Phillip Spears/DigitalVision via Getty Images Last week, I explained why I stopped buying real estate to buy real estate investment trusts, or REITs, instead. I recommend that you read the whole article, but in short, REITs (VNQ) are today a lot cheaper than private real estate. They also give you the benefits of leverage with lower interest rates because they have locked their rates for years to come. So why would you pay a premium valuation and higher interest rates for a private property that's illiq ...