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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| April Housing Inflation Data Fills in The Dots That Went Missing During The Government Shutdown | ||
| 5/15/2026 1:12 PM | ||
| The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a highly technical research paper this week examining how the agency handled missing shelter inflation data during the October 2025 government funding lapse. The issue stemmed from the CPI’s housing survey, which was unable to collect rent data during the shutdown period. With no fresh survey results availab...Read More | ||
| Servicer Retention Fell in Q1, But Remains at Multi-Year Highs | ||
| 5/15/2026 1:04 PM | ||
| Refinance activity continued to recover in the first quarter of 2026, but mortgage servicers retained a smaller share of borrowers despite the stronger lending environment, according to the latest ICE Mortgage Monitor. ICE estimated that roughly 585,000 first-lien refinances totaling $242 billion closed during the quarter, up from a revised 5...Read More | ||
| Existing-Home Sales Flat Year Over Year Despite Inventory Gains | ||
| 5/15/2026 12:58 PM | ||
| Existing-home sales edged slightly higher in April, stabilizing after March’s decline as improving affordability and increased inventory provided modest support for buyers. Sales increased 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million , matching the pace seen one year ago. “Despite mixed macroeconomic signals—including a record-hi...Read More | ||
| Purchase Activity Lifts Mortgage Applications Despite Higher Rates | ||
| 5/15/2026 12:52 PM | ||
| Mortgage applications increased modestly last week, as stronger purchase activity more than offset a slight decline in refinances. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 1.7% increase in total application volume on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending May 8. The gain was driven entirely by home purchase demand, which contin...Read More | ||
| Mortgage Rates Surge Toward 8-Month Highs | ||
| 5/15/2026 11:40 AM | ||
| Mortgage rates are driven by bonds and the bond market hoped to see more evidence of shift toward peace during the 2-day Trump/Xi meeting in China. As soon as Trump got back on the plane to head home, bonds began tanking (i.e. jumping to higher yields). When bond yields spike, mortgage rates follow, and today is no exception. The average top-tier ...Read More | ||
| HELOC, DPA, U/W Fees Waived Products; Delinquencies Edge Higher; Conv. Conforming Changes | ||
| 5/15/2026 9:57 AM | ||
| As the legal and proxy battles are waged among Two Harbors, UWM, and CrossCountry, today I head to New York for the MBA"s Secondary & Capital Markets Conference. John Wooden said, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” and across the land, over a thousand people are avoiding failure by preparing, lining up sessions, meetings, and hallway cha...Read More | ||
| Highest Yields in a Year After Trump/Xi Summit | ||
| 5/15/2026 8:19 AM | ||
| Far too many market participants were apparently hoping that some sort of positive news on the war would be somehow facilitated by the Trump/Xi summit over the past 2 days. But talks wrapped up in the overnight session with little to show for it. There was actually very little notable discussion about the war. Both parties want it to end, but China...Read More | ||
| Rally Reverses, Leaving Bonds Weaker in The Afternoon | ||
| 5/14/2026 3:22 PM | ||
| Rally Reverses, Leaving Bonds Weaker in The Afternoon The day began with promise, but devolved into yet another disappointment. After being almost a quarter point higher at 10am, MBS slid to an eighth point loss by the close. 10yr yields were as low as 4.44% early but were as high as 4.48% in the final hour...Read More | ||
| Mortgage Rates Move Moderately Lower | ||
| 5/14/2026 2:20 PM | ||
| May continues to be a more volatile month than the bulk of April when it comes to day over day mortgage rate movement. While the average day has seen that volatility play out in favor of higher rates, today was thankfully the opposite. Yesterday"s latest levels left the average lender at 6 week highs with a top tier 30yr fixed rate of 6.57. ...Read More | ||
| AI MBS Trading, AI Workflows, Sub-Servicing, eNote, Asset-Based Lending Tools; Colorado Revamps AI Law | ||
| 5/14/2026 10:03 AM | ||
| How do you go about trying to run your company’s AI efforts without knowing the rules? Testing suggests Google"s AI overviews tells millions of lies per hour. Colorado rewrote its landmark AI law: “Unpacking SB 26-189 and what it means for businesses” described by Ballard Spahr. AI, recapture, and capital markets were one of the topics in yesterday...Read More | ||