Apartment REITs Holding Up, But No Longer A Sanctuary

According to Bloomberg Indexes, REIT investors have beaten the S&P 500 so far this year, especially if they invested in owners of apartments and self-storage buildings. The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts reports that apartment equity REITs jumped 11.88% in July, second only to health care REITs, which notched an 11.94% jump for the month. Small comfort to those still trying to dig out from under the rubble of Mortgage REITs:

But now the specter of job losses is beginning to spread the gloom into this sector as well. As would-be renters are doubling up in apartments or moving in with friends and families, rents and occupancy rates on apartments are beginning to fall in many cities. The so-called "growth" in many areas of the country was illusory and tied to the housing boom (construction, mortgage brokerage, remodeling, borrowing on home equity to pay for dinners out, etc.). Long term, the trends for apartments have never been better, but right now there is just no place to hide. Click here for a complete Apartment REIT list.

Disclosure: None