A closer look at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Housing Trend Report (HTR) reveals that 69% of buyers who have been actively engaged in the process of find a home in Q4 of 2020 have spent in excess of 90-days searching for a home without success.
Wood Markets News
30-Year Mortgage Rate Holds Steady for Second Week in Row for Week Ending February 11, 2021
Freddie Mac has released its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) for the week ending February 11, 2021. The PMMS reports that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.73% with an average 0.7 point, unchanged from last week.
Weekly Jobless Claims Decline in First Week of February
The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 793,000 Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on February 6, 2021–a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week’s revised level.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency Extends Three COVID-19 Pandemic Programs
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced on Tuesday (2-9-21) that borrowers with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may be eligible for an additional forbearance extension of up to three months. The FHFA forbearance plan initially had a 12-month expiration, however the FHFA is now allowing borrowers up to 15-months of coverage.
Consumer Price Index Increases 0.3% in January 2021
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report released today (2-10-2021) the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis. The all-items index rose 1.4% for the 12 months ending January 2021.
Mortgage Applications Decreased 4.1% in First Week of February
According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Application Survey, the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased -4.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.
Interfor to Acquire Summerville South Carolina Sawmill from WestRock Company
Interfor Corporation announced on Tuesday (2-9-21), that they had reached an agreement to acquire WestRock Company’s, Summerville South Carolina sawmill facility for $59 million (USD).
Tulloch Timber (Nairn) Ltd., Receives Highland and Island Enterprise Investment
Tulloch Timber (Nairn) Ltd., a family based sawmiller of Scottish Softwoods, has been awarded a Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) investment of £35,858, that will be used to help support their expansion project.
Mortgage Bankers Associations Reports Mortgage Credit Availability Increased in January
According to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) that analyzes data from Ellie Mae’s AllRegs® Market Clarity® business information tool, mortgage credit availability increased in January.
Construction Job Openings End 2020 Lower
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that the unemployment rate fell by 0.4% point to 6.3% in January, while nonfarm payroll employment changed little (+49,000).