So I saw a stat that less than half the houses that are labeled as being in the flood zone have flood insurance and less than a third of those not officially in the flood zone have insurance.
Half the people own their homes outright? (And everyone who owns their own home declines to have flood insurance.) Or you don't need flood insurance for a mortgage? [Reply]
I kind of wonder how they get some of those boats back into the water. That one at 6:03 is pretty big and I can't even tell where it came from. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chief Pagan:
So I saw a stat that less than half the houses that are labeled as being in the flood zone have flood insurance and less than a third of those not officially in the flood zone have insurance.
Half the people own their homes outright? (And everyone who owns their own home declines to have flood insurance.) Or you don't need flood insurance for a mortgage?
I think you don't need flood insurance if you're not in a flood zone. But how does Florida define flood zones? From my perspective in the Rocky Mountains, it seems like most of the state could be a flood zone just by being really flat and rainy, and then when you add hurricanes atop that, it seems like pretty much any house has some vulnerability. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chief Pagan:
The part I'm confused about, is how can half of the people in the flood zone not have insurance? I would think their mortgage would require it?
And what happens to the two thirds not in the flood zone who got catastrophically flooded anyway? And owed a huge mortgage and no longer have a house.
They just declare bankruptcy?
I've never lived in a flood zone, but have talked to people who do. Most are willing to roll the dice and pray they never have a problem. Also, it's really hard and expensive to get flood insurance if you're in a flood zone.
I'm not sure if mortgage companies require flood insurance though [Reply]
Originally Posted by warrior:
Lot's of people who own there house there don't have flood insurance due to exorbitant high rates and limited income-retirement
The chance of flooding in many areas is higher than people want to face up to and paying the real, actuarial cost (not subsidized) is a shock.
This is also a big issue with fire insurance out west.
Not a lot of easy solutions.
Still don't understand the mortgage thing though. [Reply]
Originally Posted by FlaChief58:
I've never lived in a flood zone, but have talked to people who do. Most are willing to roll the dice and pray they never have a problem. Also, it's really hard and expensive to get flood insurance if you're in a flood zone.
I'm not sure if mortgage companies require flood insurance though
I'm not clear on hurricanes, for river flooding, I thought you needed flood insurance to get a mortgage if you were listed as being in the '100 year flood plain' as determined by FEMA.
And that insurance was often provided by FEMA because private companies didn't want to.
I can't imagine a mortgage company wanting to assume the risk of property that is known to be in a flood zone as opposed to requiring the home owner to carry insurance just like fire insurance is required.
But I admit something seems odd about the stat I saw. [Reply]