Skyline's Vanguard Newspaper, Realtors Edition

REALTORS · Oklahoma City, OK · Monday, October 19, 2026

LUMBER & TRADE

Commerce Lowers Combined Duties on Most Canadian Softwood Lumber

The U.S. Department of Commerce on Oct. 14 finalized the seventh annual administrative review of antidumping and countervailing duties on softwood lumber from Canada, according to HBS Dealer, which relayed the findings from the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA). The combined antidumping and countervailing duty rate for most covered Canadian producers falls from 35.16% to 24.75%.

Producers that were not individually selected for review face separate rates of 10.64% for antidumping duties and 14.11% for countervailing duties. A separate 10% tariff under Section 232 remains in place. Including that tariff, the combined burden on most covered producers drops from 45.16% to 34.75%. Earlier preliminary findings had projected a rate of about 25%, so the final figure is slightly lower. Rates for individual producers may differ from the headline figure, and the new rates take effect once the determination is published in the Federal Register.

The NLBMDA said tariff uncertainty continues to complicate sourcing, product availability and project planning for lumber dealers. The association called for stable trade relations with Canada, arguing that predictable trade conditions support housing affordability.

Because the headline rate applies to most, but not all, covered producers, the rate for any specific supplier should be confirmed against the published Federal Register notice.

Property-Casualty Outlook

PROPERTY-CASUALTY OUTLOOK

Triple-I and Milliman Project 94.0 Industry Combined Ratio for 2026

The Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) and Milliman forecast a 94.0 net combined ratio for the U.S. property-casualty industry in 2026, according to Insurance Business US, which reported the findings on Oct. 15 from a members-only webinar. Homeowners recorded their best first half in more than a decade, with a direct incurred loss ratio of 49%, though the first half of 2025 included the Los Angeles wildfires.

Homeowners net written premium growth is forecast at 6.4% for 2026, the slowest pace since 2020. Triple-I said early Hurricane Isaias loss estimates are unlikely to change industry profitability materially, though hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.

Personal auto net written premium is forecast to fall 0.6%, with a 95.5 combined ratio, while Triple-I expects the Federal Reserve to tighten through 2027.

Wildfire Watch

WILDFIRE WATCH

Norte Fire Damages Homes in Orange County as Southern California Wildfires Burn

The Norte Fire started at about 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16, near San Clemente, according to Beinsure. It grew from about 10 acres to 250 acres within an hour and reached 570 acres by Friday evening, spreading into San Juan Capistrano. At least six homes were damaged or destroyed, several of them multimillion-dollar properties. About 16,000 residents and 6,000 homes were under evacuation orders. The Orange County Fire Authority reported 5% containment on the morning of Oct. 17, and two firefighters were treated for heat-related injuries. The cause is under investigation. California has secured a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Fire Management Assistance Grant.

Elsewhere in the region, the Bryson Fire in Malibu had burned about 147 acres and was 39% contained, with no structures reported damaged. The Peak Fire in Azusa has been stopped. Red Flag Warnings were in effect through 8 p.m. Saturday for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Southern California Edison’s preemptive power shutoffs peaked above 100,000 customers, and more than 90,000 remained without power at the time of reporting.

The Realtors Spotlight

LISTINGS & LITIGATION

Compass Sues California Regional MLS Over Rules on Off-MLS Marketing

Compass International Holdings filed an antitrust lawsuit Friday, Oct. 16, in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against the California Regional MLS (CRMLS), which HousingWire describes as the nation’s second-largest multiple listing service, reporting by Brooklee Han. The complaint alleges that CRMLS rules allow fines of up to $2,500 against agents who publicly market a listing outside the MLS at a client’s direction, and that suspension or expulsion is possible. Compass argues that new-home builders and developers are not subject to the same restrictions. Compass said MLSs serving more than 350,000 brokers and agents in at least 12 states do not impose such fines.

Compass said it will pay CRMLS fines for agents at its company-owned brokerages, including Coldwell Banker Realty, Compass and Sotheby’s International Realty, when the marketing was done at a client’s written direction. Agents must submit the fine notice and assign Compass their right to sue. The suit seeks to invalidate the rules and recover damages. Under federal antitrust law, damages are automatically tripled.

CRMLS filed its own suit against Compass a little over a week earlier, in the Southern District of New York, seeking a declaration that its Cooperation Rules are lawful. CRMLS CEO Art Carter said the MLS will “vigorously defend” its rules.