BREIT 2017 Annual Report

17 We face risks associated with property acquisitions. We intend to acquire properties and portfolios of properties, including large portfolios that could result in changes to our capital structure. Our acquisition activities and their success are subject to the following risks: • we may be unable to complete an acquisition after making a non-refundable deposit or guarantee and incurring certain other acquisition-related costs; • we may be unable to obtain financing for acquisitions on commercially reasonable terms or at all; • acquired properties may fail to perform as expected; • acquired properties may be located in new markets in which we may face risks associated with a lack of market knowledge or understanding of the local economy, lack of business relationships in the area and unfamiliarity with local governmental and permitting procedures; and • we may be unable to quickly and efficiently integrate new acquisitions, particularly acquisitions of portfolios of properties, into our existing operations. In addition, while we will invest primarily in stabilized income-oriented real estate, we may also acquire assets that require some amount of capital investment in order to be renovated or repositioned. These investments are generally subject to higher risk of loss than investments in stabilized real estate and there is no guarantee that any renovation or repositioning will be successful, or that the actual costs will not be greater than our estimates. The sale and disposition of real properties carry certain litigation risks at the property level that may reduce our profitability and the return on your investment. The acquisition, ownership and disposition of real properties carry certain specific litigation risks. Litigation may be commenced with respect to a property acquired by us in relation to activities that took place prior to our acquisition of such property. In addition, at the time of disposition of an individual property, a potential buyer may claim that it should have been afforded the opportunity to purchase the asset or alternatively that such potential buyer should be awarded due diligence expenses incurred or statutory damages for misrepresentation relating to disclosure made, if such buyer is passed over in favor of another as part of our efforts to maximize sale proceeds. Similarly, successful buyers may later sue us under various damage theories, including those sounding in tort, for losses associated with latent defects or other problems not uncovered in due diligence. Competition for investment opportunities may reduce our profitability and the return on your investment. We face competition from various entities for investment opportunities in properties, including other REITs, pension funds, insurance companies, investment funds and companies, partnerships and developers. In addition to third-party competitors, other programs sponsored by the Adviser and its affiliates, particularly those with investment strategies that overlap with ours, may seek investment opportunities under Blackstone’s prevailing policies and procedures. Many of these entities may have greater access to capital to acquire properties than we have. Competition from these entities may reduce the number of suitable investment opportunities offered to us or increase the bargaining power of property owners seeking to sell. Additionally, disruptions and dislocations in the credit markets could have a material impact on the cost and availability of debt to finance real estate acquisitions, which is a key component of our acquisition strategy. The lack of available debt on reasonable terms or at all could result in a further reduction of suitable investment opportunities and create a competitive advantage for other entities that have greater financial resources than we do. In addition, over the past several years, a number of real estate funds and publicly traded and non-traded REITs have been formed and others have been consolidated (and many such existing funds have grown in size) for the purpose of investing in real estate and/or real estate-related assets. Additional real estate funds, vehicles and REITs with similar investment objectives are expected to be formed in the future by other unrelated parties and further consolidations may occur (resulting in larger funds and vehicles). Consequently, it is expected that competition for appropriate investment opportunities would reduce the number of investment opportunities available to us and adversely affecting the terms, including price, upon which investments can be made. This competition may cause us to acquire properties and other investments at higher prices or by using less-than-ideal capital structures, and in such case our returns will be lower and the value of our assets may not appreciate or may decrease significantly below the amount we paid for such assets. If such events occur, you may experience a lower return on your investment.