Thousands of homeowners have been dropped by their insurance company and are left with a dizzying array of insurance options when it comes to choosing a new provider. Many insurance companies that are writing policies are new to the insurance business and thinly financed. It is definitely a buyer’s beware atmosphere when shopping for a provider, so having a reputable Orlando home insurance agent is key.

The wisest thing a homeowner can do is to make sure they have the adequate insurance for their big investment, and www.floridainsurance.com can search more than a dozen providers to seek out the best premiums and coverage.

“We’ll make sure you are aware of what benefits the providers specialize in,” said Lee Rogers of Florida Insurance. “Our clients deserve peace of mind that they are getting the best coverage and never doubt their insurance.”

Homeowners will want to spend time knowing what is required by updated laws for their homeowner’s policy, and what calamities they should prepare for, too. With property insurance, a replacement cost calculator will analyze square footage and other variables to arrive at an annual premium. A separate policy should be obtained to cover personal property for the replacement value of furniture, electronics, and other valuables. Of special note is the additional living expenses covered, should the home need to be evacuated or becomes a total loss. The liability section should be looked at to confirm it has the protection your family deserves and accounts for legal defense fees should someone ever have a lawsuit based on your property.

An agent should be able to walk their client through what is the most appropriate deductible. “You’ll want to be able to afford the deductible, so be sure that the amount is reasonable for your income,” said Rogers, whose company has been in business for more than 18 years.

A licensed Orlando home insurance agent will find a policy that treats its clients the best, as every company will analyze the risk of past records on the property address and also current assets to mitigate their exposure to defaults and claims. There are so many insurers in the market today, so it pays to get an Orlando insurance expert on your side after you have received a notice that your insurance company will no longer provide coverage.

Milla Tawnie writes for Orlando auto insurance and Orlando home insurance agency, the Florida Insurance Group. To learn more or to get auto and home insurance quotes, visit FloridaInsurance.com.

Homeowners insurance policies should be reviewed as your life situation changes. After going through a divorce, it’s important for you to amend your homeowners insurance documents.

After you and your spouse got married, it's safe to assume that you moved in together. Maybe the two of you even bought a house together shortly after tying the knot. If you are now going through a divorce, one of you will probably be moving out of the house you share. It doesn't matter if you are the spouse keeping the house or if you are the one moving out, you need to be prepared to make the appropriate changes to your homeowners insurance policy.

Depending on who is listed as the owner of the home and whether you or your ex-spouse are moving following a divorce, you may have to make some adjustments to your homeowners insurance policy and fill out appropriate paperwork. Your policy should only have the name of the current homeowner listed.


If you have a mortgage on your home, your insurance policy will require that you list the name and address of the financial institution that currently holds your mortgage account. Make sure that you update the information on the deed, mortgage and homeowners policy if ownership changes after the divorce proceedings. Not updating this information could cause trouble for you in the event that you have to make a claim in the future.


After a divorce, you may wish to change the locks on your house or install a new security system. If you choose to do so, make sure to alert your homeowners insurance company, as you may be eligible for a discount on your premiums for the upgrade in security measures.


Should you or your ex-spouse move to a rental property during or following divorce proceedings, you should consider purchasing renter's insurance to protect personal items as well as to provide you with liability coverage.

If you are going through a divorce and need to amend your current homeowners policy, purchase a new policy or get renter’s insurance, you should contact a licensed Florida homeowners insurance agent who will help you fine tune your policy or choose another policy that best fits your needs.

Milla Tawnie writes for Orlando auto insurance and Orlando home insurance agency, the Florida Insurance Group. To learn more or to get auto and home insurance quotes, visit FloridaInsurance.com

Identity theft can destroy a person’s life. Adding identity theft protection as an endorsement to an existing homeowners policy can offer consumers security and peace of mind.

Each year millions of Americans learn the hard way how easy it is for someone to steal their identity. With as little information as your name, Social Security Number and date of birth, a thief can use this information to apply for any number of things, from a credit card to a driver’s license. Rightly, identity theft can cause a great amount of stress for the victim. Getting one’s life back on track after such an event is not only difficult, but also time-consuming and expensive.

Fortunately, there is an easy and cost effective way for families to prevent this theft from happening. A number of homeowners insurance companies cover identity theft as a part of their insurance policy, either as a separate policy or as an endorsement to an existing policy. In fact, many insurance companies have an existing identity theft clause in their insurance policies, and this protection comes at no additional cost to the consumer. With most policies, identity theft coverage provides the victim reimbursement for expenses lost during the process, including phone bills, lost wages, mailing costs, and even pre-approved legal fees. Sometimes, fraud specialists are provided to guide the victim through the exhaustive and difficult process of restoring his or her identity.

Anyone with a bank account, credit card, driver’s license or social security card is at risk for identity theft. Homeowners with an existing policy should speak with their agent to determine what their basic policy covers and to discuss the benefits of adding identity theft protection as an endorsement. Homeowners seeking new policies should shop around for the best identity theft insurance policy, as rates and protection levels can vary from company to company. In addition, consumers should check their credit cards to see what coverage they might offer in the event of identity theft. Knowing what coverage is already available will better enable consumers to purchase an endorsement policy that is right for them.

Adding identity theft insurance is a small investment that will go a long way toward securing a family’s peace of mind.

To learn more call 1.888.525.2210 visit http://www.floridainsurance.com

Before securing homeowners insurance, you need to have a good understanding of how the deductible you choose will affect your premium and your out-of-pocket expenses. Insurance companies typically use one of two different deductible calculations.

Insurance Deductibles as Percentages:

This type of deductible is the least common. Not all insurance companies calculate deductibles in this way, but the trend has become increasingly popular in Florida due to the extensive damage caused by hurricanes or windstorms. These increased deductibles are meant to limit the insurance companies' exposure in these high-risk areas.

With deductible percentages, the deductible is usually set as 1 to 5% of the insured value of the home. If, for example, your home is insured for $400,000 and you have a 2 percent deductible, you’d have to pay out $8000 before the insurance company begins paying out. As this example illustrates, this amount is more costly than the traditional deductible. Typically, insurance companies use this calculation when providing coverage for windstorms or hurricanes, and this deductible is separate from the deductible for basic coverage.

Traditional Homeowner’s Insurance Deductibles:

Traditionally, homeowner’s deductibles are a flat amount and will vary from company to company. If, for example, you choose a $500 deductible and you incur $2500 worth of damage to your home in a covered event, you would only pay the first $500. The insurance company would pay the remaining $2000. Having a deductible as low as $500 dollars, however, will likely result in a costly premium. By raising your deductible to as much as you can afford, you can greatly reduce your homeowner’s premium and you’ll have more money to spend on your day-to-day expenses.

Generally, the higher deductible you have on your policy, the lower your homeowner’s insurance premium will be. The more risk you are willing to absorb, the less your insurance will cost you. Some deductibles, such as a hurricane coverage deductible in Florida, may be set at a percentage of your home value. You should talk to an agent about your deductible and premium options.

Milla Tawnie writes for Orlando auto insurance and Orlando home insurance agency, the Florida Insurance Group. To learn more or to get auto and home insurance quotes, visit FloridaInsurance.com

Before securing homeowners insurance, you need to have a good understanding of how the deductible you choose will affect your premium and your out-of-pocket expenses. Insurance companies typically use one of two different deductible calculations.

Insurance Deductibles as Percentages:

This type of deductible is the least common. Not all insurance companies calculate deductibles in this way, but the trend has become increasingly popular in Florida due to the extensive damage caused by hurricanes or windstorms. These increased deductibles are meant to limit the insurance companies' exposure in these high-risk areas.

With deductible percentages, the deductible is usually set as 1 to 5% of the insured value of the home. If, for example, your home is insured for $400,000 and you have a 2 percent deductible, you’d have to pay out $8000 before the insurance company begins paying out. As this example illustrates, this amount is more costly than the traditional deductible. Typically, insurance companies use this calculation when providing coverage for windstorms or hurricanes, and this deductible is separate from the deductible for basic coverage.

Traditional Homeowner’s Insurance Deductibles:

Traditionally, homeowner’s deductibles are a flat amount and will vary from company to company. If, for example, you choose a $500 deductible and you incur $2500 worth of damage to your home in a covered event, you would only pay the first $500. The insurance company would pay the remaining $2000. Having a deductible as low as $500 dollars, however, will likely result in a costly premium. By raising your deductible to as much as you can afford, you can greatly reduce your homeowner’s premium and you’ll have more money to spend on your day-to-day expenses.

Generally, the higher deductible you have on your policy, the lower your homeowner’s insurance premium will be. The more risk you are willing to absorb, the less your insurance will cost you. Some deductibles, such as a hurricane coverage deductible in Florida, may be set at a percentage of your home value. You should talk to an agent about your deductible and premium options.

Milla Tawnie writes for Orlando auto insurance and Orlando home insurance agency, the Florida Insurance Group. To learn more or to get auto and home insurance quotes, visit FloridaInsurance.com

Lightning damage poses a significant threat to Florida homeowners. While most policies provide coverage for lightning damage in their standard policies, homeowners should review these policies and take measures to ensure that their risk for lightning damage is low.

While many homeowners’ insurance claims result from the damage caused by tornadoes and hurricanes, there is another type of natural disaster that can cause just as much damage: lightning. As Florida is the lightning capital of the world, it is important for homeowners to review their homeowners’ policies to ensure that lightning damage is a covered expense. While coverage for lightning damage is standard for most homeowners’ insurance policies, not all cover the damage caused by lightning.

While many homeowners are not aware of the potential damage lightning could cause, lightning can actually cause serious damage. It can damage not only the structure of your house but can also damage internal components of your house.

There are a number of different actions homeowners can take in order to protect their homes from lightning, and these actions may also work to lower your insurance premiums. If your home is protected against lightning damage it is likely that you will qualify for lower homeowners’ insurance quotes. Taking the following actions can show insurance companies that your home is at low risk for lightning damage:

Installing a lightning rod on the roof of your home will direct the lightning into the ground instead of letting it run its course through your house where it could cause serious damage.

Installing either an energy shield or surge-protection device on the electric meter outside of your home will also work to direct lightning into the ground instead of directly at your home. Check with your local electric company regarding this option, they may offer surge protection devices that will keep your home electronics and other major appliances protected from damage.

As lightning can strike anywhere with little warning, it is essential for all Florida homeowners to have adequate homeowners’ insurance coverage in place that protects against the damage lightning can cause. This assures that if the worst happens, any cost for repairs or replacement of damaged property will be covered. You should make sure that the replacement cost limit for your property under your policy is enough to cover the replacement cost of your home.

Florida homeowners should review their policies to determine if their policies cover all forms of lightning damage and how extensive this coverage is. Talking to a licensed homeowners’ insurance agent can help Florida homeowners review their coverage options.

Milla Tawnie writes for Orlando auto insurance and Orlando home insurance agency, the Florida Insurance Group. To learn more or to get auto and home insurance quotes, visit FloridaInsurance.com.

Thousands of Florida residents may have to pay more for their homeowner’s insurance. The federal government has just made changes to its floodplain map, causing many Florida homeowners to acquire flood insurance.

A recent change in the federal government’s floodplain map is causing Florida homeowners to add flood insurance to their homeowner’s insurance policies. The area most affected by these new changes is Orange County, Florida. Homes in the Conway and Azelea Park areas that have never been affected by floods will now need to be covered by flood insurance. These newly identified homeowners will have to amend their existing policies in order to protect themselves against the tragedy that could occur during flooding.

Every ten years, FEMA redraws its floodplain map, and this year’s results indicate a great change in potential areas of flooding. This year, the process was conducted using a digital system, which is similar to a GPS. In the past, FEMA has relied on printed maps in order to determine which homes are susceptible to flooding. This system, FEMA notes, is more reliable than the ones used in the past and could work to save homeowner’s from the financial and emotional disaster than can occur after a flood affects one’s home.

While FEMA’s new floodplain map has placed many new residents in a flood zone, it has also taken around 8,000 homeowners out of previously identified flood zones. According to FEMA, being in a flood zone simply means that the homeowner’s property is in an area that has at least a 1% chance of flooding. If Florida homeowner’s do not agree with the results obtained from FEMA’s mapping system, they can conduct their own survey to determine whether or not their homes are susceptible to flooding.

Florida homeowners should not make the mistake of thinking that their existing homeowner’s policy covers the damage caused by floods. Flood insurance is not part of standard homeowner’s policy and must be added to the policy for an additional premium.

This type of homeowner’s coverage has not been necessary for many of the homes in this area in the past, and not having it now could cost Florida homeowners a significant amount of money. Residents in the effected areas should consult with a licensed homeowner’s insurance agent to find the best options for adding flood insurance to their policies.

Milla Tawnie writes for Orlando auto insurance and Orlando home insurance agency, the Florida Insurance Group. To learn more or to get auto and home insurance quotes, visit FloridaInsurance.com.

Florida homeowners should carefully review their sinkhole coverage. A new Florida law may end up costing homeowners a significant amount of money if they wish to protect themselves against sinkhole damage.

Floridainsurance.com encourages Florida homeowners to review their existing homeowners’ policy to determine whether or not their policies contain adequate sinkhole coverage. Effective January 1, a new Florida law allows private insurance companies the option not to renew current sinkhole coverage in Pasco and Hernando counties. This new law was enacted as a means of saving Florida homeowners money by reducing insurance premiums. Sinkhole coverage endorsement is still available for purchase, but homeowners must pay an additional premium to receive this comprehensive coverage.

Those residents, whose sinkhole coverage is not renewed and cannot afford to pay the extra premium, will have to rely on another form of coverage. Under Florida law, insurance companies are required to offer catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage to all policyholders, but this type of coverage will not cover all the potential damage caused by sinkholes. It only covers damage of an extreme variety, which is the result of geological activity that causes collapse of the ground cover, visible depressions, structural damage to a home, or causes the home to be condemned due to inhabitability.

Although the state’s mandatory catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage may provide homeowners with some security in the event that a sinkhole causes extreme damage to the property, this included coverage will do little to protect homeowners from the much more common effects of sinkholes, such as cracks in buildings or other issues that occur due to settling. Not having the sinkhole coverage endorsement that would cover the costs arising from these kinds of damages could result in a significant out-of-pocket expense for homeowners affected by sinkholes.

As Florida is the state with the highest number of sinkholes, it is important for Florida homeowners to review their policies carefully and determine whether sinkhole coverage would be beneficial. Having the right kind of sinkhole coverage will save Florida homeowners a lot of grief and a lot of money. Additional sinkhole coverage should be considered, especially if the residence is located in a high risk area, to avoid having to pay for and deal with the potential losses associated with sinkhole damage.

To learn more call 1.888.525.2210 visit Floridainsurance.com.

Sinkholes pose a significant threat to Florida homeowners. A new law allows private insurance companies to cut sinkhole coverage in order to lower premium prices.

Due to Florida’s unique geology, sinkholes form here more often than in any other state in the US, and many of these sinkholes are located near the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. Because of this distinctive situation, Florida homeowners should consider electing sinkhole coverage when purchasing new policies or adding coverage to their existing policies. Failure to do so may result in a significant financial burden and overwhelming personal loss.

A new Florida law, effective January 1, 2010, allows private insurers to drop some portions of sinkhole coverage in order to cut the cost of premiums. It is Mandatory that ALL “Admitted insurance companies selling homeowners insurance in Florida offer customers catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage. Catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage will protect a homeowner in the event that there is an abrupt collapse in the ground cover that can be seen by the naked eye, there is structural damage to the building or foundation, or the structure is condemned and residents are instructed to vacate the premises by the appropriate government agency. Because of this many companies have ceased offering any homeowners’ coverage in some areas and counties.”

This new law allows some Florida insurance companies to non-renew or charge extra for a sinkhole coverage endorsement. Without this endorsement the policy will not provide homeowners with reimbursement for losses due to settling or cracking of a foundation, building, or structure. A large majority of sinkholes do not have catastrophic effects that result in structural damage or lead to a building being condemned. Many sinkholes actually result in less significant damage, but even repairing this damage can put a financial burden on your family. Insurance companies are not required to provide insurance that covers sinkhole damages not listed under the catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage.

Florida homeowners can retain sinkhole coverage for an additional premium, a premium that will likely cost homeowners hundreds of dollars per month.

Although electing additional sinkhole coverage may be costly, the expense is worth the risk for those who live in an area that is prone to sinkholes. Discuss your coverage possibilities with a licensed homeowners’ insurance agent. Doing so will ensure that your family and your belongings are protected against the significant damage that sinkholes might cause.

Milla Tawnie writes for Orlando auto insurance and Orlando home insurance agency, the Florida Insurance Group. To learn more or to get auto and home insurance quotes, visit FloridaInsurance.com.

Renter’s insurance policies help to protect your belongings. These types of policies will cover not only your personal property but will also ensure that incidents that might occur on your property are covered.

While a vast number of Floridians live in apartment complexes or rent homes, an overwhelming number do not have a renter’s insurance policy. Many do not have this coverage simply because they are unaware of it, as the landlord or property owner does not mention it. Not having a renter’s insurance policy can end up costing you a lot of money. Although your landlord is required to provide a well-maintained, clean place for you to live, your landlord is not responsible for insuring your home’s contents. Without renter’s insurance, you run the risk of losing valuable personal property due to theft or damage. An adequate renter’s insurance policy is necessary in order to protect your belongings.

Generally, insurance companies specifically delineate the types of incidents that will be covered under their renter’s insurance policies. Most policies do cover damage caused by theft, wind, water, lightning, fire, and vandalism. If, however, a specific type of incident is not listed on your policy, then chances are it will not be covered. For example, many standard renters’ insurance policies do not cover damaged incurred by incidents such as floods or earthquakes; however, this type of coverage can be added to your policy for an additional premium.

A renter’s insurance policy generally provides two different types of coverage: personal property damage and liability coverage. Personal property damage is designed solely to cover the cost of replacing your personal items. Different policies will offer varying levels of coverage for personal property that includes appliances, clothing, furniture, and electronics. Before deciding on an appropriate amount of coverage, it will be important to take stock of how valuable your personal items are. Having this information beforehand will make it easier for you to choose a policy that will protect your items. An important note, because renters and property insurance is so much more expensive in Florida than in other states, one should make sure and ask their agent to add the “Replacement Cost Coverage” endorsement. Some agents leave this coverage off to win your business. This coverage will be a bit pricier but when a loss occurs, you will be given new property for the loss of your old property. Not having this endorsement may save you a few dollars now, but the results of not having this endorsement could cost YOU several thousand dollars at time of claim.

Liability coverage helps to protect you against incidents which occur on your property. For example, liability coverage will help to protect you if a guest sustains injury while on your rental property. If you chose this kind of coverage, you will not be held liable for the incident or any ensuing legal and medical bills.

One type of coverage that is included in most policies and forgotten is “Loss of Use.” We have seen many instances on the news where an apartment fire has rendered many folks homeless. If you have Renters Insurance you will have money to help out with the cost of a hotel and food while you are out of your apartment or home.

Purchasing renter’s insurance will not only keep your belongings safe, it will also give you much-needed peace of mind. A home insurance agent will be able to help you find a policy that best fits your needs.

Milla Tawnie writes for Orlando auto insurance and Orlando home insurance agency, the Florida Insurance Group. To learn more or to get auto and home insurance quotes, visit FloridaInsurance.com.