Added Sun Communities (SUI)

As I wrote back in November, I removed the INVRLPRA:CN fund because it wasn’t meeting expectations. And I felt there were better opportunities for income and growth in the residential REIT sector. So on January 18, I added Sun Communities, Inc. (SUI) to the portfolio.

More and more families are recovering from foreclosure and looking for affordable housing. Plus many Boomers are viewing manufactured home communities as an attractive retirement lifestyle. With all that, I think Sun could be a real winner.

Sun Communities owns, operates, and develops manufactured housing communities in the mid-western, southern, and southeastern United States. As of February 21, 2013, it owned and operated a portfolio of 183 communities comprising approximately 52,800 developed sites. Through its subsidiary, Sun Home Services, Inc., the company markets, sells, and leases new and pre-owned homes. Sun Communities, Inc. was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan.

You can read more about Sun Communities on the company’s web site.

Here’s where the REITs in the e-FinancialWriter portfolio stand as of Friday’s close, not including dividends.

REIT	Sector	Blog date	Price	Price 03/01/13	RTD* %	Yield %
PSA	Self storage	3/14/2010	90.75	151.95	67.44	3.29
VTR	Health care	12/30/2010	52.87	71.26	34.78	3.76
HCP	Health care		36.81	48.9	32.84	4.3
HCN	Health care		47.53	64.62	35.96	4.74
IAECREIN:CN	Canada	9/27/2011	19.45cn	26.58cn	36.66	0
ZRE:CN	Canada		16.29cn	20.97cn	28.73	4.64
	Retail	1/29/2012	27.18	34.56	27.15	4.57
NNN
SUI	Res.	03/03/13	47.43	46.97	-0.97	5.37
Avg yield of REITs in portfolio						3.26

Source: Bloomberg  *Does not include dividends paid

If you have trouble seeing the chart, just in zoom in with your web browser.

Enjoy your weekend!

George

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