Our lumber market is notorious for over and under producing its products. The relationship between supply and demand is constantly in flux. When producers make decisions to increase supply, it is in response to a relatively long term period of increased prices where there is the perception of a...

Housing is Over Built; Lumber is the Honey Hole Most of the time, the daily news and world events do not have a significant impact on how we buy and sell lumber. This recent stuff is different. It’s scary. All the trade and economic balls are in the air, and politically the U.S. is...

More housing data is rolling in and it is not looking good...but it is 30 days old. Therefore, I am looking for 2-month trends. Existing Home Sales declined on rising prices, expanding inventory to 4.5 months...about average...not a shortage. New Home Sales increased as did prices,...

Eurowood and SYP…the Future! It’s times like the last couple of weeks in SPF-W, when buyers get taken by surprise, and they have one question for sellers. “How you gonna help me?” Two weeks ago, I warned that SPF mills were about to spring surprise, imminent...

For the past three years, the housing industry has bemoaned labor as its primary deterrent to increasing productivity, i.e., housing starts. Framing crews suddenly vanished when detainment and deportation of undocumented workers became more prevalent. The initial impact on the housing...

It is my belief that the lumber market trades in a repeating, predictable pattern. That pattern is created by the interaction between production and how the supply chain lumber dealers, component manufacturers, wood preservers, and wholesale distributors collectively prepare for seasonal...

The lumber industry knows me as an outspoken, opinionated lumber market analyst and forecaster. This month, I would like to introduce you to Matt Layman, part-time remodeling contractor. I am now beginning my 7th month of total rehab of my wife’s 70-year old 3 BR, 2 BA family home. Her...

In both the lumber and stock markets, there are more disruptions coming in 2019. The immediate influences of government shutdown, mass exodus from stocks, on-going trade war, volatile oil market, fight to suppress interest rates, President Trump’s legal issues, and global economic and...

In both the lumber and stock markets, there are more disruptions coming in 2019. The immediate influences of government shutdown, mass exodus from stocks, on-going trade war, volatile oil market, fight to suppress interest rates, President Trump’s legal issues, and global economic and...

2018 is a year for the record books. All time price highs followed by all time largest price drop in shortest time. One very important lesson learned or reinforced was how significantly supply disruptions can influence price movement. The variable is the set up. Specifically, the state of...