Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Stuck With Low Stock Values and Have One Way Out? Get More Liquid Investments with REITs

REITs – Real Estate with Liquidity

As many people these days are finding out while real estate seems like a wonderful investment, it can also be a painful one if your investment was in a piece of property that you own outright. Many people who had purchased investment properties or homes they were planning to flip for a profit were sent into bankruptcy in the recent housing market crash.

With that said, real estate has long been the solid investment option for those who like to put their money somewhere that it can see results but also remain stable.

So, how does one be able to still be involved in the real estate market and not be caught in that same trap? The answer is by purchasing REITs. A REIT is a real estate investment trust. This means it is much like a mutual fund in that a number of shareholders put money into the fund and that money is used to purchase, finance or manage real estate properties. The profits on the fund then come from mortgage interest, rent or lease moneys that come in.

For the most part a return on REITs averages 6-10%. U.S law dictates that 90% or more of the profits on a REIT go to the shareholders, and that makes them a pretty strong investment option.

The short version of what a REIT is, is a way to be a partial owner in real estate.

But with this said, one of the things that many people fear about real estate, being stuck with a property that will not sell in a down market, is not a problem here. Instead, REITs are totally liquid. If you think things are not going to go well in the future of your REIT, you can sell and get out and then put your money back in when things are looking up again. If you do this right, just this can be a big profit maker for you as you will be pulling your money out when the REIT is high and then putting it back in, and getting more shares, when the market is low.

If you are one of those people that think there's no way to know when the market will do well or fail and that it's all luck, that's not necessarily true. As Smith Barney said, "There's blind luck, dumb luck and then there's get up every morning at 5:30 and sweat the details luck. Few people actually stumble into wealth. It takes persistence, tenacity and a tireless work ethic. In the end, luck has little to do with success."

This is also the case here, by doing your own research and keeping on top of the market you will be able to make wise investing decisions. With the help of REITBuyer.com you will be able to do this. REITBuyer.com has all the tools and resources you need to be able to make wise decisions on what REITs to buy and also see when you need to sell. The added benefit by being a part of REITBuyer.com is that not only will you have that information at your fingertips, but also the ability to buy and sell your REITs as they are an investing real estate broker.

How Not to Be Stuck with Low Stock Values - Real Estate Investment Trusts

REITs – To Avoid Losses Buy Now, Sell High

With so many people panicking after this past year's investment woes, there are some great deals to be had in the investment world. One of the best ones out there is in the real estate arena.

A lot of people are reluctant to put out any type of money into investments right now, thinking that since it's a bad time, things must be getting ready to get worse and worse. Well in real estate, this is not possible.

Think about this for a minute. Unless it is going to sink into the ocean or completely disappear into a black hole, the property behind a real estate investment will always be around. Sure, it can lose money and have a tough time, but it will be around and still have value.

Another thing to keep in mind is right now, as many other investors are doing what you are doing and worrying, those who move forward and make a buy will be the ones who have the most to gain as the market starts to rise again.

It's like Albert Einstein said, "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity". While he may have been talking about science, it also works for the world of economics and investments. Sure we are in the midst of a difficult economic time when it seems every stock, bond and mutual fund has dropped through the floor and that any investment is doomed to fail. But, what if you look at the opportunity side of that. If you look around, the real estate market has bottomed out for the most part. That means the current opportunity is in investing in more of it and seeing a return on that investment.

Now that I have you thinking of opportunity, you may be thinking there is no way you will be able to afford purchasing properties right now. No one said you had to buy properties outright. Instead, why not purchase shares of property? This can be accomplished through real estate investment trusts or REITs. Being a part of a REIT allows you to purchase shares of a real estate development or real estate management company and still be in on the market without having to buy a whole property yourself.

In a REIT when the management group profits (through leases, rent or mortgage interest) at least 90% of that profit must be passed on to the investors. This will come in the form of a dividend. In many cases you will see a 6-10% return on your investment every year, as that is the average. In some years you may even see your real estate out perform the stock market.

Investing in REITs is easy. They are publicly traded and you can go to a website like REITBuyer.com to research the REITs you are interested in, look at their past, possible futures and even make the purchase all in the same place, as they are an investing real estate broker.

We're at a point in the economic tide right now where it's either time to make a move or stay out of the game. Only those who play can win.