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07.23.25

Written by Chase Majerus

Real Estate’s Unhinged, Gen Z’s Gone Rogue, and Your Credit’s on the Line

Welcome back to This Week Today, your favorite inbox drop that’s equal parts housing market chaos, financial clarity, and unhinged real estate energy.

This week’s stories are wild. A company that once sold homes with the swipe of an app just went full meme stock. Gen Z is ditching loan officers in favor of TikTok and ChatGPT.

Builders are sweating, prices are dropping, and a literal water tower is now a $5.5 million luxury Airbnb with a pirate bedroom and a ceiling-mounted toy train (yes, seriously).

And underneath it all? Your credit score just became even more important, especially if you’re thinking about unlocking equity with a HELOC.

Let’s get into it.

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Opendoor's Wild Ride: Meme Stock or Market Comeback?

(from Marketwatch.com)

Remember Opendoor? The company that buys and sells homes online? Yeah, their stock just went absolutely bonkers.

After getting a warning from Nasdaq in June for being too cheap (literally… it was under $1), Opendoor’s stock suddenly exploded over 120% in a single day, then dropped like a rock minutes later. Classic drama. Still, it finished the day up 43%, its best close in over a year.

Why the chaos? It’s got all the ingredients of a meme stock: super high short interest (Wall Street was betting against it), loud finance bro on Reddit hyping it up, record-breaking trading, and someone yelling “DON’T DO A REVERSE SPLIT” on Twitter.

Some people think it’s the next GameStop. Others think it’s a real company finally turning a corner. Either way, it’s back in the spotlight and trying to prove it’s not just a flash in the pan.

Their next earnings report hits in August… and if they actually make a profit for once? Well, things could get real spicy.

Read more here

Major Manor

From Steam Engines to Dream Digs

(from NYPost.com)

Once a water tower for 1800s steam engines… now a $5.5 million Airbnb castle in the sky.

Meet the Water Tower House in Surfside, CA, an 87-foot-tall stilted landmark turned 4-bed, 4-bath luxury beach home. It’s one of the tallest single-family homes in the U.S. and comes with:

  • A cascading indoor water feature (because… legacy)
  • A ceiling-mounted toy train that runs through the rafters
  • A pirate-themed bedroom hidden behind a bookshelf
  • 360° ocean views + stained-glass cupola up top
  • Plus: an elevator, garage, and laundry room (just to stay humble)

It was saved from demolition in the ’80s by a math professor (shoutout to unexpected heroes), restored again in 2022, and now pulls in $5K for a 5-night stay on Airbnb.

Proof that with enough imagination (and $5.5M), even an old water tower can live its best life.

Read more here

Social Space

Our Top Social Links of the week

Read:
5 Money Reasons Why Boomers Are Fleeing 55+ Communities – Read here!

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Screw this house!!! – Watch here!

Read:
Do celeb homes make profitable Airbnbs? – Read here!

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What I thought summers as a homeowner would be like – Watch here!

Financial Fitness

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There’s a credit score turf war happening right now.

For years, FICO was the only credit score that mattered in mortgages. But now, VantageScore 4.0 is officially in the game. The FHFA just gave lenders the green light to use either one when selling loans to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Naturally, both FICO and VantageScore are arguing over who’s better at predicting defaults. VantageScore says it helps 5 million more people qualify by factoring in rent and utility payments. FICO says it’s safer and more proven. Honestly? The main takeaway for you is this, good credit opens doors, literally.

The better your credit, the better your shot at unlocking tools that actually help you live your life, like a HELOC HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit).

That’s right: if your credit is solid and you’ve built up equity in your home, you can tap into that value to:

  • Consolidate high interest debt (like credit cards)
  • Help with college tuition
  • Upgrade your home (finally do that kitchen)
  • Avoid racking up new credit cards

And with Synergy One Lending? You get clear guidance, flexible HELOC options, and real humans helping you decide what fits your goals.

Your credit score isn’t just a number, it’s a launchpad. Keep it strong and let’s put it to work.

Chat with me to see how much equity you can unlock!

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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.

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Younger homebuyers turn to social media, AI and each other

(from Housingwire.com)

Forget buying a white-picket-fence starter home solo, young buyers today are rewriting the playbook.

Faced with insane home prices and zero trust in banks, Gen Z and millennials are:

  • Buying homes with friends or family
  • Renting out rooms to help pay the mortgage
  • Turning to YouTube, podcasts, and ChatGPT for advice instead of loan officers (only 20% trust them now… yikes)

43% of Gen Z is already using AI to help them buy a home. And most say school never taught them personal finance in the first place. This generation wants real answers, not sales pitches. If you’re in the business? Be helpful, be honest, or be ignored.

Read more here

Homebuilders Are Nervous… and Cutting Prices

(from CNBC.com)

New homes just got a little cheaper, but not because builders are feeling generous. They’re spooked.

Builder confidence is still low (33 out of 100), and it’s been stuck in the “bad vibes” zone for 15 straight months. Why? Buyers are backing off thanks to high mortgage rates and shaky economic feels.

Currently, builders (38% of them) dropped prices in July, the most in 3 years. The average price cut? 5%. And many are still offering mortgage rate buydowns to get buyers in the door.

Even with a small bump from a new tax relief law, traffic from potential buyers is way down. The South and West are seeing the weakest demand, while the Northeast is hanging in there. If you’re house hunting, you’ve got a little more leverage right now… but affordability is still rough.

Read more here

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