Now the Time to Build Says Buildin$ Loan Official

The prospective home builder should not delay but should borrorv now and build. This is the urgent advice of H. S. Wanzer, President of the California Building-Loan League. Every element of cost in home construction has decreased in recent months to the point of remarkable bargain prices, making it possible to construct a home today for approximately $4,2W, that would have cost in 1923 as much as $6,000, according to a statement issued by the head of the building and loan movement of this State.

"This is decidedly a buyer's market", said Mr. 'Wanzer. "The supply of materials just now is greater than the demand. Prices are at low levels but this cannot be expected to continue for any great time. Alrerady lumber and cement have shown an upward turn and it is to be expected that the other major materials which go into home construction will soon show a similar turn. Today every advantage is on the side of the home builder. Ffe can build a better home, the kind of house he always has wanted, for less money than at any time during the past decade."

The reason for this is that building materials are still selling considerably below prices f.or 1925. Examples of these prices, compared with five years ago, are as follows: Cement, 30 per cent less; construction lumber, 30 per cent less; hardwood, 15 per cent; sash, door and millwork, 35 per cent; electric equipment, 20 per.cent; plumbing, rough and finish, 25 per cent; rock and sand, 20 per cent; paint, 1O per cent; hardware, 2O per cent; heating plants, 20 per cent; glass, fr per cent; metal lath,22 per cent; reinforcing steel, S per cent; steel windows, ll pCr cent; steel jgi"!q: l0 per cCnt; structural steel, l0 per cent; common brick, 30 peicent; roof tile, 3O per cent, ind labor costs through increased efficiency 15 per cent less. These figures show an average reduction of 20 per cent in nineteen major materials.

Legitimate building is always justified and is now receiving considerable encouragement from the government and financing interests. Money is comparatively easy to borrow and can be obtained on favorable terms, particularly to construct single family dwellings ai the vacancy factor in this class of housing is considered low. The family man now paying rent, who has the confidence and intelligence to build his own home at this time, will find the material dealer, the craftsman and the financing agency ready and anxious to render him the highest tyPe of service. It is to his best interest to take advantage of this situation.

The 23.4 California building and loan associations are interested primarily in loans on small homes, the average of loans now in force does not exceed $2,5m. Loans are all made on a monthly repayment plan of financing which helps the home buyer to actual ownership of his property and does away entirely uiith the expense of periodic renewals. The popularity of the helpful building and loan type of financing is indicated in that loans are now in force on l37.O0O California homes.

Vancouver District Water-Borne Lumber Exports

Total water-borne exports of lumber and logs from Vancouver and Nelv Westminster during the first eight months of this year decreased about 8 per cent under the same period of last year, while water-borne shipments to the United States increased about 9 per cent, states a report from Vice Consul Nelson P. Meeks at Vancouver to the Lumber Division of the Department of Commerce. Waterborne exports for the first eight months of 193O, in board feet, were 331,862,000 as compared with 362,712,W for the same period of l9D, while to the United.States ports were respectively 84,525,000 compared with 77,775.000 board feet. Water-borne exports during August, 193O, as compared with August, I9D, in board feet, were respectively 49,n1,000 and 4O,175,000; while to the United States ports were

11,713,000 and 8,O43,000 board feet. Shipments to Canadian Atlantic ports were in board feet for the first eight months of 193O as compared with the same period ol 198, resPectively 27,81,000 and fl,8/W; while during the month of August, 1930, compared with August, 1929, were respectively 33nW and 3,100,000 board feet.

The saw-log cut in British Columbia decreased about 6 per cent during the first eight months of this year as compared with the same period of last year, as shown by the following figures on saw logs scaled in this period: first eight months of 1930 were 1,722,7Y,W board feet compared with 1,828,133,000 for the same period of 1929; while for August, 193O, were 183,764,0m board feet compared with 251,113,000 for August, 1929.