The August Group Inc. is your source for dependable Real Estate Appraisals in Saint Louis City and the following counties in Missouri; St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, Warren, Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Francois.Whether it's an older home or luxurious new construction, Jeffrey Noyes' experience and hours of study as licensed appraiser make him qualified to provide home valuations in Saint Louis City, St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, Warren, Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Francois County for clients ranging from national mortgage companies to local lenders or individual businesses and consumers.
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| HELOC, TPO, API, Non-Agency Products; Webcasts; Why Rates Are Where They Are: We"re Not Alone | ||
| 9/2/2026 10:25 AM | ||
| I’ve been in capital markets for over 40 years, and this rate and affordability environment is tough. Any lender who finds these higher rates boring, well, don’t hold your breath waiting for them to come down.) Principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITA) is only part of the affordability equation, but market forces determine long term rates, n...Read More | ||
| No News is Good News | ||
| 9/2/2026 9:32 AM | ||
| Bonds were initially a hair weaker overnight but reversed course starting around 7am ET as oil prices fell. On the other hand, oil had already begun moving lower earlier in the overnight session without a proportional response in bonds. In other words, there was some extra oomph behind the 7am move. This could be as simple as different traders...Read More | ||
| More War. More Selling | ||
| 9/1/2026 3:50 PM | ||
| More War. More Selling Tuesday was as straightforward as it was unpleasant for the bond market. Mid-day news regarding new air strikes in Iran caused an immediate reaction in oil prices. This was more than enough to reverse the rally that followed this morning"s 10am ET economic data. Oil prices hit the hig...Read More | ||
| Mortgage Rates Pushing New Long-Term Highs | ||
| 9/1/2026 3:02 PM | ||
| Fighting intensified today between the U.S. and Iran. Oil prices moved higher fairly quickly and bond yields followed. This has been a common pattern during the Iran war as higher oil prices imply higher inflation which, in turn, implies higher yields/rates. Yesterday"s average top-tier 30yr fixed rate hit the highest levels since June 2025. Today...Read More | ||
| 2nd Lien Reverse, Conversion, Settlement Tools; Bill Cosgrove on Consolidation; Agency News | ||
| 9/1/2026 10:50 AM | ||
| I don’t know where August went, but it went somewhere. We’re now two thirds of the way through the 3rd quarter of 2026. Lenders and vendors are adapting to a lackluster homebuying “season,” stubborn rates, and origination costs around $11k per loan. Lenders are trying to drive that cost down through higher pull through. Labor Day is next Monday, an...Read More | ||
| Selling Continues And It"s Not Just Oil | ||
| 9/1/2026 8:45 AM | ||
| Bond yields broke long term highs yesterday and are moving slightly higher again today. In both cases, we"re NOT seeing the same level of intraday correlation with oil prices that we"ve almost always seen on days without another compelling motivation for bonds. That said, oil prices still moved higher, so we can"t discount its impact. If we zo...Read More | ||
| Technically a Breakout, But It Could Have Been Worse | ||
| 8/31/2026 4:00 PM | ||
| Technically a Breakout, But It Could Have Been Worse 10yr yields closed just under 4.74 at the end of July and just over 4.75% today. That"s the highest close since January 2025 which, at first glance, sounds pretty gloomy. But it"s worth noting that several days have ended just a bp or two below today"s le...Read More | ||
| Highest Mortgage Rates in Over a Year, But Just Barely | ||
| 8/31/2026 3:02 PM | ||
| Bonds lost ground today, largely due to mechanical, month-end trading (i.e. not due to economic data, inflation, or news headlines). When bonds lose ground, rates rise, all else equal. Mortgage rates were already fairly close to longer-term highs last week. Today"s increase was just enough to nudge the average top-tier 30yr fixed rate to 6.87%--th...Read More | ||
| MERS, Reno, Processing Tools; STRATMOR on Borrower Behavior; Housing Supply, Capital Markets | ||
| 8/31/2026 9:34 AM | ||
| Grammar is important. Let’s not forget the comma… the difference between “I want you to eat, my friend” and “I want you to eat my friend.” Let’s not forget training, and I received this note. “Rob, plenty of conferences offer continuing education. Do any organizations offer CE?” Yup. Lenders One members receive it as a free benefit for all their LO...Read More | ||
| Month-End Trading Taking a Toll | ||
| 8/31/2026 9:13 AM | ||
| Bonds were actually a hair stronger at the open, but quickly tanked just after 8am. The nature of said tankage is strongly suggestive of month-end positioning. While it"s true oil prices are higher than Friday, the spike in bond yields didn"t correlate in a manner typically consistent with oil being the driver. Also, there is a relatively sharp mov...Read More | ||