[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Opulence

My beliefs are based on a conversation with a Village Realtor. After our discussion, I did research on my own. I feel this issue is of major concern, not only to perspective buyers but also to home owners who want to sell.

Here is another internet link - this one is from the State of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection. You may find this one more credible, as you seem to infer the first article was not, because it was on the Internet. There is a great deal of information on this STATE link.

FGS - Frequently Asked Questions

21.I was denied homeowners insurance because there is a sinkhole within one-half mile of my home. What can I do?

Currently, an insurance company has the right to not issue an insurance policy on the basis of sinkholes in the “area.” The definition of “area” remains subjective, and the issue will likely only be resolved through specific legislation, or by the general adoption of a standard by the insurance industry. Some companies utilize private sinkhole data to assign relative sinkhole risk (see question #12). Other companies may have more liberal policies, and you may wish to shop around for other insurance that may be available.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation provides a listing of insurance companies writing policies in the different Florida counties at: http://www.shopandcomparerates.com/H...reRates300.htm


1.Our insurance company has informed us that the area where we are going to purchase property is listed as a sinkhole area. What does this mean? What can we do about it? Should we buy in that area? back to top
See question

#21. Certainly the availability of insurance is a major factor to most homebuyers. Current Florida law requires that insurance companies provide catastrophic ground collapse coverage, but unless specific criteria are met, this would not include sinkhole damage. Specific sinkhole coverage is now an option. Insurance companies may vary on their individual requirements and you should shop around for the best insurance policy that may be available to you. Unfortunately there is no ready reference on sinkhole prediction or risk assessment. This has made accurate risk determinations difficult and has hampered the formulation of either legislation or an industry standard on this issue. As a result many insurance companies have relied heavily upon the regional maps showing zones of sinkhole occurrences based on the local geology and historical sinkhole activity, or on private sinkhole data. Any decision to purchase a particular property is of course a highly individual one, involving not only insurance availability, but also your own personal tolerance for risk and your desire to live in a particular area.

No inference intended.