Criminy…it’s almost like insurance companies are just pulling numbers out of their azzes re your homeowners policy; un-freakin’-real.
After I finish this cuppa kawfee, I probably oughta shave, shower and then finish packing, so I can spend some quality time with LambiePieK and Jackson until it’s time to leave for teh aerodrome. Flight’s not until 3:30, but security at Hartsfield can be, shall we say, inefficient, so I’ll probably get there waaaaay earlier than necessary.
Have a layover / plane change in Vegas (managed to avoid Sky Harbor both coming and going; yay!!); scheduled to arrive in BUR at 7:15 followed by a stop at some iconic SoCal burger joint on teh way out to Thousand Oaks.
I apologized this morning to my insurance agent who I’ve known since 1983. Her email note:
“Your Farmers homeowners insurance is increasing again this year. It’s a 100% increase and due to the brush proximity. If you haven’t received your renewal notice yet, you should be getting it any day. I took the liberty of securing two other quotes for your review. I will also get a quote through the California Fair Plan but I don’t really recommend their coverage due to so many gaps.”
My response: “You are fucking kidding me, right? The rates were jacked 140% last year and now it’s another 100% this year???? And next year, what then? Another 100%? This is fucking bullshit.”
It isnt personal, but when you are getting screwed sometimes it’s hard not to be vulgar.
I’m beginning to have a huge mancrush on Trey Gowdy.
I can sort of understand that; I’m waiting to see if he actually has (or is permitted to have) any stones. My guess is that John of Orange and/or Issa and/or the CBC will neuter him.
I’d like to see Lerner and a whole bunch of other folks banging their tin cups on a set of prison bars.
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Safe travels, Fatwa! Personally, I prefer Sky Harbor to Las Vegas, but to each his own (minus the government percentage, of course).
Sven -- I remember talking to my Farmers agent last year about your plight. He said most companies are trying to get out of the “high risk” areas by making premiums unsustainable. Agents are not happy about it.
I absolutely detest Farmers and will not do business with them. A local agent here kept sending my letters and I finally sent him an e-mail explaining why I would not buy Farmers insurance if they offered me double my coverage for $1.00 a year total. I told him he seemed a nice person so I thought I would save him the trouble and cost of his efforts as his company had already made me vow that I would never give them a dime and would bad mouth them at every opportunity I got. He sent me a polite and personal thank you and the letters stopped until a new agent seems to have moved nearby.
When I first saw your mention of these unreasonable increases I wondered if it might relate to the bad investment climate. I recall a big surge in insurance prices years ago when the economy took a hit. Insurance companies basically take small amounts of money from many people and pay large claims to a few. Of course they must accurately judge the risks to make a profit and survive. One factor here is that they are basically holding large amounts of money for a time to pay claims out of. By investing that money they hope to get additional return from what is really other peoples money that they are holding. In a good investment climate this works well but when the market crashes they are in trouble as their working capitol is reduced and the income is gone. That makes then desperate to increase premiums and decrease payouts to compensate. This is what I understood to happen then and I expect it is happening now. There is just no safe way to get good returns. It is so nice when your government turns against you. Being Farmers they could just be jerks. Did I mention I hate Farmers?
Even though our Farmers agent is a friend, which comes in handy when something happens, I would dump all of our policies in a heartbeat and go elsewhere if I could find “elsewhere”. Last year I must have contacted at least seven different agents and brokers and most of them wouldnt even consider writing us a policy. The couple that would were even higher than what Farmers offered.
Last year, the increase in premium was a huge financial inconvenience, but affordable. This year, it’s going to hit us in the discretionary funds department. Next year, cuz I fully expect this to happen again, it will be a major problem.
But then again, can we even sell the house under these conditions? Would you buy it knowing that you couldnt insure it, or if you could insure it, that you would be paying through the nose?
It’s a problem and not just for us. There’s anywhere from 500,000 to a million homes that sit in these brush areas throughout the state.
Happy Caturday, GN!
Sven --
Criminy…it’s almost like insurance companies are just pulling numbers out of their azzes re your homeowners policy; un-freakin’-real.
After I finish this cuppa kawfee, I probably oughta shave, shower and then finish packing, so I can spend some quality time with LambiePieK and Jackson until it’s time to leave for teh aerodrome. Flight’s not until 3:30, but security at Hartsfield can be, shall we say, inefficient, so I’ll probably get there waaaaay earlier than necessary.
Have a layover / plane change in Vegas (managed to avoid Sky Harbor both coming and going; yay!!); scheduled to arrive in BUR at 7:15 followed by a stop at some iconic SoCal burger joint on teh way out to Thousand Oaks.
Safe travels, Fatwa, and continuing good wishes for Mac’s recovery.
Thanks, Sven; echo your thoughts re Mac, as well. Hope you and Mrs. Sven have a pleasant trip yourselves; I look forward to seeing the two of you.
All packed except for electronics, which are, ah, currently charging (and going in my carry-on).
Which leaves some time to spare so I can obsessively go over my to-do list while annoying the wife and dog. 😉
We are in teh middle of a huge drought--please pack some extra water.
I’m beginning to have a huge mancrush on Trey Gowdy. And don’t be judging me!!!!!
I apologized this morning to my insurance agent who I’ve known since 1983. Her email note:
“Your Farmers homeowners insurance is increasing again this year. It’s a 100% increase and due to the brush proximity. If you haven’t received your renewal notice yet, you should be getting it any day. I took the liberty of securing two other quotes for your review. I will also get a quote through the California Fair Plan but I don’t really recommend their coverage due to so many gaps.”
My response: “You are fucking kidding me, right? The rates were jacked 140% last year and now it’s another 100% this year???? And next year, what then? Another 100%? This is fucking bullshit.”
It isnt personal, but when you are getting screwed sometimes it’s hard not to be vulgar.
I can sort of understand that; I’m waiting to see if he actually has (or is permitted to have) any stones. My guess is that John of Orange and/or Issa and/or the CBC will neuter him.
I’d like to see Lerner and a whole bunch of other folks banging their tin cups on a set of prison bars.
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Safe travels, Fatwa! Personally, I prefer Sky Harbor to Las Vegas, but to each his own (minus the government percentage, of course).
Sven -- I remember talking to my Farmers agent last year about your plight. He said most companies are trying to get out of the “high risk” areas by making premiums unsustainable. Agents are not happy about it.
I am doing well, thank you my friends.
I absolutely detest Farmers and will not do business with them. A local agent here kept sending my letters and I finally sent him an e-mail explaining why I would not buy Farmers insurance if they offered me double my coverage for $1.00 a year total. I told him he seemed a nice person so I thought I would save him the trouble and cost of his efforts as his company had already made me vow that I would never give them a dime and would bad mouth them at every opportunity I got. He sent me a polite and personal thank you and the letters stopped until a new agent seems to have moved nearby.
When I first saw your mention of these unreasonable increases I wondered if it might relate to the bad investment climate. I recall a big surge in insurance prices years ago when the economy took a hit. Insurance companies basically take small amounts of money from many people and pay large claims to a few. Of course they must accurately judge the risks to make a profit and survive. One factor here is that they are basically holding large amounts of money for a time to pay claims out of. By investing that money they hope to get additional return from what is really other peoples money that they are holding. In a good investment climate this works well but when the market crashes they are in trouble as their working capitol is reduced and the income is gone. That makes then desperate to increase premiums and decrease payouts to compensate. This is what I understood to happen then and I expect it is happening now. There is just no safe way to get good returns. It is so nice when your government turns against you. Being Farmers they could just be jerks. Did I mention I hate Farmers?
Even though our Farmers agent is a friend, which comes in handy when something happens, I would dump all of our policies in a heartbeat and go elsewhere if I could find “elsewhere”. Last year I must have contacted at least seven different agents and brokers and most of them wouldnt even consider writing us a policy. The couple that would were even higher than what Farmers offered.
Last year, the increase in premium was a huge financial inconvenience, but affordable. This year, it’s going to hit us in the discretionary funds department. Next year, cuz I fully expect this to happen again, it will be a major problem.
But then again, can we even sell the house under these conditions? Would you buy it knowing that you couldnt insure it, or if you could insure it, that you would be paying through the nose?
It’s a problem and not just for us. There’s anywhere from 500,000 to a million homes that sit in these brush areas throughout the state.
So it goes.