We hear this question a lot. Part of the reason we’re hearing it may be because of the tough patch the economy has had lately. Another part of the problem may be because people are just not sure of what they are and why they should buy into them. Here’s a quick look at both of these topics.

What is a REIT?

A REIT is a real estate investment trust. This is essentially a fund that supports real estate construction or real estate management. Basically, if you purchase shares in a REIT, that money will go into a pot that will be used to buy, build, manage and maintain real estate investments.

How do you make money?

Once you have purchased a share in a REIT, at least 90 percent of the profits that are made by that REIT go right back into the hands of the investors in the form of dividends. Think of this as stock market dividends but getting a higher percentage back from profits than you ever would with other stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Why should you buy in to a REIT?

This answer is simple. Real estate is considered the strong steady market. Even when the rest of the market is crumbling, it usually keeps a pretty good foothold on things. Part of the reason for this is that real estate is an asset, and a tangible one. While values may fluctuate, property always is worth something.

For example, many real estate investment trusts have seen returns of 6-60 percent, which is as good if not better than stocks and other investing funds. So, if you know when and where to buy, there is a chance to make a lot of money.

But what about the bad economy? This is a question a lot of people are asking. They are worried that if they get into purchasing REITs now they are going to lose more money if the market tumbles again. While that could happen, the chances are that even if there were another downturn, your investment would still be pretty stable. Remember, you are still working with a tangible investment of property.

It is also interesting to know that REITs are interesting enough to get the attention of some of the major private firms such as Tishman Speyer Properties. This shows not just small investors are interested in this type of investing.

Getting into the REIT market is not that difficult. It takes little more than some time to get yourself acclimated and then learn about what it is you want to buy before you make a purchase.  Start by logging onto REITBuyer.com. The site is chock full of all the information you need to learn about “Community First” Mutual Funds or other REITs and study the past performance of many REITs as well as get a good idea of the future possibilities. Once you are ready to buy, they are also a full service investing real estate broker that can complete that transaction in the same place.

When you think about real estate and investing in it, you probably think that means money that you will be out of for a long, long time. This only makes sense. Most people think of real estate investing as purchasing a home or pieces of land. The loans for these purchases often last quite some time.

But this does not have to be the case. If you know what you are doing and are doing real estate investing instead of real estate purchasing, you can have full liquidity of your money, just in case you need it.

Here’s a look at the difference. In real estate purchasing, you are buying properties and then responsible for them. If they are homes or businesses, you have to maintain them and keep them in good working order.

On the other hand REITs are investments. They are purchased in shares, just like you would with the stock market. If you need some liquid cash or just no longer want to be a part of a REIT, you just sell your shares as you would with any other stock or mutual fund investment.

In many respects, REITs offer the same flexibility as any of the other markets, while at the same time offering you the chance for a longer-term secured investment.

What I mean by secured investment is that for the most part real estate always has some value. While the value may fluctuate, it is a physical asset that will retain some value over the long term. In other stocks and mutual funds, if the company that you are purchasing shares in goes out of business, you can lose everything. In the case of real estate investing, there is always an asset with worth involved.

Many people steer away from REITs because they are not a ‘make money fast’ source of investment income. In most cases, that is true. Most REITs will see pretty constant regular returns in dividends, but not necessarily big spikes where you can grab a big profit. With that said, think about what else is in your portfolio. If you have other stocks and mutual funds in your portfolio adding real estate investments will give you a more stable backbone to base your investment profile off of.

There is also another way to add diversity to our real estate investment trusts. Why not diversify the trusts you own. Instead of just owning commercial, residential or US based ones, you can purchase shares in a number of different investment trusts across the world and across all markets.

When you’re ready to jump onboard and diversify your portfolio with the addition of a few REITs, it’s time to do a little research and understand what you want and how to get it. Instead of trying to sort all of this out from a number of different sources, why not do it the easy way and get everything you need in one place. REITBuyer.com has all the aspects you need to get going with “Bank Community First” REITs. From research and analysis of the REITs out there to the tools to follow them and even make a purchase, as they are a complete investment real estate broker site.

The Liquidity of Real Estate Investments When you think about real estate and investing in it, you probably think that means money that you will be out of for a long, long time. This only makes sense. Most people think of real estate investing as purchasing a home or pieces of land. The loans for these purchases often last quite some time. But this does not have to be the case. If you know what you are doing and are doing real estate investing instead of real estate purchasing, you can have full liquidity of your money, just in case you need it. Here’s a look at the difference. In real estate purchasing, you are buying properties and then responsible for them. If they are homes or businesses, you have to maintain them and keep them in good working order. On the other hand REITs are investments. They are purchased in shares, just like you would with the stock market. If you need some liquid cash or just no longer want to be a part of a REIT, you just sell your shares as you would with any other stock or mutual fund investment. In many respects, REITs offer the same flexibility as any of the other markets, while at the same time offering you the chance for a longer-term secured investment. What I mean by secured investment is that for the most part real estate always has some value. While the value may fluctuate, it is a physical asset that will retain some value over the long term. In other stocks and mutual funds, if the company that you are purchasing shares in goes out of business, you can lose everything. In the case of real estate investing, there is always an asset with worth involved. Many people steer away from REITs because they are not a ‘make money fast’ source of investment income. In most cases, that is true. Most REITs will see pretty constant regular returns in dividends, but not necessarily big spikes where you can grab a big profit. With that said, think about what else is in your portfolio. If you have other stocks and mutual funds in your portfolio adding real estate investments will give you a more stable backbone to base your investment profile off of. There is also another way to add diversity to our real estate investment trusts. Why not diversify the trusts you own. Instead of just owning commercial, residential or US based ones, you can purchase shares in a number of different investment trusts across the world and across all markets. When you’re ready to jump onboard and diversify your portfolio with the addition of a few REITs, it’s time to do a little research and understand what you want and how to get it. Instead of trying to sort all of this out from a number of different sources, why not do it the easy way and get everything you need in one place. REITBuyer.com has all the aspects you need to proceed with investing in a REIT. From research and analysis of the REITs out there to the tools to follow them and even make a purchase, as they are a complete investment real estate broker site.

If you have been watching all the shifts in the investing markets, you may be a little worried about putting your money into any of them right now. Investments values and profits have been falling and falling, how do you know where it will be safe to put your cash?

Perhaps it’s time to look at some of the other investing options out there like real estate. I am not talking about running around and buying up any extra lots of property you happen to see around you. That comes with a lot of responsibilities and major outlay up front. Not only do you have to have the money to purchase the whole property, but you also have to be able to take care of it and maintain and manage it after the fact. This is a lot to ask for in an investment.

Instead, you may want to look into another type of real estate investing, real estate investment trusts. Real estate investment trusts or REITs are funds where you purchase shares of the investment and a real estate management group of real estate development group uses that money to purchase, build or maintain property ventures. You essentially fund a portion of a property acquisition and management group.

In return for your investment, you will be paid a portion of any profit that the company makes, much like a stock dividend.

While you may be wondering how wise it is to consider real estate in today’s tough market, this is exactly why it may be a good time to look at a little more investing. Here’s why.  Sure, there has been a tough time for the markets. Lending has dropped, defaults on properties are on the rise. We’re in tough credit times.

But now let’s look at the positive side of things. Most think the slide has slowed and will soon be stopping. Add this to the fact that those capital markets that REITs use to get their funding for expansion and other purchases are low and that means the chances for REITs to get the capital they want to expand has dropped, for now. While you may think this is a bad sign, the truth is this is a time when the value of REITs is lower, meaning you can get in at a lower price. As things settle and go back to normal, your profits will go up and you will see an even greater return on your investment.

This is the time to log onto a website like REITBuyer.com to do your research on “bank community first mutal funds.  You can  find out what REITs are out there, what they are selling for and get yourself in on this low tide so you can enjoy the ride when the financial wave picks up again.

With the other option being putting all of your money away and seeing no growth, what would you prefer?

Money Making Guru Robert G. Allen may have said it best saying, “How many millionaires do you know who have become wealthy by investing in savings accounts? I rest my case.”