According to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, increasing demand and limited availability caused home prices to increase at a reported 5.7% annual gain in August, up from 4.8% in the previous month.
Wood Markets News
Oregon Wildfires Hit Logging Companies and Their Families Hard
The wildfires in Oregon continue to smolder and some are still burning.
Holmen Investing in New Tunnel Drier for their Iggesund Sawmill
Holmen AB, the Stockholm Sweden based company, is investing SEK 70 million ($ 8 million) in a new drying plant which will increase its drying capacity at their Iggesund Sawmill from 400,000 to 500,000 m3.
Potential Home Buyers Believe Availability Will Improve in the Months Ahead
According to the latest National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Housing Trends Report (HTR), 28% of prospective buyers in the third quarter of 2020 expected their search for a new or existing home would be easier in the months ahead.
New Home Sales Taper Off in September – Year-Over-Year Up 32.1%
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the sales of new single-family houses in September 2020 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 959,000.
Share of Americans Contemplating the Purchase of a New Home Increases in Q3 2020
The share of Americans who are considering the purchase of a new home in the next 12-months increased.
Sawn Softwood Markets Not Excessively Impacted by the World Wide COVID-19 Pandemic
The impacts of COVID-19 on softwood lumber production have been modest.
The United Kingdom Urges Timber Traders to Prepare for Changes Effective at End of 2020
New due diligence checks to ensure timber and timber products have not been illegally harvested will be required by UK.
Mortgage Bankers Association Expects Purchase Originations to Grow Further in 2021
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said that they expect purchase originations to grow 8.5% to a new record of $ 1.54 in 2021.
U.S. Forest Service is Accepting Application for Grants for Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program
The 2018 Farm Bill established and authorized funding for the Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program. Grants awarded through the program help fund the capital costs for installing wood energy systems or building an innovative wood product facility.