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Opinions Vary on Market Conditions as Lumber Prices Rise
FURTHER TO LAST WEEK’S LUMBER MARKET COMMENT “Prices Are Elevated and Might Just Correct Downward” …. Madison’s has received, and is receiving many comments with informed opinions from operators: An astonishing increase in values of lumber futures on the Chicago Merchantile Exchange in the past week did a lot to keep upward pressure on cash…
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US Real Estate Owned (Foreclosure) Inventory: 4Q 2017
Freddie Mac reported Thursday the number of Real Estate Owned (or foreclosure) housing inventory in the US declined to 8,299 units at the end of 4Q 2017, compared to 11,418 at the end of 4Q 2016. For Freddie, this is down -89 per cent from the 74,897 peak number of REOs in 3Q 2010, and…
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Softwood Lumber Prices Are Elevated and Might Just Correct Downward
Transportation problems continued to plague softwood lumber suppliers and customers, providing opportunity for producers to keep prices up as they could legitimately not say when wood ordered two weeks ago would get delivered. In this new reality of the forest industry, it is becoming apparent that demand for uses beyond only US home building is…
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US Household Formations, Home Prices: 4Q 2017
The US homeownership rate stands at 64.2% in 4Q 2017, up from 63.7% a year ago and 63.9% in 3Q according to the Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey, released January 30. US Household Formations, Home Prices: 4Q 2017 After dropping to a cycle low of 62.9% in 2Q 2016, the national homeownership rate seems to…
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Confusion and Volatility Did Little to Stymie Softwood Lumber Demand: Feb 14, 2018
Last week has started to come out actual data of timber supply loss due to wildfires in northwest North America, and it’s really bad. Details to come. Otherwise, lumber demand continued strong even as customers digested the rush of wood ordered three weeks ago. As extreme transportation woes continued unabated, sawmills took to quoting on…
