When the House session ended earlier this month without any progression for Senate Bill 1728, we were disappointed and discouraged. And we assume, if you’ve been following along, you were too. We were unsure if and when a special session would be called by the governor, or if we’d be forced to exercise all the patience we have left until next year.

But gratefully, we are excited to share that some good news was just released and it may be just the relief we’ve been asking for!

In a meeting of the Florida Cabinet earlier this week, it was revealed that the Office of Insurance Regulation will now allow property insurers to offer roof deductible endorsements as well as a schedule on what will be paid on roof replacements.

Similar roof deductible provisions were included in Senate Bill 1728, which passed the state Senate in the regular session but stalled in the House. However, Florida state statutes allow the OIR agency the authority to make regulatory change without the need of legislation. Thankfully, our home state’s insurance regulators are taking steps on their own to help cut the cost of roof claims.

One of the main improvements in this is that policyholders will have the option to choose their roof deductible up front and carriers will no longer be required to offer full replacement cost only. Currently, Florida appears to be the only U.S. state that requires full roof replacement when only 25% of the roof is damaged.

This change comes at a very opportunistic time for all of us as June 1 is when many carriers must renew their reinsurance, and prices are expected to increase dramatically.

This is potentially really good news for the real estate, mortgage lending and insurance industries. We don’t know for sure yet what change will come from this but it’s a step in the right direction of making home insurance available and affordable. We are hopeful.

Headaches are known to be caused by things like dehydration, malnutrition, stress or lack of sleep. But if we had to guess, home owners and those affiliated with the real estate industry have experienced a headache lately that can be blamed fully on the current state of home insurance. As much as we don’t like or agree with the challenges home owners are facing, we can provide a little insight as to why things are the way they are.

To put a quite complicated issue simply, it really boils down to three things:

Fraud Roofing guidelines have gotten more and more strict and it’s in large part due to an unfortunate amount of claims filed unnecessarily for roof replacements. The involvement of roofers themselves, public adjusters and the misuse of the Assignment of Benefits tool have all contributed to an increase in claims that insurance companies have struggled to sustain through. Profitability and the ability to pay legitimate claims are down, making insurance companies unable to be there for consumers when they need them the most.

Litigation Property claim payouts have been cited to be up to 4.5 times more when an attorney is involved. Over the past 9 years, approximately 71% of the billions of dollars paid out on property claims when to attorney fees. This one speaks for itself.

Reinsurance Approximately 40-45 cents of every dollar of a homeowners insurance premium goes toward the cost of reinsurance. This is the insurance that insurance companies buy to protect themselves from overwhelming losses in larger claims and catastrophe situations. When insurer’s expenses are up this high, one of the only ways to compensate is to increase premiums.

It’s safe to say that everyone involved in the insurance, real estate and associated industries agrees that something has got to change. There are people unable to accomplish homeownership or being priced out of opportunities because of these issues. At this time, the reform bill that the Senate presented to the House has been postponed until either next session or a special session, should the Governor call for it. Therefore, there is little to no control over the situation other than hoping for legislative action to be taken sooner than later and spreading awareness to minimize fraudulent and litigious activity.

Hang in there, guys. You make think home insurance is quite a necessary evil at this point. And while the necessary part is true, it isn’t all evil we’re actually here to help and advocate for home owners. We can get through this together.

The National Flood Insurance Program had some major changes that became effective October 1st. They are calling this initiative “Risk Rating 2.0”, in which FEMA considers a substantial leap forward when it comes to flood insurance. While some of the changes are minor details, there are a few pretty big adjustments to this coverage that you’ll want to know about in order to best serve your clients.

Roofs on homes in Florida are a hot topic of conversation these days. And with the real estate market the way it is now, they can make or break a deal from happening.

Insurance companies in Florida are more strict than ever on the age, condition and life left on a roof. Some may be open to a contractual agreement that the roof will be repaired or replaced within a certain time frame after closing, in an effort to not keep the sale from happening, but most want it done before hand.

There lies some confusion as to whether you can have your roof re-shingled or would need to fully replace the roof, which is typically much more expensive.

In most cases, just re-shingling the roof is not acceptable. The insurance company is looking for the shingles to be replaced down to the plywood rather than just on the surface.

The challenge with re-shingling is:

1. If you just place new shingles on top of the old shingles, there is not an effective way to identify any issues with the roof decking (the plywood).
2. If damage occurs in the future, it creates more cost for the insurance company because they are taking off two layers of shingles rather than just one.

Roofing contractors have confirmed that re-shingling may save money or be a temporary band aid for any leaks or issues but long term, it will end up costing more. There are also theories that a roof with two layers such as a re-shingle can hold in more heat, which speeds up deterioration, especially in Florida.

House fires can be one of the scariest and most dangerous events to experience but they serve as unfortunate reminders to homeowners about the importance of adequate home insurance. Although Florida homeowners may be more aware of summer fires that can be brought about during hot months with little rain, winter weather is cause for concern as well. The dry, winter air, as well as the combination of heating devices, holiday decorations and fire places can be a recipe for disaster. And of course there are other things that can start a house fire such as candles, electrical panels, heat lamps, overused or shorting outlets, chargers of all kinds, etc.

Home insurance provides protection for your house and the belongings inside of it in the event of an accidental fire. Your Dwelling coverage is supposed to be at what it would cost to rebuild the entire home (and keep in mind that often times a fire can end in a total loss, even if the flames are contained at some point, due to smoke or extinguisher damage). Then the Personal Property coverage would kick in for all of the furniture, contents, clothing, etc inside. These are two very important coverage limits you want to keep an eye on so they remain sufficient.

Here are a few house fire safety tips:

Have a plan: Homeowners and their families should have an escape plan in the event a fire occurs while individuals are present.

Check your smoke detectors: If you forgot to check your smoke detectors when you changed your clocks, do so now. No really – get up and check your smoke detectors because if you don’t now, you may not later. It’s a good reminder and rule of thumb to do this twice a year when you adjust your clocks for daylight savings time.

Have your fireplace properly inspected before the start of the winter season and properly clean and put out fires after each use. Never leave burning or hot coals unattended.

Use electrical heating devices with caution. In addition to heating your home safely, if it is the holiday season, be sure to unplug all electrical decor and lights when going to bed or the home is unattended. Double check that your chargers (cell phone, computer, golf cart, gaming systems, etc) are not getting too hot.

Never leave lit candles unattended. Unfortunately, people think candles are safe and will just burn down to the wick and go out when the wax is gone. Or that they’re safe being in a glass jar. This is still a dangerous fire hazard.

Take photos or video of your belongings once a year and store with other important documents or sentimental items in a fireproof safe. This will be hugely helpful in the event of a loss.