Gold Stores Wealth. Real Estate Builds It.

Gold is at record highs and some investors are questioning whether it’s time to turn shiny profits into properties that actually build wealth. Meanwhile, Washington drama is heating up as the CFPB faces a potential shutdown—raising big questions for future homebuyers and lending rules. And just to keep the markets guessing, the latest CPI print is landing this Friday, adding even more uncertainty (and potential volatility) to the days ahead.

Author

Nick Steinhauer
October 20, 2025

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Read time: ~5 minutes

Rates ended LOWER compared to last week, and volatility was HIGH. Rates are in the low to mid-6% range for most loan types without paying discount points. Paying discount points can get you in the high 5’s - low 6's.

Gold Stores Wealth. Real Estate Builds It.

Gold is sitting at record-shattering highs. It now takes more work hours to buy 1 ounce of gold than over the last 100 years.

If you’ve been sitting on bars, coins, or ETFs like a financially-savvy pirate, this might be your moment. Because while gold is great at looking pretty and holding value, real estate is where you turn wealth into cash flow, leverage, and long-term power plays.

So here’s the move: if you or your buyer want to use gold to buy a home or investment property, simply sell the gold and convert it into U.S. dollars. Once the funds hit the bank, they can be used for a down payment and closing costs—just like any other asset. Mortgage lenders don’t take gold directly (sadly, your local title company will not accept gold bars on the closing table… I’ve asked). But once the cash is in an account and seasoned for 30–60 days, it becomes fully usable for financing.

This strategy takes an asset that’s peaked and transforms it into one that can grow, cash-flow, and appreciate. Gold is a store of value, but real estate is a generator of value—and right now, we may have a unique window opening up.

The CFPB Might Get Axed — Should Homebuyers Be Worried?

White House budget director Russell Vought announced plans to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Whether this can legally happen without Congress is unclear, but the idea alone has created uncertainty in the mortgage world.

The CFPB was formed in 2010 after the housing crash to protect consumers from deceptive lending. It has since played a major role in regulating mortgages, enforcing clearer disclosures, cracking down on abusive lending, and providing a place for consumers to file complaints. Whether the mission of the bureau was successful or not is an argument for another day.

If the CFPB is dismantled or weakened, homebuyers could face fewer protections, less transparency, and slower resolution when issues arise. Oversight could also shift to individual states, creating inconsistent rules from lender to lender.

In the short term, the biggest impact is uncertainty. Lenders may act more cautiously until they know what regulations will remain. And anytime protections loosen, there’s risk of old, confusing loan practices working their way back into the market.

Key Takeaway: In plain terms, with the CFPB potentially shuttering, it may become harder for buyers to spot misleading terms, challenge improper fees, or get help when something goes wrong in the loan process. Work with trustworthy lenders and warn homebuyers about the dangers of doing business with the wrong company.

CPI Data Rescheduled for Friday 🤷‍♂️

As the government shutdown continues, a lot of economic data points are on pause. One of the big ones is the jobs report. There is no plan to reschedule the release of the September jobs report (which should have landed October 3rd).

However, CPI (one of the more important measures of inflation) has been rescheduled from mid-October to Friday October 24th. The Labor Department has said no other CPI report will be released until the government shutdown is over. So then why is the September CPI report coming out Friday just 5 days before the Federal Reserve meets to discuss interest rate policy?

The timing is suspicious and the Kobeissi Letter on X is suggesting it may come in hot. CPI data was last released on a Friday back in 2018. It’s a volatile metric to release on a Friday adding an increased degree of volatility to the markets. I suspect we are in for a bump ride these next 10 days.

Rebel 2026 - Speaker Reveal & Tickets Go On Sale TOMORROW

350 seats disappeared in 70 minutes, and those who waited missed out. That’s what happened at last year’s speaker reveal and we don’t want that happening to you this year.

What is Rebel?

Rebel is a one-day event where professional misfits, marketers, and entrepreneurs come together to burn the old playbook and build something better. Raw. Loud. Unlike anything this industry has seen.

Mark Your Calendars 📅 The big event will be on Thursday February 5th, 2026

But first…

RSVP for the LIVE Reveal

October 21 @ 12:00 PM EST | The First Transmission

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Instagram Reels from the Week

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Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything at all. Have a wonderful week!