Home owners policy in Tampa Bay area (Clearwater, Brandon: car insurance, attorneys)

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by LKJ1988

I have gone bare for years blare. Saved me well over 100k since 2004.

But when the big one comes, what happens? You walk away?

Just curious...

RM

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by MortonR

But when the big one comes, what happens? You walk away?

Just curious...

RM

I go down with the ship for keeps. I will not leave my house even with a Cat5 with gust to 230mph onshore bound from the southwest making landfall just north of me. That would be the worst case for Tampa if it made landfall around Tarpon springs bringing a 28ft high wall of water up the bay ray. It's been over a 100 years since we have had anything i would call real and you can bet it won't be another 100 years or 50 or even 18 years. Our number is gonna get pulled. With our super heated falls and insane gulf water temps in Later Oct like it has been since 2011 we are gonna get something like we saw in the pan handle randle back in 2018. Look how blazing above normal the falls have been since 2011. When our number comes up it will be in Oct with a fast blown up storm norm like we saw back in 2018. If that storm had 12 more hours and 150 miles more of water it would have been the strongest ever. I would have no reason to go on living if i lose it all. And without A/C for months i would die anyways.

[sinatras]

$2500 a year? I WISH MINE WAS THAT CHEAP. I have a 1950s house, about 3000 sq feet, and about 1 mile from Tampa Bay.

I pay $6500 a year. Last year it was $3500. So it more than doubled this year. Plus I also have to pay flood insurance.

WELCOME TO FLORIDA!

[Chickrae]

Thank you for all of your informative replies. I decided to get a home in flood zone x so hopefully my homeowners policy will be a little less than it would of been in an area that requires flood zone insurance. Our offer was accepted last Friday on a home in Lakeland.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by Chickrae

Thank you for all of your informative replies. I decided to get a home in flood zone x so hopefully my homeowners policy will be a little less than it would of been in an area that requires flood zone insurance. Our offer was accepted last Friday on a home in Lakeland.

Just to clarify, your homeowner’s insurance won’t be significantly impacted by the flood zone you’re in. If you are in a flood zone, the only insurance that applies is flood insurance. That is, if you’re in a flood zone and you get flooded, your homeowner’s policy isn’t going to have any bearing on the loss - it’s the flood insurance policy that does.

RM

[Sunshine Rules]

Insurance rates can vary even from insurance company to insurance company. Independent insurance brokers deal with multiple companies and may be able to find more competitive rates for you. Some insurance companies offer discounts if you also insure your autos with them.

In general, FL Insurance rates are influenced by a variety of factors, including the following:
value of the home
year the home was built
type of structure - block, frame
age and style of the roof (many insurance companies will no longer issue new policies if the roof is 15 years or age or older, regardless of the condition of your roof, some are now cutting off policies for roofs 10+ years of age)
the wiring, plumbing, age of AC (especially on older homes)
swimming pool
location of the home - is it an area known for sinkholes? Close to a fire station? Distance from the beaches (wind zones)?
smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, burglar alarm system, gated community or not
does the home have hurricane protection for the windows and doors
personal factors such as your credit scores, if you are a smoker, previous claims history
breeds of dogs you may have
will you operate a home based business
the insurance deductible, coverage levels, personal liability limits you select


You'll also want to verify whether the home is located within a designated flood zone. Keep in mind that a property does not have to be located on a lake or other body of water in order to be within a flood zone.

If you purchase a property close enough to the beach to be located within a wind zone, you'll have to purchase separate insurance (with separate deductibles) for that as well.

Last but not least, you'll want to check the financial stability of the insurance company as you want to feel comfortable that the company will still be in business after a major hurricane.

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by Chickrae

Thank you for all of your informative replies. I decided to get a home in flood zone x so hopefully my homeowners policy will be a little less than it would of been in an area that requires flood zone insurance. Our offer was accepted last Friday on a home in Lakeland.

I guess X is high up.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by LKJ1988

I guess X is high up.

It is. The "X" zone is one that does not require flood insurance.

That being said, you can still buy flood insurance if you're in an "X" zone, and it's not terribly expensive. Last policy I had a few years ago was $400/year.

Why?

Because your homeowner's policy protects against falling or wind driven water, not "rising" water. If, for some unexpected reason, there would be a large storm and your pool overflows and somehow the water gets into your house, your homeowner's policy likely wouldn't pay off - that's a flood.

RM

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Chickrae

Thank you for all of your informative replies. I decided to get a home in flood zone x so hopefully my homeowners policy will be a little less than it would of been in an area that requires flood zone insurance. Our offer was accepted last Friday on a home in Lakeland.

Welcome to Lakeland! I am certain you will love it here! Feel free to ask me any questions.

[Chickrae]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Just to clarify, your homeowner’s insurance won’t be significantly impacted by the flood zone you’re in. If you are in a flood zone, the only insurance that applies is flood insurance. That is, if you’re in a flood zone and you get flooded, your homeowner’s policy isn’t going to have any bearing on the loss - it’s the flood insurance policy that does.

RM

That is something I will check into. I did not know the homeowners policy did not cover flooding.

Originally Posted by Sunshine Rules

Insurance rates can vary even from insurance company to insurance company. Independent insurance brokers deal with multiple companies and may be able to find more competitive rates for you. Some insurance companies offer discounts if you also insure your autos with them.

In general, FL Insurance rates are influenced by a variety of factors, including the following:
value of the home
year the home was built
type of structure - block, frame
age and style of the roof (many insurance companies will no longer issue new policies if the roof is 15 years or age or older, regardless of the condition of your roof, some are now cutting off policies for roofs 10+ years of age)
the wiring, plumbing, age of AC (especially on older homes)
swimming pool
location of the home - is it an area known for sinkholes? Close to a fire station? Distance from the beaches (wind zones)?
smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, burglar alarm system, gated community or not
does the home have hurricane protection for the windows and doors
personal factors such as your credit scores, if you are a smoker, previous claims history
breeds of dogs you may have
will you operate a home based business
the insurance deductible, coverage levels, personal liability limits you select


You'll also want to verify whether the home is located within a designated flood zone. Keep in mind that a property does not have to be located on a lake or other body of water in order to be within a flood zone.

If you purchase a property close enough to the beach to be located within a wind zone, you'll have to purchase separate insurance (with separate deductibles) for that as well.

Last but not least, you'll want to check the financial stability of the insurance company as you want to feel comfortable that the company will still be in business after a major hurricane.

Thank you. This is very informative. The companies I got quotes from were brokerage firmsI and the companies they were dealing with , I had never heard of. I will investigate their stability

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Welcome to Lakeland! I am certain you will love it here! Feel free to ask me any questions.

Thank you. It was your suggesting Lakeland that made me look and I found my house the next day. I'm flying in tonight and excited to see my house and the city tomorrow