OT: Another storm gonna whack FL

Big_O

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Both of our homes fared well. Never lost power at either and only temporarily lost internet. Way better than Ian when we were on the northern eyewall.

Center of the eye went over our Sarasota house and northern part of the eye went over our poinciana property. Didn’t lose any screens in the lanai’s or pool cage. Tree damage in Sarasota but nothing else. No flooding either. We were very fortunate. Ian was actually worse. Only bad part was all the tornado warnings in central FL where I was riding out the storm.
 

MtNittany

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The Trop never looked better.

 

Big_O

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Interestingly tropicana field was supposed to be a shelter and staging area. I bet Helene weakened the roof and Milton finished the job.
 
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MtNittany

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Interestingly tropicana field was supposed to be a shelter and staging area. I bet Helene weakened the roof and Milton finished the job.
I always assumed it was an inflatable bubble kept in the air by a few Shop Vacs (shout out to Williamsport there)
 
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Bwifan

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Ouch. Amazing what a few miles north or south will do. I swear I remember the mall on the beach at Singer Island look like that after a storm, but don't remember which one.
My friend might be able to get back to his house on the barrier island Tierra Verde off St Pete. He was told tomorrow but now being told maybe later today. Neighbors who rode it out said roads on the island are impassable and many homes have significant damage. Luckily his house is 16 ft off the ground on cement stilts and a cement house. It was his condition to build there that the house had to be on stilts and all cement. All his neighbors are ground level and had their homes flooded with Helene and now this... His home is one of the only ones that didn't have damage from Helene.
 

MtNittany

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My friend might be able to get back to his house on the barrier island Tierra Verde off St Pete. He was told tomorrow but now being told maybe later today. Neighbors who rode it out said roads on the island are impassable and many homes have significant damage. Luckily his house is 16 ft off the ground on cement stilts and a cement house. It was his condition to build there that the house had to be on stilts and all cement. All his neighbors are ground level and had their homes flooded with Helene and now this... His home is one of the only ones that didn't have damage from Helene.
Why I appreciate living in a Burg and Divosta concrete block (w/ concrete floors, ceilings, roofs) especially a block from the water in either direction.
 
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Bwifan

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Why I appreciate living in a Burg and Divosta concrete block (w/ concrete floors, ceilings, roofs) especially a block from the water in either direction.
Yep.... I am built to the strictest building codes with cement and cinderblocks. Most of the damage from these storms are all wood homes. Cedar Key showed 3 wood homes that were just a pile of splinters after Helene and right next to them 4 new homes build to strict codes right on the water looked literally brand new and untouched by the storm.
 

MtNittany

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Yep.... I am built to the strictest building codes with cement and cinderblocks. Most of the damage from these storms are all wood homes. Cedar Key showed 3 wood homes that were just a pile of splinters after Helene and right next to them 4 new homes build to strict codes right on the water looked literally brand new and untouched by the storm.
I self insure - have for years. Well partially. My HOA has to rebuild the building (2 story quad), I would have to do drywall, appliances, etc. I estimate I'm at around $70k in savings by just saying no by now.
 
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LionJim

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I self insure - have for years. Well partially. My HOA has to rebuild the building (2 story quad), I would have to do drywall, appliances, etc. I estimate I'm at around $70k in savings by just saying no by now.
You “self-insure?” Meaning that any repairs to storm damage are paid out of pocket? You must have confidence in your house’s stability.
 

MtNittany

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You “self-insure?” Meaning that any repairs to storm damage are paid out of pocket? You must have confidence in your house’s stability.
Very much so. I said partially, meaning the HOA (which I have paid into for 30 years) has a blanket insurance policy for all the buildings exterior, fence and plumbing. The rest is left to the homeowners. When new homeowners, you are forced to insure your "belongings". Once the house is paid off (in FL anyway), you do what you want.

The disparity arose back around 2004 (w/ all the storms here). Because I live between the Intracoastal and the ocean, they wanted like $7K/year. It isn't that much now, but still. Too much.
 
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MtNittany

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Very much so. I said partially, meaning the HOA (which I have paid into for 30 years) has a blanket insurance policy for all the buildings exterior, fence and plumbing. The rest is left to the homeowners. When new homeowners, you are forced to insure your "belongings". Once the house is paid off (in FL anyway), you do what you want.

The disparity arose back around 2004 (w/ all the storms here). Because I live between the Intracoastal and the ocean, they wanted like $7K/year. It isn't that much now, but still. Too much.
For context Jim, it was a $200K townhouse back in 2004. Probably $550K now.
 
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Bwifan

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Very much so. I said partially, meaning the HOA (which I have paid into for 30 years) has a blanket insurance policy for all the buildings exterior, fence and plumbing. The rest is left to the homeowners. When new homeowners, you are forced to insure your "belongings". Once the house is paid off (in FL anyway), you do what you want.

The disparity arose back around 2004 (w/ all the storms here). Because I live between the Intracoastal and the ocean, they wanted like $7K/year. It isn't that much now, but still. Too much.
A lot of my neighbors are starting to self insure.
 

MtNittany

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A lot of my neighbors are starting to self insure.
Every other big estate on Palm Beach or Jup Island is probably self-insured. That's why the argument that Floridians and their beach front properties are the reason their property insurancein Iowa goes up is not quite right.
 
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Bwifan

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Every other big estate on Palm Beach or Jup Island is probably self-insured. That's why the argument that Floridians and their beach front properties are the reason their property insurancein Iowa goes up is not quite right.
Yup my neighbor builds a lot of estate homes on the beach and he says just that. Many of those people can afford to pay to have a new home built and don't need insurance.
 

MtNittany

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Yup my neighbor builds a lot of estate homes on the beach and he says just that. Many of those people can afford to pay to have a new home built and don't need insurance.
Plus they're smart enough to know when they're getting gouged. Rush always talked about dropping the property insurance on his Palm Beach estate. He would say the math doesn't add up.
 

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