Single-Family Housing Starts Rise 4.4 Percent in December

Nationwide production of new single-family homes rose 4.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 470,000 units in December, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. This marked a third consecutive increase in single-family housing starts, a market where production hit a 50-year low in 2011.

"Today's report adds to the growing evidence that demand for new, single-family homes is finally starting to firm up in an increasing number of markets nationwide," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). "This emerging trend is allowing builders to put more crews back to work, and could be even stronger if not for the overly tight credit conditions that prevail for both builders and buyers."

At Timber Trading, this report resonates with what we are seeing and hearing in the marketplace. Our expectations are for slow but steady improvement in new, single-family home starts. It looks like the market is finally turning!

Mark Gosline Joins Our Team

Timber Trading Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Gosline as our account manager for Maine. Mark's extensive background in the building materials industry gives him a wealth of practical experience as well as a unique knowledge of the Maine marketplace. He is enthusiastic about the opportunity to build partnerships that will help lumberyards and retail building centers achieve their goals.

Home Building Continues to Pick Up

The home construction market is showing signs of picking up while it continues to absorb a glut of vacant and foreclosed homes.

U.S. home construction rose in June, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Builders began work on 629,000 homes, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up from 549,000 in May.

Turning The Corner

Local home remodelers say business is finally starting to improve after the worst industry downturn in 50 years, according to Worcester Business Journal (June 6, 2011). The local recovery tracks national trends, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies and several remodeling indices that say 2011 will be a recovery year nationwide for the industry.

The Harvard report predicts steady remodeling growth of 3.5% annually for the next several years. That's compared to a 12% drop from 2007-2009. The National Association of Home Builders' index also shows signs of recovery. In the first quarter of 2011, the association's remodeling index reached the highest point it has been at since 2007. Fueling the remodeling recovery is a glut of foreclosed homes needing repairs, winter ice storm damage and general economic improvements.

Home construction show signs of improvement

On April 19, the Commerce Department announced that in March home construction rose 7.2 percent from its dismal showing a month earlier. And building permits rose 11.2 percent after reaching a five-decade low in February.

Many industry watchers consider the ratio of permits to housing starts a positive sign. Steven A. Wood, chief economist for Insight Economics, believes that the rise in permits could signal a turnaround in the coming months. This is good news for everyone with a stake in the home building industry.

Timber Trading's New Website

Welcome to our new website. We hope you’ll check out our products, our commitment to quality and service, and our operations center in which we put the finest lumber through a value-added process. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Just give us a call at 1.800.331.7319 or send us your questions at rodgere@timbertrading.com.

Timber Trading Offers Tours of Operations Center

During the coming months, Rodger Ekstrom, Sales Manager of Timber Trading Group, is offering tours of the company’s operations and distribution center in Stoughton, Mass. “It’s one thing for us to talk about the way we inspect, grade, label, and package our lumber before sending it to its destination. It’s a whole other thing to see that process in action,” Ekstrom says. To set up an appointment for a tour, he invites retailers to contact him at 1.800.331.7319.