Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, used to offer attractive yields and a measure of stability. These days, a REIT is one of the more volatile investment choices. What’s more, even the attractiveness of the income stream is questionable… when one considers alternative income producers (e.g., convertibles, preferreds, energy trusts, etc.).

Nevertheless, in December, most REIT ETFs were chart-toppers. And that’s in spite of the dismal new home sales numbers for November.