Freddie Mac has released its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) for the week ending January 27, 2022. The PMMS reports that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.55% with an average 0.7 point, down slightly from last week when it averaged 3.56%. A year ago, at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.73%.
Wood Markets News
Weekly Jobless Claims Decline in the Week Ending January 22, 2022
The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 260,000 Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday, January 22, 2022. This is a decrease of 30,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The 4-week moving average was 247,000 — an increase of 15,000 from the previous week’s revised average.
Western Forest Products Contemplating Operations Curtailment at its Chemainus Sawmill Starting Next Week Due to Log Shortage
In an email statement sent to CHEK (B.C.’s private television station) by a company spokesperson, Western Forest Products is considering curtailing operations at its Chemainus sawmill starting next week due to a log shortage. The email said that “Due to log supply challenges, we anticipate it may be necessary to temporarily curtail operations beginning sometime next week at our Chemainus sawmill.”
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board Assumes Direct Ownership of 870,000 Acres in U.S. South
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers’) has announced that it has completed a redemption transaction, where Tamarack Timberlands LLC, an investment vehicle owned by Ontario’s Teachers, has assumed the direct ownership of approximately 870,000 acres of timberland in the U.S. South. The large-scale timberland portfolio comprised of high-quality Loblolly pine is spread throughout the U.S. South.
Federal Funds Rate Remains Unchanged… For the Time Being
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) ended its two-day meeting on Wednesday (1-26-22) and announced that it had decided not to raise the Fed Funds Rate for the time being. The FOMC cited solid job gains and a decline in the unemployment rated as the reason for keeping the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent. “The Committee expects it will soon be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate…”
December New Home Sales Up Month-Over-Month but Down Year-Over-Year
On Wednesday (1-26-22), The U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced that new residential single-family home sales for December 2021 were at a SAAR of 811,000, according to estimates. This is 11.9% above the revised November rate of 725,000 but is -14.0% below the December 2020 estimate of 943,000. The seasonally adjusted estimates of new houses for sales at the end of December was 403,000.
Mortgage Applications Decrease in Week Ending January 21, 2022
According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Application Survey (WMAS), for the week ending January 21, 2022, the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, declined -7.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased -6.0% compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased -13.0% from the previous week and was -53.0% lower than the same week one year ago.
Alberta Considering Sale of Commercial Timber Permits in Local Forest Units
The Alberta provincial government has asked interested companies to submit proposals to harvest timber within two Forest Management Units (FMUs) — one of which encompasses most of the Barrhead and Westlock Counites — over a five-year period. The Alberta Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Economic Development released the original Request for Proposal (RFP) in early December. The closing date for proposals to be submitted to the province is January 31, 2022.
Federal Housing Finance Agency Reports U.S. Home Prices Increase 1.1% Month-Over-Month and 17.5% Year-Over-Year in November 2021
According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI®), released today (1-25-22), U.S. house prices increased 1.1% month-over-month in November. House prices increased 17.5% from November 2020 to November 2021. The previously reported 1.1% percent price change for October 2021 remained unchanged.
Home Prices Increase 1.5% Month-Over-Month and 21.0% Year-Over-Year in November, According to First American Financial Corporation
In November’s RHPI, First American found that real house prices increased by 1.5% from October and were up 21.0% year-over-year. It also found that the average house now costs $475,180 up $2,818 from $472,362 in October, while the average household income is $69,807, up by $414 from $69,393. According to First American, the three key points of the First American RHPI are income, mortgage rates, and an unadjusted house price index.