Investing Trends

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Courier-Post staff

Do you want to compare the property taxes on your home to similar homes on your street?

Then check out property assessment records at Data Universe, the "Courier-Post" public information site on the Web, newly updated to include local tax information.

More than 3 million property ownership records, from vacant land to homes to major commercial sites, now include detailed tax information on each parcel.

The enhanced property assessment records can be accessed by visiting and clicking on the topmost link: Property Owners/Assessments.

The data is based on 2006 tax rates and assessments from the state.

The state updates its property ownership records once a year and most records are current. For recent transactions, Data Universe provides a database of property sales current through January 2007.

Data Universe also offers nearly two dozen searchable databases that cover criminal conviction records, public employee salaries, public school performance benchmarks and links to medical and consumer information sites.

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NORCROSS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wells Real Estate Funds Inc. today announced the launch of the Wells
Timberland Real Estate Investment Trust, the first public, nontraded
REIT investing in timberland.

“This new expansion of our product family fits
with our focus on offering the individual investor the opportunity to
invest in quality real estate,” said Leo
Wells, founder and president of Wells Real Estate Funds. “Professionally
managed timberland is a potentially attractive type of commercial real
estate – but historically, it has been almost
entirely for institutional investors. We’re
helping to change that.”

Wells Timberland REIT will seek to generate revenue and income through
the sale of timber harvesting rights, as well as leasing land-use rights
and, in some cases, the eventual sale of land for higher and better use.

Jess Jarratt, a veteran forester and finance executive, has joined Wells
as chief timberland officer and president of Wells Timberland Investment
Management Organization.

“Timberland is a distinct asset class, and as
with our other REITs, we’ll seek to build a
diverse portfolio for our investors – in this
case, by geography, age and timber type,”
Jarratt said. “Another attractive feature
about timber is that it’s an ecologically
sound, renewable resource – after harvesting,
you can plant again and literally grow new resources.”

Jarratt most recently was managing director, structured real estate, for
SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. His previous positions include timberland
investment officer with John Hancock. He holds a B.S. in Forestry from
Texas A&M and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of North Texas.

Wells Timberland REIT is designed to offer portfolio diversification,
current income through the payment of distributions, and potential
capital appreciation upon the ultimate sale of assets. Over its
lifetime, the fund will acquire and invest largely in geographically
diverse timberland properties in U.S. timber-producing regions,
including the Appalachian, Great Lakes, Northeast, Northwest and
Southeast regions. The Timberland REIT also may invest in timber-growing
regions internationally.

The fund will be offered to investors through financial professionals.

Wells Real Estate Funds is a national real estate investment company
based in suburban Atlanta. Since its founding in 1984, Wells has
invested more than $9 billion in real estate for more than 200,000
investors. Wells funds include REITs, mutual funds and other commercial
real estate investment vehicles. For more information, see

For more information, visit Wells online at .

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including discussions regarding
Wells’ use of proceeds and certain other
factors that may affect future earnings or financial results. Such
statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual
results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the
forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to
differ materially include changes in general economic conditions,
changes in real estate conditions, construction delays, increases in
interest rates, lease-up risks, lack of availability of financing, and
lack of availability of capital proceeds. This is neither an offer nor a
solicitation to purchase securities. For SEC filings: .