In testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday June 9th, Mark Calabria, the director of the Federal Housing Agency, said that forbearance rates for the GSEs, have plateaued at ~6.6%, which he told senators was ‘manageable’.
Wood Markets News
Homebuilding and Residential Real Estate Will Recover Faster Than Other Sectors of the Economy
The May 2020 LegalShield Law Index, which is a suite of leading indicators of the economic and financial status of U.S. households and small businesses is reporting its Housing Activity Index (HAI) reached an all-time high in May.
FEA’s Weekly Orders Survey shows Uptick in Sales Activity
After a quiet start to June, dealers are reporting an uptick in this week’s sales activity. As new projects start up, some dealers are reporting experiencing a 6% – 10% improvement over last week.
Cost of Residential Construction Materials Increase in May
According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index (PPI) report, not seasonally adjusted prices for goods used in residential construction increased 0.6% in May.
Mortgage Rates Tick Up Slightly for Week Ending June 11th
The Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending June 11th, 2020, shows that 30-year fixed-mortgage rate averaged 3.21% with an average 0.9 point, up slightly from last week when it averaged 3.18%.
Weekly Jobless Claims Rise Another 1.542 Million for Week Ending June 6th
The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 1.542 million Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday June 6th.
Fed Foresees Holding Interest Rates Near Zero Through 2022
The Federal Reserve concluded its 2-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Wednesday June 6th and at its conclusion announced that it will hold interest rates near zero.
Stora Enos and Latvijas Finieris Have Developed a Lignin-Based Resin for Plywood
Collaborating since 2017, Latvijas Finieris and Stora Enso have been working on developing a lignin-based resin ideal for plywood products.
Japan’s Plywood Imports Increased Significantly in March 2020
Japan’s March 2020 imports of plywood rose 21% and there was a 10% month-on-month increase in import volumes as well.
Consumer Price Index Posts Third Straight Monthly Decline in May
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is reporting that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined -0.1% in May on a seasonally adjusted basis after falling -0.8% in April.