Wood Markets News


Lumber Shortages Threaten to Derail Australia’s Home Building Boom

Australia is facing a lumber shortage, similar to the one that negatively impacted home building in North American earlier this year. According to a report from the Master Builders Australia and Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), the Land Down Under could be facing a deficit of 250,000 wooden house frame packages over the next 15 years if efforts are not made to plant more trees.

Home Asking Prices Increase to an All-Time High

Redfin, the Seattle-based, technology-powered real estate brokerage, reported on Wednesday (9-29-21) that the asking prices of homes listed for sale increased to an all-time high of 12%. On the other hand, pending home sales were just 4% higher year-over-year, the smallest increase since June 2020.

Pending Home Sales Soar 8.1% Month-Over-Month in August

On Wednesday (9-29-21), the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reported their Pending Homes Sales Index (PHSI) — which is based on signed real estate contracts, not actual closings, for existing single-family homes, condos, and co-ops — increased of 8.1% in August 2021 to a reading of 119.5.

Mortgage Applications Fall Back in the Week Ending September 24, 2021

According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Application Survey (WMAS), for the week ending September 24, 2021, the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased -1.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased -1% compared with the previous week.