How Homeownership Can Help Fight Inflation

For most people, their home is their biggest investment. And like any investment, you want to see it grow. But what does that mean in the current economic climate? With inflation on the rise, does that mean your home value will go up? And if so, how does that help you as a homeowner? Let's take a look.

What Is Inflation?
In short, inflation is when the prices of goods and services increase over time. The reason this happens is because the money in circulation starts to lose value. So, a dollar today will buy you less than a dollar tomorrow. This might not seem like a big deal, but when you consider that most people's salaries don't keep pace with inflation, it can start to eat into your purchasing power. And that's why homeownership can be such a valuable hedge against inflation.

How Homeownership Helps Fight Inflation
When you own your home, your mortgage payments stay the same even as the cost of living goes up. So, while the price of groceries and gas might increase year over year, your monthly housing costs remain fixed. This gives you a built-in advantage when it comes to fighting inflation because your largest expense isn't going up along with everything else.

Furthermore, as inflation increases and wages don't keep pace, renters can get priced out of their homes as landlords raise rents to keep up with the cost of living. Homeowners, on the other hand, don't have to worry about this because they're not at the mercy of a landlord's whims. As long as you continue to make your mortgage payments on time, you can stay in your home regardless of how high inflation gets.

Inflation can be a scary thing because it erodes your purchasing power over time. But if you're a homeowner, there are some silver linings. Namely, your monthly mortgage payments stay fixed even as the cost of living goes up around you. Additionally, homeowners don't have to worry about being priced out of their homes by landlords raising rents—something that can happen to renters during periods of high inflation. So if you're looking for a way to fight back against rising prices, buying a home might be worth considering.