Natural disasters

In the worst-case scenario, $1.8 trillion in reconstruction costs could result from coastal storms in 2019, even as hurricane experts predict a near-normal year for this season, according to CoreLogic.

Congress extended the National Flood Insurance Program through June 14, preventing the federal initiative from expiring on Saturday.

The distressed mortgage market continues to dry up, with delinquencies shriveling to a record low rate and foreclosure filings dropping annually for 10 consecutive months.

The potential for longer homeowner recovery times from hurricanes could hurt mortgage companies that need to advance funds to investors from missed payments.

Strong levels of employment and continued economic expansion drove February's mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures to 20-year lows, according to CoreLogic.

Hurricane Michael killed seven people and caused more than $6 billion in damage in Florida in October, a toll compounded by warmer, higher seas and wetter air, the signs of climate change scientists have long warned about.

Steady interest rates could lift the housing market going forward, but for now there is an ongoing slump in single-family home construction authorizations along with maintenance and remodeling activity, according to BuildFax.

As the dangers of global warming lead to heightened natural disasters, those disasters result, at least temporarily, in a higher amount of mortgage defaults. From Texas to the nation's capital, these are the 12 most hazard-prone housing markets, according to Redfin.

With a strong job market and low interest rates, the mortgage delinquency rate fell to its lowest January level in at least 20 years.

Sonoma County's housing market started the year the way it finished 2018 — in decline as buyers remain content to sit tight as sellers reduce home prices.

Real estate experts think homebuilders should prevent natural disasters with better strategies, but this could drive up already rising prices and hurt buyer affordability, according to Zillow.

Strong loan performance continued into December as all delinquency stages fell annually behind equity gains and the sustained rise of home prices, according to CoreLogic.

A strong spring home purchase season is likely to further increase mortgage loan application defect risk, which already spiked in the past two months, according to First American.

Private flood insurance rules that go into effect this summer have a safe harbor for some policies, but determining whether others are compliant could be a time-consuming, imprecise and costly exercise.

The House Financial Services Committee will hold eight hearings next month, looking at Wells Fargo's recent consumer protection scandals, a reauthorization of the flood insurance program and more.

Mortgage delinquencies in the fourth quarter were at their lowest level in nearly 19 years, helped by wage growth, low household debt and low unemployment, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Mortgage loan performance remained strong in November as serious delinquencies fell to their lowest reported level since before the housing bubble burst, according to CoreLogic.

Depository mortgage lenders are optimistic the final version of a regulation designed to open up the flood insurance market will make it easier for them to comply with a rule requiring them to accept private carrier policies.

Mortgage application defect risk was at its highest level in four years because of higher interest rates as well as natural disasters during the latter part of 2018, according to First American.

The distressed real estate market has bounced back from the housing bubble as most foreclosures are due to natural disasters, according to Attom Data Solutions.