Strategies to Avoid Crises with Insurance and Foreclosures in Tallahassee

Increasingly, residents and people working in the real estate market are concerned about the high insurance premium rates that, in countless cases, many homeowners cannot afford or simply stop investing or buying a home to avoid taking on these high payments.

Faced with this difficulty, the market has been experiencing a variety of crises and multiple foreclosure processes due to frequent non-payments by homeowners, who are greatly affected by the rising prices that have significantly impacted the state of Florida, particularly its capital, Tallahassee.

Due to the lack of practical solutions to the current major problem from state and local administrations, many real estate agents have also tried to provide possible solutions and have determined that both Tallahassee and Florida should consider the following strategies:

• The first is to encourage homeowners to take a personal interest in protecting their properties and promote self-insurance; that is, each owner should find a way to minimize risks and safeguard their homes. 
• Provide professional and comprehensive education on self-insurance to those homeowners who do not have mortgages on their homes, particularly against natural disasters that affect the state of Florida, such as storms. 
• The state or the city of Tallahassee should enact laws preventing banks from requiring storm coverage if the homeowner’s equity exceeds the mortgage. 
• Legislate that condominiums should not be compelled by state law to insure buildings if the owners choose not to have storm coverage. There are cases of condominiums where building insurance has skyrocketed to unimaginable prices, where it is valued at more than double the current market price of both the land and building combined. 
• Finally, the state and the city should review the laws on premium increases, incorporating the costs of general research into expenses, not just claims or losses paid.

From the real estate agent’s perspective, all these strategies are effective, as homeowners will be more inclined to protect their assets if they face any risk. Currently, some inflate their claims, feeling justified due to the excessive fee charges. Some condominiums delay roof repairs for years, waiting for a natural phenomenon or hurricane to damage it so that the insurance will replace it with a new roof.

If single-family homes self-insure against specific risks, homeowners are more likely to protect their properties by installing impact-resistant windows and doors, repairing and replacing roofs before hurricanes, and securing their homes when storms approach.

On the other hand, insurance companies should be more diligent or careful with investigations, rather than simply focusing on paying claims filed by homeowners.

Available Foreclosures:

Miami: 1200 homes available.

Orlando: 950 homes available.

Tampa: 1100 homes available.

By Elias DaSilva | September 27, 2024