Whether you're looking at buying a home, selling, or simply planning ahead, there are plenty of factors to consider, from budget to the neighborhood. Recently, a more novel concern has come up: changing climates have become more of a pressing issue when it comes to homeownership—when moving, how can you learn more about the potential risks associated with your area?
Realtor.com just launched a solution: Introducing three new climate risk factor scores to their website, their new tool is designed to help homeowners and potential buyers understand the long-term impacts of climate change on homes. If you’re hoping to get a better sense of your neighborhood's climate, you can use Realtor.com’s website to select a risk factor and see how it could be affected in 15 and 30 years.
The 3 Climate Factors to Consider
The first risk factor Realtor.com displays is the Heat Factor, which displays a heat risk score that ranges from 1 (minimal) to 10 (extreme). Potential buyers and homeowners will be able to view predicted average high temperatures for the typical hottest months in the area, so you can determine how the climate of the area could change after you purchase your home. Realtor.com’s report estimates that just over 30% of homes in the U.S. may face a significant risk of heat exposure.
The tool also analyzes Wind Factor, aka how likely wind damage is in your area. To do this, Realtor.com again uses a scale of 1 to 10, with the Wind Factor risk focusing on homes that are predicted to be exposed to winds over 50 mph—enough to cause potential damage to a home. Realtor.com estimates that around 18% of homes in the U.S. are likely to face hurricane wind damage.
The final factor Realtor.com considers is Air Factor, which examines how the air quality could change for a particular home overtime. It looks at predicted low air quality days where the Air Quality Index reaches over 100 to assign a home a risk score from 1 to 10. Again, this risk factor shows predictions up to 30 years ahead. Realtor.com’s report states that around 9% of U.S. homes could experience severely poor air quality in 2024.
For buyers still deciding on the ideal location for their next home (or homeowners wondering what the climate will look like for their neighborhood in the future), Realtor.com’s climate risk factor scores can help you understand the risks and changes their home may face. This gives you the opportunity to plan and prepare for these changes and understand more about the environment you live in.
To use Realtor.com’s climate risk factor assessment, visit Realtor.com’s official website. You’ll be able to find all three risk factors and switch between them for any given listing to learn more about the longterm risks associated with a particular listing.