FYI: REITs are real estate companies that buy income-producing properties. Some focus on hospitals. Others focus on office buildings, shopping malls or warehouses. They collect rents from tenants, as you would with a second home. But nobody bugs you—ever.
REITs trade on the stock market. Funds of REITs, as with traditional stock market funds, can be actively managed or passive. But it’s best to go with an index. They charge lower fees. That puts more money in your own pocket, less money in Wall Street’s.
Regards,
Ted
https://assetbuilder.com/knowledge-center/articles/reits-how-to-invest-in-real-estate-without-the-added-stink
Comments
Vanguard REIT Index (VGSIX) is lagging its category this year -- but is still top 30-40% over the past 3+ years.
For those who can take some more volatility, PIMCO Real Estate Real Return (PRRDX / PRRSX) has index-like behavior with more risk/reward.
Another frequent recommendation (and MFO Great Owl), Fidelity Real Estate Income (FRIFX) has generally more bond-like performance and is not really comparable. It is a much smoother ride but has missed out on a lot of the upside of the past few years.
From The McClellan Oscillator:
"There are a lot of leading economic indicators in use these days, but the one I like the best is lumber futures prices. Perhaps this is because almost no one else seems to pay attention to them as an economic gauge. Lumber prices tell us pretty reliably and ahead of time about what is going to happen to real estate prices and activity, plus interest rates. They can even tell us about what unemployment is going to do."
housing_starts_-_lumbers_message/
Regards,
Ted
http://cef.morningstar.com/distribution?t=RQI®ion=usa&culture=en-US
I have owned CSRSX and have found these folks (Cohen and Steers) know REITS.