To a carpenter, everything looks like a 2x4

concours

concours

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Point of reference.

Frame of mind.

Preconceived notion.
To a carpenter, everything looks like a 2x4
 
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My dad was a house builder in the 50s everything was built out of hardwood and only using hand tools, these days everything is built out of softwood and power tools the price of hardwood is double the price of pine/softwood but all timber is expensive my mates can't understand why I collect and store old hardwood when I see it laying around, a lot of old houses getting torn down and new houses built, the old hardwood being dump in skips but some builder do recycle it as they do know how much its worth.
I have a lot of 4x2s in my wood collection and always find a use for it as well other larger sizes but hard getting those old nails out lol.
 
We are paying currently $8.96 per meter and about the same as Canada 3 years ago.. all our export wharfs are chocker with logs destined for China...so much for adding value to our export commodities
 
Lumber prices peaked a few months before construction started on my barndo (inside), and they've been steadily dropping.

Most reports agree with reality - the supply chain chaos caused by "covid" is over. The bottleneck now is due to the layabouts that make more staying home rather than going to work.
 
grandpaul said:
Lumber prices peaked a few months before construction started on my barndo (inside), and they've been steadily dropping.

Most reports agree with reality - the supply chain chaos caused by "covid" is over. The bottleneck now is due to the layabouts that make more staying home rather than going to work.
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We look forward to building material prices dropping down here...as it has almost killed our new builds in the domestic side of the industry.
2/02/23
The average house price in NZ is currently $987,887 (September 2022) down from the $1,043,261 peak in March 2022. The market has been on a steady decline since, and the average home has decreased by 6.7% nationally (March – September 2022)
 
Yep, our absurd property values peaked late last year (I flipped the ranch right in time). Texas senate is over the first hurdle to rebate some of our property taxes, hopefully this year. This is based on a huge surplus, because even though we have a HUGE illegal drain on our economy, the State's natural resources are quite sizeable, resulting in a very healthy Gross State Product.
 
grandpaul said:
Yep, our absurd property values peaked late last year (I flipped the ranch right in time). Texas senate is over the first hurdle to rebate some of our property taxes, hopefully this year. This is based on a huge surplus, because even though we have a HUGE illegal drain on our economy, the State's natural resources are quite sizeable, resulting in a very healthy Gross State Product.
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My point being that these inflated house prices coupled with ridiculous material building costs (4x2's) inflation /bank stability/ mortgage rates/cost of living etc that we are experiencing has shifted the goal posts to far for young couples/families seeking finance approval for new or existing homes....which is a huge part of our economy...gone !!
 
KiwiShane said:
My point being that these inflated house prices coupled with ridiculous material building costs (4x2's) inflation /bank stability/ mortgage rates/cost of living etc that we are experiencing has shifted the goal posts to far for young couples/families seeking finance approval for new or existing homes....which is a huge part of our economy...gone !!
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Your point is not wasted on me.

When I "came of age" (got married & had kids), interest rates were at TWENTY PERCENT. Even a SMALL house was totally out of the question, even though I was making decent money. So, when I got out of the Navy, I bought a brand new mobile home on a "Balloon" note that resulted in a $25,000 mobile home costing me $56,000 by the time I paid it off about 8 years later. The ONLY reason I was even able to "qualify" for that balloon note was because my father co-signed the note. Thankfully, he never had to step in and make a payment. We lived in that single-wide mobile home for just under 20 years, till we moved to my sister's double-wide that we lived in for 15 years, till we got our FIRST HOUSE at 61 years old and married 35 years.

In todays world of rampant affluenza, MANY young adults want to skip living thin and move right into a McMansion with a Bass/Ski boat and 4x4 pickup, vacation in Cancun, etc. And, the parents that might have been able to co-sign for them are skint!
 
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grandpaul said:
Your point is not wasted on me.

When I "came of age" (got married & had kids), interest rates were at TWENTY PERCENT. Even a SMALL house was totally out of the question, even though I was making decent money. So, when I got out of the Navy, I bought a brand new mobile home on a "Balloon" note that resulted in a $25,000 mobile home costing me $56,000 by the time I paid it off about 8 years later. The ONLY reason I was even able to "qualify" for that balloon note was because my father co-signed the note. Thankfully, he never had to step in and make a payment.

In todays world of rampant affluenza, MANY young adults want to skip living thin and move right into a McMansion with a Bass/Ski boat and 4x4 pickup, vacation in Cancun, etc. And, the parents that might have been able to co-sign for them are skint!
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You are very correct and something I didn't take into consideration........being
The "Mc Mansion" type expectations of the younger generation....who are about to financially loose their shorts in very short order... due their exorbitant racked up debt. (as you say)
There are a few exceptions but as I think about it...not many ...

When I turned 21 my Father gave me a hammer for my 21st present...and a message..."Now go build youself something with that"....The hammer was worn out long ago...but the message still remains....
 
grandpaul said:
Your point is not wasted on me.

When I "came of age" (got married & had kids), interest rates were at TWENTY PERCENT. Even a SMALL house was totally out of the question, even though I was making decent money. So, when I got out of the Navy, I bought a brand new mobile home on a "Balloon" note that resulted in a $25,000 mobile home costing me $56,000 by the time I paid it off about 8 years later. The ONLY reason I was even able to "qualify" for that balloon note was because my father co-signed the note. Thankfully, he never had to step in and make a payment. We lived in that single-wide mobile home for just under 20 years, till we moved to my sister's double-wide that we lived in for 15 years, till we got our FIRST HOUSE at 61 years old and married 35 years.

In todays world of rampant affluenza, MANY young adults want to skip living thin and move right into a McMansion with a Bass/Ski boat and 4x4 pickup, vacation in Cancun, etc. And, the parents that might have been able to co-sign for them are skint!
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Spot on.

Which segues into general mindset in society.

If a person is frugal, careful with spending, they are looked down upon as a fool, rather than being clever.
Being frugal is viewed as a NEGATIVE character trait.

Advertising bombards people with SPENDING!

Living BEYOND your means.

My favorite: "VISA.... it's everywhere you want to be."

Convincing people who can least afford it to dig financial holes for themselves.
 
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KiwiShane said:
We are paying currently $8.96 per meter and about the same as Canada 3 years ago.. all our export wharfs are chocker with logs destined for China...so much for adding value to our export commodities
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Same here. Containers of logs headed to China. And. I still can't understand how truckloads of log length pine can be shipped to Canada from New hampshire sawn dried and planed then shipped back for less than can be done here? At one time there were dozens of sawmills within a twenty mile radius of my house. Now I can think of 3.
 
So
MikeG said:
Same here. Containers of logs headed to China. And. I still can't understand how truckloads of log length pine can be shipped to Canada from New hampshire sawn dried and planed then shipped back for less than can be done here? At one time there were dozens of sawmills within a twenty mile radius of my house. Now I can think of 3.
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Shanghai has one of the largest shipping container repair outfits in the world ... we also ship logs out in containers that have damage issues they get the logs and the job to repair them ...so I think you will find the destination port will be Shanghai or a near by port...
 
MikeG said:
Same here. Containers of logs headed to China. And. I still can't understand how truckloads of log length pine can be shipped to Canada from New hampshire sawn dried and planed then shipped back for less than can be done here? At one time there were dozens of sawmills within a twenty mile radius of my house. Now I can think of 3.
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Because, the bunny kissing ANTI'S have everyone brainwashed: "logging BAD!"

Meanwhile, our neighbors to the North (I am grateful) are happy to sell us all the renewable resource wood products we need. They understand responsible logging is NO PROBLEM.
 
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