My homeonwers insurance jumped 40% this year. I had one quote come in at more than double my newly increased rate! And speaking to my broker, she warned that by next year most, if not all insurance companies are going to a minimum $2500 deductible for hail/storm damage.
As it is they only get quotes for 50% of the requests submitted. Most companies are not taking on new customers.
Yeesh.
My homeonwers insurance jumped 40% this year. I had one quote come in at more than double my newly increased rate! And speaking to my broker, she warned that by next year most, if not all insurance companies are going to a minimum $2500 deductible for hail/storm damage.
As it is they only get quotes for 50% of the requests submitted. Most companies are not taking on new customers.
Yeesh.
In the same boat. We went up 40% last year, and 45% this year. It doubled in 2 years, with zero claims. My car insurance has made a big jump as well (also with zero claims).
We left nationwide to save a little bit, and were told once we left we couldn't come back as Nationwide was not taking new customers.
Most quotes we were getting were for 1% deductible (1% of the value of the home that they set, and you don't get any say on), and for actual cash value on roof/siding rather than replacement cost. Most of those policies were also more than we were paying already.
Insurance is getting really expensive. Our homeowner's was around $1,400 annually on our house when we bought in 2012. It is now over $4,000 annually... Our house was $264k when we bought in 2012, and now has a 'replacement cost' of $495k in 2024. Other than remodeling 2 bathrooms, and replacing a few windows (not even half), we haven't done anything to increase the value of the house.
I mentioned in a different thread, every time I open a bill lately, there is a significant price jump. Electricity, we used slightly less KWh than last year, but the bill is 20%+ higher than last year. Car/Home insurance going way up. Big increase to daycare cost.
Any raise we have received in the last 2-3 years has been more than eaten up by these other increased costs.
My homeonwers insurance jumped 40% this year. I had one quote come in at more than double my newly increased rate! And speaking to my broker, she warned that by next year most, if not all insurance companies are going to a minimum $2500 deductible for hail/storm damage.
As it is they only get quotes for 50% of the requests submitted. Most companies are not taking on new customers.
Yeesh.
In the same boat. We went up 40% last year, and 45% this year. It doubled in 2 years, with zero claims. My car insurance has made a big jump as well (also with zero claims).
We left nationwide to save a little bit, and were told once we left we couldn't come back as Nationwide was not taking new customers.
Most quotes we were getting were for 1% deductible (1% of the value of the home that they set, and you don't get any say on), and for actual cash value on roof/siding rather than replacement cost. Most of those policies were also more than we were paying already.
Insurance is getting really expensive. Our homeowner's was around $1,400 annually on our house when we bought in 2012. It is now over $4,000 annually... Our house was $264k when we bought in 2012, and now has a 'replacement cost' of $495k in 2024. Other than remodeling 2 bathrooms, and replacing a few windows (not even half), we haven't done anything to increase the value of the house.
I mentioned in a different thread, every time I open a bill lately, there is a significant price jump. Electricity, we used slightly less KWh than last year, but the bill is 20%+ higher than last year. Car/Home insurance going way up. Big increase to daycare cost.
Any raise we have received in the last 2-3 years has been more than eaten up by these other increased costs.
I spoke with a financial planner years ago that said any homeowner that doesn't have a pile of cash stashed away should at a minimum have a home equity line of credit for large expenses. Insurance used to be helpful, but it seems we can't count on it as much as we used to. The other thing insurance companies are moving to is a sliding scale for replacement cost. If your roof has a 30 year shingle and is 15 years old, the insurance company will pay 50% of the replacement cost minus your deductible. A big storm requiring a new roof used to cost $1000 deductible and now it may cost 10X that or more.
My broker also mentioned in addition to some companies not taking new customers, the ones that are taking new customers won't take you if your roof is more than 10 years old. If you're in a crappy position now with your homeowners insurance and want to switch to a new company, you likely won't be able to if your roof is 10+ years old.
It should really make people reevaluate the homes they buy. How much do you pay for a home that has a 12 year old roof if you know you may have trouble finding insurance? Will people need to replace their shingles before they put it on the market? Do you buy a house with vinyl siding knowing the next big hail storm will cost $5,000+? My current home has vinyl siding, my next likely will not.
@bertogliat you are correct. I am an independent agent and this is the worst insurance market I have ever seen, and I have been an agent since 1999. To add to what you have said we even have a carrier that will not insure homes that are over 40 years old oin top of the other restrictions mentioned. 5k deductibles are going to be normal very quickly around here. If any one has questions please feel free to reach out.My homeonwers insurance jumped 40% this year. I had one quote come in at more than double my newly increased rate! And speaking to my broker, she warned that by next year most, if not all insurance companies are going to a minimum $2500 deductible for hail/storm damage.
As it is they only get quotes for 50% of the requests submitted. Most companies are not taking on new customers.
Yeesh.
In the same boat. We went up 40% last year, and 45% this year. It doubled in 2 years, with zero claims. My car insurance has made a big jump as well (also with zero claims).
We left nationwide to save a little bit, and were told once we left we couldn't come back as Nationwide was not taking new customers.
Most quotes we were getting were for 1% deductible (1% of the value of the home that they set, and you don't get any say on), and for actual cash value on roof/siding rather than replacement cost. Most of those policies were also more than we were paying already.
Insurance is getting really expensive. Our homeowner's was around $1,400 annually on our house when we bought in 2012. It is now over $4,000 annually... Our house was $264k when we bought in 2012, and now has a 'replacement cost' of $495k in 2024. Other than remodeling 2 bathrooms, and replacing a few windows (not even half), we haven't done anything to increase the value of the house.
I mentioned in a different thread, every time I open a bill lately, there is a significant price jump. Electricity, we used slightly less KWh than last year, but the bill is 20%+ higher than last year. Car/Home insurance going way up. Big increase to daycare cost.
Any raise we have received in the last 2-3 years has been more than eaten up by these other increased costs.
I spoke with a financial planner years ago that said any homeowner that doesn't have a pile of cash stashed away should at a minimum have a home equity line of credit for large expenses. Insurance used to be helpful, but it seems we can't count on it as much as we used to. The other thing insurance companies are moving to is a sliding scale for replacement cost. If your roof has a 30 year shingle and is 15 years old, the insurance company will pay 50% of the replacement cost minus your deductible. A big storm requiring a new roof used to cost $1000 deductible and now it may cost 10X that or more.
My broker also mentioned in addition to some companies not taking new customers, the ones that are taking new customers won't take you if your roof is more than 10 years old. If you're in a crappy position now with your homeowners insurance and want to switch to a new company, you likely won't be able to if your roof is 10+ years old.
It should really make people reevaluate the homes they buy. How much do you pay for a home that has a 12 year old roof if you know you may have trouble finding insurance? Will people need to replace their shingles before they put it on the market? Do you buy a house with vinyl siding knowing the next big hail storm will cost $5,000+? My current home has vinyl siding, my next likely will not.
I guess that'll put and end to everyone buying into the sales pitch from Scooter's Roofing who noticed your dimpled roof while driving by.
I guess that'll put and end to everyone buying into the sales pitch from Scooter's Roofing who noticed your dimpled roof while driving by.
These hacks are well aware of this coming, in my opinion. We are getting pummeled with them right now. Door bell ringing a lot and seemingly any time we return to our house there’s a new card stuck to the door.
I've seen friends and people posting pics of them painting over oak cupboards and trim... I don't get it.
Keep your stick on the ice...
I've seen friends and people posting pics of them painting over oak cupboards and trim... I don't get it.
Welcome to middle age. Repeat after me...
"GET OFF MY LAWN!!!"
🤣
Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes - Harry S Truman
I've seen friends and people posting pics of them painting over oak cupboards and trim... I don't get it.
My old house had cabinets made of oak with heavy grain. I know this is often considered a desirable look. Nice quality, but every time I went into the kitchen it felt like my cabinets had zebra print and it drove me nuts. I would have painted them had I gotten around to that remodel.
I have people tell me a lot how stained wood goes out of style fast. To me painted wood goes out of style even faster. White trim and cabinets? Do you like to see how bad dirt builds up on your base trim? A good quality oak trim never goes out of style if taken care of somewhat. Hit it with some Murphy's Oil Soap every year maybe two at the longest and it will look great for a long time. Like @bertogliat said the heavy grain is not desirable but that's why it is cheaper and seen installed more often. When I worked with my Dad I remember sorting through so much oak trim when we would go to the big box stores to find the good tight grain on oak trim.
To the point @gator made, yeah...I don't get painting over oak.
I am the official Iowa Hawkeye football fan of GPL!
We have good vintage maple wood cabinets in our kitchen and they’ve never been painted. I clean them and lightly oil every 2 years. They are solid as a rock and have little extras you never find…I have a little square drawer just for my rolling pin lol. I actually use it because I actually use a rolling pin, but I’m sure most people wouldn’t know what that drawer was for. We have a plate warmer cabinet built into the radiator.
Note: Due to inflation dirty deeds will no longer be done dirt cheap.
Went to Home Depot this afternoon for the finishing touches for my daughter’s lemonade stand. I needed 4 pieces of a 1”x2” cut to 9 1/4”. I would do it myself though my shop is full of books for a couple weeks. The gal who helped me told me their saw didn’t cut accurately. I said under my breath saws cut accurately, it’s the person cutting that doesn’t cut accurately. She did exactly what I thought she was going to do. She measured 9 1/4” marked and repeated 3 more times. Not taking taking in the saw blade cut. I wasn’t too overly concerned about the cuts, not being accurate because it’s for a lemonade stand, and they didn’t have to be exact accurate.
Though there is people that come in that need a cut and needs the cut to be what they want. And may not know that there is human error if they’re not cutting correctly. Even on the other saw, I was watching a guy make some cuts for a gal. I guarantee when she gets home, she’s going to find out that’s the cuts she wanted are off.
I told my wife if Home Depot would match my pay at my job (pretty sure they can’t). I would go work there and be there saw pro. It’s not rocket surgery, and for Home Depot being who they are. They need better trained employees on the saws.
Keep your stick on the ice...
I like Howard Feed-N-Wax on my cabinets and trim. And I hate everything white. Especially with 3 kids and their grubby fingers. Even my fingers are dirty… lol!!!
Keep your stick on the ice...
Is your whole house heated by radiated heat?
Keep your stick on the ice...
Any recommendations on a place to buy a quality shed?
Just our kitchen and our bathroom Our house was built in 1907, original wood floors. Those are the only 2 rooms we’ve redone. But we love the heated floors, very inexpensive to run. Our systems are wire, not water tubes.Is your whole house heated by radiated heat?
Note: Due to inflation dirty deeds will no longer be done dirt cheap.
On our third floor we have a hard wired smoke detector. This POS could not be located in a more difficult area, high peak ceiling right above a staircase. It is almost impossible to reach by ladder because of the stairs. The contractor who installed it here should be strung and quartered. Sooooo, last night at 1am I hear 3 loud beeps. Then quiet. An hour later, again! At 2:00 in the 🤬 morning, in a place I can’t access without being a GD monkey! The only way I could get it to stop was to flip the circuit breaker for the third floor.
Online it looks like it’s either a dying battery, dust in the housing unit interfering with the sensor, OR an old detector. If this was a regular SM detector like outside our bedroom I could have dealt with it in 15 minutes. I want it removed completely and moved to a more accessible location! So not so much a what do I do post, more of an I’m still very POd post and just venting.
Note: Due to inflation dirty deeds will no longer be done dirt cheap.
We finally dropped the second of the two massive maples I talked about here quite a while back. We used Bratt Tree Company and I’m very happy. They had the second lowest bid, and by far the lowest of the outfits that planned to use a crane. I had planned on inconveniencing ourselves and our neighbors with power drops to save money, but they made it so I didn’t have to. Left the yard very clean as well. Our five year old had a blast watching them, and they goofed around with him a bit and left him a few “cookies.” (Cross sections of some of the limbs)
We had quotes that were double what they charged. They told me it is a result of them owning all their equipment, especially the cranes, so they don’t have to rent or schedule them. Left them a great review.
Same here… I had quotes and took the lowest bid, but had highest recommendations. I even go above and beyond with companies I’ve had done work at the house. From tree removal, to concrete work, roofers and siders, I’ve offered a cooler of water/Gatorade/pop and even buy pizzas for them.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Did a road trip yesterday to buy some WI fireworks and have a brewery lunch. I love those stupid novelty ones like the tanks that roll or the “poopy puppy”. We stopped at 2 different spots and I was shocked at how many are now plastic and not paper/cardboard. The tanks, the turtle, etc, all cheap thin plastic. Of course the price was higher. Prices were incredibly high for any of the fireworks, much more than 2 years ago (last time we stocked up). I guess I don’t understand why the plastic? It’s not a toy and will still melt or be destroyed when lit, so it ends up in the garbage. I just refused to buy plastic so the selection ended up rather limited.
I did buy a cardboard sword that lights on fire and shoots sparks out the end…The Hell Sword!
Yea yea, I’m a child. I only bought one and intend to lord it over my brother on the 4th. 😂
Note: Due to inflation dirty deeds will no longer be done dirt cheap.
Both kids are moving into places next fall that are not furnished, so aside from bed frames they will be looking for some basic items including mattresses.
We'd like to find them stuff that they'd not be embarrassed to take with them after graduation, but still remain on a budget. Can anyone recommend places like Scratch and Dent (are they still around?) that are preferably within proximity to campus or the western burbs?
Thanks
I agree on Rubes Slumberland. Also Becker Furniture is a little farther but their sales are great and theres ALWAYS a sale. We bought some cabin stuff there and were very happy.
Note: Due to inflation dirty deeds will no longer be done dirt cheap.
Becker also has an outlet mall in Northtown Mall. And I think Scneidermans in coon rapids has a large sale area in the back of the store.I agree on Rubes Slumberland. Also Becker Furniture is a little farther but their sales are great and theres ALWAYS a sale. We bought some cabin stuff there and were very happy.
Thanks - I will pass these and any other possible future suggestions on.
Room & Board has an outlet in Golden Valley that we’ve used a few times. Being Room & Board some is still quite expensive and we’ve walked in and back out empty handed numerous times, but here and there we’ve found a great deal.
And don’t forget Wayfair for good accent or decorator pieces. They have fabulous prices on area rugs, side tables, interesting lamps, etc. A few well chosen accessories can really jazz up some generic furniture😊
Note: Due to inflation dirty deeds will no longer be done dirt cheap.
When I was single, I bought all of my furniture from Slumberland. And was always very satisfied. Still have some of their stuff in our house. Since getting married, we’ve found Ashley Furniture to be our go to place. Plus having kids now, it’s don’t buy cheap, but don’t buy expensive. Buy the middle of the road products.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Funny how times have changed. When I went to college I had hand me down furniture and dishes that my parents saved when my grandparents passed away. So I had a blue chair, green couch, 2 orange end tables and a kitchen table from a garage sale and was lucky to have more than 2 plates and bowls that matched 🤣. BTW, this is not a shot at Slapshot as I know he lives out of the country and this is the way of the world now. The same thing happened when my niece went to college a couple of years ago. I was amazed that she got all new furniture and never took anything from her house. (Now get off my lawn) 😉
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
I lived at my parent's house and drove 30 miles each way to school to save money. Spent a LOT of time in traffic though. Could have used that sleep.
I will encourage my kids to live on campus as I know I missed out on some of the best years of my life to save some money.
@bertogliat I, too, lived at home while I went to school, and commuted daily, but on the bus since I lived in MPLS. However I'm so old that I could work part-time and pay my own tuition. I know I missed out by not living on campus, but I have no idea what I missed (you were expected to be socially inept if you were in IT). I did make sure I could have either Friday or Saturday night off so I could catch one game each home series.
I worked weekend overnights so I would go to school all day, then to the hockey games and then to work until 8 am. Not easy. I could study while I worked but how much do you retain after being awake 24 hours?
On off weeks I would visit my buddy who went to Gustavis and would party with him and his buddies. To this day his college buddies are my friends too so I lucked out. But I know I missed out on my own college experience.
Funny how times have changed. When I went to college I had hand me down furniture and dishes that my parents saved when my grandparents passed away. So I had a blue chair, green couch, 2 orange end tables and a kitchen table from a garage sale and was lucky to have more than 2 plates and bowls that matched 🤣. BTW, this is not a shot at Slapshot as I know he lives out of the country and this is the way of the world now. The same thing happened when my niece went to college a couple of years ago. I was amazed that she got all new furniture and never took anything from her house. (Now get off my lawn) 😉
I wouldn't be looking into any of these places if they weren't about to be a junior and senior this fall, and they will have to contribute $$ from what they've earned from their internships at Abbot Labs this summer.
We figured neither lives in a party house, we're not going top of the line and we're not looking for a ton of items. Plus since both are about to be out of college if we shop smartly they might find some things worth keeping past graduation. 😀
I remember after college, the 3 br apt 2 of my friends and I had, had furniture passed down from previous tenants. No lie, the lease had well over a dozen names on it from being passed down for about 6 years. I wish I had a copy of the lease. There were names written all over the lease. The landlord was a great guy and is a friend of mine. We still laugh about it, along with all the stories while he was landlord and I manage the place.
I don’t miss it one bit. Though I wouldn’t trade those 20 plus years being in that apt complex. I could tell stories all night long and people would think they’re fishing stories, but they’re not…. lol!!!
Keep your stick on the ice...
Nearly the same story. I nearly worked full time while carrying a full college sch. Lots of Fridays and weekends. And I still managed to have a social life. It wasn’t fun all the time. Though when I walked the line I already had nearly had all my college paid for. And had a very small loan to pay off.
Keep your stick on the ice...
What’s people experiences with sump pumps. Mine (Rosemount/Lakeville) pumps often and my sister/brother-in-laws (Apple Valley) has never pumped in 20+ years and they live less than 2 miles from me.
Been in house for over 3 years and by doing some research of looking at the current sump pump. It’s roughly 6-7 years old. For anyone else that has a sump pump that pumps often, how often do you switch out your pump. I really don’t wanna wait till it’s too late and again I don’t wanna waste money. Even though sump pumps are not overly expensive.
Note... When I know it's wet outside and I'm expecting it to be running I do check my crawl space. Looking for any water overfill spots. It takes less than a minute, but pain. Plus I have everything in shelves and in plastic crates, just in case.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Sump pumps should last 8-10 years if you buy something above average in quality like Zoeller. Like everything you can and will get a dud even with a quality sump pump. I have a co-worker have his Zoeller crap out in year 3 but he bought a higher end pump with a 5 year warranty. Most sump pumps that I've seen are usually a 1-3 year warranty.
My sump pump is a Wayne I bought at Menards and it's about 6-7 years old. It doesn't run that often during the summer, it takes a several inches of rain to get it to run. It didn't run at all last summer but it got a workout a month ago where it was running about every 45 minutes for a couple days. It hasn't run in three weeks. I'll probably look at getting a replacement in a year or so.
I am the official Iowa Hawkeye football fan of GPL!
@gator When I first built my house on the farm in 2018, my sump pump ran 24/7 365 days a year for the first couple of years. (yes even in the winter). I had a cheaper one that the plumber put in. It lasted about 6 months and was loud. I upgraded to a stainless steel Wayne brand. It is quiet and has lasted ever since. My sump doesn't run as much as when I moved in, but this wet summer it was going off as fast as the pit would fill up. No problems at all. They are more expensive, but well worth it in my eyes. I also have a backup sump pump above the Wayne one in case the power goes off. I have a new style that runs off the water pressure if the other one fails. Since you have an older home, that may not be viable. You can also get one that runs on a battery backup. If you fear water problems, a backup one is a must.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
What’s people experiences with sump pumps. Mine (Rosemount/Lakeville) pumps often and my sister/brother-in-laws (Apple Valley) has never pumped in 20+ years and they live less than 2 miles from me.
Been in house for over 3 years and by doing some research of looking at the current sump pump. It’s roughly 6-7 years old. For anyone else that has a sump pump that pumps often, how often do you switch out your pump. I really don’t wanna wait till it’s too late and again I don’t wanna waste money. Even though sump pumps are not overly expensive.
Note... When I know it's wet outside and I'm expecting it to be running I do check my crawl space. Looking for any water overfill spots. It takes less than a minute, but pain. Plus I have everything in shelves and in plastic crates, just in case.
Might be more than you want to know, but I had a sump pump fail shortly after moving into my house so I speak from experience, that it can be a pain in the arse. After having to rip up our carpet, dry it with industrial fans and dehumidifiers, replace the padding and have the carpet restretched I quickly realized I do not want another sump pump failure. Thankfully we didn't have sheet rock affected.
We replaced the sump pump with an improved system that is comprised of two sump pumps (set at different levels) so if one pump fails, it will alarm and the back up pump will takeover. Our system also has two floats for each pump. It also has a battery back up in case the electricity is out as well as an alarm to let you know if any of the items fail. It cost around $3000 (installed) which was a hard pill to swallow, but it provides peace of mind while we are out of town.
Additionally, I purchased "Yo Link" water sensors which are little pucks that send an alarm to your phone if water connects the posts on the bottom. These were cheap ($70, pack of 4 including the hub) and work great. I have one each under my water softener, fridge, washing machine and next to my sump pump. So if I have any leaks, I get an alert and can hopefully shut off the water before too much damage occurs.
Good luck.
I’ve been using Dollar Shave Club razors for nearly 10 years. And recently switched to Jeremy’s. Thought it would be fun to switch cause of the name change. And have been very satisfied so far. Now I just have to figure out unsubscribing to DSC. They sent me link and the directions. But it doesn’t work… lol!!!
Keep your stick on the ice...