Re: What is happening around you, around the world? Thread #3

[GuardianAngel]

@Aunties_Love thanks for bring the pictures over. The kindness and compassion of all the people coming together to help in any way they can, is truly heartwarming.

[Linds911]

Does anyone live or know any one who lives near the Maui fires? Just awful what happened. I've been there before and it's just heart-breaking seeing all the pictures.

[GuardianAngel]

@Linds911 I don't know anyone, but these fires everywhere is so sad.

[Norcalgal]

Does anyone live or know any one who lives near the Maui fires? Just awful what happened. I've been there before and it's just heart-breaking seeing all the pictures.

We know several people with second homes on Maui but not in Lahina. We have friends who sell (sold) quite a bit of wine to restaurants there and they expect to have a noticeable decline in sales on Maui. Friends are still planning on visiting Maui as their economy is so dependent on tourism. The person Biden put in charge from FEMA handled the 2017 Sonoma/Hapa fire and the 2018 Paradise fire disasters so he comes with first hand experience. There are a number of nonprofits formed after the 2017 fires that have been asked to share with Maui residents. It's very bittersweet there is this type of resource to draw upon. Kind of like when a child is diagnosed with cancer - there's always parents who have been there and help the traumatized deal with the shock of what happened. Several local news articles on how water district managers are guiding Maui through getting water restored. And the county building permit departments have sent people to meet with their counterparts in Maui. A big issue is removing the soil that has toxic chemicals from the building materials. You can arrange for your insurance company to do it or have FEMA contractors do it. We had months and months of trucks carting the soil away. I wonder if Maui will have to ship it to the mainland? The debris fields are huge and in California burning is not allowed due to air quality issues. Don't know if that's also true in HI. And just as been reported in Maui, there are always sharks circling wanting to purchase affected real estate on the cheap. I have a sinking feeling that many residents didn't have sufficient coverage to rebuild at today's costs, especially considering so much building material will have to be shipped from the mainland.

Insurance will be harder to obtain and HI may have to consider a state run insurance agency, just so owners can have some insurance coverage. After having fires here in 2017, 2019 and 2020, our insurance company declined to renew our insurance in 2022. We found very similar coverage through another company (not as large or well known but still AAA rated). But I just got our bill for this year and the price of insurance went up 23%. With so many people being canceled, we consider ourselves lucky. It's not sustainable to have this large of increase every year.

[Sprite]

Wow! A 23% increase is insanity. Nothing like gouging desperate people. I wonder if they are having similar issues in BC?

[GuardianAngel]

snipped And just as been reported in Maui, there are always sharks circling wanting to purchase affected real estate on the cheap. I have a sinking feeling that many residents didn't have sufficient coverage to rebuild at today's costs, especially considering so much building material will have to be shipped from the mainland.

Insurance will be harder to obtain and HI may have to consider a state run insurance agency, just so owners can have some insurance coverage. After having fires here in 2017, 2019 and 2020, our insurance company declined to renew our insurance in 2022. We found very similar coverage through another company (not as large or well known but still  AAA rated). But I just got our bill for this year and the price of insurance went up 23%. With so many people being canceled, we consider ourselves lucky. It's not sustainable to have this large of increase every year.

This is what's happening in Ft Myers Beach after hurricane Ian. Owners don't have any coverage because they couldn't get insurance, or they have insurance, and can't get nearly enough to rebuild. So, investors are scooping up vacant land which in a way the sellers are at least getting a good dollar, but they lost everything. It's so sad. I've been vacationing there for over 30 yrs. It's impossible now because if you're lucky to find a place (not much available because the rebuild is slow going) they are charging ridiculous prices. Average cost for one week in one of the buildings I always stayed in was around $580/week. Now, $2500/week.

I'd love to support the business's that reopened but I can go to Europe for what it would cost me to stay one week in Florida.

[albean99]

That's crazy, @GuardianAngel! We stayed in that area with friends one time because their family member had a house in Cape Coral which is nearby. We don't get too much around here although we're on the edge of Tornado alley.

I feel for all the people who have lost their homes, work places, and loved ones.

[Norcalgal]

@GuardianAngel One of my closest friends is bicoastal and has a home near Ft Myers. They lost their boat - it was dry docked on either a 2nd or 3rd level and the water rose so much in the bay that it was ruined. Their home was OK but they installed hurricane blinds to protect the glass doors and windows from flying debris. California imposed price hike moratoriums to prevent exactly what you reported on your one week rental. Rent could not go up more than 10%, etc. Lots of people received fines for price gouging.

[GuardianAngel]

@albean99 Cape Coral is lovely. We'd drive there on every visit because the bridge to get over to Cape Coral was near a Chili's that we love.

@Norcalgal Sooner or later, they imho will loose out on tourist dollars. It's already happening. I know a couple of snowbirds who are passing on Florida this winter and are going to Arizona.

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