Beyond the Buildings

With rising storm risks increasing insurance premiums, there has been a shift in U.S. insurance availability and affordability. Building codes are a regulatory level that could help fortify homeowners and buffer the system against the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters.

— The cost of fortifying a home ranges widely, but it is accessible. Most new homes built in Florida meet a safety level nearly identical to the IBHS Fortified Gold standard.

— Cotality’s Cognitive Imagery amplifies insight into risk. By mapping billions of high-resolution Vexcel Imaging against our proprietary data ecosystem, we reveal how properties truly live, change, and endure.

— Natural hazard risk awareness is evolving and there are generational differences in how people perceive risk.

While missing middle housing offers a scalable solution to the national affordability crisis by providing diverse, house-scale options, it remains largely untapped due to restrictive zoning and specialized financing gaps.

- These housing types have been largely missing for 70 years because many U.S. zoning laws made it illegal to build anything other than detached single-family homes.
- When people move into new middle housing, they vacate older, more affordable units, opening up the housing ladder.
- While many cities struggle with housing shortages, regions like Portland, Oregon and South Bend, Indiana have successfully shifted their mandates to unlock new inventory.

Links:
https://www.cotality.com/insights/podcasts?sort_name=desc

While AI is transforming real estate by recalibrating markets and pricing risk faster than ever, it faces a significant trust gap.
- Professionals must be able to see where data comes from, its diversity, and how it is governed.
- Quality control remains a human responsibility. Cotality’s From House to Home survey reveals homebuyers still overwhelmingly prefer human expertise over AI-only tools.
- Without human intervention and new data infusion, AI risks becoming a "closed loop".

Links:
https://www.cotality.com/insights/podcasts?sort_name=desc

The U.S. property market is losing its traditional stability as rising insurance premiums and environmental volatility rewrite the rules of homeownership. - - In some high-risk regions, monthly escrow payments are now outpacing the actual mortgage payment.
- Features like wind-resistant roofs or elevated foundations can lower insurance costs and increases property desirability.
- Property value is moving away from "the view" and toward structure resilience scores—using granular data to ensure a home can withstand future disasters.

Links:
https://www.cotality.com/insights/podcasts?sort_name=desc

The U.S. property market is losing its traditional stability as rising insurance premiums and environmental volatility rewrite the rules of homeownership. - - In some high-risk regions, monthly escrow payments are now outpacing the actual mortgage payment.
- Features like wind-resistant roofs or elevated foundations can lower insurance costs and increases property desirability.
- Property value is moving away from "the view" and toward structure resilience scores—using granular data to ensure a home can withstand future disasters.

Links:
https://www.cotality.com/insights/podcasts?sort_name=desc