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 cos...
Jul 16, 2025•23 min
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 & Futur...
Jul 02, 2025•36 min
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 de...
Jun 18, 2025•30 min
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 stat...
Jun 04, 2025•29 min
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...
May 07, 2025•20 min
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, collaborat...
Apr 30, 2025•33 min
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 affordabilit...
Apr 30, 2025•21 min
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...
Mar 05, 2025•30 min
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 ma...
Feb 19, 2025•33 min
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:...
Feb 05, 2025•24 min
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 s...
Jan 22, 2025•28 min
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 R...
Jan 15, 2025•31 min
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 f...
Dec 11, 2024•32 min
The appraisal industry is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades, blending innovation with tradition to reshape how appraisers value real estate. As the appraisal industry enters a new era driven by technology and changing consumer expectations, advancements like AI-powered valuation tools, as well as desktop and hybrid appraisals may provide an avenue for the industry to offer transparency and lighten some of the cumbersome, paperwork-laden processes that define current stand...
Nov 27, 2024•29 min
As the U.S. looks ahead to Donald Trump once again taking office in January, the real estate and housing industry is watching closely. Given Trump’s previous term and recent rhetoric on the campaign trail, when the president-elect returns to the White House on January 20, the property market landscape could shift dramatically. A Trump administration has historically leaned toward deregulation, favoring less federal oversight. This could mean a rollback of initiatives championed by the previous B...
Nov 13, 2024•25 min
From soaring mortgage rates to climate risks, the economic landscape of buying a home is filled with uncertainties that could terrify even the most seasoned investor. Whether it’s government policies or technological innovations, there are a wide variety of external factors that wield immense influence over the trajectory of the property market. As investors, homeowners, and property professionals alike grapple with these challenges, understanding the impact of demographic shifts, natural catast...
Oct 30, 2024•32 min
In recent years, cybercrime has surged across nearly every industry, with real estate emerging as a prime target for hackers. The shift toward digital transactions, coupled with the sensitive nature of real estate data, has made the sector a lucrative focus for cybercriminals. From wire fraud to data breaches, the threats are evolving, posing significant risks to real estate agents, brokers, title companies, and even buyers and sellers. Among the most pervasive issues is social engineering. Thes...
Oct 16, 2024•33 min
Over the next few years, it's estimated that nearly a trillion dollars will be spent on data centers, semiconductors, and power grid upgrades. And this is all just to meet the growing computational needs of AI technologies. In fact, industry estimates suggest that global data center capacity could double by 2030, but this growth is far from straightforward. As AI technologies like generative AI continue to expand, the infrastructure needed to support them is growing at an unprecedented rate. How...
Oct 02, 2024•24 min
Affordability remains a persistent challenge in the U.S. housing market. With increasing concerns over housing costs, particularly post-pandemic, the affordability crisis has grown to affect millions of households across the country. With nearly one-third of American households now considered cost burdened, the crisis has reached national prominence, even making its way into recent presidential addresses. In this episode of Core Conversations, CoreLogic Senior Vice President of Public Policy and...
Sep 18, 2024•27 min
As cities across the country grapple with the rise of platforms like Airbnb and VRBO, the implications for the property industry are becoming more complex. How do you accurately value a property that doubles as a business? What happens when local regulations change? Despite the lingering questions in the industry, the rising demand for vacation homes and the allure of short-term rental platforms have carved out a significant niche in the market. However, their increasing popularity brings new ch...
Sep 04, 2024•28 min
Extreme heat doesn’t just challenge our physical endurance; it has a ripple effect on nearly every aspect of our lives. From contributing to the intensification of natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires to affecting property values, insurance risks, and even migration patterns, rising temperatures are worth paying attention to. As natural disasters continue to accelerate in pace and intensity, it’s becoming clear that both homeowners and businesses must adapt to a new normal—one where e...
Aug 21, 2024•28 min
Have you ever wondered what happens to communities when climate change forces people to move? The economic and social ramifications are both complex and far-reaching. From community fragmentation to insurers potentially refusing coverage in high-risk areas, there are profound consequences stemming from not adapting to a climate in which natural disasters are accelerating. Dr. Kaitlin Raimi, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, has researched the multifaceted nat...
Aug 07, 2024•23 min
Ever wondered how a hurricane might impact the financial sector, or why granular data on property locations is essential? Curious about how these findings might influence future governmental policies and corporate risk management strategies? The Federal Reserve Board (FRB) was too. This year, the FRB asked six major U.S. banks to scrutinize their resilience to physical climate risks. This pilot study aimed to understand the financial stability of the mortgage loan ecosystem in the face of accele...
Jul 24, 2024•28 min
As the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, the climate signals are anything but typical. The transition from El Niño to La Niña and unprecedented sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic have meteorologists and communities paying close attention to the potential severity and frequency of this year's hurricane potential. Warmer ocean temperatures can fuel more intense hurricanes that cause widespread destruction, including severe flooding and wind damage, as well as long-term economic and ...
Jul 10, 2024•26 min
As the landscape of the housing market continues to evolve, one topic continues to remain at the forefront: affordability. It’s a topic we frequently explore on this podcast because it touches every facet of the property market, including the rising costs of construction. With more people moving to more affordable regions, there’s a notable impact on both home prices and the costs associated with building new homes. As inflation remains elevated, people are migrating to more affordable areas, an...
Jun 26, 2024•23 min
As the frequency and severity of natural catastrophes intensify, the need to strengthen the resiliency of communities against these perils is increasingly urgent. Building codes are a critical tool in this endeavor. However, their adoption and enforcement vary significantly across states. A recent report from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) underscores the lack of uniformity in building code implementation among states vulnerable to hurricanes. While some states, like...
Jun 12, 2024•22 min
A full 67% of IT senior leaders are prioritizing generative AI for their businesses, according to Salesforce data . This statistic underscores the growing importance of AI in today's business landscape and highlights the urgency of understanding its implications. Although AI is not new technology, over the past couple of years, it has reshaped industries . But with its rise comes a myriad of questions and concerns, ranging from technical complexities to ethical implications. From forecasting flo...
May 29, 2024•24 min
As housing prices remain elevated , it's crucial to examine the other side of the coin, where worries about affordability linger despite the substantial equity many homeowners have amassed. In a housing market characterized by high prices, soaring equity, and ballooning consumer debt, it is worth examining mortgage delinquency and foreclosure rates , which are currently hovering around historic lows. But what's behind this trend, and what does it signify for the future of the housing market and ...
May 15, 2024•26 min
Whether you're valuing, insuring, underwriting or even simply buying and selling real estate, understanding the nuances of property valuation is crucial. But why do homes have so many different values and what role does each value play in the grand scheme of things? From market value to insurable value to the cost approach, who you are and what type of value you’re looking for plays a pivotal role in how you consider property values. But then there is the world of unconventional homes like barnd...
May 01, 2024•25 min
On March 6, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sent shockwaves through the financial world by mandating that publicly traded companies disclose details about how climate change affects their businesses. However, this rule hit a roadblock on April 4 when legal challenges led the SEC to pause the implementation timeline, throwing compliance requirements into uncertainty. While the future of this rule is in limbo, the implications of such a mandate for businesses, investors, and the...
Apr 17, 2024•25 min
