A summary of our real estate investments and related encumbrances is as follows:
 
 
Cost
 
Accumulated
Depreciation and
Amortization
 
Encumbrances
 
 
(In thousands)
December 31, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
Retail and mixed-use properties
 
$
7,680,653

 
$
(2,000,274
)
 
$
454,053

Retail properties under capital leases
 
127,719

 
(49,216
)
 
71,519

Residential
 
11,100

 
(9,653
)
 
20,326

 
 
$
7,819,472

 
$
(2,059,143
)
 
$
545,898

December 31, 2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
Retail and mixed-use properties
 
$
7,500,929

 
$
(1,821,046
)
 
$
470,720

Retail properties under capital leases
 
123,346

 
(46,140
)
 
71,556

Residential
 
10,786

 
(9,358
)
 
20,785

 
 
$
7,635,061

 
$
(1,876,544
)
 
$
563,061


The residential property investment is our investment in Rollingwood Apartments. All of other residential units are included in retail and mixed-use properties.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2018Feb 13, 2019Showing above
2017Feb 13, 2018

About PP&E Disclosures

The PP&E disclosure details a company's physical asset base — land, buildings, machinery, and equipment — along with the depreciation methods and useful life assumptions that determine how these costs flow through the income statement. Capitalization policy thresholds reveal management's judgment on the boundary between expense and asset, directly affecting both reported earnings and asset values.

Key signals: changes in estimated useful lives or depreciation methods can materially shift reported earnings without any operational change. Compare capital expenditures against depreciation expense — when capex consistently trails depreciation, the asset base may be aging and underinvested. Watch for large asset impairments or write-downs that signal overvalued carrying amounts. Asset retirement obligations reveal future environmental or decommissioning costs that are often underappreciated. Compare PP&E intensity (PP&E-to-revenue) against industry peers to assess capital efficiency and competitive positioning.