The wildfire season of 2020 in the western United States has cost insurers anywhere from $ 7 – $13 billion in insured losses through November.
Wood Markets News
Freres Lumber Attains ASTM Certified Environmental Declaration for Mass Ply Panels
Freres Lumber Co. has published its first Environmental Product Declaration (EDP) for its Mass Ply Panel (MPP). Product specific information in the report was independently validated by the internationally recognized standards organization ASTM International.
Over 50% of Houses Sold in November Evolved into a Bidding War
According to Redfin, the Seattle-based real estate brokerage firm, 53.6% of home offers written by their agents ended up in a bidding war.
Labor – The Missing Piece in the Housing Market
The missing piece in the housing market, according to Ali Wolf, chief economist at Zonda, the housing market research and real estate analytics firm, is labor.
B.C. Provincial Government Announces $9.3 Million Fund for Small to Medium Sized Forestry Businesses to Offset Operating Costs During Pandemic
The British Columbia provincial government is delivering relief to small- and medium sized forestry businesses to help offset the extra costs of keeping their employees and communities safe, while operating through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quebec’s Provincial Government Announces Aggressive Wood Harvesting Plan within 60 years
Quebec’s Premier, Francois Legault’s government has announced that it intends to almost double the amount of wood harvested each year in Quebec forest within 60 years.
City of Prince George British Columbia to Conduct Survey on all Sectors of the Forestry Industry
The City of Prince George British Columbia, Economic Development department has identified the forest industry as one of the important “cluster” industries with significant economic impact on the city.
Mortgage Rates are at New Record Low Level in the Week Ending December 17th, 2020
Freddie Mac has released its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) for the week ending December 17th, 2020. The PMMS shows that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.67% with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.71%.
Housing Starts and Permits Increase in November
The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that privately‐owned housing starts in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 1.547,000.
Weekly Jobless Claims Inches Higher in the Week Ending December 12th, 2020
The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 885,000 Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday, December 12th. An increase of 23,000 from the previous week’s revised level.