Investor-owned utilities in wildfire-prone areas are facing increasing financial risks and potential bankruptcy due to damages caused by wildfires, highlighting the need for investors to reassess climate-related risks and for businesses to adapt their operations to mitigate such risks.
Housing affordability is expected to worsen as home prices are projected to rise by 6.5% due to limited inventory and strong demand, leading to a decline in sales volume and a 17% decrease in home sales in 2023.
Frequent weather catastrophes, fueled by climate change, are causing disruptions in the home insurance market, with insurers pulling out of high-risk areas, raising prices, and reducing coverage, leading to tougher choices and higher costs for consumers.
The recent downturn in global property prices is ending as average home prices are expected to fall less than anticipated and rise into 2024, according to a Reuters poll, due to factors such as high savings, limited supply, and rising immigration. However, this poses challenges for first-time homebuyers and rental affordability is expected to worsen.
More than 80 percent of prospective homebuyers nationwide consider climate risks when shopping for a home, with millennials being the most considerate generation, according to data from Zillow.
A record 23 billion-dollar disasters in the United States so far this year highlight the country's struggle to adapt to the effects of climate change and the limitations of its defenses, with growing costs from disasters reflecting not only global warming but also the limitations of the federal government's efforts to increase resilience and the challenges of implementing stricter building codes.
Millions of American homeowners are facing increasing insurance costs and reduced coverage due to climate change-related risks, with properties in high-risk areas potentially becoming overvalued as insurance underprices the risk, according to a new analysis from the First Street Foundation.
A new study warns of a looming "climate insurance bubble" in Florida, which could result in rising insurance rates and declining property values due to the increasing risks of hurricanes and other climate-driven disasters.
The increase in hazardous areas, climate change, and bad policy have led to a growing number of properties in America becoming uninsurable, with insurers pulling out of vulnerable areas and homeowners facing rising rates and canceled policies.
The global risk of housing bubbles has significantly decreased in 2023, with only two out of 25 cities surveyed being at risk, down from nine in previous reports, due to rising interest rates and the end of cheap financing in the real estate sector.
Climate change is posing risks to the construction of upscale homes in Hong Kong's Redhill Peninsula, as heavy rainfall caused landslides and buildings to be perilously close to the edge, demonstrating that even costly and well-constructed homes can be vulnerable to extreme weather events.
A climate-risk intelligence firm has warned that some of the most overvalued housing markets in the US, particularly in California and Florida, are at high risk of climate-related damage from extreme weather events, leading to potential losses of $1.3 trillion to $2.2 trillion in a market rationalization.
A non-profit research group has found that nearly a quarter of all properties in the continental United States are overvalued due to a climate-insurance bubble inflated by government subsidization, with private insurers leaving risky markets and homeowners turning to state-backed insurers of last resort; policymakers should allow private insurers to set actuarially sound rates to deter reckless building and ensure the financial burden of living in high-risk areas is shouldered by those who enjoy the benefits.
Home prices have decreased in several major cities, but many remain overvalued and at risk of entering a housing bubble, according to a UBS report, with Zurich and Tokyo being identified as the most overvalued markets. UBS defines a bubble as a sustained mispricing of an asset, and factors such as price-to-income and price-to-rent ratios were used to determine the rankings. While some cities have seen a drop in prices, a housing shortage could lead to a renewed boom if interest rates fall.
Florida has surpassed New York as the second most valuable housing market in the United States, with its residential property values increasing by $160 billion in the past year due to increased demand from residents escaping high taxes, rising crime rates, and COVID-19 restrictions.
The current housing market is so unaffordable that only three extreme scenarios, including a 55% spike in US incomes, would return it to pre-pandemic affordability.
The housing market is currently considered overvalued, with homes selling above their long-term prices in most major markets, but experts disagree on whether this indicates a housing bubble or if high prices are justified due to the housing shortage and strong demand. The fear of buying at the peak of the market and concerns about rising mortgage rates are factors influencing buyer decisions, but if rates come down, it could lead to an increase in prices. While there is a possibility of a price correction, most experts do not expect another housing crash like the one experienced during the Great Recession.
Many young Americans are concerned about the difficulty of purchasing a home due to the high cost of real estate and stagnant salaries, particularly in cities experiencing intense gentrification, with Los Angeles, California seeing the largest increase in housing prices at 23.8% since September 2022, followed by San Diego, California and Richmond, California.
The dream of homeownership in the U.S. is becoming increasingly challenging, with factors such as escalating interest rates, surging property prices, and mounting insurance expenses making housing less accessible across all states, according to recent data from the National Association of Realtors and a study by Moody's.
