The Lumber Word

EP 132: Can You Hedge Your House?

This week we’re joined by John H. Dolan, independent market maker for the CME S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index futures. John breaks down how the index works, who uses it, and the game-changing potential it holds for anyone exposed to home price risk. Whether you own one home or thousands, are building spec homes, or just want to lock in a regional housing price—this is a must-listen. We were blown away by the possibilities!
Visit John’s site at www.homepricefutures.com and follow him on X at @HomePriceHedges to dig deeper.
After John signs off, Gregg, Matt, Charles, and Ashley get back to lumber—revisiting last week's takes and updating where we see the market heading. From SYP to SPF to Euro, we drop some actionable insights for buyers and sellers alike.
Jump in and keep riding with the fastest-growing podcast in the lumber industry!
 
Contacts
Guest: John Dolan
johndolan@homepricefutures.com
Ashley Boeckholt
Ashley@Sitkainc.com
Matt Beymer
Mattbeymer@hamptonlumber.com
Gregg Riley
Gregg@Sitkainc.com
Charles DeLaTorre
cdelatorre@ifpwood.com

EP 131: Midsummer Check-in

Russ Taylor of Russ Taylor Global is back, and he’s bringing the global heat! We kick off with the current AD/CVD drama and whether Southern Yellow Pine producers are making money—Russ has the receipts. Matt lays out the price cuts in the cash market, while Gregg points out a wild nearly $100/MBF gap between CME futures and deliverable Hem-Fir. Charles and Russ dive deep into mill residuals and how they're skewing Southern costs, and Ashley keeps the crew on track with a wide-angle view of the market. It’s a fast-moving, info-packed episode with insights you won’t get anywhere else.Oh—and happy birthday to Matt’s wife!
📩 Contact
Russ Taylor (Russ Taylor Global): russtaylor@russtaylorglobal.com
 
Gregg Riley: Gregg@sitkainc.com
 
Charles DeLaTorre: cdelatorre@ifpwood.com
 
Matt Beymer: mattbeymer@hamptonlumber.com
 
Ashley Boeckholt: ashley@sitkainc.com

EP 130: The Return of Matt—and the Forecast You Didn’t Know You Needed

Matt is back in the saddle for Episode #130 with a recap of the Inland Lumber producers' outing—including what he saw, heard, and how it might impact your trading mindset. Charles gives us a fresh update on the SYP market, and Gregg drops his latest forecast as we roundtable the market outlook for the next 45 to 90 days. Want to know how we’re managing our inventory through all this? We lay it all out. As always, thanks for listening—and don’t forget to tell a friend (or your mill rep).
 
Show Contacts
Matt Beymer MattBeymer@HamptonLumber.com
Charles DeLaTorre CDelatorre@ifpwood.com
Gregg Riley Gregg@Sitkainc.comAshley Boeckholt Ashley@Sitkainc.com

EP 129: The Price Is (Already) Right?

Bart Charles returns, and we’re not mad about it. This week, we unpack the buzz around Hem-Fir now being deliverable on the CME lumber contract—try to stay with us, it’s worth it. Gregg walks through what’s happening in the cash markets and how deep the inventory buying goes. Then we all weigh in on how much of the upcoming CVD/AD action is already priced in. As usual, we gave away more trading insight than we should’ve… but if you’re listening, we figure you earned it.
Contact the show members at:
Charles@AtlanticForest.ComGregg@Sitkainc.comAshley@Sitkainc.com

EP 128: Is SPF Just Coasting on Reputation?

Matt and Charles join Ashley to break down what’s going on in the commodity lumber market as we wrap up June. The crew dives into SPF and questions whether it’s still holding a premium simply because traders think it should. With new home sales softening and housing data turning shaky, is there anything fundamental propping it up?
We talk about the pain of owning 2x6—why it feels rough right now, what could flip the script, and why mills are still cutting it anyway. Plus, Matt and Charles get into the details of Hampton’snew SYP mill coming to South Carolina. What does the wave of new Southern Pine capacity mean for the market?
If you’re in the lumber game, this episode will make you sharper—and you might just laugh a little along the way.
 
Reach the Show's Personalities Below:
MattBeymer@Hamptonlumber.comCdelatorre@IFPWood.comGregg@Sitkainc.comAshley@Sitkainc.com

EP 127: The Basis is Hot, But Bart is Cooler

This week, Matt and Ashley are joined by Bart Charles from Atlantic Forest Products, one of thetop cash and futures traders in North America. We dig into what we’re doing with our currentpositions and what we see ahead in the lumber market. From May housing numbers to thelooming increase in Canadian CVD and AD duties, we cover the major forces shaping the near-term outlook.We also unpack the CME premium and what it means for basis, mill behavior in the cash market,and where customer inventories stand today. This episode is loaded with insights you won’t hearanywhere else. If you’re in the business of buying or selling construction lumber, this is a must-listen.
Contact the show participants at:Charles@AtlanticForest.comMattBeymer@HamptonLumber.comAshley@Sitkainc.com

EP 126: Quiet Deals, Big Feels, and a Greggless Few Weeks

With Gregg off to Europe for a few weeks, the rest of the crew held down the fort and had plenty to unpack. We kicked things off by acknowledging the incredible growth of our audience—thanks to the many decision-makers across the industry who tune in every week.
This week’s market feels... weird. Confusion reigns as everyone waits for the updated Anti-Dumping (AD) and Countervailing Duties (CVD) on Canadian lumber. While the consensus is that prices will trend higher, mills are quietly cutting below-the-published-number deals to keep volume moving. Southern Pine remains painfully cheap, and we're openly asking: how much longer can some mills hold on?
We also (just barely) grazed the third rail—politics—before steering it back to what matters: the supply chain, the market moves, and what you should be watching over the next few weeks.
Hit play, crush the like button, and stay sharp with the #1 lumber podcast in America.
 
If you want to leave us a note, or get in for an early summer advertising discount visit us at:  https://www.thelumberchannel.com/contact
Or directly at:
Mattbeymer@hamptonlumber.com
Cdelatorre@ifpwood.com
Gregg@Sitkainc.com
Ashley@Sitkainc.com

EP 125: Whose Pick Is It Anyway?

The crew is back together for a jam-packed episode! Matt returns from his travels, and we hit the mailbag to tackle listener questions before diving into regional updates: Matt covers U.S. Spec and Texas, Charles breaks down SYP, and Gregg takes us through the Great Lakes and Boston.
We recap key takeaways from Russ Taylor’s insights last week, then dig into the latest in housing—both new and existing, and what it all means for lumber demand. The team lays out short-term forecasts for supply, demand, and pricing over the next 30–60 days.
Don’t miss the debut of our Lumber Pick Challenge—each of us picks one undervalued and one overvalued item, with prices logged today and results reviewed on the August 4 episode. Plus, we play the Short-Term Market Forecast Game, giving our two-week price predictions on key indices like CME, WSPF, Hem-Fir, and SYP.
We wrap it all up with 30-second rapid-fire advice for newer traders navigating today’s market. Big ideas, a few laughs, and one “Big Beautiful Bill.” Hit play and stay sharp.
 
Contact the show personalities belowGregg@Sitkainc.comMattbeymer@hamptonlumber.comCdelatorre@commtransport.comAshley@Sitkainc.com

EP 124: The Lumber Word Podcast

While Matt’s off living la dolce vita in Rome, Charles, Greg, and Ashley hold down thefort with a special guest—Russ Taylor from Russ Taylor Global. Fresh off the plane froma Global Lumber Conference in Vienna, Russ brings some sharp global insights. Wedive into production costs across North America and Europe and ask the big question:Is anyone making money right now? Stick around to hear our market calls for the next30–60 days.Link to Russ Taylor’s LinkedIn and Websitehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/russtaylorglobal/
https://russtaylorglobal.com/
The Lumber Channel Websitehttps://www.thelumberchannel.com/

EP 123: The New Southern Pine Lumber Futures Contract at the CME

In our second drop of the week, Ashley sits down with Alison Coughlin from the CME Group to unpack the newly launched Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) Lumber Futures contract. It’s been live for over a month now, and we’re breaking down how it came to be, how it works, and why it could be a game-changer for the fastest-growing segment in U.S. lumber production.
Whether you're a trader, mill, or just lumber-curious, this episode offers a smart intro into what the new contract means for the market—and how you can get involved.
To learn more, check out https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/agriculture/lumber-and-softs/southern-yellow-pine.html, or shoot a note to the CME team at Lumber@CME.com.
To sign up for Fastmarkets' “Daily Southern Yellow Pine” Newsletter, click here: https://www.fastmarkets.com/forest-products/wood-products/southern-yellow-pine/
For more information on The Lumber Word” or to drop us a note, visit us at https://www.thelumberchannel.com/