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.

Where in VA? We are in Northern VA and the storms were terrible.

For the first few years after we purchased in TV (2007), there was no talk of sink holes. Or worrying about sink hole insurance. It wasn't an insurance issue, it was a non issue. We bought a weather radio so we would know if a hurricane or tornado was approaching. With a weather radio, at least you know when to hide under the bed.

Now, in the past few years, sink holes seem to be a state-wide Florida concern, with sink holes being reported in many different areas. What has changed?

The Villages Having a Problem with Sinkholes
 

The Villages Having a Problem with Sinkholes. That was the story on Bright House television. The story was seen by my brother who lives in Ocoee (near Orlando).
People at the pool were also talking about this story.
Guess we will have to see what happens after our next big rain.

Sinkholes
 

Sinkholes are just "Depressing"

The Truth and Nothing But The Truth
 

Sink hole coverage has become an issue because a few years back homeowners in and around the Tampa area were filing a slew of them. some of their claims for sink hole were nothing more than the usual ground shift that created settling cracks. Homeowners argue sink hole got paid and refused to do the repairs. Some claims of sink hole were obviously valid. My sister in law was concerned about sink holes because the golf course she bought on in Spring Hill was experiencing movement. Sure enough her house sank, she just had all the work finished and it was in the thousands. Several of her neighbors also experienced damage.

Most states require disclosure in real estate deals. Before that became law I had always made it my obligation to correct any defects found beforeI sold. So I had always stayed on top of situations keeping the builder in the loop. It is morally wrong not to do so. In fact my home in Minnesota had a defective roof and I chased the mfg for two years until I was paid and put on a new roof. I had water penetration on my stucco house and had the builder strip it down and redo it right this time. I had hardwood floors and had them sanded and sealed. My clever wife found a contractor who would work side jobs and we replaced all our carpet with very expensive carpet for half the price. We also updated lights in the bathrooms and kitchen and pulls on our kitchen cabinets. The end result was that this 12 year old house was in fact new and the realtor made clear that point. I sold this house in 2006 just when there was talk of the marketing diving. I sold the house in the same week it went on the market. The buyer was aware of the water intrusion problem in the area because he and his father use to build homes. And so he scooped the home up quickly knowing that we had righted the problem
For a final touch my wife purchased 4 new toliet seats and placed them unwrapped in each bathroom. At the closing Mrs Buyer acknowledged this gesture and the fact that we left a bottle of champagne and two glasses on the counter.

I just paid my Homeowner premium and I elected to buy full sink hole coverage. Insurance premiums are problematic but the fact of the matter is one should hope that they pay insurance premiums their entire lives and never have to have a need to exercise the conditions of a policy.

Does Florida have a sinkhole disclosure law?

See post #9

We actually enjoyed the paper brought early to our front door the entire five weeks we were in TV.

Up here, small town newspapers have very little after you read the obituaries and "letters to the editor".....plus the daily editorial.
The national news is delayed by many days. The local news is so so.

We get our own daily newspaper out of "habit" but THE SUN is superior.

On weekends we get the papers from major cities in the northeast, filled with crime incidents....and for the most part, depressing "news".

Actually, we were quite impressed with the Village SUN.

Every possible activity one could wish for was listed, along with the location, time, etc.

All of the open houses were listed daily..........plus quite a number of very nice "human interest articles".....re residents and their "stories"....in addition to many other informative pages.........

p.s. The Florida local t.v. news stations had plenty about the accidents , crime and other news..........both morning and evening.

:agree:

I can only add that the scam was very big in all of Pasco county.
County, state seeks solution to sinkhole scam | Hernando Today

No inference intended.

Ownership of the Daily Sun
 

What is the source of your information about the new ownership?

The Florida Secretary of State's records show that the "The Villages Daily Sun" is a fictitious name registered to The Villages Operating Company (which is one of the Morse-family companies). The fictitious-name certificate was signed by Mark G. Morse in 2009.

didn't someone win and or lose a bet over this