Name:	Ulysses E. McGill -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 12:14:07 PM

Looking for advice on best insurance companies for gulf coast (Niceville FL area). My son is buying a home and the quote he got from USAA is very high in my opinion. Thanks in advance.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 1:59:47 PM

Not sure what is going on with USAA, but they recently hiked our car insurance rate by about 40% for no apparent reason.  No accidents, no tickets.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 2:10:27 PM

I think since USAA decided to allow anyone with any connection to the military in, their service has gone down and their prices have gone up.  I am thinking that the additional people are raising the risk pool.  Can't wait to see what they do to me on Homeowner's this coming year - I actually had a claim.  First one in well over 30 years.  And I got a speeding ticket in 2014, so no doubt they hiked my premium.  Only the 2nd ticket I've ever had in my life- the first being a HOV violation. 

Name:	Osms -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 5:00:10 PM

All my USAA policies renew in about three weeks and your post sent me to the file cabinet to compare old and new rates.  Here's what I found:  Homeowners is going up a little less than 4% next year.  Auto insurance is also going up about that same amount.  Their rates have been getting worse over the past 5 years, which I definitely blame on the new policy of admitting anyone who can spell military.  Interesting also is the subscriber's account has been going up the past 3 or 4 years too.  I'm getting back about 13% of my premium thru the annual kickback.  That's not bad.  I still shop my rates every renewal and I left USAA for about 4 years a few years ago because they went up too high.

My Coastal MS rates on homeowners with USAA went up 400% from 2002 till 2007 because of Katrina (I had no damage).  That's crazy.

Name:	lakngulf -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 6:01:56 PM

So those of us who cannot spell malitary are ...?

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 7:19:12 PM

With lower gas prices, people are driving more and therefore more claims. Rates are rising no matter how well you drive As to past history, having insurance for years with a carrier does not really help your renewal rate. Auto and homeowners is just a one year conract. You pay an annual premium for one year of coverage and rates can increase next year and you are free to leave next year.

I carry a $1,000 deductible on my auto and homeowner policies. Submitting claims with a smaller deductible just raises your rates on renewal. If you don't plan to submit a small claim, raise your deductible and save the money toward a future claim.

Another suggestion, depending on the state if you get a speeding ticket check about taking an online course which for me avoided points on my license a few years ago. You pay the ticket and tell them you plan on taking the course. Once you submit evidence you passed, they will not assign points.

Name:	Mack -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 8:14:47 PM

Niceville, being right across the bay from Destin/Ft. Walton is right in the target zone for damage from a hurricane. Whether a storm causes damage in that area is not relevant at all. Eventually, there will be a bad storm along that coast causing major damage. Insurance companies adjust rates to compensate for past and future Pay-OUTS. All property owners suffer, beachside or inland.  So will he, unless he goes without like many owners do.

Perhaps your own advice is in order: live with it?? or buy elsewhere.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 9:44:48 PM

I got to thinking...especially after OSMS comments...my granddaughter, who lives with us and drives one of my USAA-insured cars, hydroplanes a couple years ago and totaled that car.  At the time the USAA agent I spoke with said "good thing she has accident forgiveness".  Maybe she didn't.

Name:	Shortbus -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 10:02:49 PM

Forget about the insurance - build a ICF house that eats hurricanes for lunch.

http://floridagreenhomes.us/hurricane-and-tornado-survivor-s-stories

Name:	Osms -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/14/2016 10:56:10 PM

There is no doubt a structure can be built that will withstand a hurricane, but a flooded building is still heavily damaged and potentially unlivable.  Concrete homes have a real mold and mildew problem all the time, not only after water damage.  Even though the walls will be standing many times Windows will be blown out and the interior destroyed, which doesn't help the insurance exposure much.  We built a house that was the fourth lot off the gulf beach on the coast.  After Katrina, the house was the first standing from the beach, but the windows were blown out, it had 5 ft of water inside, with wave action, 25 ft tide, w/waves, that dumped wreckage from the other houses against the structure causing more damage.  The house was brick veneer, stick built, two story and was repaired, and I was proud it stood the storm, but I believe a concrete house would have suffered similar damage and cost of repair.  FYI, we had sold that house a few years before Katrina.  Lesson:  Recovery along the gulf on the MS Coast has been very slow because insurance for homes is either not available or cost prohibitive.  The state allowed insurance companies to factor their rates based on a five year return instead of the ten year rate which had been in effect for decades.  Greed.

Name:	randyman -	Reply
Subject:	I live on gulf coast
Date:	8/15/2016 1:51:33 PM

I feel your pain. Unfortunately, homeowners insurance is 3-4x normal premiums. Additionally you will have a higher deductible.....probably 5% on wind. Actually lucky to get a policy....I had to go with secondary market through independent agent. All the larger companies will not underwrite or take new customers. I would recommend flood as well. 

Name:	lucky67 -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/15/2016 2:01:41 PM

best for coast//beach is lloyds of london

Name:	Webmaster -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/15/2016 2:10:01 PM

My Uncle has a place in Destin on the bay. His neighbor said they "can't get insurance", so I was left to believe that many just aren't insured at all. It may be a different situation if the home is not on the water. It may also have been that he couldn't obtain "reasonable priced" insurance that he was willing to pay for... Or maybe only liability insurance on the property. He is not in a mortgage situation though. I'll find out more details next time we visit. 

Name:	Osms -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/15/2016 3:20:38 PM

Don't know if the purchaser of our home in MS bought insurance or not, he paid cash so he may not have, but if he did he would have been forced into "wind pool" and coverage would have been over $19K + Flood!!  I also read where State Farm's CEO had an increase in end-of-year bonus of over 100% in 2007.  When you refuse to pay claims, you make lots of money! YEA, for Lake Martin!

Name:	Shortbus -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/15/2016 4:55:27 PM

For $20k/year I could build a nice house.

Cars only on the bottom level.

Living space starts at 15-20 foot high.

Windows made of acrylic or some nice shutters made of solid HDPE.

Roof made with steel bar joists tied into walls.

Over 50 years at 20k/year  you save $1M on just insurance.

Factor in your safety, no termites, no fires, much lower A/C - what about resell in the end?

I say let the house insure itself.  Only a fool would build with cardboard on the beach.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	Your 401k and Gulf Coast Insurance
Date:	8/16/2016 1:07:10 PM

Rates are extremely high along the Gulf coast especially water front. Everyone complains about the high rates.Would you be willing to invest your 401 in a start up insurance company with a market plan of writing homeowners and wind storm in Florida only? We haven't had a hrricane hit land for some years in Florida. Ready to roll the dice?

Name:	Summer Lover -	Reply
Subject:	Gulf coast insurance companies
Date:	8/16/2016 4:44:29 PM

Dang, talk about a "live" room for stereo or TV...  Although I like the concrete house idea, I would have to go with some sort of walls inside - maybe steel studs and drywall to keep the "fire resistance" high, not sure about furnishings, maybe some Nomex covered chairs, and I know where I could find some concrete speakers to match...  Come to think about it, I would have to plan drain lines for the concrete coolers spread throught the house....

Name:	Ulysses E. McGill -	Reply
Subject:	UPDATE
Date:	8/17/2016 4:05:48 AM

AS some have said, we know it's a huricane zone. We found a local agent who provided a policy quote for 1/3 of the USAA price (same policy qualifiers). Moral of the story is shop around. It seems evident that some companies have made a decision to not be competative in certain markets. It's busineees and I understand.

Name:	Buteye -	Reply
Subject:	UPDATE
Date:	8/17/2016 10:31:54 AM

Can you provide name and contact number fot local agent?

Name:	Ulysses E. McGill -	Reply
Subject:	Yes, I can!
Date:	8/18/2016 2:23:52 AM

Brian – Affordable insurance

Ph: 850-654-1567