Shortages of building materials may be significant in holding holding back a more robust return of the housing market, says the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Chief Economist David Crowe. According to a builders survey, 22 percent reported short supplies of oriented strand board (OSB), 20 percent said wall board, and plywood and framing lumber each noted an 18 percent shortage. On the lumber dealer side, shortages were more pronounced except for the wall board: OSB and plywood were in 37 to 38 percent short supply, framing lumber was 36 unavailable, and 12 percent reported shortages of wallboard. Not counting concrete products, almost double the number of lumber dealers than builders reported a price increase in the last six months. Builders said the cost of materials for a house rose, on average, 5.17 percent, while as MHProNews has learned, the lumbermen said their prices increased ten percent average.
