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If anyone thought the red-hot multifamily sector was cooling going into 2013, the activity of the past few weeks would certainly prove them wrong. Take, for instance, Equity Residential and AvalonBay Communities' $16-billion buy of Archstone Inc.'s assets. The deal, which hasn't officially closed, not only quenched long-circulated rumors and speculation of a potential Archstone IPO, but it also marks the largest deal in the sector since 2007.

If that's not enough, take a look at some of the latest data. CoreLogic, for one, recently reported that residential rental income grew 12% year-over-year in September. What's more, the firm says the growth “shows no signs of slowing down.”