Written by Chase Majerus
Still recovering from your Halloween sugar bender? Us too. The economy’s bloated, our candy stash is gone, and somehow mortgage rates went up after a cut.
Let’s unwrap what’s left of the week (and maybe a mini Snickers while we’re at it).
A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, lets you borrow against your home’s available equity. Applying for a HELOC with Synergy One Lending is fast and easy. Our application is fast, easy, and all online. If pre-approved, you’ll be instantly presented with your offer options.
(from Housingwire.com)
YO! Compass just accused Zillow of using its “monopoly power” to squash competition, and tossed Redfin’s name into the mix for good measure.
Here’s the deal: Zillow has a policy that bans listings not posted to the MLS within one business day of public marketing. Compass says that rule punishes agents who use private or off-market listings, and that Zillow’s “follow our rules or else” email campaign basically scared 90% of agents into compliance.
Compass claims that’s not policy enforcement, it’s monopoly muscle, arguing Zillow and Redfin coordinated their similar policies to choke out alternative marketing strategies and keep everything under their control. Zillow, meanwhile, says Compass is just mad because it wants to keep listings “hidden” to double-dip commissions.
A judge has greenlit Compass to bring a company agent to testify, while Zillow’s formal response is due Nov. 12 ahead of the Nov. 18 hearing. Stay tuned — this fight might redefine how listings hit your feed (and how much power Big Z really has).
We went crazy on the haunted houses last week so… no major mansion this week.
But if you want to see any more haunted OVERFLOW, check below!
Would you buy a ‘murder house’ if the price was right? Halloween may be over, but a haunting could still get you a killer deal. Homes tied to murders or tragedies often sell for 10–25% less than market value, according to appraiser Randall Bell, a guy who’s literally priced Jeffrey Dahmer’s house. Just know that flipping a “murder house” takes patience (and maybe a priest). Nicole Brown Simpson’s condo eventually sold for $1.7M after a glow-up, while the Heaven’s Gate mansion? Bulldozed. Sometimes bad vibes don’t appreciate well.
When your friends sends you a MAYBE haunted listing… Would you buy a home staged with dozens of dolls staring into your soul? One brave agent did just that, and it might be genius. A little creepy? Sure. But in today’s market, anything that drives eyeballs (even glass ones) is smart marketing. Haunted or not, we respect the hustle
(from CNBC.com)
The Fed just cut rates again, and in response, mortgage rates… went up.
Yeah, it’s like the universe heard “cut” and said, “Let’s do the opposite.” The average 30-year fixed jumped 20 basis points to 6.33% right after Jerome Powell wrapped up his press conference. Markets had already priced in the rate cut, but when Powell hinted that future cuts weren’t a sure thing, the bond market got nervous.
Nervous bond market = higher yields = higher mortgage rates.
This same thing happened the last time the Fed lowered its benchmark rate, too. So if it feels like déjà vu, that’s because it kind of is. Think of it like movie trailers that give away all the info. By the time the big release happens, everyone’s already seen the preview, and the excitement’s gone. The market had already reacted to the idea of a cut weeks ago. The actual announcement just confirmed it, and Powell’s “not so fast” comments were the plot twist that made investors hit the brakes.
Here’s where people usually get tripped up: the Fed doesn’t directly set mortgage rates.
It sets the short-term rate banks use to lend to each other overnight. Mortgage rates, on the other hand, are tied to the 10-year Treasury yield. Basically, how confident investors feel about the economy long-term. When they sense uncertainty or inflation risks, they want more return for their money, which pushes yields (and mortgage rates) higher.
So when you see the Fed “cut,” it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a cheaper home loan. It just means borrowing money in general got a little cheaper, for now. Mortgage rates move to their own beat, and sometimes that beat sounds like a drum solo nobody asked for.
That’s why financial fitness matters more than ever. You can’t control Jerome Powell, but you can control your money habits. That’s the whole reason we built S1 Finfit, to help you stay sharp and ready, no matter what the market throws at you.
S1 FinFit is a FREE app that provides a roadmap to help you reach your financial and lifestyle goals, no matter how big or small! Free credit monitoring with alerts, set financial goals, create budgets, and keep track of your spending to see where your money is going.
Download the app on the appropriate app store with the links below!
(from Yahoo! Finance)
Remember when everyone was suddenly an amateur contractor during lockdown? Yeah, those glory days are gone and Home Depot’s aisles are starting to feel a little lonelier.
Through the first half of 2025, transactions at stores open more than a year fell 0.5%, while total transactions across all stores slipped 0.9%. The only reason average ticket size rose 1.4% is because prices did, not because people were spending more. Translation: higher costs, fewer shoppers.
That kitchen remodel just got a lot less “HGTV” and a lot more “Maybe next year.”
CEO Ed Decker summed it up at a recent conference: “There’s been a lot of economic uncertainty that we think is preventing people from taking out a HELOC or cash-out refi at their home.” And that tracks, the average HELOC rate jumped from under 4% in 2021 to 7.86% today, leaving many homeowners with fewer options to fund big projects.
Even though the top home upgrades of 2025, like garage door replacements (268% ROI), steel entry doors (216%), and fiber-cement siding (114%), are still paying homeowners back more than they cost, shoppers are clearly scaling down.
So yeah, fewer trips down the lumber aisle, more scrolling Zillow for fun. We’ll see if November’s earnings call brings any good news, or just another reminder that DIY might have to wait until payday.
Robinhood Wants In on Your Mortgage, Too
(from TradingView.com)
First it was stocks. Then crypto. Then credit cards. Now Robinhood wants to help you buy a house. The fintech giant just announced a new partnership with Sage Home Loans, offering its Gold subscribers mortgage rates about 0.75% below the national average, plus a $500 closing credit for good measure. The deal was quietly tested earlier this year and is now rolling out nationwide, targeting first-time buyers and refinancers tired of high rates and endless paperwork. It’s the latest move in Robinhood’s slow but steady glow-up from “that app where I bought Dogecoin” to a full-blown financial ecosystem. The company’s already dipped into credit cards, retirement accounts, and even futures trading in the UK, and now it’s coming for the mortgage market, one of the most competitive and regulated corners of consumer finance. With mortgage costs still near multi-decade highs, Robinhood’s betting that a slick digital experience (something that SYNERGY ONE LENDING LITERALLY ALREADY OFFERS!!) and lower rates can win over the same audience that once swiped for free stock trades. Whether that works or not, it’s a bold play, because if there’s one thing harder than day trading, it’s buying a house in 2025.
First it was stocks. Then crypto. Then credit cards. Now Robinhood wants to help you buy a house.
The fintech giant just announced a new partnership with Sage Home Loans, offering its Gold subscribers mortgage rates about 0.75% below the national average, plus a $500 closing credit for good measure. The deal was quietly tested earlier this year and is now rolling out nationwide, targeting first-time buyers and refinancers tired of high rates and endless paperwork.
It’s the latest move in Robinhood’s slow but steady glow-up from “that app where I bought Dogecoin” to a full-blown financial ecosystem. The company’s already dipped into credit cards, retirement accounts, and even futures trading in the UK, and now it’s coming for the mortgage market, one of the most competitive and regulated corners of consumer finance.
With mortgage costs still near multi-decade highs, Robinhood’s betting that a slick digital experience (something that SYNERGY ONE LENDING LITERALLY ALREADY OFFERS!!) and lower rates can win over the same audience that once swiped for free stock trades.
Whether that works or not, it’s a bold play, because if there’s one thing harder than day trading, it’s buying a house in 2025.
BONUS KEYCHAIN!!!The Mortgage Makeover and the Mayhem Behind It
(from Housingwire.com and Yahoo.com)
Hey, we had a little extra room this week, and the mortgage world’s been busy. So here’s your bonus double feature!!
The Big Idea:
Real estate leaders say the housing crisis can’t be fixed without rethinking how Americans borrow. NextHome’s Keith Robinson called the 30-year loan “a 1933 relic,” arguing it’s time for longer terms and fresh FHA-backed options for first-time buyers. Century 21’s Mike Miedler echoed the call, adding that zoning reform and tax breaks for older sellers could help loosen supply. Their pitch? A “New New Deal” for homeownership.
The Big Mess:
Meanwhile, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie, is in political chaos. Acting watchdog Joe Allen was quietly ousted just as director Bill Pulte, a Trump ally, ramped up investigations into the administration’s critics. The inspector general’s post is now officially vacant, sparking concerns about oversight in an agency that’s supposed to stay neutral.
In Short:
some are trying to reinvent mortgages for the next generation, while others are turning housing policy into a political battlefield.
Divorce isn’t exactly the topic you pour a mimosa over, but if it happens, your real estate strategy can save your wallet (and maybe your sanity).
This week, James Carmody drops a sharp, no-BS video on what to do when “’til death do us part” becomes “who’s keeping the house?” His advice: get the spouse staying in the home pre-approved early for a refinance, know your options, and don’t let a divorce attorney call all the shots on your mortgage.
It’s part empathy, part strategy, and 100% solid advice for anyone navigating life’s plot twists.
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