A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about how cheap flood insurance is if you don’t live in a flood zone. After last Wednesday’s heavy rains, even many of us who do not live in flood zones witnessed flooded streets and front yards. Before you go out and buy flood insurance, you need to be aware that on Tuesday, October 1, federal flood insurance rate hikes kicked in. That does not mean you should not get the insurance, since it is still affordable compared to other forms of insurance, but depending in what flood zone you live or are buying, in, the rate hike could increase nearly tenfold. If you purchased prior to July 6, 2012, the increases will be at 25% per year until you reach the new non-subsidized rate. Many states, including Florida, are trying to delay the federal hikes until the impact on the real estate market can be taken into consideration, but the current congressional stalemate has tied up the bill.
The second insurance factor to consider when buying your home is hurricane insurance. By now everyone has heard that Citizen’s, our insurer of last resort, wants to get out of the insurance business and is giving incentives to smaller insurance companies to take over windstorm insurance. Although wind mitigation discounts are still given, there is a good chance that insurance premiums are going to increase fairly significantly. Both of these insurances should be taken into consideration in your financial calculations when you are purchasing your home. Phil Lyons, at Insource Insurance, can assist you in determining how much properly insuring what is most likely your biggest asset will cost.