Show r Tem T Spare By GERALD ANDREWS Retirement Adviser Investing In Land Lana The Tho National Association of ot otReal Real Estate Boards has lass come up with an on interesting statistic for anyone who owns land or is thinking of buying some somo real estate as an on investment Here lIere it is During 1968 family homes increased In value by an average of about 7 percent In oth other r words the tho median sales price climbed upward b by approximately that much That figure may be new to you But Im I'm sure cure you can put your finger on the reason without any an help from the economists Inflation And with the government government government govern govern- ment adopting a tight money policy theres there's been relatively less building That means more people in search of real estate Inflation Is fa a 11 special problem l My Iy subject just now is the real estate market what does docs its present condition condition mean to you ou ouan an and me For o the homeowner the answer answer an an- is fa obvious He lIe finds himself him hIm- self all things being equal in possession of a more valuable commodity Should he ha sell cell he should realize a handsome profit For the buyer the continuing upward trend suggests that real estate is a good goud investment Generally speaking it Is as lIS long as you avoid the pitfalls You know Jenow the individual real estate ent enterprise You s see e tho the plot you want purchase it and hold it for sale at some Bome future futuro date Or you buy a house or an apartment building and become a landlord This is OK OX as long as u you realize that for an individual especially an amateur its it's even riskier than buying stocks Theres There's another method available avail available able to those who arent aren't in a pool position tion lion to act for themselves Im I'm referring to REIT RElT which stands stand for Real Estate Investment Investment Invest Invest- ment Trust Here you buy shares In Sn a trust Just as in ire most investment t. t trans trans- ns- ns actions But the trust puts your money into teal real estate instead of into companies involved in goods or services You might decide on Equity Trust which depends on rents from property Alternatively you OU could go for fop fori i a Mortgage Trust where the main maln reliance Is on interest from mortgages In any case the tho prudent man manwill manwill will consult a broker before buyIng buy buy- In lag Ing into BElT BEIT There is Sa still no net substitute for tho expertise of the specialist h |