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North America Transportation Development
Consider that more than 100 shipping vessels will probably be scrapped this year – a record – as owners will demolish the equivalent of about 6 per cent of all capesize vessels in 2015. This on May 15 from GMS Inc, a Cumberland, MD-based company that purchases obsolete carriers. Even so, earnings per vessel will…
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US Housing Market, Home Building
New data out this week from the US Commerce Department, Standard & Poors, RealtyTrac, the National Association of Realtors, and Zillow all show a steady and improving situation for US home selling, house prices, rental rates, and foreclosures. Similarly, the recent release by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) shows that its measure of house…
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US AD&C Lending Condition: July 2015
Builders and developers continue to report easing credit conditions for acquisition, development, and construction (AD&C) loans according to NAHB’s most recent survey on AD&C financing, although a separate Federal Reserve survey is trending differently. In the second quarter of 2015, the overall net tightening index of the NAHB survey was -30.7,which represents somewhat less easing…
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US Rates on New Home Loans: July 2015
On average, the contract rate on conventional mortgages used to purchase newly-built homes increased 12 basis points in July, to 3.98 per cent, according to data released Friday by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. At 3.98, this is the highest the contract rate has been since December of last year. Initial fees have some ability…
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US Southern Pine Lumber Exports: June 2015
Southern Pine lumber exports were just under 46 MMbf during June 2015, the Southern Forest Products Association said in the press release also Wednesday. This volume represents a boost of 11 per cent above the same month last year, contributing to a year-to-date increase of 7 per cent when compared with the first half of…
