A property unit trust (PUT) is a portfolio of investment-grade properties that provides rental income and capital appreciation. PUTs are a simple way for you to invest in property and receive low-risk returns.

CAPITAL losses in the listed property sector may not materialise this year in fact the sector is expected to post a small capital increase of about 2%.

In 2003 the Property Unit Trust and Property Loan Stock sectors generated a total pre-taxation return of 42.6%

Unit trusts recognised for consistent top performance of their underlying property assets

The listed property sector has shown daily growth in the past week after showing mixed movement earlier this month.

LISTED property unit trusts Capital Property Fund and Centrecity Property Fund (Cenprop) announced yesterday that Mike Cullabine had resigned as a director of Property Fund Managers, the management company handling the two funds.

The Martprop Property Fund increased its dividend for the year to July by 2 percent to 24c a unit, despite pressure on rental income caused by the expiry or review of 28 percent of its leases.

 Property unit trust group Martprop Property Fund reported positive financial results yesterday in a market which showed unrelenting pressure on earnings. 

Listed property may be everybody's favourite JSE sector but, like a newly discovered celebrity without table manners, its corporate governance is generally an embarrassment

Property unit trusts can be expected to return to growth in earnings this year and a re-rating of the sector will boost capital values by up to 10%.