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Archives for November 2021

5 Home Upgrades to Consider This Season

While many homeowners dream of a huge remodeling job (hello five-star kitchen!), simple home updates that can be completed in a timely manner—without breaking the bank—typically offer the best return on your investment. If you’re itching to upgrade your home this season, whether with your own two hands or by bringing in a certified contractor, consider the following ideas.

Change the Hardware. By simply replacing the hardware (drawer pulls, knobs) and faucets, you can create an entirely different look. If you’re feeling really adventurous, and in the mood for a more drastic effect, you can even paint the cabinets. Or, dress up the kitchen with a decorative backsplash that ties the whole room together.

Add a Little Paint. Do all the rooms in your home blend together because they’re painted the same color? Painting an accent wall is a great way to help a room ‘pop.’ Whether it’s in the kitchen, living room, dining room (or any other room in the home), an accent wall is a simple way to incorporate a color you love into the space without going overboard. If you’re content with the walls just the way they are, another popular alternative is to paint the ceiling.

Update the Entryway. An inviting entryway is just as important for creating a good first impression among visitors as it is among prospective buyers. Wow your guests—and even your family—with an updated facade. From (re)painting the front door to incorporating vinyl door decals to welcome visitors in style, updating the front of your home is a surefire way to create a welcoming environment.

Install Hardwood Floors. Hardwood floors are a popular choice among homeowners looking to update their space, and with a little elbow grease and know-how, avid do-it-yourselfers can complete the look with their own two hands. Tongue-and-groove flooring that fits together like a puzzle is a safe bet for anyone looking to get their hands dirty in home improvement projects this season.

Add a Porch/Patio. Whether they’re semi-enclosed, attached to the home’s front entrance or built at ground level, the addition of a porch/patio extends a home’s living space. From adding value to your home to upping its curb appeal, if you have the space, this is one project you should move to the top of your to-do list.

 

Buyers May Face Hidden Costs for Homes with Solar Power By Kerry Smith

“Solar-powered home” sounds like a great money-saving deal, but buyers should study possible costs before committing. Not all property insurance companies will cover solar panels, and the ones that do have a wide-ranging set of rules and inconsistent coverage pricing.

ORLANDO, Fla. – According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar panel use in Florida jumped 57% in 2020. Beyond a desire to save the planet, increased demand sprang from low interest rates, pandemic-locked homeowners who targeted improvement projects, tax rebates and lower costs for the technology.

As a result, more homebuyers see listings that offer solar power and the promise of long-term savings on their power bills.

However, potential savings could be offset by another higher cost: property insurance rates.

“There’s not a lot of history on solar panels. There’s not a lot of data, so a lot of carriers won’t cover homes with solar,” said Christy Wolfe, sales development manager with Florida Peninsula Insurance and Edison Insurance, to the Insurance Journal. “And when you start drilling holes in a roof, it’s problematic.”

Some Florida insurers say they have enough problems already, thanks to the rising cost of supplies for replacement jobs like roofs, and they fear that their ongoing legal problems could become exacerbated if they’re faced with new lawsuits over solar-panel issues.

Some insurers simply include solar panel coverage under Section A in homeowners’ policies, said B.G. Murphy, director of government affairs for the Florida Association of Insurance Agents. Others add conditions, such as not covering photovoltaic panels damaged by wind or hail. And others offer no solar panel coverage at all.

Florida-owner Citizens Property Insurance will cover some – but not all – solar homes, a spokesperson told the Insurance Journal. The state’s largest private insurer, Universal Property & Casualty, will cover solar panels if a roof is in good condition, according to John Lykins, the Alabama and Florida marketing manager for Universal.

Lykins calls liability “the tricky part.” What if solar-panel electricity injures a utility worker, for example?

Insurers’ solar panel considerations

  • Frontline Insurance won’t cover homes with “net metering,” meaning projects that allow the homeowner to sell excess electricity back to the power grid. That includes almost all solar-powered homes, says Scott Kremkau, a sales representative for Frontline in the Florida Panhandle, unless they only use solar to heat hot water or swimming pools.
  • A home that generates more than 10 kilowatts of power faces a Florida requirement for $1 million in liability coverage. Many insurers won’t do that, and “something we absolutely won’t cover,” Kremkau says.
  • Some local utilities require homeowners to name them in their homeowners policy. Some don’t.
  • Some insurers say that a homeowners’ policy isn’t even legitimate if they sell electricity back to a utility. They claim that makes the home a business. Other insurers disagree, likening that logic to owners who get an insurance discount because they updated their home to withstand hurricane-force winds. Insurers have asked the Florida Public Service Commission for clarification.
  • Insurers also say that property appraisers often don’t factor in solar panels when calculating a home’s value – but for coverage, insurers must consider replacement costs.

On almost every issue, opinions run hot and cold. However, many Florida insurers, already skittish about current problems they’re facing, choose to err on the side of caution.

Amber Bradford, a We Insure agent/owner in Navarre, Florida, says many Florida insurers require a new roof every 10 years now. If that’s the case, she suggests, get a new roof before having solar panels installed.

She also admits that not all insurance agents are up to speed yet on solar options and the industry’s quick growth. She says it’s led to unneeded liability in some cases and too little insurance in others.

“It is kind of a mess right now,” she told the Insurance Journal.

Source: Insurance Journal, Nov. 1, 2021; William Rabb

© 2021 Florida Realtors®

Foods Doctors Steer Clear of, and Why You Should, Too

Did you know many doctors practice what they preach when it comes to diet? Business Insider recently interviewed two doctors to get their take on what not to eat, and why. Five offenders:
 
Candy
Candy and other sugar-laden sweets can have a slew of negative effects on health, even beyond weight gain, due to their added sugars. Men should limit their added sugar intake to nine teaspoons per day; women, six.
 
Dairy Products
Dairy products, especially full-fat butter and cheese, are loaded with saturated fat and sodium, which, if eaten regularly, can be a precursor to out-of-control cholesterol.
 
Large Fish

Large fish like halibut, swordfish and tuna tend to have more mercury than other species (typically because they consume smaller fish), which can be detrimental to health; however, fish are essential to a wholesome diet, so smaller varieties—think anchovies, mussels, salmon, and trout—are permissible.
 
Red Meat
Red meat—generally beef or pork—contains saturated fat, which can have an adverse effect on cholesterol, and, in turn, lead to heart disease. Red meat, especially processed products like bacon and sausage, is also packed with sodium, which can contribute to higher blood pressure.
 
Refined Grains
Refined grains are nutritionally inferior to their whole grain counterparts, specifically with lower levels of fiber. Cereal, pasta, and white flour, white bread and white rice are all classified as refined grains.
 
Source: Business Insider