<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 10/31/2000
000 C000000 0001046029
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 6.1
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PRINCIPAL REAL ESTATE FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-08379
001 C000000 5152475476
002 A000000 PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP
002 B000000 DES MOINES
002 C000000 IA
002 D010000 50392
002 D020000 0200
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 50
019 C000000 PRINCORGRP
020 A000001 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000001 22-2347336
020 C000001 8
020 A000002 LEHMAN BROTHERS
020 B000002 13-2501865
020 C000002 7
020 A000003 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
020 B000003 13-5674085
020 C000003 5
020 A000004 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE (DLJ)
020 B000004 13-2741729
020 C000004 5
020 A000005 GREEN STREET, INC.
020 B000005 33-0275837
020 C000005 3
020 A000006 SG WARBURG AND CO.
020 B000006 13-3340045
020 C000006 3
020 A000007 MORGAN STANLEY, DEAN WITTER, DISCOVER
020 B000007 13-2655998
020 C000007 3
020 A000008 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
020 B000008 13-3299429
020 C000008 3
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 A000009 PAINE WEBBER INC.
020 B000009 13-2638166
020 C000009 2
020 A000010 OPPENHEIMER & CO.
020 B000010 13-2798343
020 C000010 2
021 000000 56
022 A000001 ASSOCIATES FIRST CAPITAL CORP.
022 B000001 39-0210110
022 C000001 50289
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 ASSOCIATES CORPORATION OF NORTH AMERICA
022 B000002 74-1494554
022 C000002 50023
022 D000002 0
022 A000003 BANC ONE CAPITAL CORPORATION
022 B000003 31-1017233
022 C000003 25307
022 D000003 0
022 A000004 AMERICAN EXPRESS CREDIT CORPORATION
022 B000004 11-1988350
022 C000004 1628
022 D000004 0
022 A000005 FORD MOTOR CREDIT CO.
022 B000005 38-1612444
022 C000005 994
022 D000005 0
022 A000006 HOUSEHOLD FINANCE CORP.
022 B000006 36-1239445
022 C000006 759
022 D000006 0
022 A000007 USCC TRADING
022 B000007 36-3663523
022 C000007 510
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000008 13-2501865
022 C000008 394
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORP.
022 B000009 13-2501865
022 C000009 355
022 D000009 0
022 C000010 0
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 130260
023 D000000 0
024 000000 N
027 000000 Y
028 A010000 333
028 A020000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 165
028 B010000 187
028 B020000 156
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 220
028 C010000 586
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 136
028 D010000 579
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 203
028 E010000 553
028 E020000 167
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 329
028 F010000 1141
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 211
028 G010000 3379
028 G020000 323
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 1264
028 H000000 668
029 000000 Y
030 A000000 47
030 B000000 4.75
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 13
031 B000000 0
032 000000 5
033 000000 28
034 000000 Y
035 000000 7
036 A000000 N
036 B000000 0
038 000000 0
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 100
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 72
044 000000 0
055 A000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 4
055 B000000 N
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 N
066 D000000 N
066 E000000 N
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 Y
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
071 A000000 14360
071 B000000 11708
071 C000000 14667
071 D000000 80
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 35
072 C000000 904
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 137
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 101
072 J000000 4
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 0
072 M000000 6
072 N000000 42
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
072 R000000 5
072 S000000 0
072 T000000 72
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 6
072 X000000 373
072 Y000000 39
072 Z000000 605
072AA000000 0
072BB000000 1154
072CC010000 3432
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 319
072DD020000 277
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.0000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 11
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 1688
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 17385
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 314
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 37
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 19435
074 O000000 820
074 P000000 0
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 59
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 18556
074 U010000 1045
074 U020000 1012
074 V010000 0.00
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 2
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
075 B000000 15198
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 Q010000 N
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 24000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 25
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
SIGNATURE A S FILEAN
TITLE SR VICE PRESIDENT