Tag: UShousing

As macroeconomic conditions stabilize, particularly mortgage lending rates, the latest US housing starts and new home sales data, for March 2023, demonstrates a reversal of the dropping demand last year. Spring is a historically popular time for new home building and for home sales, and as good weather finally comes on across the continent, builders…

Following the Easter long weekend, demand for lumber increased somewhat however supply remained abundant. Sales to retailers increased noticeably, as weather across the continent became more seasonably mild. A reminder to all that Madison’s Lumber Reporter has been tracking Canadian Plywood and OSB (oriented strand board) prices since the beginning. This is of course in…

What is normally considered a “litmus test” of sorts for the construction framing dimension softwood lumber market, the week leading up to the Easter holiday demonstrated still weak demand. Indications, though, were for increasing sales volumes to come, as sawmills were better able to deflect counter-offers than in recent weeks. Another bought of harsh winter…

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Lumber prices dropped yet again at the end of March, as demand remained soft and customers skeptical. While sawmills were able to book order files out two weeks or longer, most buying remained just-in-time. Almost no one was stocking inventory, which is a bit odd given the time of year. Usually by the end of…