Enhancers mediate localized patterns of gene expression during development. A common feature of "traditional" enhancers is the presence of clustered binding motifs for sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs). In this issue of Genes & Development, Kvon and colleagues (pp. 908-913) present new evidence that HOT (highly occupied transcription) DNAs direct specific patterns of gene expression, despite being depleted for TF-binding motifs.