New Rules on Homeowner Insurance
Something must be done to reduce homeowner insurance costs. I think there are things that can be done to reduce homeowner insurance costs for most of us. The link tells about insurance companies increasing premiums for many Florida residents two or three times what they were charged previously and even more. Almost everyone in America is seeing big homeowner insurance premium increases this year.
Maybe the insurance industry should inform homeowners about what they can do to reduce premiums instead of just increasing their deductibles or reducing coverages.
LOCATION
There are many really dumb places in the United States where people build and expect to be insured. There are some locations where peril is just a matter of time. I would not insure home in low lying areas of New Orleans until the city is certified to be safe from category 5 hurricanes. We have seen earthquakes demolish buildings in California. I would not insure homes in coastal flood plains until they were certified safe from peril. We have witnessed periodic Mississippi River flooding in middle America where whole towns are pretty much wiped out. We have seen homes in Malibu California that were heavily damaged by storms and flooding. Many other coastal areas have histories of repetitive storm and flood destruction of homes. Tens of thousands of acres of western America's land are destroyed by wildfires that also burn down homes. We have seen homes slide down hills especially in California that I would never insure. There are homes in Wayne New Jersey that flood every year that I would never insure until the problem if it could be fixed, was fixed permanently. I am empathetic for the people struck by disaster, but not when the same disaster for the same buildings and usually the same people have occurred annually for some time.
There should be laws for new construction that everything be built in areas that are free from peril. If an area can be fixed so that peril is unlikely, like certifying New Orleans for level 5 hurricanes or repairing the dam that is flooding out Wayne New Jersey than that should be done first. Building in dumb peril ridden areas should be discontinued.
BUILDING CODES
Homes should be certified to withstand any perils known for the area where it is to be built. It is unconsciable to see the roofs missing for so many Florida homes when they could have been built to survive a category 2 or 3 hurricane and probably even a category 5 hurricane. An earthquake can occur anywhere in the United States and all homes should be able to survive one. Almost all mobile homes were destroyed where people were living in them in a permanent basis during recent hurricanes and they should be built much stronger and better anchored. Windows were falling out of high rise buildings in the Miami area recently that should not have occurred.
Homes should be built to new code where 99% of current damage claims are avoided.
PREVENTION
All buildings including homes should be inspected by the local fire department for fire prevention and since they are doing EPA type inspections for that also. Homeowners passing the inspection should get a discount on their insurance premium. Homeowners with working fire detectors and fire extinguishers get extra credit.
Police should inspect all homes for safety and prevention.
Building inspectors should inspect homes regularly looking for hazards and potential improvements that could save the homeowner from potential disaster.
Regular inspections every five years could save the community and the homeowners from potential disasters and even save money for everyone.
EDUCATION
We all need to learn about buying homes that are "safe" and how to build safer homes. We also need to know what it takes to maintain a "safe home". Maybe we need to also learn more about the rating factors the insurance companies use to compute the insurance premium for our home. And we should also learn what other homes are in our insurance pool that the insurance companies put our home in. I doubt that I am in the New Orleans pool but maybe I am in the Wayne New Jersey flood pool even though my house is not in a flood area.
STANDARDIZATION
It seems that many people have not been paid for their claims due to Hurricane Katrina for one reason or another. Some have "settled" for 10% or other low number. Some carriers have blamed 100% on flooding on homes not in a flood area whose homeowners did not buy flood insurance. I am not sure whether FEMA is supposed to pay any claims, but if they are then they are very slow payers or avoiding payments.
I think that everyone wants to pay for insurance and know that they are insured and will be paid promptly and adequately. I don't think homeowner insurance should be confusing to any homeowner and all homeowners should be covered for all peril. I don't think any insured homeowner should have to hire a lawyer to press a homeowner claim.
AFFORDABLE
If we do not build in dumb locations, have very good building codes, have prevention inspections, and we are educated to prevent or at least drastically minimize damage to our homes by various perils then I think our homes and ourselves will be safer and our insurance premiums will be affordable.
What do you think? Should not all of America's communities build sensibly instead of stupidly? Should not perilled areas be fixed properly before new construction begin again? Should not homeowners that paid for insurance be paid?
Maybe the insurance industry should inform homeowners about what they can do to reduce premiums instead of just increasing their deductibles or reducing coverages.
LOCATION
There are many really dumb places in the United States where people build and expect to be insured. There are some locations where peril is just a matter of time. I would not insure home in low lying areas of New Orleans until the city is certified to be safe from category 5 hurricanes. We have seen earthquakes demolish buildings in California. I would not insure homes in coastal flood plains until they were certified safe from peril. We have witnessed periodic Mississippi River flooding in middle America where whole towns are pretty much wiped out. We have seen homes in Malibu California that were heavily damaged by storms and flooding. Many other coastal areas have histories of repetitive storm and flood destruction of homes. Tens of thousands of acres of western America's land are destroyed by wildfires that also burn down homes. We have seen homes slide down hills especially in California that I would never insure. There are homes in Wayne New Jersey that flood every year that I would never insure until the problem if it could be fixed, was fixed permanently. I am empathetic for the people struck by disaster, but not when the same disaster for the same buildings and usually the same people have occurred annually for some time.
There should be laws for new construction that everything be built in areas that are free from peril. If an area can be fixed so that peril is unlikely, like certifying New Orleans for level 5 hurricanes or repairing the dam that is flooding out Wayne New Jersey than that should be done first. Building in dumb peril ridden areas should be discontinued.
BUILDING CODES
Homes should be certified to withstand any perils known for the area where it is to be built. It is unconsciable to see the roofs missing for so many Florida homes when they could have been built to survive a category 2 or 3 hurricane and probably even a category 5 hurricane. An earthquake can occur anywhere in the United States and all homes should be able to survive one. Almost all mobile homes were destroyed where people were living in them in a permanent basis during recent hurricanes and they should be built much stronger and better anchored. Windows were falling out of high rise buildings in the Miami area recently that should not have occurred.
Homes should be built to new code where 99% of current damage claims are avoided.
PREVENTION
All buildings including homes should be inspected by the local fire department for fire prevention and since they are doing EPA type inspections for that also. Homeowners passing the inspection should get a discount on their insurance premium. Homeowners with working fire detectors and fire extinguishers get extra credit.
Police should inspect all homes for safety and prevention.
Building inspectors should inspect homes regularly looking for hazards and potential improvements that could save the homeowner from potential disaster.
Regular inspections every five years could save the community and the homeowners from potential disasters and even save money for everyone.
EDUCATION
We all need to learn about buying homes that are "safe" and how to build safer homes. We also need to know what it takes to maintain a "safe home". Maybe we need to also learn more about the rating factors the insurance companies use to compute the insurance premium for our home. And we should also learn what other homes are in our insurance pool that the insurance companies put our home in. I doubt that I am in the New Orleans pool but maybe I am in the Wayne New Jersey flood pool even though my house is not in a flood area.
STANDARDIZATION
It seems that many people have not been paid for their claims due to Hurricane Katrina for one reason or another. Some have "settled" for 10% or other low number. Some carriers have blamed 100% on flooding on homes not in a flood area whose homeowners did not buy flood insurance. I am not sure whether FEMA is supposed to pay any claims, but if they are then they are very slow payers or avoiding payments.
I think that everyone wants to pay for insurance and know that they are insured and will be paid promptly and adequately. I don't think homeowner insurance should be confusing to any homeowner and all homeowners should be covered for all peril. I don't think any insured homeowner should have to hire a lawyer to press a homeowner claim.
AFFORDABLE
If we do not build in dumb locations, have very good building codes, have prevention inspections, and we are educated to prevent or at least drastically minimize damage to our homes by various perils then I think our homes and ourselves will be safer and our insurance premiums will be affordable.
What do you think? Should not all of America's communities build sensibly instead of stupidly? Should not perilled areas be fixed properly before new construction begin again? Should not homeowners that paid for insurance be paid?
posted by God Bless America - Bob at 9:37 PM
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