Beyond the Buildings

The U.S. housing market is facing several “spooky” challenges. Rising costs, higher interest rates, and a growing economic uncertainty are presenting a scary reality homeowners and buyers. These factors are shaping affordability and the way people approach buying and owning a home. - Property taxes have gone up about 30% on average across the U.S. This increase amounts to roughly $1,000 a year for some households. - Rising interest rates are a primary driver of higher rents. When mortgage rates increase, they price out potential homeowners, which increases rental demand. - If a recession occurs, delinquency rates and foreclosures could go up, but they are currently very low. Links: A 13-stop tour of some of the most haunted US places https://www.cotality.com/insights/articles/13-stop-tour-most-haunted-us-places Cotality Insights https://www.cotality.com/insights

Shifts in energy demand reach well beyond individual homes – touching insurance risks, utility costs, community planning, and even national strategy. - Cotality Australia’s "Watts it Worth" report experts dive into why sustainable building choices are increasingly important to consider when assessing Australian homes. -Homes with energy efficiency features, especially solar panels, sell for a measurable premium: 2% - 6% more in the U.S. and over 2.7% in Australia. -Both the U.S. and Australian governments have offered incentives to promote individual solar panel use. Links: Watt's it worth report: https://www.cotality.com/au/insights/analysis/watts-it-worth Resilience rebalances the foundations of property: https://www.cotality.com/insights/articles/resilience-rebalances-the-foundations-of-property

The home insurance industry’s foundations are shifting. Even with major leaps in property data and analytics, a perfect storm of more frequent natural disasters, escalating litigation costs, and market pressures is leaving homeowners and developers increasingly exposed to risk. - There is a fault line straining the insurance industry which could trigger a housing shock with echoes of the last financial crisis. - The traditional insurance model is struggling to adapt to a new era of escalating risks, highlighting the need for a more proactive, collaborative approach. - Having federal programs that can standardize incentive community level resilience measures that can support individual stability will prove to be a cost savings long term.   Webinar registration link: https://www.cotality.com/resources/webinars/making-the-shift Find out more at Cotality.com/insights

Despite advances in technology promising speed and convenience, the complex and often confusing homebuying process leaves many buyers overwhelmed and reliant on expert guidance to navigate it successfully.  - Cotality’s From House to Home survey found that there was an overarching lack of confidence in the homebuying process.   - Expert advice and professional guidance remain crucial to help buyers navigate the process with confidence.  - Technology and AI-driven platforms aim to streamline the process by anticipating preferences and speeding things up.   Find out more at Cotality.com/insights

Demographics are set to redefine what homeownership looks like in the decades ahead. - Current housing challenges are causing a competitive market: high prices, low inventory, and limited affordability. - Builders face today’s housing shortage, but real opportunity lies in designing homes for tomorrow and future generations. - Cotality projects a large growth in multi-generational households due to aging populations and the implications for senior housing.‍ Find out more at Cotality.com/insights

This episode explores the UK’s long-standing experience with energy performance data and retrofit strategies, offering valuable insights for improving home energy efficiency. • The UK has been collecting detailed energy performance data on over 65% for decades, enabling precise property-level modeling that many other countries lack. • Successful retrofit strategies emphasize the importance of long-term planning, data-driven decision making, and tailored approaches for homeowners, landlords, and local authorities. • Government policies and incentives, including lessons from past programs like the Green Deal, play a crucial role in driving energy efficiency improvements and can inform future approaches in countries like Australia and the U.S. Find out more at Cotality.com/insights

AI is becoming more involved in the homebuying process, but disconnected systems are leaving buyers confused and looking to people in order to rebuild trust throughout the process. - Buyers are entering the homebuying process stressed and looking for guidance. Technology has promised speed, but it hasn’t delivered confidence. - Trust in technology doesn’t map neatly to age or buyer stage. It has to do with AI literacy. - People still want people to bridge gaps, build trust, and lead to confident decisions.

Mortgage fraud cases haven't surged dramatically, but subtle shifts in tactics and technologies are reshaping the industry. - Under the umbrella of purchase fraud, transaction fraud risk, such as undisclosed agreements between the parties and down payment fraud, is making waves. - While New York has long been the top state for fraud risk, California ranks in third-place, but the Golden State did show a double-digit increase in risk from the prior year. -Fraud can delay transactions, increase costs, and even prevent first-time buyers from securing deals, eroding trust in the market. In this episode 2:35 – An overview of fraud risk in the U.S. 5:22 – How has the rate of occupancy fraud changed over the past year 8:23 – Why is mortgage fraud so difficult to detect and how can it be mitigated? 10:35 – Has automation opened the door to new mortgage fraud vulnerabilities? 13:44 – How can big data and advanced analytics help with fraud detection? 17:53 – Erika Stanley goes over the numbers in property market in The Sip. 19:29 – How can regulation help with fraud detection and mitigation?

In the second episode of Beyond the Buildings' three-part sustainability series with Cotality Australia, guest host Eliza Owen delves into this often-overlooked but increasingly pressing issue: energy efficiency in Australian homes.   But why is energy efficiency coming into the public conversation now? And what’s driving this shift?   To unpack these questions, Owen is joined by two industry leaders shaping the future of energy-smart housing. Cecille Weldon, founder of WeldonCo Advisory & Future Agent and creator of the award-winning Livability Real Estate Framework, and Tim Lawless, Research Director at Cotality Australia, are breaking down which energy-efficient investments are beneficial for homeowners and why these upgrades will influence the direction of Australian housing. In this episode:  2:55 – Why is energy efficiency becoming a critical factor in the property market? 5:30 – What are some of the key energy efficiency features that buyers and renters should look out for when trying to find a home? 7:12 – How can renters and buyers make their homes more energy efficient? 9:30 – What are some common misconceptions about energy efficiency? 15:29 – How will the role of energy efficiency evolve in the property industry over the next decade? 19:05 – What or who has the greatest potential to drive widespread energy efficiency in the residential market? 21:40 – Erika Stanley looks at the numbers in the housing market in The Sip.  23:45 – What key findings about energy efficiency reveal about the evolution of Australia’s housing stock? 32:02 – How is technology changing the way we assess and understand energy resilience across the market? Find out more at Cotality.com/insights

The ripple effects of unaffordable—or unavailable—insurance reaches beyond individual households and is distorting entire housing markets. — In the U.S. and Australia, increasing natural disasters are putting pressure on governments and homeowners to find safe and affordable housing solutions. —Data is providing key insights to help identify and prioritize mitigation measures for particularly vulnerable communities. —Environmental pressures have altered natural disaster response over the past decade, and there are a few things the U.S. could learn from Australia's approach. In this episode: 2:37 – How have recent natural disaster events in the U.S. and Australia shifted how we understand environmental risk? 5:47 – How has natural disaster response changed in the last 10 years, and what role does data play in disaster response? 9:53 – How is the property industry keeping up with the increasing severity of natural disasters? 14:31 – Where are the biggest opportunities to build smarter, safer communities? 17:45 – Erika Stanley goes over the numbers in property market in The Sip. 18:50 – Why is it becoming more difficult to insure high-risk homes? 20:56 – How can better data and insights help insurers mitigate risk rather than exit the market. 25:22 – What is one change that could effectively help insurers prepare for environmental risk?

This episode of Beyond the Buildings host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and Cotality’s Assistant Vice President of Product Marketing Tom Larsen explore the escalating crisis in homeowners insurance, revealing why premiums are rising and what it means for homeowners and insurers nationwide. Discover why some states are hit harder than others, how government insurance programs can remain sustainable, and what new innovations might offer hope for homeowners. - Insurance costs are climbing non-coastal states like Oklahoma and Texas, pressuring the long-term affordability of homeownership. - Billion-dollar natural disasters, shifting risk tolerance, and more expensive reinsurance is transforming how insurers are pricing — and providing — policies. - Explore why this routine homeownership policy has become a barrier to homeownership.

Florida’s proposal to eliminate property taxes sounds like a radical affordability solution — but what would it actually cost? In this episode, Maiclaire Bolton Smith and Chay Halbert unpack the financial, political, and social tradeoffs behind this bold move. • Eliminating property taxes would gut funding for schools and public services, forcing states to consider more inconsistent funding alternatives like sales tax hikes. • Florida’s affordability crisis is already pushing people out of major cities like Miami, and this proposal could deepen inequality. • Replacing lost revenue isn’t as simple as it sounds — and may create more complex issues than it solves Florida on the Brink: https://www.cotality.com/insights/articles/florida-on-the-brink Meet Cotality: https://www.cotality.com

CoreLogic rebranded as Cotality, and the company’s CEO Patrick Dodd explains why now was the right time to make the change. - The transition from CoreLogic to Cotality wasn’t just a rebrand, it was transformation with purpose. - What happens when a legacy powerhouse hits refresh? Beyond better serving client needs and adapt to changing market dynamics, this rebrand better showcases what this company has become. - Cotality is setting a new standard by pushing the boundaries of insight, collaboration, and impact to lead the property industry forward. In this episode of Beyond the Buildings, Patrick Dodd sits down with host Maiclaire Bolton Smith to explain what drove the change, why now was the right time, and how this new identity honors the past while boldly stepping into the future. From the collaborative naming process to the careful crafting of the mission, vision, and values statements, he gives us an inside look at how Cotality came to be and where it’s heading next. In this episode: • 2:31 – Who is Cotality? • 5:38 – Why was the CoreLogic brand changed now? • 9:30 – What have been the reactions to the rebrand? • 13:19 – How was the name “Cotality” selected and what does it mean? • 20:37 – Where will the Cotality brand take the company? • 24:31 – Erika Stanley looks at the numbers in the housing market in The Sip. • 25:25 – Why is it important to be people-centric? • 29:17 – Patrick Dodd explains when he will feel like Cotality has achieved its mission.

Gen Z is entering the housing market and encountering challenges both familiar and unfamiliar to previous generations. - High mortgage rates and home prices are forcing many to explore alternative markets and creative strategies like house hacking. - Tech tools and digital platforms are central to how Gen Z researches, finances, and navigates homebuying decisions. - This generation is redefining ownership to embrace shared purchases, multi-use properties, and nontraditional paths to affordability. In this episode of Beyond the Buildings, host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and Cotality economist Molly Boesel explore the trends shaping Gen Z’s path to property ownership — what’s driving them, what’s holding them back, and how their creativity is changing the landscape of housing for everyone. In this episode: 2:00 – How big of a presence is Gen Z in the housing market? Are they having an easier or more difficult time buying homes than previous generations? 3:29 – What sort of homes are Gen Z buyers looking for? 6:14 – Are Gen Z buyers spending more than the recommended amount when they purchase homes? Is homeownership out of reach for much of this generation? 10:49 – Erika Stanley looks at the numbers in the housing market in The Sip. 11:57 – Is house hacking a possible path to homeownership for this generation? 15:12 – How are affordability issues propelling Gen Z buyers to look into creative financing options? 18:00 – Is AI changing how Gen Z buyers shop for homes?

For years homeowners’ insurance was just there. It was a safety net in the background, ready to catch someone when disaster struck. But now, that net is fraying, and homeowners are scrambling to understand why coverage is becoming so expensive — or in some areas, nearly impossible to obtain.Homeowners across the country — especially in wildfire-prone states like California — are seeing their premiums skyrocket, their policies canceled, or, in some cases, they are left without any options at all. Insurers too are feeling the pressure. For years, they relied on traditional risk models to calculate premiums, issue policies, and assume predictable loss patterns. But the landscape is changing. Rising claims, extreme weather events, and economic pressures are pushing the industry to a breaking point.At the center of this crisis is a fundamental question: how does the industry adapt to a world with accelerating natural hazard risk? On this episode of Core Conversations, host Maiclaire Bolton Smith sits down with the co-founder of Wows Insurance to talk about this issue and what can be done to address this ongoing crisis.In This Episode2:46 – Why are insurers paying out more than they are taking in?4:48 – What will happen to the housing market if insurance becomes too expensive or impossible to get?6:52 – Are there alternative paths to providing insurance beyond the traditional avenues?9:51 – How can governmental policy development and homeowner participation help improve insurance accessibility?14:08 – Is it possible for insurance to remain a profitable business long-term?17:10 – Erika Stanley does the numbers in the housing market in The Sip.18:12 – How do you insure the value of a home long-term as the market continues to drive up prices?22:26 – Comparing the 2024 and 2025 California wildfire season.24:27 – In which other states is wildfire risk increasing dramatically?26:43 – What does the future landscape of wildfire insurance look like?Up Next: The Homes the LA Wildfires Left: A Hidden Insurance Crisis?Links: Will Trump Tariffs Harm Home Affordability?What Is the Real Price of LA’s Wildfire Disaster?What Will a Second Trump Presidency Mean for U.S. Housing?Explore CoreLogic DataRead CoreLogic Intelligence 5 Copyright 2025 Cotality

As the U.S. waits for the final decision on the fresh tariffs imposed on Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese imports, the housing industry is bracing for the impact of this policy decision. With material costs already a growing concern, these new trade policies could send ripples through supply chains, development timelines, and affordability.Tariffs on steel, lumber, concrete and other key building materials have the potential to drive up construction costs, exacerbating an already tight housing market. Builders and developers may need to rethink sourcing strategies, while policymakers weigh the broader economic consequences of trade restrictions on inflation and consumer spending.From rising home prices to shifting supply chains, host Maiclaire Bolton Smith sits down with industry experts Pete Carroll CoreLogic's, EVP of Public Policy and Industry Relations, and Jay Thies CoreLogic's Vice President of Pricing Analysis and Delivery to explore the immediate and long-term effects of these tariffs. Tune into this episode of Core Conversations to listen to the break down on what thse tariffs could mean for homebuilders, affordability, and the future of the housing market.In This Episode:2:10 – What are Trump’s tariffs and how will they affect the property industry — particularly construction?5:50 – What are the preliminary estimates on how much tariffs could increase homebuilding costs?9:12 – Will adding additional cost to homebuilding conflict with Trump’s executive order to provide affordability relief to the housing market?13:58 – How will material and labor costs be affected?16:32 –  Erika Stanley does the numbers in the housing market in The Sip.17:32 – Canadian lumber tariffs, they’re not new, but these tariffs will make them substantial.19:22 – Could the U.S. domestically supply the necessary materials for home construction? Are there alternative materials that could be used?22:30 – Will the tariffs have long-term consequences on U.S. home affordability?24:54 – How will these tariffs affect rebuilding efforts following January’s Los Angeles wildfires?28:30 – Will these tariffs affect the future of the U.S. property market?Up Next: What Will a Second Trump Presidency Mean for U.S. Housing?Links: What Is the Real Price of LA’s Wildfire Disaster?Construction Cost Update ReportRead CoreLogic Intelligence Find full episodes with all our guests in our podcast archive here: https://clgx.co/3HFslXD5 Copyright 2025 Cotality What Is the Real Price of LA’s Wildfire Disaster?Construction Cost Update ReportRead CoreLogic Intelligence

From Capitol Hill to the mortgage industry, AI is everywhere. It’s even finding its way into the halls of government. But while AI promises innovation, it’s also raising a ton of questions—especially for policymakers.Last year, Congress introduced over 350 AI-related bills, and while many of these bills simply served to spark debate, it’s clear that lawmakers are considering everything from data privacy to mitigating bias in algorithms. Now, with a new Congress in session, the real question is: will AI regulation finally take center stage?Although no property-focused AI bills made it to the floor last session, there’s been plenty of groundwork. From Senate hearings on AI in financial services to conversations about the technology’s impact on housing, policymakers have been laying the foundation for regulation. One theme keeps emerging: the need to balance innovation with fairness.Technology often moves faster than regulation, but if regulators move too fast or ignore industry concerns, it could stall progress. And then there’s the wildcard: the Supreme Court’s 2024 repeal of the Chevron doctrine, which shifted interpretive power from agencies to the courts. This means Congress now has to be ultra-specific when drafting laws, which could further slow regulation initiatives.The future of AI regulation may be uncertain, but one thing’s clear: the stakes couldn’t be higher. In this episode of Core Conversations, host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and Russell McIntyre, an expert in public policy and industry relations at CoreLogic, discuss the need for AI regulation and how the government could approach this task.In This Episode:1:50 – Is the U.S. government currently regulating AI? What about AI in the property industry?5:19 – Whose responsibility is it to regulate AI?7:19 – How will the Chevron doctrine going to influence AI regulation in Congress?10:00 – What are the concerns and opportunities if AI regulations change in the property industry?12:28 – How will AI affect climate science?14:27 – Erika Stanley goes over the numbers in the property market with The Sip.15:26 – Is it impossible to eliminate inherent bias in AI technology?17:49 – How will the U.S. government handle AI and how can companies prepare for upcoming regulations around AI?Up Next: What Are the Ethical Implications of AI in the Property Industry?Links: What Are the Ethical Implications of AI in the Property Industry?SEC Climate Disclosure Guidance Timeline Pause: Why Companies BenefitExplore CoreLogic DataHazard HQ Command CentralRead CoreLogic Intelligence Find full episodes with all our guests in our podcast archive here: https://clgx.co/3HFslXD5 Copyright 2025 Cotality What Are the Ethical Implications of AI in the Property Industry?SEC Climate Disclosure Guidance Timeline...

January’s wildfires in Los Angeles will leave scares. Even those whose homes seem to be structurally sound may actually be hiding severe damage that will only be uncovered as LA begins to recover and rebuild.  Garret Gray, CoreLogic’s President of Global Insurance Solutions is one such case. Following a harrowing race against time to evacuate the threatened area with his family, Garret prioritized safety, not possessions. Miraculously, while nearby homes burned to the ground, his house remained standing.While at first glance this seems like a small miracle, on the inside, the hidden damage tells a very different story — a story that highlights a significant and often-overlooked cost of wildfires: the massive, unanticipated strain on the insurance industry from homes that appear intact but are uninhabitable. Garret’s home, while structurally sound, was inundated with soot, ash, and toxic smoke particles.His story is one of many. While the focus must remain on the families who have lost everything, it’s crucial to recognize the hidden costs for those who only experienced partial damage. Homes like Garret’s reveal a secondary, equally significant layer of loss that will also take years to recover from and may have long-term implications for insurers grappling with claims far more complex than they initially appear.In this episode of Core Conversations, host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and CoreLogic’s President of Global Insurance Solutions Garret Gray sit down to discuss the emotional and financial toll that these hidden losses can have on families, communities, and the insurance industry.In This Episode:2:27 – Listen to Garret Gray’s experience evacuating from the Palisades Fire and how he learned that his house remained standing.6:50 – Why do wildfires impact some homes and not others even if they are on the same street?11:22 – Erika Stanley goes over the numbers in the property market with The Sip.12:33 – What are the hidden costs of wildfires, even for homes that seem to be structurally sound?16:22 – How will the scale of this disaster – both for complete losses as well as partial losses  –  impact the insurance industry?21:24 – How long will it take to rebuild or restore properties in LA where the construction industry is already strained? How are we going to accommodate the demand in materials and the resulting prices?Up Next: Does Low Wildfire Risk Create a False Sense of Security?Links: Explore CoreLogic DataHazard HQ Command CentralRead CoreLogic Intelligence Find full episodes with all our guests in our podcast archive here: https://clgx.co/3HFslXD5 Copyright 2025 Cotality Explore CoreLogic DataHazard HQ Command CentralRead CoreLogic Intelligence

Imagine a world where every piece of property tells a story—where every plot of land, building permit, and insurance claim contributes to a dynamic narrative that evolves over time. In the first episode of Season 5 of Core Conversations, you are invited you to step beyond the ordinary view of properties as an amalgamation of square footage and floor plans to uncover the living, breathing essence of property.Join host Maiclaire Bolton Smith and CoreLogic’s Chief Data and Analytics Officer John Rogers as they take you on a journey into the $45 trillion real estate market — America’s largest and most influential asset class. Discover how every event in a property’s lifecycle, from its beginning as raw land to construction and finally its role in society  — as well as everything in between like its vulnerabilities to climate risks — shapes its unique story.But this isn’t just a story about data. It’s about the groundbreaking innovations, like AI and Climate Risk Analytics, that are empowering industries like real estate, insurance, and government to navigate an increasingly complex world. Listen to real-world examples of how technology is automating listings, helping reduce wildfire insurance premiums, and driving decisions that build resilience for the future.In This Episode:1:53 – What does it mean to have the full picture of a property, and why would someone need all that data?7:17 – How can AI help someone see the full picture through all of the data that a single property (or a portfolio of properties) holds?13:18 – What will it look like to be a housing industry professional as AI evolves into an everyday tool?16:24 – How can high-quality climate data help the insurance industry in a market where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to be profitable?20:04 – Erika Stanley does the numbers in the housing market in The Sip.21:15 – How can companies use climate resilience to ensure financial resilience?27:29 – How will data increase resilience in the property industry going forward?Up Next: What Will a Second Trump Presidency Mean for U.S. Housing?Links: Explore CoreLogic DataRead CoreLogic Intelligence Find full episodes with all our guests in our podcast archive here: https://clgx.co/3HFslXD5 Copyright 2025 Cotality Explore CoreLogic DataRead CoreLogic Intelligence

As 2024 slides into 2025, those who have been following the housing market know that there is a lot to unpack from the year. Home affordability, when adjusted for inflation, has reached its lowest point in decades. Inventory trends are diverging across the nation. Generational dynamics are influencing how people are buying homes.But even if the trends that made 2024 so noteworthy are understood, the question is, how will they influence where the housing market is headed in 2025? In the season finale of Core Conversations, CoreLogic Chief Economist Selma Hepp explores what happened in 2024 and provides a comprehensive outlook for 2025, including insights on mortgage rates, inventory, and affordability.In This Episode1:58 – How exactly did interest rates affect the housing market in 2024? Do we expect them to lower in 2025?6:26 – How affordable in the U.S. housing market, really?9:24 – Are property taxes and capital gains taxes going to continue to balloon into 2025?10:46 – Will people continue to stay in their homes or will they finally move and open up supply in 2025?14:39 – Erika Stanley does the numbers in the housing market in The Sip.15:32 – Is a refinancing wave on the horizon for 2025?17:07 – Will there be more creative housing solutions to help with affordability? Do we anticipate buying a house to become more accessible to younger generations?22:15 – How will the presidential election affect the housing market in 2025?26:54 – Erika Stanley reviews natural catastrophes and extreme weather events across the world.27:58 – What can we expect for the property market in 2025?Up Next: What Will a Second Trump Presidency Mean for U.S. Housing?Links: What Will a Second Trump Presidency Mean for U.S. Housing?Explore CoreLogic DataHazard HQ Command CentralRead CoreLogic Intelligence Find full episodes with all our guests in our podcast archive here: https://clgx.co/3HFslXD4 Copyright 2025 Cotality What Will a Second Trump Presidency Mean for U.S. Housing?Explore CoreLogic DataHazard HQ Command CentralRead CoreLogic Intelligence