Cats are territorial creatures and will claim their pet parents as part of their territory. When a cat rubs against something, they are forming an affiliation with that person, animal, or item. In other words, they are accepting it into their environment and claiming it as their own.
https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/why-do-cats-rub-against-you
I am 53 and live in DC. I bought just as the pandemic was starting when nobody knew what was going to happen and the rates were low. The market has since exploded and I could never have afforded the home I am in.