Don Magruder

By Don Magruder The RoMac Building Supply Whole House Commodity Index (Index) for December 2025 declined for the second month in a row to $50,379 or 0.7 percent. Housing activity remains diminished by most accounts, as official government housing starts have not been reported since the shutdown. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points yesterday, but most predict this move will have little to no effect on mortgages, given that yields on U.S. Treasury bonds are above...

By Don Magruder The RoMac Building Supply Whole House Commodity Index (Index) for November 2025 reversed October’s minimal gains with a decline of .4 percent to $50,759. With the government shutdown, housing and inflation data have been limited to the private sector, but the numbers being reflected continue to suggest the housing market remains weaker than anticipated. Recent quarterly financial reports by larger national providers indicate the housing market downturn may be slightly...

By Don Magruder New tariffs on Canadian lumber and continued mill curtailments and closures reversed last month’s gains in the wood commodity markets despite continued unimpressive housing numbers nationally and in Florida.  For October 2025, the RoMac Building Supply Lumber and Commodity Index (Index) increased 6.2 percent to $366.94 per thousand, with both dimensional lumber and sheathings increasing in price. There is a continued belief that these markets are at or near the bottom, and...