Prospectus excerpt: American Homes 4 Rent is an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust, or REIT, focused on acquiring, renovating, leasing and operating single-family homes as rental properties. We are selling 7,400,000 shares of our 5.500% Series C participating preferred shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share, or our Series C Participating Preferred Shares, in this offering. This is the original issuance of our Series C Participating Preferred Shares. The following is a summary of key terms of our Series C Participating Preferred Shares:
Liquidation Preference and Home Price Appreciation Amount. The Series C Participating Preferred Shares have an initial liquidation preference of $25.00 per share, or the initial liquidation preference, that may be increased by an additional Home Price Appreciation Amount, or the HPA Amount, that takes into account the cumulative change in value from December 31, 2013 of an index tracking the purchase prices of single-family homes located in our top 20 markets, by estimated total investment, as of July 31, 2013 and a constant investor participation percentage of 50%. The HPA Amount will be subject to a cap as described below and will become fixed (based on the HPA Amount calculated with respect to the period ended December 31, 2020) and cease to accrue on and after March 31, 2021.
Dividends. We will pay quarterly cumulative dividends, in arrears, on our Series C Participating Preferred Shares from and including the date of original issuance on the last day of each March, June, September and December. The first dividend is scheduled to be paid on June 30, 2014 to record holders as of June 15, 2014. The dividend rate of 5.500% per annum will be applied to the initial liquidation preference from the issue date to but excluding March 31, 2021. Thereafter, a dividend rate of 10.000% per annum will be applied to the initial liquidation preference plus the HPA Amount.
Redemption at Our Option. After March 31, 2018, we may redeem for cash all but not less than all of the Series C Participating Preferred Shares by paying the liquidation preference (including any HPA Amount), plus any accrued and unpaid dividends, to, but excluding, the redemption date.
Conversion at Our Option. After March 31, 2018, we may convert all but not less than all of the Series C Participating Preferred Shares into our Class A common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share, or our Class A common shares, using a conversion ratio per Series C Participating Preferred Share equal to (i) the sum of the initial liquidation preference and the HPA Amount, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the conversion date (to occur on the fourth business day following the notice of conversion), divided by (ii) the one-day volume-weighted average trading price, or the VWAP, of our Class A common shares on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, as reported by Bloomberg, if available, on the date the notice of conversion is issued.