Hurricane, flood and insurance claims
Storm Damaged and Still Unrepaired
Tarped roof, a claim that was underpaid, a contractor who took the deposit and vanished. This is one of the most common files in Florida right now and it is one of the easiest for us to buy.
- We buy with the damage unrepaired and the tarp still on
- Open, underpaid, denied and litigated claims are all workable
- We buy after contractor abandonment on an AOB assignment
The Short Answer
Yes. A Florida house with unrepaired storm damage can be sold for cash as-is, and it usually has to be, because a financed buyer cannot get homeowners insurance bound on a house with an active tarp or open structural damage, and without insurance there is no mortgage. Who keeps any pending insurance claim proceeds is negotiable and should be written into the contract explicitly rather than assumed.
Why these houses cannot sell normally
The chain breaks in a predictable place. A retail buyer needs a mortgage. The lender requires a homeowners policy in force at closing. No Florida carrier will bind a policy on a house with an active tarp, open roof decking or unrepaired structural damage. So the buyer cannot close, and the listing sits.
Meanwhile the damage does not stay still. Water that got in during the storm becomes mold three months later, a soft spot in the decking becomes a hole, and the house is worth less every month it waits.
The situations we see most
- Underpaid claims. The carrier paid for a repair, not a replacement, and the settlement will not cover the actual scope.
- Denied claims. Denied for wear and tear, for late reporting, or for a pre-existing condition, and the owner does not have the money to fight or to fix.
- Contractor abandonment. The owner signed an assignment of benefits, the contractor collected from the carrier, did partial work and stopped. Now there is an open claim, a half-finished roof and a legal dispute attached to the house.
- Money spent elsewhere. The settlement arrived during a hard year and went to living expenses. It happens constantly and nobody here is going to judge you for it, but the mortgage servicer may have an interest in those funds and it needs to be disclosed.
- Flooding outside a flood zone. Freshwater flooding from creeks and rivers days after landfall caught owners who were never in a mapped flood zone and had no flood policy at all.
The substantial improvement trap
If your house is in a special flood hazard area and the cost to repair it exceeds fifty percent of the structure’s market value, FEMA’s substantial improvement rule requires the entire structure to be brought up to current elevation standards. That turns a roof repair into a rebuild on pilings. Owners find this out from the building department after the damage, not before, and it is the point at which many people decide to sell rather than rebuild. We buy at exactly that point.
How it works
How the Sale Works From Here
Three simple steps. No obligation at any point.
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Tell us about your house
Enter the address and answer five quick questions. It takes about 60 seconds and costs you nothing.
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Get your written offer
We check recent comparable sales and the condition, then send a written, no-obligation cash offer, usually within 24 hours.
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Close on your date
Pick the day. We close at a Florida title company, cover the closing costs, and you leave with cash, in as little as 7 days.
The honest comparison
Selling to us vs. listing with an agent
| Item | Sell House Quickly | Listing with an agent |
|---|---|---|
| Written offer in about 24 hours | Yes | No |
| No fees or commissions | Yes | No |
| You choose the closing date | Yes | No |
| No repairs needed | Yes | No |
| Sell your house as-is | Yes | No |
| We cover the closing costs | Yes | No |
| No showings or open houses | Yes | No |
| No financing that can fall through | Yes | No |
Local pages
Where This Comes Up Most
The markets where we see this situation most often, with local detail on each.
Questions
Questions sellers ask us
Who keeps the insurance money?
Whatever you and we agree, written into the contract. Sometimes the seller keeps a settlement already received and the price reflects that. Sometimes the claim is assigned to us and the price is higher. What we will not do is leave it vague and argue about it at closing.
My claim is still open. Can I sell?
Yes. Tell us the carrier, the claim number and where it stands. An open claim is a negotiation point, not a blocker.
The contractor took my money and left. Can you still buy?
Yes, and it is common. If there is a recorded lien from the contractor it gets addressed at closing. Bring us the AOB paperwork and any correspondence.
My roof has been tarped for two years.
We buy those. Be aware the damage underneath has almost certainly progressed, and our repair scope will reflect what is actually there rather than what it was the week after the storm.
What if the house was condemned or red tagged?
Still buyable. Tell us which municipality and what the notice says so we can price the path back to a permit.
Do you buy the lot if the house was demolished?
Yes. Cleared lots after a demolition are straightforward for us, including ones carrying a demolition lien.
No obligation
Find out what we would pay for your house
No obligation, no fees, and no repairs. Find out what your Florida house is worth in cash today.
Rather talk? Call or text (305) 488-2530