Today's Commentary · August 27, 2026

Aug. 27: Appraisal, AE jobs; Hedging, accounting, verification, jumbo, workflow tools; in-person events for planning

Thank you to the folks who wrote to me about their concerns with the Reno fire, knowing my ties there (my place is safe). On a broader scale, as of August 24, the United States has had nearly 51,000 wildfires, blazes that have burned over 7.8 million acres, a concern of everyone including lenders, servicers, and insurers. It’s not your imagination that it’s a lot: Compared to the 10-year average, the number of fires is 129 percent of normal, and the acres burned is 168 percent...