Spirit Finance Corporation,a real estate investment trust (REIT), the company specializes in single-tenant, free-standing properties such as restaurants and gas stations; it owns or has financed more than 1,000 that are leased to retail, distribution, and service-oriented firms in more than 40 states. Spirit, founded in 2003, also offers commercial mortgage, business, and construction loans and equipment financing. An investment group led by Australia's Macquarie Bank and Iceland-based Kaupthing Bank acquired Spirit Finance in 2007 for some $3.5 billion including debt.