Sometimes you just have to call it like you see it: 2024 was a terrible year for W.P. Carey (WPC -1.20%). But it's important to understand what that bad year was really about. For this real estate investment trust (REIT), it was about setting the stage for a brighter future. Indeed, that bad 2024 should make you want to buy W.P. Carey stock even more.Getting off on the wrong foot at W.P. CareyEssentially, the first thing that greeted W.P. Carey investors in 2024 was a dividend cut. Not only that, but the cu ...