Possible move back to FLA (Miami, Sarasota: home owners insurance, mortgage, house)

[lovefla1963]

Can I get some honest feedback about the Sarasota area as it is now? We used to live in Deep Creek, we have been back up north for 9 years and miss FLA. We still have some friends down there, but we are looking for some opinions from people we don't know. You usually get more candid answers that way. My husband and I are 46, our son will graduate from college next spring and we would love to leave CT. I am an accountant and my husband is a maintenance supervisor. We have both done the same basic jobs for over 20 years, so we have experience in our fields. We know jobs are tight right now, we are hoping to see a better economic picture next year. We also understand there are still some problems with the house insurance. Your honest opinions are appreciated

[TouchOfWhimsy]

Hey! We are also in CT, looking to relocate for the second time to SW Florida. Small world! We will be arriving sometime between July and September. We were down visiting a few weeks ago, and the general consensus seems to be that things are picking up, economically-speaking. Good luck!

[SoFLGal]

Right now the job market is pretty tough. The unemployment rate is somewhere around 13%, so I wouldn't suggest moving without a job lined up. Deep Creek is a good area for communters due to its proximity to I-75. What type of neighborhood are you looking for?

Here are some things that insurance agents take into consideration-the age of the home, style of roof(hip roof is best), how close the home is to a natural body of water or fire hydrant, how the roof is tied on, if the home has hurricane shutters or impact resistant glass, if the home has a Miami-Dade rated garage door, if the home is frame or block. These are just a few of the criteria they use to give an insurance quote. There are more but these are some of the biggies.

Another thing that's important to look at when talking insurance is the www.MySafeFLoridaHome.com program. It's important to have a wind mitigation report done on the home. This usually costs around $150 and some home inspectors include it in the home inspection for free. I'll give you an example of how this can effect your insurance. I live in North Port (southern Sarasota county). My home was built in 2003, has hurricane shutters, 2127 under air, hip roof, concrete block, close to a fire hydrant, no pool. Before the inspection my insurance was $1987 per year and after the inspection it was $727. Big difference.

Here's website that talks about insurance that may be of help: Compare Homeowner's Insurance Rates

Then you have flood insurance. 95% of North Port is not in a flood zone. There is a very specific area that is. The other areas of Sarasota and Charlotte county would be hit or miss. Generally west of US 41 and on the islands would be more likely to require flood insurance. The only way to determine the amount of the insurance is to have an elevation certificate. This would show the elevation of the home and what flood zone the home is in (if any). If the previous owner had home owners insurance and had a mortgage they probably have an elevation certificate. I always recommend getting flood insurance even if your home is not in a flood zone. If it's not, the price would be much cheaper for the insurance.