CoreLogic® Releases First Quarter 2012 Multifamily Applicant Risk Index Report

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, today announced that CoreLogic SafeRent®, provider of the nation's leading suite of screening and risk management services designed for the multifamily housing industry, released its first quarter 2012 multifamily applicant risk (MAR) index report. The first quarter MAR Index value increased one point from the fourth quarter 2011 and three points from a year ago, indicating an increase in national renter credit quality and slightly better applicant pool.

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The MAR Index for first quarter 2012 is based exclusively on applicant traffic credit quality scores from the CoreLogic SafeRent statistical lease screening model (Registry ScorePLUS®) and is updated quarterly to provide property owners and managers with a benchmark against which to evaluate their applicant credit quality trends against market based MAR Index trends. This comparison indicates the relative strength of their property portfolio to attract and secure applicants with higher credit quality and an increased likelihood of fulfilling lease obligations.

When comparing applicants for one- versus two-bedroom units, the first quarter 2012 MAR Index is slightly higher for one-bedroom units at 102, compared with 101 for two-bedroom units (see Graph 1).

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Regionally, the South and Midwest reflected the lowest MAR Index, each with values of 98, a one point increase from the fourth quarter 2011. The Northeast continues to maintain the highest MAR Index with a value of 111 (see Table 1).

Table 1: Regional Multifamily Applicant Risk Index Data
Region	Q1 2012	Q4 2011	Change from Q4 2011 to Q1 2012	Q1 2011	Change from Q1 2011 to Q1 2012
Midwest	98	97	1	97	1
Northeast	111	110	1	110	1
South	98	97	1	95	3
West	107	107	0	104	3
U.S.	102	101	1	99	3

 

The three Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) with the steepest decreases in the MAR Index were Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio, Ky., Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; and Birmingham-Hoover, Ala.; each with decreases of three points. The three MSAs with the greatest increases in the MAR Index were Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill., Ind., Wis.; Denver-Aurora, Colo.; and Salt Lake City, Utah; each with increases of four points (see Table 2).

  Understanding the Multifamily Applicant Risk Index (MAR Index)
The MAR Index is published quarterly by CoreLogic SafeRent. It provides trends of national and regional traffic credit quality scores whereby a lower index value indicates an applicant pool with a higher risk of not fulfilling lease obligations. A MAR Index value of 100 indicates that market conditions are equal to the national mean for the index's base period of 2004. A MAR Index value greater than 100 indicates market conditions with reduced average risk of default relative to the index's base period mean. A value less than 100 indicates market conditions with increased average risk of default relative to the index's base period mean. The MAR Index is derived from the statistical screening model from CoreLogic SafeRent, which is the multifamily industry's only screening model that is both empirically derived and statistically validated. The statistical screening model was developed from historical resident lease performance data to specifically evaluate the potential risk of a resident's future lease performance. The model generates scores for each applicant indicating the relative risk of the applicant not fulfilling lease obligations. A lower score indicates a more risky applicant.

CoreLogic SafeRent provides the nation's leading and most innovative suite of screening and risk management services designed for the multifamily housing industry. CoreLogic SafeRent offers a single source for resident screening services, renters insurance programs, analytics and automated lease and document generation. Landlords and property management companies who manage over 6 million apartment homes, rely on CoreLogic SafeRent every day to assist them in screening residents to meet their community standards and maximize profitability. CoreLogic SafeRent leads the industry in innovations and enhancements designed to make the decision process faster, easier and more accurate. To receive the MAR Index data for your Metropolitan Statistical Area or if you have questions, contact CoreLogic SafeRent at [email protected].

About CoreLogic
CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX) is a leading provider of consumer, financial and property information, analytics and services to business and government. The Company combines public, contributory and proprietary data to develop predictive decision analytics and provide business services that bring dynamic insight and transparency to the markets it serves. CoreLogic has built one of the largest and most comprehensive U.S. real estate, mortgage application, fraud, and loan performance databases and is a recognized leading provider of mortgage and automotive credit reporting, property tax, valuation, flood determination, and geospatial analytics and services. More than one million users rely on CoreLogic to assess risk, support underwriting, investment and marketing decisions, prevent fraud, and improve business performance in their daily operations. The Company, headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., has approximately 5,000 employees globally. For more information, visit www.corelogic.com.

CORELOGIC, the stylized CoreLogic logo, SAFERENT and REGISTRY SCOREPLUS are registered trademarks owned by CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. No trademark of CoreLogic shall be used without the express written consent of CoreLogic.

SOURCE CoreLogic