Karen Finerman: Too Late for 'This' Trade

By now you've probably seen the latest housing numbers. But if you haven't, they're lousy.

According to the widely followed Case-Schiller report, U.S. single-family home prices dropped in March, dipping below their 2009 low, as the housing market remained bogged down by inventory and weak demand.

Part of that weakness stems from the trend that more people are content to rent.

“The emotional scars left by the collapse are changing the American psyche,” said Pete Flint, chief executive of the housing Web site Trulia in a New York Times Report. “There was a time when owning a home was a symbol you had made it. Now it’s O.K. not to own.”

In fact, the percentage of homeowners has now dropped to 66.4 percent, from a peak of 69.2 percent in 2004. And some housing experts say it could decline to the level of the 1980s or even earlier.

The trend sounds like an opportunity for companies that own apartments. But if you’re tempted to establish long positions in apartment REITs such as Avalon on these headlines, Karen Finerman says you’re late to the party. "“I wouldn’t do it," she counsels.

Finerman points to 2 reasons: "These stocks have already run far and fast and now their yields are down a lot," she says.

And rents are starting to creep higher. "When you look at the affordability index, if you can get a loan, buying makes more sense."



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Trader disclosure: On May 31, 2011, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders; Terranova owns (XOM); Terranova owns (KSS); Terranova owns (CVI); Terranova owns (OXY); Terranova owns (TM); Terranova owns (BJ); Terranova owns (DIS); Terranova owns (PFE); Terranova owns (V); Terranova owns (HPQ); Terranova owns (FLX); Terranova owns (JPM); Terranova owns (MCD); Terranova owns (PEP); Terranova owns (VRTS); Terranova is short (DELL); Adami owns (AGU); Adami owns (C); Adami owns (INTC); Adami owns (GS); Adami owns (MSFT); Adami owns (NUE); Adami owns (BTU); Finerman and Finerman's Firm own (AAPL); Finerman's Firm owns (DIS); Finerman 's Firm owns (JPM) leaps and (JPM); Finerman owns (JPM); Finerman's Firm is short (IWM); Finerman's Firm is short (MDY); Finerman's Firm is short (SPY); Finerman's Firm owns S&P 500 Calls; Finerman's Firm owns S&P 500 Puts; Finerman's Firm owns Russell 2000 Puts

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