Daily Real Estate News  |  October 14, 2008  |   Hunting for an Investment Gem? Try REITs
Forbes magazine has pinpointed some real estate investment trust that appear to be a good bet, with stable tenant bases, low leverage (liabilities as a percentage of assets), and no looming debt maturing.

Here are some of the REITS the article mentions:

Equity Residential. Owns apartments in New York, Los Angeles and Seattle; has one of the sector's strongest balance sheets; recently secured a $550 million loan from untroubled Wells Fargo, at 6 percent interest.

Washington REIT. Owns offices in and around the nation's capital, where demand for space is strong ; raised $98 million in equity last month and has a $260 million line of credit.

General Growth Properties. Owns high-end malls in troubled places like Las Vegas and has piled up debt building new malls. Its shares have fallen 87% from a 52-week high to $7.59.

Source: Forbes: Dorothy Pomerantz (10/27/2008)