After recent unparalleled wildfire in Colorado has the state’s Department of Forestry and their foresters are looking at actions to bring the states’ forests back into balance with the state’s population growth and where people are choosing to live.
Wood Markets News
U.S. Export of Wood Pellets Tops 6.03 Metric Tons\$820.05 Million in First Ten Months of 2020
According to data released by United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service, on December 4th, the U.S. exported 624,202.9 metric tons of wood pellets in October, up from both 608,046.6 metric tons in September and 550,094.5 metric tons in October of 2019.
Timberlink to Construction a new Cross Laminated Timber Facility Alongside Their Sawmill in Tarpeena
Timberlink, the Australian timber products manufacturing business, owned by investment funds managed by New Forests, has announced that they will begin construction in 2021, on a $ 59 million state-of-the-art softwood cross laminated timber (CLT) plant to be located alongside its recently upgraded softwood sawmill at Tarpeena.
The Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Unchanged in the Week Ending November 29th, 2020
The latest Mortgage Banker Association’s (MBA) Forbearance and Call Survey reports that after two consecutive weeks of increases the total number of loans as of November 29th, 2020, now in forbearance remained unchanged relative to the prior week at 5.54%.
Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index Drops in November
After three successive months of gains, the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index® (HPSI) fell 1.7 points in November to a reading of 80.0.
Canadian Consumer Confidence at Post-Pandemic Levels
The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, which is a composite measure of financial health and economic expectations, reached a reading of 53.3 last week.
U.S. Commerce Department Announces Increased Import Duties on 21 Chinese Exporters and Producers of Hardwood Flooring and Plywood
In an article in Floor Daily dated December 7th 2020, The Decorative Hardwood Association (DHA) is reporting that the U.S. Department of Commerce has completed its review of hardwood plywood antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) rates requested by the DHA of 21 Chinese exporters and producers.
Milwaukee Wisconsin’s World’s Tallest Timber Skyscraper Taking Shape
Milwaukee, Wisconsin is soon to be home of the world’s tallest timber skyscraper. What is special about the Milwaukee project is its height. When the high-end apartment complex opens in 2022, it will top the height of the world’s current tallest wood structure that is now in Norway.
Share of Custom-Built Homes Increased in 2019
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), the share of custom-built homes increased to 20.2%, or one fifth of all single-family starts in 2019. The custom home market is made of both contractor-built or owner- built houses, which are built one at a time for owner occupancy on the owner’s land with either the owner or builder acting as the general contractor.
Year-Over-Year U.S. Median Home Prices Increased 16% with New Listings Up 9%
According to Redfin (www.redfin.com) the Seattle-based technology powered real estate brokerage firm, the median U.S. home price increased 16% year-over-year (November 2019 – November 2020) to $ 322,828, the highest level currently on record.