Senate Bill 1610/House Bill 3370 – Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2013

In North Carolina, please Contacting Senator Kay Hagan: (202) 224-6342 and Senator Richard Burr: (202) 224-3154.

To find the contact number for the Senator and Representative in your State/District go to:

www.senate.gov
www.house.gov

WHY SHOULD I MAKE THIS CALL?

Current Local impact examples:

LOWER MARKET VALUE?: Bank owned property (land and house) for sale in Avon at $189,000. Home was built in 2005 in an AE zone. Property is Sound side, three rows back from the water, is elevated and did not flood in Hurricane Irene. Prior owner paid $1,200 a year for flood insurance. 2006 revised flood maps put the house in a VE zone (highest risk zone). Prior owner was able to keep the rate premium based on the AE zone. Due to foreclosure, the bank did not carry a flood policy. Potential buyer was quoted $15,000 for a new flood insurance policy. Buyer walked away and a cash buyer purchased the property for $149,000. The new owner was not required to purchase a flood policy since there was not a mortgage on the property.

OUT OF BUSINESS?: An older motel property on the oceanfront in Kill Devil Hills was built before the first flood maps became effective. The owner received a discount on flood insurance and paid approximately $5,600 a year in premium. After asking his insurance agent what his ultimate flood premium would be after phased in rate increases, he was told approximately $55,000.

FORECLOSURE?: A home built prior to 2006 flood maps, located in an AE zone. Owner pays $800 a year for flood insurance. 2006 maps put the home in a VE zone. Owner was quoted $21,216 a year for $250,000 of structure coverage, $100,000 of contents coverage and a $10,000 deductible under the VE zone risk. The owner states that this will make the house unsellable and unaffordable to keep.

A CURRENT OWNER TRYING TO SELL THEIR VACATION PROPERTY RECEIVED THIS NEWS! Their policy is grandfathered to an AE Zone and their renewal premium is $363 a year. If they lose the grandfathered option the renewal would be rated to their current VE Zone and the premium will be $5,870 a year.

REASON… While the law phases in rate increases on older structures, it also removes the grandfathering option when new maps show a change in elevation or flood zone. Structures that weren’t in a flood zone when built may now be required to carry flood insurance. Homes that were built to flood standards in place at the time of construction will now be required to pay to the risk shown under any future revision to the flood map. Revised flood maps will be released in NC tentatively July 2014 but properties where no flood insurance policy exists are already being impacted when a new policy premium is quoted.

As REALTORS we have a responsibility to inform you of this change in the law and how it may impact you.  We continue to fight this law by asking for a total delay of the implementation.  BUT, we can’t do it alone.  We need you! It will take a majority of all US Senators and Representatives to reverse the impacts of this law.

(Written by the Outer Banks Association of Realtors Legislative Sub-committee on Flood Insurance Affordability)