"While not many will agree with me, I believe U.S. real estate prices have bottomed and are on the rise," says Larry Edelson. In Uncommon Wisdom, he eye an ETF to play the sector.

"Mind you, my forecast doesn't mean property prices in every town in the US have hit bottom. Nor does it mean you should run out to blindly buy property and expect to get rich on it overnight.

"But all the evidence I see tells me real estate prices in the U.S. are now a bargain ... that we're at the bottom ... and that there will be a recovery in property prices, albeit slowly, over the next several years.

"Not all REITs are created equal," notes Richard Lehmann, who looks at the Neuberger Berman Real Estate Income Trust (NYSE: NRO) in his The ETF Trader.

"The decline in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) has been sharp, reacting to the mortgage crisis and the associated financial meltdown. However, here are sectors of the real estate market that have not been affected by the mortgage crisis.

"Such sectors like health care and multi-family projects and self-storage buildings are relatively less sensitive to the economic cycle. In addition, these sectors may have an inverse benefit from foreclosures such as rental properties and self-storage.

"The Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Trust fund invests in REITs in defensive areas such as health care and multi-family projects. Common stocks of REITs are trading at a discount to the properties they own, a reversal of premiums evident in last year.

"This closed end fund trades at 9% discount to its net asset value. In essence, a shareholder gets a portfolio of REITs that trade at a discount to their real estate value at another discount. In addition to the double discount, the fund yields an astounding 24.89% paid monthly.

"The fund trades at $7.38 versus its net asset value of $8.11. Should the real estate market see a decline, fund holders are doubly protected by the high yield and double discount. The fund's top holdings are Ventas Inc. (5.7%), Omega Healthcare Investors (4.8%) and Nationwide Health Properties (4.8%)."

Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers a daily look at the latest market commentary and favorite stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) is the favorite conservative investment for 2007 from Bernie Schaeffer, editor of The Option Advisor. He notes, "Lennar, one of the largest homebuilding firms in the U.S., is built on a very solid foundation.

"For more than 20 quarters running, the stock has exceeded or matched analysts' per-share earnings expectations. Despite negative earnings revisions and poor housing statistics during the past few months, homebuilding stocks have actually rallied from their July 2006 lows.

"For its part, LEN is back up near six-month highs. It has been a relative-strength leader when compared to its peers in the outperforming ISE Homebuilders Index. Meanwhile, options players are firmly entrenched in the bearish camp. And, nearly 9% of the equity's float has been sold short.

"Analysts are still leery of LEN, as evidenced by the latest Zacks data. Of the 12 brokerage firms ranking the shares, five have awarded a 'hold' rating while two list the stock as a 'strong sell.' A continued upward drive in the shares could spur some upgrade activity, drawing positive attention toward the equity."

To see Bernie's favorite speculative idea for 2007, click here.