Written by Chase Majerus

Nar Shift 5 Months In

Welcome back to This Week Today, where we break down the latest in mortgage, real estate, and financial trends, with just enough snark to keep you entertained.

This week, we’re diving into the renter’s market that won’t last, the unexpected resilience of real estate agent commissions, and how home equity is hitting all-time highs (aka, your house might be worth more than your retirement plan).

This one’s got everything: money, housing trends, and a few things that might make realtors sweat.

Today's Agenda:

A quick link to the article of your choice

Keychain: Renters Market

Major Manor: Crime Does Kinda Pay

Social Space: What Its Like In Real Estate

Financial Fitness: Do New Home Sales Change 2025 Pricing?

Keychain: NAR Shift 5 Months In

Vlog: National Home Equity Is SO HIGH

Today's Agenda:

A Quick Link to the article of your choice

Keychain: Renters Market

Major Manor: Crime Does Kinda Pay

Social Space: What Its Like In Real Estate

Financial Fitness: Do New Home Sales Change 2025 Pricing?

Keychain: NAR Shift 5 Months In

Vlog: National Home Equity Is SO HIGH

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

Renters Market: Your Lease Is Up

Hopefully you already knew this but it’s mostly been a pretty good renters market as of late. So if you’re renting right now, congrats but enjoy the savings while they last because the renter’s market might not stick around much longer. Here’s why…

For starters, yes, rents are down slightly, with the median price at $1,695, but that could change pretty fast. Economists are seeing that multifamily construction permitting is slowing a bit and that could give landlords the upper hand soon because builders are shifting focus to single-family homes, meaning fewer new apartments, tighter supply, and higher rent prices ahead.

Our advice? Well it’s not exactly ours since I’m getting this information from CNBC, but if you plan to continue renting now’s the time to negotiate. Try locking in a multi-year lease to keep costs low while you still have leverage.

Different story if you’re thinking about buying. Pulling a quote directly from this CNBC article, “Builders are expected to pivot their priorities and build more homes in the for-sale market this year. Single-family housing starts are forecast to increase by 13.8% in 2025, totaling 1.1 million new homes, according to Realtor.com data.” Translation, if you score a lower rent, don’t just blow the extra cash, stack it for a down payment instead. The bigger your down payment, the better your buying power when it’s time to make a move.

Major Manor

Crime Does Kinda Pay

(Please read in Staten Island accent) In 2023, a notorious piece of mafia history was up for grabs, Paul “Big Paul” Castellano’s former major mansion in Staten Island’s Todt Hill hit the market, blending its infamous past with modern luxury. Let’s freakin’ check it out:

33,000 square feet, 8 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms
Home theater, gym, sauna, solarium, wine cellar, and both indoor and outdoor pools
A 13-car showroom and expansive balconies with views of the Verrazzano Bridge
The mansion, which last sold for $3.1M in 2000, has been extensively renovated and was listed for between $16.8M and $18M, potentially setting a record for Staten Island

You can check out some amazing picture of this mansion (which look like it’s straight out of the HBO series “The Penguin”) HERE! HERE!

Or read more about the original listing HERE! Fuhgettaboutit!

Financial Fitness

Do New Home Sales Change 2025 Pricing?

With new home sales hitting their highest level since 2021, 2025 could bring better opportunities for homebuyers.

More new construction is expected to increase inventory, which may help cool off prices, especially as builders compete to appeal to price-sensitive buyers (which is like everyone these days right?) with things like mortgage rate buydowns and closing cost credits.

But let’s be real, if you’re not financially fit, none of this matters.

Even with more homes available, buyers still need strong credit, savings, and smart financial habits to take advantage of the market. That’s where financial fitness comes in.

Think of financial fitness like training for a marathon, you don’t wake up one day and successfully run 26 miles without planning and prepping. Buying a home is no different. Being financially fit means having the stability, credit, and savings to responsibly get a mortgage and handle the costs of homeownership.

Here’s what’s happening in the 2025 housing market that makes financial fitness more important than ever:

The median new home sales price was $419,200 in late 2024, with an average price of $510,300, just below all-time highs
Even after the Federal Reserve cut rates three times in late 2024, 30-year mortgage rates hovered around 7%, making affordability a challenge
The Sunbelt and South are still experiencing rapid population growth, meaning prices there may not drop as much as in other areas
Builders, unlike existing homeowners locked into ultra-low rates, are motivated to sell, offering financial incentives to buyers

So yeah, if you want to be in the best position to buy in 2026, you need to start preparing now.

Preparing means having a stronger credit score which can help lower rates. It means sometimes making a bigger down payment so you have a smaller loan amount which makes monthly payments lower. It means having better debt management so you can get mortgage approval. It means having and understanding your budget so you know how much home you can afford without living outside your means. And if all goes well, it means being prepared to take advantage of builder perks like mortgage rate buydowns or closing cost credits to reduce upfront expenses.

HOW DO WE DO IT?

It starts with the S1 FinFit app (available wherever you download your apps). With the app you can track & improve your credit score, set your savings goals, reduce debt & improve your debt to income ratio, get personalized financial insights… which is all used to determine your mortgage readiness.

Download today to get started on your mortgage readiness journey!

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

NAR Shift: 5 Months In

Ok real estate commission talk time… ready?

Despite all the buzz, the average buyer’s agent commission only dipped slightly to 2.36% in Q4 2024, barely moving from previous quarters. While some agents report more haggling over fees, nearly half say commissions haven’t changed at all, and a small, rebellious 4% even claim commissions have gone up.

Luxury homes are seeing lower commissions (~2%), while lower-priced homes are holding steady or even creeping up (~2.5%), likely because those buyers need sellers to cover more costs. Meanwhile, sellers who thought they’d never have to pay for a buyer’s agent again after the NAR settlement? Turns out, most buyers still expect them to foot the bill.

Over the next five years, three-quarters of agents say declining commissions will be a major concern, but in the short term, it’s a coin toss, half think commissions will drop, while the other half see stability (or a slight increase).

A separate study from Accounttech actually found that, after an initial dip, commissions are bouncing back, proving once again that real estate markets, much like Pete Davidson’s dating life, refuse to behave predictably.

Vlog

National Home Equity Is SO HIGH

Before you read, watch this video we made about national home equity HERE!

Over the last decade, home equity has skyrocketed, hitting an all-time high of $35 trillion nationwide. For millions of homeowners, their home isn’t just a place to live, it’s their largest financial asset. And with home equity now accounting for more than one-fifth of total household wealth, many are exploring ways to leverage their home’s value to fund major life expenses.

Whether you’re looking to consolidate debt, renovate your home, invest in new opportunities, or cover unexpected expenses, tapping into your home equity through a Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) could be a smart financial move, and Synergy One Lending is here to help.

OH, and for those wondering…
A home equity loan, also known as a second mortgage, a home equity loan allows you to borrow a lump sum based on the equity in your home. It comes with a fixed interest rate and set monthly payments, great for large, one-time expenses like home improvements or paying off high-interest debt.

And a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) works more like a credit card, giving you flexible access to funds as needed. It has a variable interest rate and allows you to borrow only what you need, making it ideal for ongoing projects or unpredictable expenses.

Both options allow homeowners to turn their home equity into cash, without having to sell their home.

So remember, your home equity is way more valuable to you than you realize. It’s an opportunity to secure your financial future. Whether you’re looking to renovate, invest, or consolidate debt, a home equity loan or HELOC from Synergy One Lending can help you make the most of your home’s value

Apply today and put your home’s equity to work for you!

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

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Nar Shift 5 Months In

Today's Agenda:

A quick link to the article of your choice

Today's Agenda:

A Quick Link to the article of your choice