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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| Purchase Applications Rise Again Despite Higher Rates and Fewer Refis | ||
| 4/30/2026 12:46 PM | ||
| Mortgage applications eased modestly last week, giving back a small portion of the prior week’s sharp gains as rates moved slightly higher. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 1.6% decrease on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending April 24. The pullback was driven by softer refinance demand, while purchase activity contin...Read More | ||
| Home Prices Edge Higher, But Momentum Continues to Fade | ||
| 4/30/2026 12:15 PM | ||
| Home price appreciation remained subdued in early 2026, according to the latest data from both FHFA and S&P Cotality Case-Shiller. The two reports show prices still edging higher nationally, but with momentum slowing further as affordability constraints and elevated mortgage rates continue to weigh on the market. FHFA’s seasonally adjusted Ho...Read More | ||
| Forecasting, Data, Underwriting Tools., Credit Monitoring Tools; Webinars and Thought Leadership; STRATMOR Insights | ||
| 4/30/2026 10:47 AM | ||
| As an industry, we tend to care about interest rates, especially mortgage rates. (A recent STRATMOR piece is titled, “Mortgage Rates Are Not Random.”) But there is a group of people much less sensitive to rates and represent competition to lenders. All-cash home purchases have remained structurally elevated since early 2023, averaging 28 percent of...Read More | ||
| Oil Dropping, Bonds Rallying, Data Largely Ignored | ||
| 4/30/2026 8:40 AM | ||
| From an analytical standpoint, it"s hard to offer new and interesting insights when the order of any given day is simply to observe broad war-related sentiment via oil prices. From there, if bonds are diverging, we have a few things to discuss, but if bond yields are following, the case is closed. Today"s case is mostly closed as the cor...Read More | ||
| Today"s Weakness Mostly War-Related With Small Boost From Fed | ||
| 4/29/2026 3:42 PM | ||
| Today"s Weakness Mostly War-Related With Small Boost From Fed Because today was was a "Fed day" and because bonds hit their weakest levels of the day after the Fed announcement, we may look back on the selling and blame the Fed. In actuality, the Fed was only a small piece of the puzzle. Specifically, 10yr ...Read More | ||
| Mortgage Rates Surge Higher as US Considers a Longer Blockade | ||
| 4/29/2026 3:09 PM | ||
| Mortgage rates jumped higher today at the fastest pace in weeks to the highest levels since March 30th. There were two key motivations for the increase, but one accounted for a vast majority of the damage. News came out overnight that spoke to the possibility of a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Markets took this seriously because it i...Read More | ||
| Here"s What Changed in The New Fed Announcement | ||
| 4/29/2026 1:00 PM | ||
| Available Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace. Job gains have remained low, on average, and the unemployment rate has been little changed in recent months. Inflation remains somewhat elevated. is elevated, in part reflecting the recent increase in global energy prices. The Committee seeks to...Read More | ||
| CRM, Verification, AI, MERS Review, Credit Monitoring Tools; Disaster Updates; STRATMOR CD Workshop | ||
| 4/29/2026 10:17 AM | ||
| Broker and Correspondent Products NFTYDoor, an end-to-end digital HELOC platform, announced last week it is now operating as a fully independent company, enabling direct partnerships with wholesale brokers and private label correspondents. Brokers are already active on the new structure - submitting applications and closing loans today with no wa...Read More | ||
| More Losses After Blockade Extension News | ||
| 4/29/2026 8:31 AM | ||
| Last night"s key news on the war involved reports of Trump telling aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iran. The free flow of oil through Hormuz is the key market mover in this war, so it"s no surprise to see oil prices lurch higher in response. Bond yields followed but have managed to hold under yesterday morning"s highs so far. This morn...Read More | ||
| Modest Gains After Opening Weaker | ||
| 4/28/2026 3:15 PM | ||
| Modest Gains After Opening Weaker Tuesday ended up being a uneventful trading session despite 10yr yields hitting 3-week highs. Those highs were in place right at the open and things gradually improved from there. Markets are expressing a token amount of concern over the lack of progress on US/Iran peace, w...Read More | ||