Home Insurance Prices in Florida: What's Next?

I wrote about trying to find new insurance last year when I was dropped. This year, my new insurance guy (who I'd recommend over my last deadbeat and all the vultures I met last year), sent some rate comparisons out, along with an article I'd read about the soaring costs of Florida homeowners insurance. It's pretty bleak, and if you've been dropped, there may not be many options. 

Jacksonville's 630 City Online Guide - Now MyJAX

I wrote an article about using JAx 630City before, and it worked for me. A year later, my neighbor still has a broken recycling bin, and I am tempted to just fill out the form for him, but I'd rather teach local Jacksonville neighbors to fish than hand them a fish. In the spirit of trying to get you to do your own part in requesting services for which you pay (and help keep the city looking nice), here's a quick guide to what services you can ask for from the city of Jacksonville.

Retiree Guide to JAX

Jacksonville just made the Top 10 in some list of places to retire. The only problem is that the city isn't really in the Top 1000 for people who are actually looking to retire, so maybe it's time New Jax Witty works on putting together a local guide for folks who no longer have to work.

My Alarm System Hard Wired Smoke Alarms Keep Chirping - Now What?

This is a specific problem you might run into if you purchased a home with an alarm system and hard-wired smoke alarms, and if you went and disconnected the alarm system. Or if you're thinking of disabling the alarm because it's just annoying, but you're worried about what might happen to your smoke detectors.

Franz Foreign Car Service Review

If you have an older foreign car, there are never too many options for getting the car fixed. Youtube  and forums have helped me quite a bit, and if you also own an older Saab, you know what I mean. That hesitation and cylinder error is likely a $50 part, not something catastrophic. As is the climate control problem. However, there are some issues that require pros with pro tools and experience. If you have a Saab in Jacksonville, that might include a trip to Franz Foreign Car Services.

Takeaways From Recent Power Posts

I read two very long articles recently about power in Florida, and it gave me a better understanding of the state of the state, though I'm still a bit concerned about whether it means anything to me or JEA. One article was specifically about Florida and the other was about the nation, but both make a difference for us in the Sunshine State.

If You Don't Like Players Kneeling, Read Before Burning

I'm not going to weigh in on the debate as to whether players for the Jaguars should kneel, stand awkwardly with arms locked, or stay in the locker room during the National Anthem.

Jacksonville's GIS Map Needs This Feature

My house did not flood during Hurricane Irma. We were in Evacuation Zone 1, and we got out of the area. However, that's not enough for me. I want to know if my housing investment is safe, and the best way to do it is to have more information about the flooding that did occur, possibly as an added layer on Jacksonville's fairly nice GIS mapping system.

A Newbie Experiences a Hurricane: Irma 2017

I remember when we were looking for possible locations to live, I had a list of worst-case scenarios. One was lack of water, having grown up in the Midwest right next to Lake Michigan. Florida has plenty of water, so no problem there. Lots and lots of water, in fact. I also didn't want earthquakes. That's not a problem. Hurricanes were on the list, too, but everyone kept saying Jacksonville almost always missed the big storm. The 100-year stats seemed to back that up.