No More State Farm For Florida

State Farm announced today that it's pulling out of the property insurance market throughout Florida. Regulators have 90 days to approve the move, and State Farm cannot drop policies for at least 180 days after that, so current customers face no immediate threat. Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty calls the move disappointing but not a surprise.

Read the full story:
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-012709.cfm.

Contact me if you need to find another company. I have some highly recommended referrals from past clients.

Get Your Allstate Discount

Allstate's agreed to give a 5.6% discount to its current clients in addition to paying a $5 million fine. Make sure your discount makes it to your bill....

For more details: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-081808.cfm.

The State Plans To Deny Insurance Price Hikes

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty announced yesterday that the state plans to reject Florida Farm Bureau insurance companies' request for an average 28 percent statewide property insurance rate increase. State Farm will defend its 47.1 percent increase request next week.

Read the full story: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-080608.cfm.

Free Inspections Still Available!

The My Safe Florida Home program apparently has about 10,000 free hurricane inspections left up for grabs.

For more details on this program, see my prior blog post: http://yourhometownconsultant.blogspot.com/2008/06/free-hurricane-home-inspection.html.

NEW! Green Home Insurance

Commercial buildings have green insurance, and now at least one company says it will start to offer green insurance for residential property starting this summer, though it may not be available in Florida until later in the year. Fireman's Fund Insurance Company will launch green insurance for homeowners starting this summer.

The insurance is for homeowners who currently own a green home, or for those who wish to upgrade to green standards should the home be completely destroyed. Homeowners whose residences are already green will be offered a five percent discount on this coverage, applied to the homeowner premium. With green coverage, homeowners will be able to rebuild and replace with green alternatives such as:

• Energy Star(R)-rated appliances, lighting, electronic equipment and roofing/insulation
• An Energy Star upgrade of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems
• Forest Stewardship Council (www.fcsus.org) certified wood for millwork, ceilings, siding and framing, including bamboo flooring
• Non-toxic, low odor paints and carpeting
• Water-saving plumbing fixtures
• Elimination of ozone-depleting refrigerants and fire extinguishing agents, replaced with environmentally friendly alternatives
• Debris removed after damage to a home will be recycled and diverted from landfill

© 2008 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Free Hurricane Home Inspection

Everyone wants to save money, right? So hurry up and schedule your free wind inspection through the My Safe Florida Home Program before it's too late! The program is so popular there's only 35,000 free inspections left....

Once you get the results, all you have to do is either 1) submit your report to your insurance company or 2) implement the safety suggestions found in the report, have these changes reviewed and then submit your report to your insurance company.

To learn more or schedule an inspection, visit www.MySafeFloridaHome.com or call (866) 513-6734.

For more ways to save money on your home insurance, send me an email at Christina@YourHometownConsultant.com. I have clients paying only $1000 or less a month--seriously.

Flood Facts

Want to buy some of Sarasota's amazing waterfront but are concerned about the risks?

FEMA keeps track of the potential flood risk of every address in the United States and has kindly made this information available to the public at http://www.floodsmart.gov/. In addition, you can also check out local floodplain maps at http://www.msc.fema.gov/.

For more information, including how to apply for flood assistance, visit FEMA's website: http://www.fema.gov/.

Good News From Citizens Property Insurance

A property insurer should have enough cash to pay claims in the event of a major storm. Citizens Property Insurance announced Tuesday that it lined up about $2 billion in credit and bonds to pay hurricane claims if needed.

Read the full story: www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-070507.cfm.