EXPO 2009

June 11-13, 2009

in New Orleans

January 23, 2009

Housing Starts Below Million for First Time

U.S. Census Bureau statistics released yesterday show an estimated 904,300 privately-owned housing units were started in 2008, the lowest number since the government started recording statistics in 1959. The second lowest number of starts on record is 1,013,900 in 1991. The 2008 figure is 33.3% lower than the 1,355,000 starts recorded in 2007. Preliminary numbers also show an estimated 892,500 building permits were issued for housing units in 2008, a 36.2% drop from the 2007 figure of 1,398,400. Click here to see the Census Bureau’s release and statistics. 

Vote on Housing Measure Expected This Week

The U.S. Senate was expected to vote on a stimulus plan this week that could include the provisions of a “Fix Housing First Homebuyer Tax Credit” bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia (click here to read remarks made by Sen. Isakson when he introduced the bill). The Fix Housing First coalition, to which SFPA belongs, has been urging everyone to call or e-mail their congressional representatives in support of the bill. As of late last week, they report 60,000 e-mails had been sent to Capitol Hill.

The bill would increase the current $7,500 home buyer tax credit to a range of $10,000 to $22,000 and apply it to home purchases from April 9, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2009. The credit would be available at closing so it could be used as a down payment. Repayment would be required if the home were sold within three years. Another component of the plan would provide qualified home buyers with 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at 2.99% until June 30, 2009, and 3.99% on closings between June 30 and Dec. 31, 2009.  Visit www.fixhousingfirst.com for more information.

Free Webinar for Wood Industry Members

The impact of various green building rating systems on wood and related topics will be the focus of a free webinar to be co-hosted by the American Forest and Paper Association and Wood Promotion Network on Jan. 30. Participants will learn how their wood products fare under the different rating systems and how they can help their communities and customers understand wood’s inherent green qualities.  AF&PA will provide a short overview of green building issues affected by legislative and regulatory trends and the potential opportunities and risks for wood products created by government policies. WPN will compare how wood fares under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Green Globes and the National Association of Home Builders’ green building system, NAHBGreen. The Green Building Initiative, which oversees Green Globes, will outline the benefits of having competing ratings systems and the advances that have occurred since the introduction of alternate tools. The hour-long webinar begins at 11 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. CT. Click here for more information about the webinar and how to register.

Southern Pine Represented at FenceTech ‘09

The Southern Pine Council was represented at FenceTech and DeckTech 2009 last week in New Orleans by Richard Kleiner, SFPA’s director of treated markets. In addition to handing out SPC’s technical publications about pressure-treated Southern Pine decking, Richard reports he fielded a number of questions about new preservatives available on the market. For more information, contact Richard at 504/443-4464, ext. 211, or rkleiner@sfpa.org. 

Discovery Channel Show Features Timber

Timber is one of the topics recently explored on a Discovery Channel series titled “How Stuff Works.” A promo for the timber segment on the Discovery Channel’s Web site explains, “It's hard to think of the word ‘timber’ without hearing the drawn-out yell of a lumberjack felling a tree. But crashing vegetation is just one step in the life of timber -- from there, it can become anything from the house you live in to the check you sign to pay the mortgage.” Those who missed the show the first time it aired have another opportunity to catch it on Saturday. The show begins at 1 p.m. ET. Click here for more information.

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