Author: kkosman

Earlier this month very strong US housing starts data surprised everyone: Single-family housing starts in the US for July 2020 were at a rate of 983,000, as in June up +17%. The number of residential projects authorized but not yet started also advanced, to 101,000 units in July, the biggest backlog since the end of…

Here is a SNEAK PEAK at tomorrow’s print benchmark Western Spruce-Pine-Fir (WSPF) softwood lumber prices: “In a single week, softwood lumber prices increase by almost half the total price of recent lows.” — Madison’s Lumber Reporter In September 2015, the “recent-low” of lumber prices, benchmark commodity Western S-P-F KD 2x4s were selling for US$249 mfbm…

Single-family housing starts in the US for July 2020 were at a rate of 983,000, as in June up +17%. The number of residential projects authorized but not yet started also advanced, to 101,000 units in July, the biggest backlog since the end of 2018. For the week ending August 14, 2020, prices of standard…

Lightening strikes cause several fires across BC’s southern interior but heavy rain is expected tomorrow: Normally the BC government would have put in the fire ban by this time of late-summer (no heavy equipment in the forest to prevent sparking a fire). Due to that the sawmills stock up with logs well in advance of…

“Another spate of double digit softwood lumber price jumps underscored the ongoing insanity of lumber demand.” Softwood lumber prices just kept climbing last week as Canadian housing starts and home prices for July broke records. US housing starts this week were no different; new home building in the US increased +23% in July — the…