What Happens to Real Estate during Hyperinflation | An Expert Guide

There has been a lot of discussion and conjecture in the press recently concerning the outlook for our country’s monetary system. One expert predicts strong inflation, while another predicts deflation, and still, another predicts stagflation. While no one can predict the future, informed real estate investors should know how real estate inflation works, how a high inflation market can damage your assets or debt, and how to protect themselves from inflation best. Let’s learn what happens to real estate during hyperinflation.

So, yes! Real estate is a great opportunity against hyperinflation. However, let’s discuss it deeply:

What Happens to Real Estate during Hyperinflation

The value of the real estate is dependent upon the rents that are being collected. This means that if the rents are not increasing to match inflation during hyperinflation, then property values stay relatively flat or even decrease in comparison to inflation.

During hyperinflation, people want money for their goods and services (rent) instead of wanting goods and services (goods). The unfortunate outcome for landlords is that they get paid with money rather than what they wanted – goods/services.

This outcome creates a mismatch between supply and demand because there are many more buyers than sellers in terms of property/rental units. During periods of high inflation, people tend to concentrate on getting rid of money as fast as possible. This means that investors will spend as little money as possible on buying a property because it is not the desire of investors to have goods/services. They rather have more money.

Real estate prices stay relatively flat or even decrease during hyperinflation because there are many more buyers than sellers. Let’s say that a house that was worth $100k US Dollars in 2012 would now be worth about $300k US Dollars in 2015. That means that a person who bought this house back in 2012 with 100k US Dollars made 300% profit on his investment over just three years. 

A speculator would want to buy low and sell high – how much better could you do than earning 300% over 3 years? This example shows why properties stay relatively cheap compared to how much money they would be worth if their rents increased with inflation.

Now the thing is;

What happens is that people who live in the property during hyperinflation end up paying more for rent without increasing their income which means that the demand decreases while the supply increases. The buyer of this property will make 300% in just three years, but many people cannot afford to buy because the conditions in their family have not changed in over three years – except perhaps getting worse.

What ends up happening is that you have too many buyers trying to get into a market when there are very few sellers willing to sell at all. 

Property investors end up making large profits because it becomes much easier to buy properties rather than build them, and people are willing to pay much more for a property today than they were yesterday.

In the case of Zimbabwe, hyperinflation started in 2001 and ended in 2009. During this period, a property investment went from USD 400 to USD 1,000,000 – a 4500% increase. Property prices decreased slightly after the devaluation of their currency, but properties have been going up quickly since that time compared to other countries around the world. 

The interesting part about Zimbabwe’s inflation is that there was no change between December 2007 and September 2008 despite rapid increases in prices/inflation during those months.

This means that people stopped buying goods with money because of hyperinflation, which meant demand decreased while supply increased, causing real estate to stay relatively flat or go down slightly.

Is Real Estate a Good Hedge Against Hyperinflation?

With inflation on the rise, now is a great moment to invest in an asset class that can help protect you from it.

You obtain some inflation protection for your portfolio by doing so, and you do it with a sensible investment that is projected to hold or rise in value over time. When an inflationary period lasts for a long time, residential real estate tends to appreciate.

While purchasing office equipment for your business may fail the appreciation test, investing in real estate does (a fact we’re sure you’ll appreciate!).

However, tax deductions, 100 percent bonus depreciation, and the 20 percent qualified business income deduction might help you finance the purchase of office equipment for your real estate investment business.

Real Estate Inflation: How High-Inflation Markets Affect Real 

Estate and Debt

Inflation is measured by the rise in the price of real (non-financial) goods and assets. When a large amount of money is printed, the nominal price rises to reflect the reduced value of each unit of money. Hyperinflation is simply an overabundance of inflation in which currency is projected to lose all value and prices rapidly increase.

The property sale is greatly impeded since real estate transactions take longer to resolve (by the time you get paid, the cash may be worth almost nothing). Instead of short sales, transactions are more likely to take the form of exchanges, or other money is used in place of the currency thrown away (perhaps gold or bitcoins).

Average inflation rate

Inflation in the United States has averaged 1.8 percent during the previous ten years. Over the last decade, this has been the average. However, due to COVID-19’s economic implications, many experts are now forecasting higher-than-normal future inflationary pressures.

Businesses that have shut down, individuals who’ve already lost their jobs, and substantial governmental stimulus money infusions have produced an unusual situation.

It remains to be seen if these aberrations in the regular economy lead to near-normal or abnormally high inflationary rates in the U.s.

Irrespective of the state of the economy, real estate investors may take measures to protect themselves above inflation and guarantee that their portfolio survives.

Welfare by another Name

We should expect greater currency volatility as markets continue to plummet and the Fed continues to lower rates, with more cuts on the way. The United States is on the verge of entering a long period of high inflation.

The coming years will resemble the 1970s. Hyperinflation, which is a very severe phase of excessive inflation, is also a possibility. As a result, every investor must consider how to hedge or safeguard their capital against inflation. Some people, particularly real estate brokers, advocate using real estate to hedge this risk. So, should we use real estate as a hedge?

To address this, we must analyze two concerns that are intertwined. To begin, what exactly is an inflation hedge? Second, how can you know whether you’ve got a good inflation hedge? The first response is straightforward.

An inflation hedge is a financial asset that loses minimal value when prices rise. As a result, it preserves its purchasing power and value amid inflation. This is also true in the case of hyperinflation. An investor who anticipates inflation will purchase this asset to hedge against it.

How does it Affect Real Estate?

The growing costs of rental property rates are likely to be favorable during periods of high inflation. Obtaining a mortgage during periods of high inflation might be difficult. Because high mortgage rates limit buyers’ purchasing power, many people continue to rent.

Higher rental rates arise from the increase in demand, which is fantastic for landlords. While the increase is a unique and different market analysis, property prices usually soar in an inflationary economy.

People need a roof over them, despite their currency value. Hence real estate has intrinsic value. You will almost certainly have a tail out through the door if you can offer attractive conditions for private mortgages.

Investments to make in an inflationary environment

In real estate investing, the marketplace and the estate’s position are always crucial considerations. In a high-inflationary society, however, the following property investments outperform others:

Requests and returns for domestic, industrial, multi-unit, and solitary rental homes will likely be more significant than usual. Banks may be releasing larger volumes of money than normal, resulting in minor rivalry and reduced prices.

Real estate investments (REITs) are similar to actual real estate in terms of market need and growth, and they may be an excellent way to broaden your portfolio. It will be critical to have sufficient funds on hand to seize a chance when it arises.

Depending on the kind of investment, the industry, and other considerations, inflation may have a beneficial or harmful influence on real estate investments.

If defaults are at an all-time high, for example, lower ticket costs may not be worth it. Do your research and speak with your realtor to find realistic options in your region, as you would with any excellent investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does High Inflation Impact Real Estate Investments?

Consider all the materials required to construct a new home, from concrete to bricks to drywall and stucco. Inflation merely increased the cost of all of these essential components for homebuilders.

Will I Lose Money When Inflation Subsides?

It is critical to understand that inflation is not the same as appreciation. Therefore, the increase in the value of a property over time refers to a rate of appreciation in real estate.

The value of an asset does not rise concerning the currency. Rather, it rises in response to demand. You can have circumstances where a home gains faster than inflation or depreciates faster than inflation in an inflationary economy.

Is Real Estate a Good Hedge Against Hyperinflation?

Stocks suffer from value uncertainty. However, they would inflate as a result of other factors.

Hyperinflation benefits corporations and individuals with large debts because repayment can be made in cheaper currency units. New materials, labor, and tools, on the other hand, have greater inflated costs. As a result, management is a challenge. In such conditions, mistakes are simple to make, and businesses tend to be cautious, which reduces demand.

Hyperinflations, in actuality, only happens when people lose faith in central bank management. So, that is exceedingly implausible in modern times, especially in a powerful nation with its currency. 

It’s critical to remember that everything in life is relative. There is no fixed reference point. You must inquire about buying power parity, wages, prices, and values, among other things, and see how they change in terms of relative value.

Are CDs a Good Hedge Against Inflation?

Inflation protection is not included in most CDs. Consider getting a greater CD than the inflation rate if you want to reduce the effects of inflation on your CD investments and receive the most value for your money, the higher the interest rate on a CD, the longer the duration.

Why do you need a hedge against inflation?

With inflation, real estate works wonderfully. As inflation rises, property prices rise as well, lowering the amount a landlord may demand rent. This allows you to keep up with the rising cost of living. As a result, real estate income is one of the most effective strategies to protect an investment portfolio against inflation.

Bottom line

Even if the interest rate on a fixed-rate mortgage remains low, many people cannot afford to buy homes at increased costs. As a result, if the demand for rentals increases, the availability rate decreases. If you’re an investor, this might entail a rise in rental rates for your rental property, which changes the amount you charge per square foot, room, apartment, and year.

You can expand your investment property portfolio by increasing cash flow. And Mynd can assist you in making investments throughout the country. If you think about rising inflation, investing in real assets such as real estate can help you protect yourself because real estate is less volatile than the stock market. Remember not to put all your eggs in one basket. You will be a more robust investor if your investment portfolio is geographically broad.

Finally, if you don’t want to invest in real estate directly, consider a REIT (real estate investment trust).