A Delray Beach homeowner who was facing a $300 increase on her home insurance renewal now has a lower quote, after she contacted WPTV.
Betty Haygood, 76, said her renewal was going up even though she had a new roof installed in August. Her insurer, Universal, which is based in South Florida, reviewed her policy and offered a new quote of $3,087, or $90 less than she is paying now.
“I’m OK with that,” Haygood told WPTV. She said many neighbors and people she did not know reached out to her about similar increases, and she plans to shop around with other carriers.
Insurance experts now recommend comparing companies. Litigation reforms in Florida have brought more insurers and more competition, which has pushed rates down. Lower rates do not always mean lower premiums, though, because inflation has raised the cost of building and repairing homes. Many insurers also weigh the age of a roof when they assess risk.
Lee Wiglesworth of Wiglesworth-Rindom Insurance Agency in Stuart advised homeowners to call an agent who can shop multiple carriers and ask what a new roof could save them.
