“This is one area where there does appear to be convergence between Democrats and Republicans,” said UChicago professor Mike Albertus.

Shelter played a key role in January’s higher-than-expected consumer price index. A dwindling supply of apartments could add to that effect.

Home insurance premiums are 52% higher than they were in 2020, and the average homeowner is now putting about a third of their monthly payment to taxes and insurance.

In 2021, Sarah and Brandon Jones moved to a floating cabin on Lake Fontana in western North Carolina. Even after renovations, living on the water was cheaper than land.

Homeowners can speed up the process by paying for private debris removal, but that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

A new report by the First Street Foundation finds rising insurance costs and homeowners factoring in climate risk into purchase decisions could lower property values.

If demographics are destiny, then what’s happening here is eventually going to play out all over the country.

Zillow reported that Denver, San Antonio and Austin were the only metro areas where rents fell.

Cleveland, Milwaukee and Philadelphia saw the biggest rises. The Midwest remains a relative haven of affordability.

The home construction market has already been dealing with shortages of skilled labor and building materials, along with expensive construction loans. Those factors will add to the costs of rebuilding communities destroyed by fires.