[verobeach]

Originally Posted by mich2fla

You guys are getting hosed down in FL!

It'll be interesting to see if there are more rates increases next year without any hurricanes this year.

We pay $1,300/yr for a home valued at $500,000. Is this being hosed?

[mich2fla]

Originally Posted by ponytail

We pay $1,300/yr for a home valued at $500,000. Is this being hosed?

That's reasonable compared to most of the above posters. Where is your house located?

My wife's grandparents's homeowner insurance in Punta Gorda on the water is $2,400 a year on a 27 year old 2500sq ft home. No claims. It was $1,000 a year back in 2004. Not sure of the value.

My uncle in Lake Mary, FL with a 3 year old house, 2100 sq ft, not on water and is paying $3,200 a year. It was $825 back in 2004. He thinks his house is worth $375K.

They both have good credit and both homes are paid for.

[summergal]

Originally Posted by ponytail

We pay $1,300/yr for a home valued at $500,000. Is this being hosed?

That seems pretty unbelieveable given what most all of us are experiencing. Where do you live? Are you near the GA line? Certainly not in SF. How long have you been in this house?

[zee909]

Okay. Not really clear on what links are permitted here, but hope this one makes the cut. This is a map that allows you to compare rates from major insurers by zip code.
http://www.floridatoday.com/graphics...p_3/index.html

[summergal]

Our house is 1956 -900 sq' , valued ~130k in Pinellas. No claims, no flood zone, high and dry part of the county away from the beaches. Went from $700 up to +$1600 per year. Just HOI. A neighbor's is already over $3000... his policy renewal is ahead of ours by about 6 months. Very nervous about what our next increase will be

[vpcats]

Hi everyone:
I'm in Miami. My rates went from $2300 to $3816 to now a whopping $6842 for renewal in December. The house is from 1956 but solid, new roof after Andrew, shutters, alarm system, etc. I had Citizen's at first and they sold my policy to Gulfstream for 2006. My agent says I can't get anybody else. I'd like to know where all the insurance premiums from all the years that there were no hurricanes went. There are still dozens and dozens of homes in my area, not anywhere near the water, with the blue tarps. The insurers collect but don't want to pay when it's their turn.
What do you do? Try to pay off the house and go without coverage. If I had to file a hurricane claim, it would actually cost me $10,000 out of pocket between premiums and deductible.
I'm so sick of all this.

[verobeach]

Originally Posted by summergal

That seems pretty unbelieveable given what most all of us are experiencing. Where do you live? Are you near the GA line? Certainly not in SF. How long have you been in this house?

I live in Vero Beach. My neighbors pay about the same.

[Jannie]

I maybe relocating to Naples next year. I have a condo there and I don't know if homeowners insurance is different or less expensive than for a house. My condo is insured as a secondary home and I only pay 373.00 a yr. I just called my insurance carrier and asked them if my insurance would go up if my condo becomes my primary residence and they said no, only if I increase the insurance.

[SunnyDog]

Originally Posted by Jannie

I maybe relocating to Naples next year. I have a condo there and I don't know if homeowners insurance is different or less expensive than for a house. My condo is insured as a secondary home and I only pay 373.00 a yr. I just called my insurance carrier and asked them if my insurance would go up if my condo becomes my primary residence and they said no, only if I increase the insurance.

Usually your Association fees will cover insurance for exterior walls, windows, interior walls (but not wall coverings/paint/wallpaper just the drywall) and of course common areas. Your own insurance generally covers interior contents--furniture, carpet/tile, appliances, wallpaper+paint.

[zee909]

Some questions.

Why Florida? Sure we got hit by hurricanes 2 years ago, so did many other states. I have looked on their forums and don't see HOI as an issue for discussion. Yes we get hurricanes sometimes, but we don't have earthquakes/landslides/blizzards etc. and yet we're hit by outrageous rate hikes.

Why do we let insurance companies pick and choose who they will insure?

Why are insurance companies permitted to still write auto/health/life insurance while not writing homeowners? I believe in some other states, that is not allowed.

Why is Florida HOI written by subsidiary (Florida only) companies? The national company gets the profits but wash their hands of the liability when disaster does occur. (Charlie Crist apparently referred to this as a "shell game".)

Why are school districts having to take money from teachers and programs to pay for insurance?

People still want to move to FLorida, but I've heard stories (anecdotal evidence only, of course) of home sales falling because the buyers could not get insurance. (Okay, that wasn't a question,just making another point )

As you might guess, yes, my HOI doubled this year as well (after 38 years with the same company and NO claims.)