Insurance whoa's

[db5]

Had a similar situation about 5 years ago. So I insured the house but not the roof until I replaced it. They agreed to write the policy (at a reduced rate). The next year I upgraded the policy to have replacement cost, rather than the amount it was insured fore previously; this cost more money. During the next year hail destroyed the roofs on every house in this addition. Also windows were broken and a lot of other bad stuff. They replaced the roof because the house was insured for replacement. The next time the policy became due the agent sent me a new disclosure form to sign. Since I read everything before signing I noticed she had falsified some information to get me to sign a fraudulent document; I think the plan was to come back on me with legal action for their error in replacing the roof. I corrected the document and mailed it back.

In your case they may be trying you to pay for a roof replacement before hail damages it and they have to replace it. It's all about taking in money and making sure very little goes out.

See if they will insure without roof coverage. The cost to you will be the same but at least that gives you 8-10 years to save the money to replace it.

[tomsalwasser]

Last year or was it 2, my homeowners insurance went up 25%. I have never made a claim ever, over many years of paying in. My independant agent said it was because the insurance company had a lot of storm claims the previous year and since insurance companies never lose money, they just jack everybody up. Charlie my agent moved me to AAA insurance (you know, the Auto Club people). If you haven't checked AAA, they are very competitive. So my insurance goes back down to even lower than it was before.

After I drop my old insurance, AAA sends out an inspector (an independant contractor) and he found some things they didn't like. I had 9 months to fix them or they would drop me. Well it cost me a few grand to make some repairs that were needed but not urgent in my mind. Now that it's over and done with I'm happy.

But what really gripes me is the amount of insurance they make me carry. Way more than my house is worth. But they set the rules.

[letterk]

Last year or was it 2, my homeowners insurance went up 25%. I have never made a claim ever, over many years of paying in. My independant agent said it was because the insurance company had a lot of storm claims the previous year and since insurance companies never lose money, they just jack everybody up. Charlie my agent moved me to AAA insurance (you know, the Auto Club people). If you haven't checked AAA, they are very competitive. So my insurance goes back down to even lower than it was before.

After I drop my old insurance, AAA sends out an inspector (an independant contractor) and he found some things they didn't like. I had 9 months to fix them or they would drop me. Well it cost me a few grand to make some repairs that were needed but not urgent in my mind. Now that it's over and done with I'm happy.

But what really gripes me is the amount of insurance they make me carry. Way more than my house is worth. But they set the rules.

Well, I in the same neck of the woods as you and a lot of the houses built in the late 90s/early 2000s were built with organic shingles. A storm came through in 2007 and the insurance companies probably replaced 75% of the roofs due to bad manufactured shingles. It was the shingle manufacturers fault, but the storm did them in.

Last year a hail storm came through again and 50% of roofs were replaced along with siding too. I probably could have replaced my roof too, but I let them adjust my deductible to one percent. The new push for minimum deductibles are $1500 or 1% so you are less likely to claim.

I look at areas where severe weather is the norm and look at how many times insurance companies have covered damage. At some point, they'll save enough is enough. I had to switch to AAA too because my last renewal was more than double 3 years earlier with a 1% deductible instead of $1000.

[Ed in Tampa]

Well, I in the same neck of the woods as you and a lot of the houses built in the late 90s/early 2000s were built with organic shingles. A storm came through in 2007 and the insurance companies probably replaced 75% of the roofs due to bad manufactured shingles. It was the shingle manufacturers fault, but the storm did them in.

Last year a hail storm came through again and 50% of roofs were replaced along with siding too. I probably could have replaced my roof too, but I let them adjust my deductible to one percent. The new push for minimum deductibles are $1500 or 1% so you are less likely to claim.

I look at areas where severe weather is the norm and look at how many times insurance companies have covered damage. At some point, they'll save enough is enough. I had to switch to AAA too because my last renewal was more than double 3 years earlier with a 1% deductible instead of $1000.

Talk about deductibles that is another gotcha here in Florida. In florida we get a Hurrican rider which nearly equals the replacement cost of the policy. But it is written that if a Hurricane comes through your deductible goes up. I think they have 2% of house value which is very expensive up to 5% deductible which is lower. However this means even if the Hurricane never hits you but a tornado that spawns off and damages your house you have to pay up to the 5% of the house in deductible before they pay a cent. Oh and the Hurricane does not cover screen enclosures which many of us have for pools or sitting areas.

Say your house if valued at $200K that means the hurricane deductible is $10,000 you can put a roof on most houses for that.

So where I'm at in Florida my insurance is x for replacement insurance, plus a little less than x for hurricane insurance plus x again for sinkhole insurance.

I'm going to check out just getting Fire, thief, vandalism and liability insurance and not worry about the rest.

[dusty]

I think I would consider moving to some place where the winds are just winds and not tornadoes or hurricanes and the ground is stable enough to not become a sink hole. This probably would not relieve you of insurance cost issues though; insurance companies do business the same every where. That is to say "They are all there to make/save money".

[swampgator]

Ed, up here in the panhandle, we have the same rules. Another, if your house has fuses, they won't insure. If the windows are over 50 years old, they won't insure or require it to be part of the deductible. I live 96 feet above sea level and they require that I have flood insurance because I live 2 miles as the crow flies from the bay. By the time the water would reach me, all of Pensacola would be flooded. Like you the roof must be replaced every 15 years no matter the warranty time. I had Southern Insurance and they sent a little girl fresh out of college. I was reworking the windows, replacing broken or chipped panes and she took one look and said that our house did not match their criteria. Ivan blew through and trashed most of the area. I suffered no loss. Everyone around us got a new roof within 6 months. To get insurance would cost me $5000 per year with a $5000 deductible. So why bother. My house and I are the same age. Inspectors have been here when the house was rewired, replumbed, reroofed and all passes inspection. Most of these old house built in the 1930's to 1960's are not insurable. You can't even get a line of credit on your house. A neighbor spent a lot of time finding liability insurance. Within in 3 blocks, there are 5 houses with no insurance because it is not available or too expensive. And, our governor was going to fix all that. LOL Everyday I pray for the good people of this wonderful state that they won't have sinkholes, tornadoes or hurricanes. Many folks are uninsured. My house was roofed in 2001, but not it is pushing the limit. Need to get a new on in a couple of years. And, you can't do it yourself, either. Many left Florida after all the hurricanes a few years ago. Thinking of doing it myself.

Another caveat of Florida homeowners is that many folks who built along lakes, bayous and other low places where the water pushed inland during hurricanes did not replace their houses. They have beautiful residences but the insurance company would not pay sufficiently to rebuild. Some got half the value of the house, some in lawsuits for 5 years or more. Many of those houses built after 1980 are gone and the lots sit empty.

[damagi]

Ed, up here in the panhandle, we have the same rules. Another, if your house has fuses, they won't insure. If the windows are over 50 years old, they won't insure or require it to be part of the deductible. I live 96 feet above sea level and they require that I have flood insurance because I live 2 miles as the crow flies from the bay. By the time the water would reach me, all of Pensacola would be flooded. Like you the roof must be replaced every 15 years no matter the warranty time. I had Southern Insurance and they sent a little girl fresh out of college. I was reworking the windows, replacing broken or chipped panes and she took one look and said that our house did not match their criteria. Ivan blew through and trashed most of the area. I suffered no loss. Everyone around us got a new roof within 6 months. To get insurance would cost me $5000 per year with a $5000 deductible. So why bother. My house and I are the same age. Inspectors have been here when the house was rewired, replumbed, reroofed and all passes inspection. Most of these old house built in the 1930's to 1960's are not insurable. You can't even get a line of credit on your house. A neighbor spent a lot of time finding liability insurance. Within in 3 blocks, there are 5 houses with no insurance because it is not available or too expensive. And, our governor was going to fix all that. LOL Everyday I pray for the good people of this wonderful state that they won't have sinkholes, tornadoes or hurricanes. Many folks are uninsured. My house was roofed in 2001, but not it is pushing the limit. Need to get a new on in a couple of years. And, you can't do it yourself, either. Many left Florida after all the hurricanes a few years ago. Thinking of doing it myself.

Another caveat of Florida homeowners is that many folks who built along lakes, bayous and other low places where the water pushed inland during hurricanes did not replace their houses. They have beautiful residences but the insurance company would not pay sufficiently to rebuild. Some got half the value of the house, some in lawsuits for 5 years or more. Many of those houses built after 1980 are gone and the lots sit empty.

yeah, but that's how you get to end up with places like this guy:
http://binged.it/ZtISyU

[tomsalwasser]

... check out just getting Fire, thief, vandalism and liability insurance and not worry about the rest.

That would be great, let me know what you find out. I asked my agent about it a while back and he said they don't offer anything like that so I didn't look any further. The only tools I have to lower my premium seem to be switching companies or raising the deductible and both have limited impact.

[swampgator]

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=p2nj90 ... orm=LMLTCC

OK, this owner and several surrounding properties are high on a hill, are Arabs who own local businesse. These houses are valued at a few million dollars. One house very much like this was under construction at the time of Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The insurance would not pay for the damages, so it sat there for years until the city had it razed at the owner's expense. It was over $100,000 to have that new house removed and dumped in the local landfill.

I don't know about other parts of Florida, you can't change out a light switch, light fixture, outlet, faucet or any reroofing without a licensed contractor. YOu must pull a city/county permit to get it done and have it inspected, must be performed or overseen by a licensed contractor. Average folks like me who are retired can't afford all that. So, we do without. Had an inspector walk through and around the house just about 3 years ago. He suggested that I use hurricane straps on the rafters. So, I went to Lowe's and was going to purchase them. They wanted my contractor's license. When I didn't have one, they would not sell the hurricane straps to me. It's a job I could easily do myself. I'd be very happy to have it inspected, but can't afford to have it done.

FEMA was helping families have that done to their houses. Homeowners had to have insurance, pay 25% of the cost as long as a licensed contractor did it. Oh, well, I'll live with it as long as I can and when I have the funds, will get it corrected. Yep, that's life as a retired federal employee.

[Ed in Tampa]

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=p2nj90 ... orm=LMLTCC

OK, this owner and several surrounding properties are high on a hill, are Arabs who own local businesse. These houses are valued at a few million dollars. One house very much like this was under construction at the time of Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The insurance would not pay for the damages, so it sat there for years until the city had it razed at the owner's expense. It was over $100,000 to have that new house removed and dumped in the local landfill.

I don't know about other parts of Florida, you can't change out a light switch, light fixture, outlet, faucet or any reroofing without a licensed contractor. YOu must pull a city/county permit to get it done and have it inspected, must be performed or overseen by a licensed contractor. Average folks like me who are retired can't afford all that. So, we do without. Had an inspector walk through and around the house just about 3 years ago. He suggested that I use hurricane straps on the rafters. So, I went to Lowe's and was going to purchase them. They wanted my contractor's license. When I didn't have one, they would not sell the hurricane straps to me. It's a job I could easily do myself. I'd be very happy to have it inspected, but can't afford to have it done.

FEMA was helping families have that done to their houses. Homeowners had to have insurance, pay 25% of the cost as long as a licensed contractor did it. Oh, well, I'll live with it as long as I can and when I have the funds, will get it corrected. Yep, that's life as a retired federal employee.

Swampgator
Something is wrong somewhere. Lowes here sell hurricane straps to anyone. Also you don't have to allow any city or state inspector into your house. They can get a court order but they have to show cause for doing it and just wanting to see what you did on this inside is not cause.
As for electricity you can do what you want, but your insurance may not cover you if they can prove the insurance claim was started by what you did. You can not do this is someone else's house unless you have a license.

My son in law was a General Contractor and the only people we licenses were HVAC, Plumber, and Electrician. Everyone else could be from off the street. HOwever on new construction the inspector can come into the house and they do. checking every hurrican clip, every board is nail down and things like that.

Many people hear of the devastation in South Florida with hurricane Antony back in late 90's. What most stories don't tell is a lot of the roof sheating wasn't nailed down on those roofs. When the wind came in it picked up 4x8 sheets of ply that was held down with the tar paper and shingles. I went down there to help and there were hundreds of 4x8 sheets of ply with tar paper and shingles laying all over the place. The builder just laid the sheets on the roof and shingled over them. So to compensate for such idiots Florida lawmakers went nuts.

The new wind codes even dictate the amount of roof overhang. So if you want to build a house with good overhand to shade the house walls you can't it now had to be less than 12 inches. Also trying to get a normal gable end roof inspected is almost impossible. They want all roofs to be hip roofs. Sliding glass doors are hard to get approved if over 6 feet wide and the list goes on and on. Crazy just because some fly by night builder in south florida wanting to save money built a whole communitee hundreds of houses but never nailed down the roof sheating.