Hi, This is one way to give Mother Nature a run for her money! I guess living in Florida and the Panama City Beach area…if I was near the coast and I was building a new home I sure would have to consider it. Read the article below to learn more. You may get some helpful tips on how to improve up your home and help it to withstand hurricanes. Getting a break on insurance sure would be nice!

Have a GREAT day!

Capt. Mike

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MAXIMIZE HOME, MINIMIZE INSURANCE COSTS

More than 2,500 homes in more than a dozen states – some completed, others in the works – abide by the stringent building guidelines set forth by the Institute for Business & Home Safety’s “Fortified for Safer Living” program that safeguards against hurricanes, floods, hail, tornadoes, wildfires and earthquakes, depending on the region. On the coast of the Florida Panhandle, developer Jason Comer of EBSCO Gulf Coast Development Co. builds upscale homes that can withstand a Category 3 hurricane. The models feature concrete and steel walls, concrete roofs, and reinforced windows and garage doors, among other things. In addition to concerns about natural disasters, NAHB Vice President Gopal Ahluwalia attributes interest to soaring insurance premiums. According to Insurance Information Institute Chief Economist Robert Hartwig, a 50-percent reduction in insurance premiums is possible with fortification even as it increases the resale value of both new and retrofitted dwellings. Chuck Vance of the Institute for Business & Home Safety says that fortification hikes building costs from 3 percent to 10 percent, which he insists is “not much to pay for a little peace of mind.”

Source: Investor’s Business Daily (04/09/07) P. A9; Kelly, Brad
© Copyright 2007 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

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