|
|
 |
April 30, 2013
|
|
 |
- Lumber Mills Expand as Prices Rise Most Since 1993: Commodities
- U.S. Home Prices Rise, Seen Helping Economic Recovery
- Home Remodelers More Optimistic than Ever During Q1
- 15-year Mortgage Rate Hits Record Low
- News Briefs
- Upcoming Events
|
|
|
FEATURED ARTICLE  |
Lumber Mills Expand as Prices Rise Most Since 1993: Commodities
North American mills are sawing lumber at the fastest pace in six years after a recovering U.S. housing market, a beetle infestation in Canada and increasing Chinese demand drove the biggest price surge in two decades. About 55.5 billion of the industry's standard board feet will be made this year, 6.7 percent more than in 2012, CIBC World Markets estimates. Futures will average $371 per 1,000 board feet on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in the fourth quarter, according to the mean of nine analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The forecast is 8.2 percent above the November contract and the highest for the period since 1996.
|
|
Advertisement
 Business Management and POS software that inspires business excellence.
Epicor is proud to serve almost 2,000 North American lumber and building materials companies with our industry-leading business software solutions. Our customers say they are inspired by our technology, the Epicor user community, and unprecedented access to their business data. There's no limit to the possibilities.
|
|
FEATURED ARTICLE |
U.S. Home Prices Rise, Seen Helping Economic Recovery
U.S. home prices rose in February at their fastest annual rate in almost seven years, a fresh sign the housing market recovery will help counter the drag on the economy from government belt tightening.
The S&P/Case Shiller index of 20 metropolitan areas showed single-family home prices rose 9.3 percent in February from a year earlier, according to a report released on Tuesday.
|
|
Advertisement
USP Structural Connectors Free Innovative Deck Design Software Available Now!
Professional quality results in deck design
are available for the pro and DIYer. Easily
design a deck in 3D using point and click input.
Import a digital photo of the structure and design the deck around it. The program includes a library of predesigned decks that can be easily modified. You can also save input and reopen to modify or complete your project. Design the deck of your dreams with a detailed materials list and information to present building officials.
|
|
FEATURED ARTICLE |
Home Remodelers More Optimistic than Ever During Q1
Woodworkers and remodelers nationwide are experiencing increased activity and many have a backlog of projects well into the fall, says Tom O'Grady, CR, CKBR, chairman of NARI's Strategic Planning & Research Committee. "This current condition is world's away from March of last year and suggests that the recovery is beginning to gain speed," notes O'Grady, who also is president of O'Grady Builders in Drexel Hill, PA. As remodelers approach the busy season, overall current business conditions have seen steady increases since March of 2012, now at a statistically significant 5.97 rating compared with the 5.59 rating from one year before. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry's (NARI) first-quarter Remodeling Business Pulse (RBP) data of current and future remodeling business conditions is reaching new heights, as quarter-over-quarter increases are seen across all sub-components measuring remodeling activity.
|
|
Advertisement
 Helping Our Customers Grow for More Than 30 Years.
Consolidation among software providers in the LBM industry has created lots of uncertainty. Companies have been bought and shuttered, meaning fewer choices for LBM dealers. As other businesses have changed hands, Ponderosa Software has maintained a steady, singular focus to help our customers succeed. We enjoy a reputation as a dependable business partner and a customer retention rate of greater than 98 percent over our more than three decades of servicing the industry. Find out why.
|
|
FEATURED ARTICLE |
15-year Mortgage Rate Hits Record Low
The 15-year fixed rate fell to 2.61% this week from 2.64%, The previous record low of 2.63% was set the week of Nov. 21, 2012.
An adjustable-rate mortgage, the 5/1 ARM, also bottomed out at 2.58%. The most popular mortgage, the 30-year fixed-rate, came in at 3.4%, 0.09 percentage point above its record low.
|
|
Advertisement
Halfback H2O® Universal Siding Insulation-
the Energy-Saving Thermal Break with Advanced Moisture Management
Halfback H2O is a necessary thermal-bridge reducer, and can be paired with any siding. It also reduces air infiltration, lowers heating bills, and won't trap moisture.
The grooves on the backside of the insulation panels channel any condensed moisture or bulk rainwater safely down and out the bottom of the wall. And, with a permeability rating of 3.5, Halfback H2O allows moisture from inside your home to move freely to the outside.
This new universal siding insulation is available in white EPS, or made of Neopor® from BASF, for a higher-performance option for contractors and homeowners.
|
|
|
NEWS BRIEFS
NyloDeck® shares global advancements in materials and manufacturing for decking materials from the 2013 European Coating Conference. MORE>>
Cox Industries teamed up with Boy Scouts to provide hundreds of new picnic tables to South Carolina State Parks under a community service project called "600 in 60." MORE>>NAHB calls on Congress to maintain its support for vital housing incentives, including the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, the mortgage interest deduction and real estate tax deductions, in effort to meet the growing need for affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities. MORE>>APA-The Engineered Wood Association predicts a second straight year of growth in all four of the wood product sectors it represents, including a 17% boost in I-joist manufacturing, expected as economy and housing continue to improve. MORE>> |
|
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 2 IDEAS Lumber and Building Material Trade Show, Somerset, N.J., www.lbmideas.org May 18-20 Do it Best Corp. May Market, Indianapolis, Ind., www.doitbestcorp.com, 888-DOITBEST June 5-6 PCBC 2013, San Diego, Calif., www.pcbc.com August 21-23 Florida Building Material Association (FBMA) Convention and Gulf Atlantic Building Products Expo, Orlando, www.FBMA.org, 352.383.0366
October 17-19 West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association (WCLBMA) Annual Convention, San Diego, Calif., www.lumberassociation.org, 800.266.4344 October 19-21 Do it Best Corp. October Market, Indianapolis, Ind., www.doitbestcorp.com, 888-DOITBEST
Got news? Send it to Rick@LBMJournal.com |
|
|
|
|
Advertisement
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
