Psychologically, the extra stip tells the seller "hey, your property is vulnerable; sell it for a good price to unload it."

I just sold one of my last Timber Farms  700 aces... to Stimsom lumber for a multi 7 figure exit on a 500k purchase in 2002. 

You have unloaded unbelievable amount of information in such a concise post.

At this time, this excludes that of lumber, as there has beenupwards of 14 percent increase in cost, due to negotiations with Canada.Key Takeaways: A very tight construction labor market is going to get even worse,” says Bill McDonald, president and chief investment officer of Mill Creek Residential, a multifamily developer.The contractors who build apartment properties are having a hard time hiring and retaining workers on their construction projects.The labor shortage has moderated and improved in some markets as supply has come in"So many new developments are under construction, they are likely to compete with each other—and not just for residents."

Try contractor parking beside the lumber entrance at Home Depot.  

There are ALWAYS deals to be had, especially now with the fact that many landlords who financed using those interest only mortgages at the height of the market are unloading those properties before the loans come due.

I'm havng a hard time grasping that the lumber I would need to rebuild the house would be THAT much more expensive than say a house with the same sq ft in the suburbs that is 5 years old. 

affect lumber moisture readings, and also that RH can vary tremendously over the course of a day.

In my big box home improvement stores the luan board is in the same aisle as the lumber, plywood and particle board. 

Is that pressure treated lumber?