By now you have heard about the banks that have failed. But what does this mean for mortgage rates and Real Estate? The banks that have failed have been bailed in by the Federal Government. Bailed In is different from bailed out in that a bailout keeps the bank doors open and Bailed In only gives deposits back to the depositors. To be clear if you had stock in those failed institutions it is now worth nothing but if you had a checking or savings account in one of these institutions you will be whole courtesy of the Federal Government. This is good for individuals who had deposits in those institutions but those who held stock in those institutions have lost their entire investment. So what does this tell an economist that is looking towards the future of all banks and monetary policy moving forward and what will happen with Interest rates and Real Estate?
What is next and what are the consequences of these banks failing, of the government bailing in depositors, inflation, and interest rates? This goes deep and you may have figured out some of what is going on but the underlying issues you may want to put your seatbelt on for the ride. You see knowing why these banks failed you may have heard on your favorite media source that told you that rising interest rates and poor asset management is what you have heard. Meaning that when interest rates have risen the banks had assets that were purchased in a low-interest rate environment and now that rates have risen to more than double what they were when the assets were purchased thus devaluing the held assets. When the customers came in to take money out of the bank it did not have enough assets set aside to cover the demand for the money so they failed. That is the rhetoric we are hearing and some of it is true, however, we should be looking at what has happened to the dollar's value lately and why. The dollar has lost a significant amount of value in the world marketplace and this has played a role in these collapses due to inflation and social economic factors in the world.
Here is the problem I see as a follower of economics. Inflation, we all know has been a problem with the high price of fuel and groceries, and consumer goods. We also know that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates to fight inflation, to slow the economy down. Inflation is caused by a few things; One where the demand for goods and services exceeds the supply of goods and services; Two, when the value of money declines; Three when there is an oversupply of money in the economy; Fourth, and one that nobody wants to talk about and that is when people and other nations do not value the dollar as they used to and have lost some of their belief in the dollar. The last one there is the biggest problem that no one is talking about as it goes against everything we have always been taught and that is that the US government and the US dollar issued by the Central bank is no longer favorable to trade for goods and services on the world stage. This will be a topic for future blogs.
The problem with the government bailing in depositors is the Government will be infusing more dollars into the economy and that will further dilute the supply of money and create more inflation. What you may not have heard or understood is that the average deposit in the Silicon Valley Bank was or is $2 million dollars and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) only insures deposits up to $250,000. Yesterday, Biden told the world that the Federal Government would make up the difference to all depositors. This was an attempt to calm the public from taking their money out of the banks and causing a complete failure of the banking and the Federal Reserve system. You see, if you and I stop believing in the US dollar as a means of trade for goods and services then the dollar is useless and all US citizens have lost everything they have worked for. This is a simplified view however, the US dollar is backed by debt, not by gold, or silver, oil, or anything of tangible value. It has always been said that the dollar is supported by the good faith and full backing of the federal government. The same government is $31 Trillion in debt.
Our world has now become more confusing than ever, if interest rates rise to combat inflation, then the economy will slow further, more jobs will be lost and the potential for more bank failures will loom if they have been holding low-interest rate assets as reserves. If the Federal Reserve halts its interest rate march upward then we will continue to have higher inflation. Another issue we all should be watching as citizens is the introduction of the BRICS monetary system that is supposed to go into effect in August of this year. If you are not aware of what this is you should know that it stands for Brazil Russia India China South Africa and it is where these counties have got together to create a new currency to replace the US Dollar as the world's reserve currency. Since its announcement Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and many other countries and most recently Mexico is joining this new currency and denouncing the US dollar. What this could mean to the US dollar could be staggering so stay tuned on this.
What does all this mean to the Real Estate business? It will all depend on how people view this current situation. Will investors look to real estate as a stable investment no matter what interest rates are at or will they stay on the sidelines in the current interest rate environment? This question might be answered by looking at the super-wealthy and what they are doing with their investments. Some of these whales or super investors are looking to real estate as an investment so in the short-term, this could be good. Myself having been in this business for almost 40 years, I have never seen anything quite like this and pray it turns around as housing is the foundation of America as it supports all aspects of American life. I have to stay positive as I believe we all have to and when investors come back into the Real Estate game we will be here for them with open arms. MAE Capital Real Estate and Loan is here for all of your Real Estate needs.