Key Takeaways WTI and Brent crude, both light and sweet, are considered global crude oil benchmarks WTI is extracted from the United States, primarily in Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota; Brent is extracted from the North Sea Each has unique characteristics that make them responsive to different geopolitical, local, and economic forces So you’ve decided […]

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These are tough times for income investors thanks to easy monetary policy and U.S. interest rates near zero. Even when rates finally rise, the climb is likely to be slow. That means income-producing investments outside of dividend-paying stocks and bonds might be worth a look.  Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) REITs trade like stock on […]

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Editor’s note: A companion article covered financing real estate investment property. Read part one. A tight apartment rental market and rising rent environment are leading some investors down the path to property ownership. But wannabe landlords might first consider the risks: middle-of-the-night calls for broken pipes and a potential revolving door of renters. It’s not as easy […]

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Commercial real estate is enjoying some of its best times in recent history, boosted by a growing economy with rising employment. That’s seen in several statistical measures of the sector. The Wilshire commercial real estate index, which dates back to 1977, is at its highest level ever as of early April, surpassing the high set […]

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So you’ve inherited some property and don’t particularly like the vision you’re having of your future self as a curmudgeonly landlord bent over a leaky toilet your tenants want fixed? Start by asking yourself whether the property is worth hanging on to. Get an appraisal of the property, consider trends in the local real estate […]

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Key Takeaways Real estate investing got a higher profile when it became a new S&P sector in 2016 In recent years, some income-seeking investors have turned toward REITs as a potential way to generate an income stream Proponents of REIT trading point to the low to moderate correlation between stocks and real estate In 2016, […]

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Key Takeaways REITs are holding companies that own income-producing properties such as apartments or malls REITs are often listed on exchanges like shares of stock Some REITs invest in certain industries or sectors such as agriculture, health care, and data centers Long before the stock markets existed, investors had a fixation on land. After all, […]

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