Blog

Hedge funds increasingly need validated data for modern investment strategies

Real estate investors have identified a strong duality within the industry. U.S. real estate has the potential to be one of the most valuable assets on the market, however, as far as tech-savvy investing goes, it’s also a particularly antiquated market. Our very own Chris Schaum spoke to this contrast at BattleFin, a conference that... Read More

Recovery following Florence is different from past storms

It’s in the best interest of North Carolina carriers to closely monitor Hurricane Florence recovery. Florence, which made landfall in September 2018, confirmed a recent trend in hurricane activity –a hurricane’s category no longer tells the whole story. In the days before Hurricane Florence reached North Carolina, it was downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane... Read More

Housing Market Experiences Declines Across Key Indicators for the Second Consecutive Month, According to BuildFax’s Housing Health Report

Each month, BuildFax releases its Housing Health Report (BHHR), which delivers a macro view of the economic trends affecting the U.S. housing market. This month’s report showed continued declines across new and existing housing activity, following blanket declines in November. Furthermore, the trailing three-month outlook for single-family housing authorizations was negative, contrasting last month’s positive... Read More

January catastrophe reinsurance renewals highlight need for innovation

January catastrophe reinsurance renewals are in the books. In aggregate, reinsurance renewal outcomes were stable across the U.S. However, as BuildFax predicted a few months ago, catastrophe reinsurance renewals were disproportionally impacted by loss-hit accounts. A recent report from Willis Re found that carriers without catastrophe losses left these discussions with renewal rates that ranged... Read More

3 Major Housing Market Trends in 2018 Spurred by Affordability Issues

Housing affordability issues plaguing the U.S. have reached recent highs this year. In July, reports surfaced that purchasing a home in the U.S. is less affordable than it has been in decades. Not only have home prices skyrocketed, but average wage earners are needing to spend more than 30 percent of their income (historical average... Read More

Carriers Brace for Change as Shifts in Weather Impact Risk

In the last decade, 2018’s hurricane season has ranked third for damage costs behind Hurricane Sandy in 2015 and the combined effects of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in 2017. This year’s hurricanes hit Florida for the second year in a row, as well as the Carolinas, highlighting a crucial developing trend in weather activity.... Read More

Blanket Declines Across Residential Authorizations, Maintenance and Remodels, BuildFax Housing Health Report Finds

Each month, BuildFax releases its Housing Health Report (BHHR), which delivers a macro view of the economic trends affecting the U.S. housing market. This month’s report discovered, for the first time since 2011, there were declines across new and existing housing supply. The data reveals a decrease in seasonally adjusted, year-over-year single-family housing authorizations, remodeling... Read More

Amid Camp Fire, Carriers Can Speed Recovery Efforts with Property-Level Data

Camp Fire claimed at least 153,000 acres and more than 14,000 structures in Butte County. According to BuildFax data, maintenance activity – construction performed on properties – in the area increased 8.57 percent year to date compared to January through October 2017. This suggests carriers may not have accurate assessments of the wildfire’s true damage... Read More

Where are ADU’s Most Prevalent? BuildFax Housing Health Report Investigates

Each month, BuildFax releases its Housing Health Report (BHHR), which delivers a macro view of the economic trends affecting the U.S. housing market. This month’s report revealed a leveling off of seasonally adjusted, single-family housing authorizations, but a ramp-up in remodeling spend and maintenance activity. These factors suggest that while new construction is slowing, many... Read More

Home Improvement Spend is Projected to Increase Across Major U.S. Cities

Homeowners are anticipated to spend 5 percent more on home improvement this year in 41 of 50 major U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), a Harvard University initiative that researches housing issues relevant to public policy. The report also predicts residential remodel spend will grow at... Read More