Climate disasters drive up premiums for high-end homes, impacting buyers and sellers

  • Luxury homeowners face surging insurance costs due to climate disasters in high-risk areas
  • Insurers pull back from states like Florida and California
  • Insurance premiums for luxury homes increased by 130% between mid-2020 and mid-2024
  • Luxury homeowners turn to specialty insurance companies
  • Some homeowners drop protection or self-insure due to high costs

Luxury homeowners are facing surging insurance costs due to their properties’ locations in areas prone to climate disasters. Insurers have pulled back from states like Florida and California, leading some to turn to less regulated specialty insurance companies. Premiums for luxury homes have increased by 130% between mid-2020 and mid-2024, while those for lower-priced homes only rose 12%. Homeowners in high-risk areas may drop protection or self-insure to cope with the costs.

Factuality Level: 7
Factuality Justification: The article provides a detailed account of the rising insurance premiums affecting luxury homes, supported by specific examples and quotes from industry professionals. However, it includes some anecdotal evidence and personal opinions that could be seen as subjective, which slightly detracts from its overall objectivity.·
Noise Level: 7
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about the rising insurance premiums for luxury homes in high-risk areas, supported by data and quotes from industry experts. It discusses the implications of these trends on homeowners and the insurance market, holding powerful entities accountable. However, it could benefit from deeper analysis of long-term trends and actionable insights for readers.·
Public Companies: Citizens Financial Group (CFG)
Private Companies: Corcoran Group,AssuredPartners
Key People: Ryan Harper (Homeowner), Dale Porfilio (Chief Insurance Officer at the Insurance Information Institute), Paulette Koch (Luxury Real-Estate Broker at Corcoran Group), Eric Schuppenhauer (Former Head of Consumer Lending at Citizens), Robert Kerdasha (Director at AssuredPartners), Sandra Beckett (Homeowner), Katja Pekrun (Homeowner)


Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Insurance industry and luxury real estate market
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses the increase in home insurance premiums, particularly for luxury homes, which impacts both the insurance industry and the luxury real estate market. The surge in premiums has led to challenges for homeowners and potential buyers, with some companies pulling out of high-risk areas like Florida and California. This can affect the decision-making process for buying or selling luxury properties and might lead to changes in the market dynamics.
Presence Of Extreme Event: Yes
Nature Of Extreme Event: Natural Disaster
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Major
Extreme Rating Justification: The article discusses the impact of Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, which has caused significant property damage estimated at $26 billion. This event has led to major concerns in the insurance market, particularly affecting homeowners in high-risk areas like Florida and California.·
Move Size: No market move size mentioned.
Sector: Real Estate
Direction: Up
Magnitude: Large
Affected Instruments: Stocks

Reported publicly: www.wsj.com