Listening to Lyn Alden's conversation at Cheat Code and it reminded me of things Bitcoin has showed me. Obviously Lyn has said this and many others but I can rationally and logical make sense of the story.
The meme is Real Estate is a shitcoin. That's not really true. Shitcoins have little to no value. They don't have utility at least on a mass scale. Real Estate has utility. But, is Real Estate a good investment? Compared to a shitcoin? Yes. Much better because it has utility but if you compare it to gold or bitcoin its inferior as an investment if you look at generically.
When we think about bitcoin in the abstract without understanding fiat we miss many things. This is the problem I see most often with the crypto people. They don't understand the difference between price inflation and monetary inflation. They don't understand, even on a basic level how the dollar system works. They are normies. I'm no expert on economics but I've read a lot and learned a lot over the years. Fiat, the dollar specifically distorts so many things because it is the unit of account for the world. Fiat distorts many investments like real estate. In dollars real estate seems like a good investment across the board but its actually not.
When you factor in property taxes and maintenance over the long term I believe you'd be better off with gold. When you use gold as your unit of account (measuring stick) most real estate isn't as good of an investment over the long term. Now, in some places in some times with leveraged credit it is great investment but it isn't ALWAYS the case. Fiat distorts the market.
Real estate has utility though and because of that you can make income from it and it can be a good investment. Its just not passive like gold or bitcoin. You can invest in a business as well. If that business provides value you might make a good return on your money. Right now though compared to bitcoin pretty much any investment is going to lose to bitcoin. This won't always be the case.
Fiat distorts everything because it is always being inflated and it creates credit distortions. So bitcoin should make it much more affordable to own real estate by exposing the distortions and removing them. Real estate should return to a property that is valuable for its utility instead of it being a hedge against inflation.
If we fast forward 100 years in a bitcoin dominated world its not like owning land will be stupid. Its just that people won't be seeking to shelter their wealth in land. It makes more sense to use bitcoin. Bitcoin will allow businesses to think more generational vs. quarter to quarter. I can see a world where wealth bitcoiners own properties and rent them to young people. People that haven't figured out where they want to live. They will operate as a business. And if you consider business an investment then I guess you can say this is investment real estate but I would say this is different from buying gold as an investment. Real Estate is not dead but it will drastically change and I think this is great for people that want to USE land.
That's my thoughts at this point at least. What do you think? Did I get anything wrong?
Bitcoin's Long-Term Growth Potential
Real Estate's Long-Term Growth Potential