Trusted Insurance Brokers, LLC

02/10/2026

🚨 This surprises almost every homeowner we talk to…

Homes built just 10 years ago are already considered “older homes” by insurance companies.

Yep. Ten. Years.

It's weird to think about. Something that happened 10 years ago can still feel like it happened yesterday.

Unfortuantely, a 10 year old home is the equivalent of (this might hurt some feelings 😬)...a person turning 40.

Stay with me on this...

Around 40 is when our bodies start “acting up” from pulled muscles and creaky joints to blurry vision...homes are no different.

The 10 year mark on a home is typically around the time when all the main systems and inner workings of a home start to fail. HVAC components start to wear down, the plumbing starts to corrode, water heater leaks, etc., etc.

An "older home" does not mean a "bad home". It just means insurance companies are going to a closer look 👀. Just like a doctor would 🩻

Here’s what insurance carriers look at very closely 👀

1️⃣ Roof: age, material & condition
2️⃣ Plumbing: pipe material + water heater age
3️⃣ Claims history (yes, claims made on your last house matter too)
4️⃣ Electrical: wiring type, double-tapped breakers, exposed wiring

Now, Florida has gone through a hard market over the last several years, but the good news is we're starting to see property insurance rate decreases for many homeowners throughout Florida.

So, if you haven't reviewed your policy yet this year, are buying a home or even if you just renewed your policy, let's talk right away.

You might be over-paying, under-insured…do you really want to be finding that out AFTER you file a claim? (The answer is no...you don't.)

👉 So, if you Own or are Purchasing a home built 10+ years ago:

Contact us right away! We'll review your policy to make sure your coverage matches actual cost of construction with today's better rates!!

📩 Comment “OLDER HOME” if you'd like a policy review
​(Or shoot us a DM if you’d rather keep it private)

01/22/2026

🚨 Citizens Homeowners — This Could Affect Your Policy 🚨

Starting March 1st, 2026, many more Citizens policyholders will be required to carry flood insurance in order to keep their policy active.

As we enter the fourth phase of the Citizens flood mandate, policies with Coverage A of $300,000 or more will be required to carry flood insurance beginning March 1st, 2026.

The good news?
The Florida insurance market is loosening up — which means you could possibly:

✔️ Move out of Citizens
✔️ Avoid the flood requirement
✔️ Save money

💬 Comment “FLOOD” to find out if your policy will be affected

01/13/2026

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation just dropped updated claims numbers for Hurricane Milton, the Category 3 storm that hit in early October 2024, and there is much to unpack.

As of December 9, 2025, insurers have logged 385,146 claims, with total estimated losses sitting around $5.6 billion (yes, you read that correctly....Billion).

The good news is 92% of claims are already closed, and 62% of those were paid. Now I know what you're probably thinking: "Of course they wouldn't pay out all of their claims....Why aren't the other 38% paid?!?! Those thievin' insurance companies!"

Well, the claims that closed without payment weren’t exactly shocking, here are some examples:

1.) Many were below the deductible - when the damage doesn't exceed your deductible, there's nothing for the carrier to pay.

2.) Others were closed for administrative reasons - this usually means the claim didn’t move forward due to a process issue, not because the damage was denied or uncovered (think duplicate claims, accidental claims, claims filed under the wrong policy, etc. etc.)

3.) Some homeowners simply withdrew their claims.

One stat that raised a my eyebrows: 15,440 claims weren’t paid due to lack of communication or cooperation from the insured. Folks, if you file a claim, stay in touch and send what’s requested. Ghosting your insurance company or claim rep rarely ends well.

Now, on the rate side of things, there’s a little bit of sunshine. The Citizens Board of Governors met on December 10, 2025 and approved a proposed overall rate decrease for 2026—the first one in a DECADE (we’ll take it).

Here’s how that shakes out:

Personal lines policies: down 2.6%

HO-3 homeowners policies: down 4.1% (the fan favorite)

Commercial policies: up 10.4% (boo!)

Overall average change: a 0.8% decrease
(Hey, money is money and a win is a win! Any money back in your pocket is a plus! Am I right??)

This proposal now heads to regulators for review, with a targeted effective date of June 1. Fingers crossed it makes it across the finish line.

If you want help figuring out what to expect from the Florida insurance market in 2026 and what it actually means for your policy, give us a call or email us today!

(772) 900-5842
[email protected]

09/16/2025

Another 5 star review! So happy we could assist Mrs. Libby with her insurance needs.

This one is actually a big win, given the Florida insurance market of today...

We were actually able to save Mrs. Libby around $1,850/year on her auto insurance, while raising her BI and UM coverage significantly.

Likewise, her previous condo insurance policy was placed with a non-admitted market (through another agency), and it was without hurricane/wind coverage. After review, we were able to save her around $7,600/year, again, that is WITH ADDING hurricane/wind coverage.

In total, she is saving around $9,500/year combined, between her home and condo insurance and that is WITH Better Coverage!!

We do not sacrifice coverage to save money. We improve it while saving money!

Thank you again for Trusting us with your insurance, Mrs. Libby!

If you'd like a quote to see if we can improve your insurance situation, click here: https://bit.ly/GetAQuoteTIB

07/18/2025

20-25% of flood claims come from low risk flood zones.

The term is 'LOW risk', not 'no risk'.

Take this as your "Warning Sign" to get flood insurance. It doesn't take "The Scientist" to figure it out...

Call us to get a quote today, before it's too late and you find your home "Swallowed in the Sea"..........quite literally....

07/18/2025

⚠ ATTENTION FLORIDA HOMEOWNERS ⚠

Florida recently passed a new law—the Pam Rock Act (CS/HB 593) which significantly impacts owners of dogs deemed "dangerous"

Now, under this law, owners of dogs that are deemed “dangerous” are now required to carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance, (certain breeds may be required to carry more coverage), in addition to registering and microchipping their pets.

How do they classify a dog as dangerous?
Rather than relying on breed-specific restrictions, there is specific criteria for classifying a dog as dangerous - for instance, dogs that exhibit dangerous behavior, such as biting, attacking, or endangering people.

Between 2010-2023, dog bite claims increased by over 85%. Just in 2023 alone, there were 1,532 claims.

With each claim costing in the ballpark of over $60,000 on average.

These numbers show why stricter rules are needed to protect everyone.

The majority of homeowners policies exclude Animal Liability to begin with, especially for specific breeds that have historically been considered dangerous (Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, etc). Therefore, you would need to obtain a separate policy altogether for animal liability.

If you are in the market for pet liability insurance, our office has access to several carriers for this risk.

Give us a call to request a quote today!

(772) 900-5842

07/18/2025

Business owners have struggled with 20–30% annual hikes in commercial property insurance—especially if you own or run a senior-care or medical office.

Recent reforms, aimed at Citizens Insurance, have driven rates down and freed up new carriers to enter the market!

This means it’s a perfect time to review your policies to lock in discounts by:

- Exploring Surplus Lines options
- Negotiate longer terms; and
- Invest in simple loss-control upgrades

Are you struggling with your workers comp rate? Seem to be having claims more and more?

Have you done any due diligence on your existing property and liability policies to make sure your current agent isn't missing anything important that you may be unaware of?

07/11/2025

Senior-care liability insurance is more fragmented than ever in Florida. Legacy carriers are tightening terms and lifting rates, while new entrants undercut premiums without proven underwriting depth!

Experts are reporting slip-and-fall verdicts soaring from $150K to $350K!! Driving carriers to impose higher deductibles, narrower coverages, and sub-limits for abuse and punitive-damages claims.

Agents and brokers must guide assisted-living, nursing-home, and home-health clients through rigorous submission practice to secure stable capacity and avoid surprise renewals.

Explore Florida’s fragmented liability insurance market and learn how Senior Care providers can secure stable coverage and mitigate risks.

05/21/2025

Happy that we were able to save our newest commercial condo association OVER $1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣‼️ per year on their insurance package!

This makes us so happy as we found so many issues with their prior coverage as well as lack of service and communication from the incumbent agent.

If you or anyone you know is on the board of a condominium association, I’d be happy to hop on a call to discuss how we can help you with your insurance at your next renewal!

Call or email us at 772-900-5842 | [email protected]

09/24/2024

Here are the top 5️⃣ things policyholders need to understand about insurance☂️ and hurricanes🌀:

#️⃣1️⃣ Hurricane deductibles:
Homeowners’ insurance policies contain specific deductibles for damage caused by hurricanes / named storms / wind & hail. The deductible typically comes in the form of a percentage. When a hurricane claim is made, the homeowner is responsible for paying a percentage of THE DWELLING COVERAGE AMOUNT LISTED ON THE POLICY. The deductible varies per policy, typically based on the homeowners selection, but is typically 2%, 3% or 5% in MOST cases.

Example: If your home is insured for $300,000 and has a 2% hurricane deductible, you would be responsible to pay the first $6,000 in repairs BEFORE your insurance policy would begin paying for any repairs.

Therefore, in a covered claim, if your total cost of repairs is $10,000, you would pay $6,000 towards repairs and your insurance policy would pay the remaining $4,000.

#️⃣2️⃣ Wind-driven rain:
Damage caused by wind-driven rain—for example, rain blown through poorly sealed door/window openings—is not covered in most instances. While damage caused by wind itself is likely covered (subject to the hurricane deductible), water damage caused by rain seeping into the home through doors/windows generally is not.

#️⃣3️⃣ Repair scams:
Homeowners should resist the temptation to sign up with the first repair crew that shows up at their door, and especially should not 🚫 sign paperwork that assigns the rights and benefits of their insurance policy to someone else. Assignment of Benefits (AOB) scams are a leading cause of rising insurance rates, and fraud artists see a hurricane aftermath as a golden 💰 opportunity to prey on unsuspecting homeowners. Insurance policyholders should ALWAYS call📱 their agent or their insurance company first, to report a loss and determine the best way to proceed.

#️⃣4️⃣ Flood damage:
Damage caused by flooding 🌊🏠 (rising water from outside the home, flowing into the home), common in a hurricane, is not covered by standard homeowners insurance policies. A separate flood insurance policy is required for this type of loss.

#️⃣5️⃣ Mitigate and document:
Homeowners are expected to mitigate damage to their home to the extent they safely can, and to document their damage. For example, putting a tarp over a damaged roof or boarding up a broken window can prevent further losses. Homeowners should document damage by taking photographs and save receipts for any out-of-pocket costs.

It's also recommended that you photograph / video the inside and outside of your home PRIOR to the storm to show the existing condition of the home and contents to help with the claims processes.

09/23/2024

ATTENTION MORTGAGE LENDERS AND REALTORS!

If you're closing on a home within the next 2 weeks, I suggest you order your insurance binders now!

We've already received notice of one company that has issued restrictions on binding new policies and as the storm develops we'll see more companies follow suit as the day goes on.

Get those bind requests in ASAP today!!

08/01/2024

7:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Big shift WEST. Still at a 60% 🍊 chance of development. 🌀 Environmental conditions are forecast to be more conducive for development after the wave passes the Greater Antilles, and a tropical depression could form this weekend or early next week over the eastern Gulf of Mexico or far southwestern Atlantic Ocean, including in the vicinity of Florida. Interests across the Greater
Antilles, Bahamas, and Florida should continue to monitor the progress of this system. 👀🌀👀🌀