US market
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Builder confidence uptick signals turning point for the US housing market
A new report from the National Association of Home Builders found a modest drop in interest rates helped to end a string of 12 straight monthly declines in builder confidence levels, although sentiment remains in bearish territory as builders continue to grapple with elevated construction costs, building material supply chain disruptions and challenging affordability conditions. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in January rose four points to 35, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released Jan. 18. “It appears the low point for builder sentiment in this cycle was registered in December, even as many builders continue to use a variety of incentives, including price reductions, to bolster sales,” said NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter, a home builder and developer from Savannah, Ga.... Continue reading
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February 19, 2018
Analysis of trends in US hardwood markets
A recently published article explores US market developments that affect hardwood demand. Some industrial markets, such as pallets, packaging and railway ties, concern only temperate hardwoods, but most trends apply to tropical species as well. Up until the housing market crash in 2007/2008, residential construction had become an increasingly important market for hardwoods in the US. Hardwood use in domestic furniture manufacturing steadily declined as furniture imports captured an increasing share in the US market. About one third of all sawn hardwood was used in housing before the financial crisis. Not only did the housing market crash and recession reduce demand for hardwoods, but per capita sawn hardwood consumption decreased due to increasing imports of finished products. US sawn hardwood consumption fell from 104 cu.m. per person in 1995 to 49 cu.m. in 2013. Housing... Continue reading
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January 22, 2023
Builder confidence uptick signals turning point for the US housing market
A new report from the National Association of Home Builders found a modest drop in interest rates helped to end a string of 12 straight monthly declines in builder confidence levels, although sentiment remains in bearish territory as builders continue to grapple with elevated construction costs, building material supply chain disruptions and challenging affordability conditions. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in January rose four points to 35, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released Jan. 18. “It appears the low point for builder sentiment in this cycle was registered in December, even as many builders continue to use a variety of incentives, including price reductions, to bolster sales,” said NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter, a home builder and developer from Savannah, Ga.... Continue reading
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January 22, 2023
Builder confidence uptick signals turning point for the US housing market
A new report from the National Association of Home Builders found a modest drop in interest rates helped to end a string of 12 straight monthly declines in builder confidence levels, although sentiment remains in bearish territory as builders continue to grapple with elevated construction costs, building material supply chain disruptions and challenging affordability conditions. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in January rose four points to 35, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released Jan. 18. “It appears the low point for builder sentiment in this cycle was registered in December, even as many builders continue to use a variety of incentives, including price reductions, to bolster sales,” said NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter, a home builder and developer from Savannah, Ga.... Continue reading