Why Investors Should Consider Real Estate

Why Investors Should Consider Real Estate

 

With housing prices softening and subprime lenders tanking, investors have been running from anything that smells of real estate. But they may be bailing too quickly, as some parts of the sector are still doing well.

 

New money going into mutual funds that own real estate has plunged to just $2 million a week, on average, from nearly $400 million a week as recently as mid-February, according to AMG Data Services. Investors in droves are also selling off their shares in real-estate investment trusts, the publicly traded stocks of companies that own everything from apartment buildings to medical centers and shopping malls.

 

But in some cases, jittery investor sentiment isn't a good proxy for the strength of the underlying assets. It is true that residential real estate is struggling in many parts of the country. But commercial real estate is driven by job growth and the economy, and both are relatively healthy. In fact, commercial-building occupancy is growing nationally, while rents are up about 4.25% in the past year, according to Los Angeles-based CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. Midtown Manhattan set a record in March for the city's highest rents ever: $69.99 a square foot, on average.

 

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