Written by Chase Majerus

How The Housing Market Affects Each Generation

Another week, another batch of mildly alarming financial news! The housing market continues to be an equal-opportunity headache, with younger buyers getting priced out while older homeowners are stuck juggling rising costs.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve hit the pause button on rate hikes, which is kind of a win—unless tariffs send prices soaring again. In this issue, we’re breaking down who’s winning, who’s losing, and why your home’s equity might just be your financial MVP.

Stick around, because we’ve got all the stats, some laughs, and a HELOC that could actually make this economy work in your favor.

Today's Agenda:

A quick link to the article of your choice

Keychain: How the Housing Market Affects All Ages

Major Manor

Social Space: Why Local Is Better

Financial Fitness: Federal Reserve Rate Cuts

Keychain: Boomer Doom

Vlog: FAQ's for HELOC

Today's Agenda:

A Quick Link to the article of your choice

Keychain: How the Housing Market Affects All Ages

Social Space: Why Local Is Better

Financial Fitness: Federal Reserve Rate Cuts

Keychain: Boomer Doom

Vlog: FAQ's for HELOC

S1L Home Equity Loan

Use Your Home For The Best Future Gains

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.

Keychain

Short Keychain A Sub Head Here

If you’re young and trying to buy a home, the market is basically a cruel joke at your expense. It’s like trying to win a carnival game that’s clearly rigged.

Billionaire Peter Thiel says the real estate system is set up to reward boomers while younger generations get left in the dust, watching prices skyrocket 50% when a city grows 10% while wages barely move. And it’s not just happening in the U.S…Britain, Canada, and other countries are playing the same unfair game thanks to zoning laws that make new construction nearly impossible.

Meanwhile, rent inflation is the real villain, silently draining paychecks while everyone gets mad at egg prices. Thiel calls it an “incredible wealth transfer” from young renters to older homeowners, which is a fancy way of saying your landlord is thriving while you Venmo request your roommate for toilet paper.

Until something changes, homeownership for younger generations might stay as mythical as a reasonably priced one-bedroom in a major city.

Financial Fitness

The Federal Reserve Rate Cuts

Direct quote from CNBC – “The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it will leave interest rates unchanged as President Donald Trump’s tariff policies weigh on economic growth.”

So yeah, the Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates on pause, which is great news if you’re tired of them hiking. Inflation cooled last month, but tariffs on aluminum, steel, and oil could crank up prices again, because nothing says “economic stability” like a trade war.

Mortgage rates are creeping down (30-year fixed at 6.78%, 15-year at 6.24%), but experts warn a weak economy isn’t exactly a recipe for a housing market rally. Auto loan rates? Still rough (7.2% for new, 11.3% for used)—and that dream truck? Probably more expensive thanks to tariffs. Credit card rates have dropped slightly (20.09% down from 20.27%), but let’s be honest, they’re still higher than your Uber bill after a night out. Meanwhile, savings accounts are chilling at 4.4% APY, still outpacing inflation at 2.8%, so at least stashing cash isn’t a total loss.

Understanding where interest rates are headed is crucial when considering a HELOC from Synergy One Lending because it impacts how much borrowing will actually cost you.

With the Fed holding rates steady and mortgage rates trending lower, now could be the perfect time to tap into your home’s equity at a low, fixed rate before any economic shifts push borrowing costs back up. Since HELOCs can be used for everything from consolidating high-interest debt to funding home improvements or even starting a business, knowing the broader financial landscape helps you make a strategic move instead of a reactive one.

Plus, with pre-approval in just 5 minutes and funding in 5 days, you can move quickly while rates are still favorable

Whether you’re looking to renovate, invest, or just breathe a little easier financially, a Synergy One Lending HELOC gives you the flexibility to make it happen—without waiting on the Fed to make up its mind.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out our HELOC website here!

Thank you for reading! We hope you have a wonderful day! See you next week!

S1 FinFit App

Digital financial assistant at your fingertips

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!

Keychain

Boomer Doom

If you’re an older homeowner, the housing market isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for you either… just in a different way than it is for younger buyers.

While younger generations struggle to break into homeownership, older Americans on fixed incomes are facing a growing affordability crisis, with the number of severely cost-burdened senior households doubling from 5.2 million to nearly 11.7 million in the past two decades, according to the Urban Institute.

Rising property taxes, insurance costs, and maintenance expenses have pushed more seniors to the financial brink, with the share of cost-burdened older households climbing from 11.5% in 2000 to over 16% by 2016, per the U.S. Census Bureau.

Unlike younger buyers who can move to cheaper areas or cut back on spending, older homeowners often face health care costs and mobility challenges that make relocating difficult, or even impossible.

While both younger and older generations are feeling the squeeze, young people can’t afford to buy, and older people can’t afford to stay, highlighting a market that increasingly fails Americans at both ends of the spectrum.

Vlog

FAQ's for HELOC

Under the FAQ of any mortgage lender website you’ll see often see: “What’s the deal with home equity and HELOCs?” You can either watch our video HERE or keep reading!

A lot of people don’t realize they’re connected, but here’s the quick and dirty: A HELOC(Home Equity Line of Credit) is basically a way to turn your home’s value into a financial safety net. Unlike a traditional loan where you get a lump sum, a HELOC works like a credit card—you borrow what you need, when you need it. Whether it’s for home renovations, consolidating high-interest debt, or covering unexpected expenses, a HELOC gives you flexibility without locking you into one big loan.

The best part? It’s usually cheaper than credit cards or personal loans because it’s backed by your home—meaning you get lower interest rates and better terms. Plus, during the “draw period,” you might only have to make interest-only payments, which helps keep cash flow in check while you make upgrades that actually add value to your home. And let’s not forget: HELOC interest could be tax-deductible in some cases, so Uncle Sam might help you out—just check with a tax pro to make sure.

Of course, a HELOC isn’t free money, and your home is on the line if you don’t manage it wisely. But if used responsibly—on smart investments or necessary expenses—it can be one of the best financial tools a homeowner has. So, if your home’s been quietly building up equity, why not put it to work for you?

We call this section “VLOG” because we make a blog… and we have a video about it! So watch our video HERE if you like watching more than reading!

Latests Newsletters

See our past posts about housing, realtor, and Mortage markets

Video of
the Week

Learn more here

Recap: BEGIN 1ST PARAGRAPH HERE LINK HERE ENDING 1ST PARAGRAPH HERE

Recap: BEGIN 2ND PARAGRAPH HERE LINK HERE ENDING 2ND PARAGRAPH HERE

35 Characters Maximum Here

Lorem ipsum

Lorem ipsum 1

Lorem ipsum

Lorem ipsum 2
Lorem ipsum

Lorem ipsum

Lorem ipsum 3

Lorem ipsum

How The Housing Market Affects Each Generation

Today's Agenda:

A quick link to the article of your choice

Today's Agenda:

A Quick Link to the article of your choice