Beyond the Buildings

As the landscape of the housing market continues to evolve, one topic continues to remain at the forefront: affordability. It’s a topic we frequently explore on this podcast because it touches every facet of the property market, including the rising costs of construction. With more people moving to more affordable regions, there’s a notable impact on both home prices and the costs associated with...

As the frequency and severity of natural catastrophes intensify, the need to strengthen the resiliency of communities against these perils is increasingly urgent. Building codes are a critical tool in this endeavor. However, their adoption and enforcement vary significantly across states. A recent report from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) underscores the lack of unifo...

A full 67% of IT senior leaders are prioritizing generative AI for their businesses, according to Salesforce data . This statistic underscores the growing importance of AI in today's business landscape and highlights the urgency of understanding its implications. Although AI is not new technology, over the past couple of years, it has reshaped industries . But with its rise comes a myriad of quest...

As housing prices remain elevated , it's crucial to examine the other side of the coin, where worries about affordability linger despite the substantial equity many homeowners have amassed. In a housing market characterized by high prices, soaring equity, and ballooning consumer debt, it is worth examining mortgage delinquency and foreclosure rates , which are currently hovering around historic lo...

Whether you're valuing, insuring, underwriting or even simply buying and selling real estate, understanding the nuances of property valuation is crucial. But why do homes have so many different values and what role does each value play in the grand scheme of things? From market value to insurable value to the cost approach, who you are and what type of value you’re looking for plays a pivotal role...

On March 6, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sent shockwaves through the financial world by mandating that publicly traded companies disclose details about how climate change affects their businesses. However, this rule hit a roadblock on April 4 when legal challenges led the SEC to pause the implementation timeline, throwing compliance requirements into uncertainty. While the fu...

In today's ever-changing property market, decisions can be swayed by fluctuating interest rates, population shifts, affordability concerns, and climate challenges. However, one constant remains to provide a clear path forward: data-driven insights . From guiding high-level business decisions to shaping regulatory policies, data has become the cornerstone for professionals navigating the property m...

In the telecommunications industry, navigating infrastructure investments to draft a road map for 5G success is a complex but necessary undertaking. Success requires both location intelligence and geospatial data. As the needs for 5G infrastructure increase in parallel with the demand for connectivity for everything from core networks to self-driving cars and wearable devices, it’s imperative to n...

Soaring U.S. rental prices have prompted discussions about the nation's trajectory towards a renter-centric society. From the exorbitant rental prices in Miami to the ongoing wisdom that homeownership is an advantageous financial decision, as renters and homeowners search for affordability and stability, they will need to navigate an increasingly complex market. With rental costs experiencing a st...

It already seems like 2023 is long ago, but the consequences of natural disasters and the lessons we’ve learned from them are far from the past. Record-breaking hailstorms; devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii; and other catastrophic events made global headlines , and for good reason. Historical patterns are changing – just look at the increasing rapid intensification of storms and sea-surface...

Insurance is a topic of perennial interest, but it is not often discussed for furthering cutting-edge technologies like generative AI and machine learning. However, Insurtech, with its ability to redefine business models and leverage cutting-edge technologies , has left an indelible mark on the insurance industry landscape. Whether it’s a homeowner navigating insurance policies or an industry prof...

As the claims and restoration business adapt to pressures of surging inflation, persistent labor shortages and the escalating frequency of natural disasters, automation has emerged as an investment avenue to help streamline processes and enhance efficiency. However, not all technology solutions are created equal. In an industry when data fidelity is crucial for those in the field and automation is...

In the first episode of Season 4 of Core Conversations, Host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and CoreLogic Chief Economist Selma Hepp dive into the aftermath of the pandemic's influence on migration patterns and how remote work has reshaped the housing landscape. While the pandemic may no longer dominate headlines, it continues to exert its influence. Remote work opportunities flourished, prompting an exod...

What is the future of the U.S. economy? Host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and CoreLogic Chief Economist Selma Hepp dive into this perennial question in the final episode of Core Conversations: Season 3. From incremental home sales increases to gradually declining mortgage rates, there is a lot that we can expect to happen in 2024. However, geopolitical risks, such as oil prices and inflation , have the...

In the season finale of Core Conversations, host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and CoreLogic Chief Economist Selma Hepp dive into a discussion about the dynamic landscape of the U.S. housing market in 2023. This year, mortgage rates surged by almost 500 basis points, home prices catapulted by 42% over three years and mortgage payments witnessed a staggering 60% hike. This episode peels back the layers of...

Ever wondered why the U.S. mortgage market offers 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages and what impact this unique loan offering has on housing prices? This is a question that host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and CoreLogic Professional Economist Thom Malone dive into during part two of this episode on the differences between the U.S. and international housing markets. From the surprising benefits of the U.S....

Property is the world’s largest asset class, so any fluctuation within this market has far-reaching effects. Just consider how property values in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S. have sent ripples throughout the global economy. There are many factors that affect the housing market, and one is the amount of investment activity. Investors contributed to the drama...

Instances of mortgage fraud have remained relatively stable in recent years. In the second quarter of 2023, CoreLogic estimates that 1 in 134 applications contained fraud, up from 1 in 131 during the same period in 2022. But that doesn’t mean that lenders shouldn’t be on the lookout for warning signs. In the  2023 Mortgage Fraud Report , researchers found that suspected occupancy loans have n...

Elevated interest rates have had ripple effects across the U.S. property market. From the appearance of the lock-in effect, which has slowed down home purchases , to increasing questions of affordability , the climbing cost of taking out a mortgage has spurred many to consider how to lower the price tag. One trend that CoreLogic® has spotted in the property market is an increase in suspected occup...

Wildfires are an annual occurrence in many areas of the U.S. However, as our climate changes, fires are beginning to ignite in areas that are traditionally at low risk. Just look at the Hawaiian island of Maui . Despite the increasing number of regions experiencing wildfires, only about 9% of U.S. properties meet the threshold for high or extreme wildfire risk. So how exactly is this risk measured...

Knowing the wildfire risk of a home is becoming increasingly important — both for homeowners and insurers. However, it is insufficient to simply know that there is a probability of a wildfire occurring at a certain property. It is imperative to understand the development of historic risks into current risks and how this score will evolve in the future. After all, low risk today does not mean no ri...

El Niño has undoubtedly impacted the 2023 hurricane season. But it is not the only weather pattern that is exerting influence. Ocean temperature — also known as sea surface temperature — is also driving the storms swirling in the Atlantic Ocean. As reports of record-breaking temperatures in the Atlantic appeared this summer, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)...

The 2023 hurricane season has so far been a wild ride — but that shouldn't be a surprise. With the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) swinging into an El Niño pattern and reports of triple-digit ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico , June through November was bound to bring some noteworthy activity, and that pattern could continue. But what does the combination of El Niño — which is known to...

More and more people live in high wildfire-risk areas across the United States. In fact, according to CoreLogic’s 2023 Wildfire Risk Report , California, Colorado and Texas lead the nation in the number of at-risk homes and their total reconstruction cost value. The influx of people into these areas means that there is continued demand for insurers to provide coverage, even though climate change i...

Home insurance is a critical consideration when applying for a mortgage. Without insurance, it’s exceedingly difficult to purchase a property. However, with climate change influencing weather patterns and contributing to the increasing severity of natural disasters, some insurers are reassessing their coverage to better manage their risk. Insurance risk management is a topic that has cropped up in...