There are words that strike dread into the heart of a real estate agent and one of them is polybutylene. Once touted as the longer lasting and cheaper alternative to copper pipes, this material was installed in millions of homes throughout the later decades of the 20th century. The problem was that these pipes shortly […]
Buyer Beware: Your Roof and Homeowner’s Insurance
A well-maintained roof, in good condition, is one feature of a home that can really reel a buyer in. After all, the roof is the most important part of your home, and replacing a roof is an expensive proposition. But even if the roof is new and looks great, that’s not a guarantee that it’s […]
Home Buyer Beware: Electrical Panels Prevent Insurance Coverage
There are some concerns about buying an older home that should always be at the top of any homebuyers list, not only because of possible hazards but because they can actually stop you in your tracks when it comes to obtaining homeowners insurance. You might be looking at that original woodwork, the charming cupola, or […]
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Citizens Takeouts and You.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Citizens Takeouts and You. It started with something that looks like a dirty trick. As a writer for the Sun Sentinel reports, a new round of Citizens takeout notices went out last week to thousands of policyholders in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Here’s the thing, it’s from […]
Saving a Bundle: 3 Easy Ways to Lower Your Homeowners Premium
Paying your insurance premiums ranks right up there with root canals, but just like dental work, you need insurance to keep your home and finances healthy. Take the time to review your insurance annually and learn how to get better coverage while paying out less money in premiums. There are a few tips and tricks […]
Law and Ordinance Coverage 101
Insurance policies are written to indemnify the insured against damage or loss. They are not so that it ends up in a better position than they were prior to a loss. This is done to prevent incentives to having or creating losses that would end up costing the insurance company, and by extension other policyholders. […]
Why Millennials Aren’t Jumping Into Homeownership
Ask any talking heads on the financial shows and you’ll get as many answers as there are heads about why those pesky kids aren’t buying homes. Ask a Millennial and you’re going to get a whole lot of sarcastic answers. However, the breakdown of reasons why they’re not buying is far from simple, having to […]
Windows, Doors, and Shutters Can Save You Money!
Many people wonder, how much does the opening protection really save a person on their homeowner’s insurance? This is a great question and, unfortunately, the answer is a lot. You may hear of discounts up to 33 percent, but these can be misleading – often deliberately so. That wind mitigation discount depends not only on […]
Four-Point and Wind Mitigation Inspections: What You Need to Know
Unfortunately if you’ve run a web search for the phrases “four-point inspection” or “wind mitigation inspection,” you’ve no doubt received a lot of advertising but very little in the way of facts. It’s time to clear up what these inspections do and don’t do, and why they are not a substitute for a full home […]
Hurricane 101: What You Need to Do
If your first answer to the news that a hurricane is on its way is, “Throw a hurricane party! Whoo!” then you need much more help than this article can give you. For the rest of you, read on to find out what you need to do in order to make it through the storm. […]