[kathyspear]

Originally Posted by nn0wheremann

Five years ago I bought a house with a 13 YO roof. Five years and one hurricane later it is a 15 YO roof. I had to do some minimal repairs, costing me less than $15 and an hour of my time. I expect to replace the roof in another four or five years. These houses were built with 25 year shingles. If the house you want to buy was built before 2003 you will need a more thorough inspection to get insurance, to verify the trusses are anchored and the windows meet the Miami-Dade wind mitigation standard. That standard became code in 2003, as I recall. If there is a mortgage, you need insurance to close the sale, and you need a good roof to get insurance. Farmers, purchased through their agent in Orlando, gave me a good price. Seems they are anxious to mitigate their exposure to western wildfires by selling policies in Florida.

(1) If your roof was 13 years old 5 years ago why is it not 18 years old now?

(2) Insurance companies have gotten much pickier about the age of a roof. Many (most?) WILL NOT insure you if your roof is over x number of years. They don't say "We won't insure you without an extensive report on the condition of the roof." They say "We won't insure your home unless you replace the roof [based on its age]."

Someone else mentioned Farmers in a positive light. Maybe they aren't as picky. If you also want sink hole coverage, though, you have to find a company that writes sink hole coverage (many do not) AND also doesn't care how old your roof is. What a pain.

k.