A generation ago, a single income could support a family, buy a house, and pay for a vehicle or two in the driveway. Today, even two high earners are struggling to purchase a new home.
According to a recent report from Bankrate, a household earning $80,000 a year is now priced out of 75 percent of all new homes on the market. A family now needs to earn at least $113,000, and in some major metros, closer to $200,000.
Meanwhile, the homeownership rate has slipped to a six-year low, with further declines expected in 2026. Families are being squeezed from every angle.
The point I want to make here is that the so-called affordability crisis isn’t only about the cost of homes or other assets. It’s about the cost of money. What it shows is the greenback has lost more than 95 percent of its purchasing power. Gold, by contrast, has exploded, especially during periods of fiscal and economic strain.
Politicians and pundits may blame greedy corporations or ineffi
