Home insurers are increasingly pulling out of California and Florida due to rising construction costs, growing catastrophe exposure, a challenging reinsurance market, and insurance companies facing higher costs from extreme events, leading to concerns over homeowners insurance availability and costs and potentially impacting housing markets in both states.
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.
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.
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.
The housing markets in Lubbock, Sunnyvale, and Worcester have been identified as the most overpriced in the United States based on metrics such as sales-to-list ratio and the percentage of homes sold above asking price.
Deadly wildfires in Hawaii and a historic hurricane in Florida have caused significant damage and brought insurance risks to homeowners' attention, leading insurers to reconsider their risk exposure and potentially leave certain markets, creating an affordability crisis for insurance.
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.
The risk of insurance coverage changes due to climate-related events is high in coastal regions and is increasing in non-coastal areas, leading to potential financial hardships for homeowners.
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.
Tel Aviv's housing market is considered overvalued, but less so than previously, due to high interest rates and inflation impacting property prices, according to UBS's Global Real Estate Bubble Index for 2023. Tel Aviv, along with several other cities, is at risk of a market correction.
A new report by nonprofit First Street Foundation suggests that a quarter of residential properties in the U.S. are overvalued in relation to their climate risk, with homes in states like California and Florida being more vulnerable to damages from extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, fires, and earthquakes. The number of homes likely to be destroyed by fires each year is projected to double in the next 30 years, reaching nearly 34,000 in total, according to the research. The overvaluation of properties due to climate risk could potentially have disastrous consequences for the housing market, leading to a deflation of the climate bubble.
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.
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 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.
