if any, cannot presently be made with respect to certain of these pending matters. An unfavorable determination in any of the pending lawsuits could result in the payment by us of substantial monetary damages that may not be fully covered by insurance. Further, the legal costs associated with the lawsuits and the amount of time required to be spent by management and our Board of Directors on these matters, even if we are ultimately successful, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

Claims Related to Inventory Impairment Charges. During the quarter ended March 31, 2019, we recognized inventory impairment charges related to 15 communities in California, all of which were previously land held for future development assets. Related to these inventory impairment charges, on June 5, 2019, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against Beazer Homes USA, Inc. and certain of our officers in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The proposed class consisted of all persons and entities that acquired our securities between August 1, 2014 and May 2, 2019. On October 18, 2019, the plaintiffs filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of this case, and the Court subsequently entered an order dismissing the case.

Beginning June 25, 2019, several shareholder derivative lawsuits relating to the same inventory impairment charges discussed above were filed against Beazer Homes USA, Inc., certain of our officers and members of our Board of Directors in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The plaintiffs in these cases alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and violations of the federal securities laws. These federal actions were consolidated into a single derivative action. Additionally, a substantially similar derivative action was filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia. On October 5, 2020, the Court granted a motion to dismiss the consolidated federal action but provided the plaintiffs an opportunity to attempt to amend their complaint. An amended complaint was filed in late October, and a motion to dismiss was filed thereafter. On March 30, 2021, the Court granted the motion to dismiss the consolidated federal action and dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice. The plaintiffs then filed a notice of appeal but subsequently dismissed the appeal. On August 9, 2021, the plaintiffs in the Fulton County action voluntarily dismissed their complaint.

Other Matters

We and certain of our subsidiaries have been named as defendants in various claims, complaints, and other legal actions, most relating to construction defects, moisture intrusion, and product liability. Certain of the liabilities resulting from these actions are covered in whole or in part by insurance.

We have an accrual of $8.3 million and $5.0 million in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets related to litigation and other matters, excluding warranty, as of September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

We had outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds of $33.6 million and $282.3 million, respectively, as of September 30, 2021, related principally to our obligations to local governments to construct roads and other improvements in various developments.

(10) Fair Value Measurements

As of the dates presented, we had assets on our consolidated balance sheets that were required to be measured at fair value on a recurring or non-recurring basis. We use a fair value hierarchy that requires us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value as follows:

•Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

•Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable either directly or indirectly through corroboration with market data; and

•Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that reflect our own estimates about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

Certain of our assets are required to be recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value of our deferred compensation plan assets is based on market-corroborated inputs (Level 2).

Certain of our assets are required to be recorded at fair value on a non-recurring basis when events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recovered. We review our long-lived assets, including inventory, for recoverability when factors indicate an impairment may exist, but no less than quarterly. Fair value on assets deemed to be impaired is determined based upon the type of asset being evaluated. Fair value of our owned inventory assets, when required to be calculated, is further discussed within Notes 2 and 5. Due to the substantial use of unobservable inputs in valuing the assets on a non-recurring basis, they are classified within Level 3.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, we recognized no impairments on projects in progress and land held for sale. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, we recognized no impairments on projects in progress and $1.3 million on land held for sale. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019, we recognized impairments of $110.0 million on projects in progress and $38.6 million on land held for sale.

Determining within which hierarchical level an asset or liability falls requires significant judgment. We evaluate our hierarchy disclosures each quarter.

The following table presents the period-end balances of assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis and the impairment-date fair value of certain assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis for each hierarchy level. These balances represent only those assets whose carrying values were adjusted to fair value during the periods presented:

in thousands Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total

Deferred compensation plan assets (a) $ — $ 2,730 $ — $ 2,730

Deferred compensation plan assets (a) $ — $ 2,339 $ — $ 2,339

Land held for sale (b) — — 6,240 (c) 6,240

Deferred compensation plan assets (a) $ — $ 1,970 $ — $ 1,970

Land held for sale (b) — — 5,207 (c) 5,207

(a) Measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

(b) Measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis, including the capitalized interest and indirect costs related to the asset.

(c) Amount represents the impairment-date fair value of the projects in progress land held for sale assets that were impaired during the period indicated.

The fair value of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, trade accounts payable, other liabilities, and amounts due under the Facility (if outstanding) approximate their carrying amounts due to the short maturity of these assets and liabilities. When outstanding, obligations related to land not owned under option agreements approximate fair value.

The following table presents the carrying value and estimated fair value of certain other financial liabilities as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

in thousands CarryingAmount (a) Fair Value CarryingAmount (a) Fair Value

(a)Carrying amounts are net of unamortized debt issuance costs or accretion.

(b)The estimated fair value for our publicly-held Senior Notes and the Term Loan have been determined using quoted market rates (Level 2).

(c) Since there is no trading market for our Junior Subordinated Notes, the fair value of these notes is estimated by discounting scheduled cash flows through maturity (Level 3). The discount rate is estimated using market rates currently being offered on loans with similar terms and credit quality. Judgment is required in interpreting market data to develop these estimates of fair value. Accordingly, the estimates presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that we could realize in a current market exchange.

(11) Operating Leases

The Company leases certain office space and equipment under operating leases for use in our operations. We recognize operating lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Certain of our lease agreements include one or more options to renew. The exercise of lease renewal options is generally at our discretion. Variable lease expense primarily relates to maintenance and other monthly expense that do not depend on an index or rate.

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at contract inception. Lease and non-lease components are accounted for as a single component for all leases. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of the future lease payments over the expected lease term, which includes optional renewal periods if we determine it is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. As our leases do not provide an implicit rate, the discount rate used in the present value calculation represents our incremental borrowing rate determined using information available at the commencement date.

Operating lease expense is included as a component of general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, we recorded operating lease expense of $4.3 million and $4.5 million, respectively. Under ASC Topic 840, Leases (ASC 840), the Company’s total rental expense was $5.8 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. Cash payments on lease liabilities during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020 totaled $4.8 million and $4.6 million, respectively. Sublease income and variable lease expenses are de minimis.

At September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, weighted-average remaining lease term and discount rate were as follows:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Weighted-average remaining lease term 4.8 years 5.1 years

Weighted-average discount rate 4.56% 4.87%

The following is a maturity analysis of the annual undiscounted cash flows reconciled to the carrying value of the operating lease liabilities as of September 30, 2021:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

in thousands

Total lease payments 15,808

Less: imputed interest 1,654

Total operating lease liabilities $ 14,154

(12) Other Liabilities

Otherliabilities include the following as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

Accrued compensations and benefits $ 54,606 $ 50,246

Income tax liabilities — 584

(13) Income Taxes

The Company's expense (benefit) from income taxes from continuing operations consists of the following for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Current federal (a) $ — $ (4,641) $ (4,935)

(a) Fiscal 2020 federal current benefit is primarily driven by the expected refund of our remaining alternative minimum tax credit balance due to the enactment of the CARES Act. Fiscal 2019 federal current benefit is primarily driven by the expected refund of half of our outstanding alternative minimum tax credit that became refundable due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. See Note 2 for further discussion.

The expense from income taxes from continuing operations differs from the amount computed by applying the federal income tax statutory rate as follows for the periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

State income taxes, net of federal benefit 1,564 1,300 (590)

Changes in uncertain tax positions — (2) (7)

The principal differences between our effective tax rate and the U.S. federal statutory rate for fiscals 2021, 2020 and 2019 relate to state taxes, permanent differences and tax credits. Due to the effects of changes in our valuation allowance on our deferred tax balance, tax credits and changes in our unrecognized tax benefits, our effective tax rates in fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019 are not meaningful metrics, as our income tax amounts were not directly correlated to the amount of our pretax income (loss) for those periods.

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of our assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The tax effects of significant temporary differences that give rise to the net deferred tax assets are as follows as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020:

Deferred tax assets:

Federal and state net operating loss carryforwards $ 177,611 $ 192,981

Property, equipment and other assets 2,085 2,197

Uncertain tax positions 705 723

As of September 30, 2021, our gross deferred tax assets above included $100.3 million for federal net operating loss carryforwards, $45.7 million for federal tax credits, and $34.9 million for state net operating loss carryforwards. The majority of our federal net operating loss carryforwards expire at various dates through our fiscal 2033, and the federal tax credits and majority of our state net operating losses expire at various dates through our fiscal 2041. As of September 30, 2021, valuation allowance of $29.1 million remains on various state attributes for which the Company has concluded it is not more likely than not that these attributes would be realized at that time.

We experienced an “ownership change” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (Section 382) as of January 12, 2010. Section 382 contains rules that limit the ability of a company that undergoes an “ownership change” to utilize its net operating loss carryforwards, tax credits and certain built-in losses or deductions recognized during the five-year period after the ownership change to offset future taxable income. Because the five-year period has expired, we have determined the actual impact and final classification of those amounts, which are properly reflected in the amounts presented above. There can be no assurance that another ownership change, as defined in the tax law, will not occur. If another “ownership change” occurs, a new annual limitation on the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards, tax credits and built-in losses would be determined as of that date. This limitation, should one be required in the future, is subject to assumptions and estimates that could differ from actual results.

Valuation Allowance

A reduction of the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance is required if, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized. Accordingly, we assess the need to establish valuation allowances for deferred tax assets periodically based on the more-likely-than-not realization threshold criterion. In our assessment, appropriate consideration is given to all positive and negative evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax assets. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future profitability, the duration of statutory carryforward periods, the Company's experience with operating loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards not expiring unused, the Section 382 limitation on our ability to carryforward pre-ownership change net operating losses, recognized built-in losses or deductions and tax planning alternatives. Our assessment, while rooted in actual Company performance, are highly subjective and rely on certain estimates, including forecasts, which could differ materially from actual results.

In fiscal 2021, our conclusions about our ability to more likely than not realize all of our federal and certain state tax attributes remain consistent with our prior determinations. We considered positive factors including significant increases in our current earnings, interest savings from our debt reduction strategies, housing demand and price appreciation, and our backlog. The negative factors included the overall health of the broader economy, labor shortages and unemployment levels, as well as potential increases in mortgage interest rates. As of September 30, 2021, the Company will have to cumulatively generate approximately $927.4 million in pre-tax income over the course of its carryforward period to realize its deferred tax assets prior to their expiration, which, as previously discussed, is the Company's fiscal 2041.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

A reconciliation of our unrecognized tax benefits is as follows for the beginning and end of each period presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Additions for tax positions related to current year — — —

Additions for tax positions related to prior years — — —

Reductions in tax positions of prior years — — —

Lapse of statute of limitations (83) (32) (21)

If we were to recognize our $3.4 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits remaining as of September 30, 2021, substantially all would impact our effective tax rate. Additionally, we had no accrued interest and penalties as of September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020. If applicable, we would record interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense within our consolidated statements of operations.

In the normal course of business, we are subject to audits by federal and state tax authorities regarding various tax liabilities. The statute of limitations for our major tax jurisdictions remains open for examination for fiscal year 2007 and subsequent years. As of September 30, 2021, we do not expect that any of our uncertain tax positions will reverse within the next twelve months.

(14) Stockholders' Equity

Preferred Stock

The Company currently has no shares of preferred stock outstanding.

Common Stock

As of September 30, 2021, the Company had 63,000,000 shares of common stock authorized and 31,294,198 shares both issued and outstanding.

Common Stock Repurchases

Dividends

Section 382 Rights Agreement

Prior to fiscal 2019, the Company’s stockholders had approved amendments to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (the Protective Amendment) designed to preserve the value of certain tax assets associated with net operating loss carryforwards under Section 382. In February 2019, the Company’s stockholders approved an extension of the term of the Protective Amendment and approved a Section 382 Rights Agreement that was adopted by our Board of Directors. These instruments are intended to act as deterrents to any person or group, together with their affiliates and associates, from being or becoming the beneficial owner of 4.95% or more of the Company’s common stock.

(15) Retirement and Deferred Compensation Plans

401(k) Retirement Plan

The Company sponsors a defined-contribution plan that is a tax-qualified retirement plan under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (the Plan). Substantially all employees are eligible for participation in the Plan. Participants may defer and contribute from 1% to 80% of their salary to the Plan, with certain limitations on highly compensated individuals. The Company matches 50% of the first 6% of the participant's contributions. The participant's contributions vest immediately, while the Company's contributions vest over five years. The total Company contributions for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2021, 2020, and 2019 were approximately $3.2 million, $3.4 million, and $3.6 million, respectively. During fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019, participants forfeited $0.8 million, $1.0 million, and $0.7 million, respectively, of unvested matching contributions.

Deferred Compensation Plan

The Beazer Homes USA, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (the DCP) is a non-qualified deferred compensation plan for a select group of executives and highly compensated employees. The DCP allows the executives to defer current compensation on a pre-tax basis to a future year, until termination of employment. The objectives of the DCP are to assist executives with financial planning and capital accumulation and to provide the Company with a method of attracting, rewarding and retaining executives. Participation in the DCP is voluntary. Beazer Homes may voluntarily make a contribution to the participants' DCP accounts. Deferred compensation assets of $2.7 million and $2.3 million as of September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, are included in other assets on our consolidated balance sheets and are recorded at fair value. Deferred compensation liabilities of $7.2 million and $5.6 million as of September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, are included in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets. For the years ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the Company contributed approximately $0.2 million, $0.2 million, and $0.2 million, respectively, to the DCP in the form of voluntary contributions.

(16) Stock-Based Compensation

The Company has shares available for grant under the Amended and Restated 2014 Beazer Homes USA, Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2014 Plan). We issue new shares upon the exercise of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock awards. In cases of forfeitures and cancellations, those shares are returned to the share pool for future issuance. As of September 30, 2021, we had2.1 million shares of common stock for issuance under our various equity incentive plans, of which 1.9 million shares are available for future grants.

Stock-based compensation expense is included in general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense related to stock options and restricted stock awards for the fiscal years ended 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Stock Options

Stock options have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the grant date, generally vest two or three years after the date of grant, and may be exercised thereafter until their expiration, subject to forfeiture upon termination of employment as provided in the applicable plan. Under certain conditions of retirement, eligible participants may receive a partial vesting of stock options. Stock options generally expire on the eighth anniversary from the date such options were granted, depending on the terms of the award.

The fair value of each stock option granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model (Black-Scholes Model). As of September 30, 2021, the intrinsic value of our stock options outstanding and vested and exercisable were $0.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively. As of both September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, there was less than $0.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options. The cost remaining as of September 30, 2021 is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.4 years.

During fiscal 2018, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors approved the Employee Stock Option Program (ESOP). This program is available to all full-time employees and is designed to enable employees to share in potential price appreciation of the Company's stock. The ESOP matches stock purchases made by eligible employees meeting certain conditions with an option to purchase an additional share of the Company's shares on a one-to-one basis. The exercise price of the options granted is equal to the closing price of the Company's stock on the day the underlying shares are purchased by the employee, which is also the ESOP grant date. The options will vest on the second anniversary of the date of grant but are forfeited if (1) the eligible employee no longer works for the Company or (2) the underlying shares are sold before the two-year vesting period is over. The total number of options available under the ESOP is limited to 100,000, of which 31,732 options were granted through the end of fiscal 2021.

During the year ended September 30, 2021, we issued no stock options. We used the following valuation assumptions for stock options granted for the following prior periods presented:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30,

Expected life of options 5.7 years 5.0 years

Expected dividends — —

Weighted-average risk-free interest rate 0.43 % 2.70 %

BZH US Equity

BZH · 10-K · period ended 2021-09-30

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

BZH US Equity☆

BZH · 10-K · period ended 2021-09-30

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

BZH US Equity