Any life insurance company heretofore or hereafter organized under any law of this state may invest by loans or otherwise, with the direction or approval of a majority of its board of directors or authorized committee thereof, any of its funds, or any part thereof in shares of beneficial interest in or obligations issued by a real estate investment trust qualified under sections 856 through 858 of the federal internal revenue code which meet the following qualifications:
Shares in each trust which has over one-half (1/2) of its assets invested in ownership of real estate or which has such ownership as its stated investment objective shall be considered a real estate investment for purposes of conforming with the limitation on real estate ownership imposed in K.S.A. 40-2b10.
K.S.A. 40-2b18