Short-term rentals provide a useful way for homeowners to make some money if they have rooms that aren’t being used. Short-term rentals are enticing, especially in cities such as Miami, but many considerations need to be evaluated before taking the plunge. There is a possible problem of the insurance policy, for instance. Did you scrutinize…Continued
Halloween is just a few days away and there are good odds there will still be plenty of children and adults dressing up in costume to celebrate. However, Halloween is also notorious for the havoc it can cause. The use of rotten eggs or “egging”, for example, is a common tradition that may cause damage…Continued
Insurance scams are not uncommon yet homeowners often fall for them. Many of these scams begin with a person claiming to be a licensed contractor approaching your doorstep following a storm offering to fix home damages for an unusually low fee or they may say that they will deal directly with the insurance company. A…Continued
Florida has dodged any major storms and will hopefully continue to do so for the rest of the year. However, should one decide to visit South Florida, would you know the steps to take if you need to file a claim with your insurance provider? You may wish to start by determining if flooding, wind,…Continued
The latest set of storms spared South Florida but in the event one does hit, it’s likely your phone will be integral in staying connected. As with any piece of electronics, it will rely on power. How can you optimize the use of the battery so it lasts as long as possible? Use the power-saving…Continued
The roof is a large part of the foundation of your house, and it greatly affects how the house can withstand a major storm or how hot it will get during seasons like summer. This further highlights the value of carefully evaluating whether the roof can merely be patched, or whether it needs to be…Continued
With hurricane season in full swing and weather analysts predicting an above-average number of storms, you may wish to start preparing in case a major storm does decide to make its way to South Florida. The following tips may seem familiar but are worth highlighting, especially for first-time homeowners that have yet to experience the…Continued
As Florida makes some small strides in selectively re-opening, the looming arrival of hurricane season remains. State officials are now brainstorming on what should be done should COVID-19 linger into the start of the storm season. As of this writing, over 35,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed. When a hurricane is heading for the…Continued
Hurricane season starts in less than two months, which highlights the value of knowing what to do should a hurricane decide to target South Florida. Instead of discussing what steps homeowners should take, let’s discuss those that they shouldn’t take. Refrain from waiting. When a big storm causes damage to several properties, insurance companies may…Continued
When Florida passed assignment of benefits (AOB) reform back in July, it came as great news to insurance companies. The head of Citizens Property Insurance Corp has states he’s noticed a difference. In the meantime, most Citizens policyholders may see premium relief from the new law as the post-AOB overhaul rate of the insurer is…Continued
When purchasing a home, you want to have full disclosure about any issues it may have. That’s one of the reasons why it’s highly suggested to have a home inspection done. But what do you do in a situation where you find out the home is a major flood risk after you purchased it? An…Continued
The latest updates on Hurricane Dorian suggest the storm may turn into a category three before it makes landfall in Florida. If you haven’t already done so, time is running out to prepare for the storm as stores in South Florida are quickly running out of supplies like bottled water, and lines become endlessly long.…Continued
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. policyholders living in Palm Beach and Broward County won’t be seeing any reductions when it comes to their insurance rate. The last resort insurer recently received the OK from Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation to raise rates for the thousands of customers with a multiperil residential policy. These rates will be…Continued
In our previous blog, we mentioned the monumental Florida insurance reform bill which is expected to address the ongoing issue of assignment of benefits (AOB). The bill was recently passed by the Florida Senate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already expressed that he intends to support and sign the bill, further clearing the way…Continued
Today is the day. The Florida House will likely give the OK to a bill that would overhaul the insurance practice commonly known “assignment of benefits” (AOB). Known as HB 7095, the House began evaluating the bill yesterday, positioning it for a potential vote. AOB has remained a hotly debated and much-discussed topic during…Continued
Several groups including Florida lawmakers and the state’s Chamber of Commerce allege that a loophole in state law may be causing insurance bills to skyrocket, and it has a lot to do with the assignment of benefits (AOB). According to these groups which also include consumer watchdogs, homeowners often fail to fully comprehend what they’re…Continued
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. policyholders concerned about planned rate hike will have to wait a little longer after the insurer decided to hold off on determining its 2019 rates until December. If all goes according to plan, Citizens will implement an increase of 7.9 percent for all of its homeowner insurance policies across the state…Continued
After Hurricane Irma slammed Southwest Florida last fall, numerous residents and businesses were affected. As was common in the aftermath of a storm, damages needed to be assessed but it is very difficult to do so with all sorts of debris everywhere, as well as the factors of time and safety. Enter the use of…Continued
According to an Insurance Journal article, a well-known insurance rating agency recently announced that it will not downgrade any of the financial stability ratings (FSRs) of more than eleven Florida homeowners insurance companies due to the losses incurred because of major storms and last year’s assignment of benefits litigation. Despite this, there are still plenty…Continued
While the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season does not officially begin until June 1st, forecasters expect there to be slightly above-normal activity, particularly increased formation of storms in the Gulf of Mexico. What is a cause for concern is not so much the number of named storms making landfall in the southeast United States, but the…Continued
If you were hoping for a decrease in the cost of flood insurance, there is some disappointing news to report: As of the first of the month, premiums became more expensive, rising eight percent. The somewhat good news is most homeowners can expect to see their insurance increase by only five percent or less, according…Continued
A recent Tampa Bay Times article discusses a case involving Florida’s last resort insurer Citizens Property Insurance. Back in 2007, residents of a Palm Harbor-based condominium began noticing signs of a potential sinkhole, such as cracking walls, doors not closing properly, and depressions inside of the units. Although claims were filed on many of the…Continued
Those hoping the Florida Legislature would do something about rising insurance costs and the assignment of benefits (AOB) situation may be disappointed to find out that they’ll need to wait until 2019. According to a recent Sun Sentinel article, the legislative session came to an end this past weekend, leaving the much-debated topic of insurance…Continued
