For people who own their own homes, real estate helps to hedge against increasing rents. The cost of shelter, such as renting a home, is included in the calculation of inflation in the U.S., but when someone buys a home, they typically use a mortgage that has a payment that is locked in for many years. Those who own their homes outright need only pay property taxes, which tend to change less than rent. For investors, many types of real estate, especially commercial real estate, have historically served as effective hedges against inflation, helping real estate as a whole gain its reputation as an effective hedge.