The Guide

What Florida homeowners need to know

Every piece comes from real experience: the mistakes made after Hurricane Ian, and the knowledge that came too late. Written by Andy Don, Cape Coral.

New articles publish weekly through hurricane season, in English and Spanish.

The Ian StoryAvailable

What Hurricane Ian Really Cost Me (It Wasn't the Storm)

The full first-person account: the claim, the settlement, the contractor, and everything learned too late.

Read it →
Contractor safetyAvailable

The 15 Contractor Red Flags I Missed After Hurricane Ian

Numbered and specific, from experience. Doubles as the printable checklist.

Read it →
How-toAvailable

How to Verify a Florida Contractor License in 3 Minutes

The step-by-step DBPR lookup: search, status, discipline history, and the qualifier match. Do it before any meeting.

Read it →
En españolAvailable

Cómo verificar la licencia de un contratista en Florida

La verificación paso a paso en el portal oficial del DBPR: estado, historial y el calificador. Tres minutos, gratis.

Read it →
PreparationAvailable

Document Your Florida Home Before Hurricane Season

The room-by-room documentation guide, what formats to save, and where to store it.

Read it →
Contractor safetyAvailable

The Contractor Payment Schedule That Protects You

A modest deposit, progress payments tied to finished work, and the final payment held for the punch list. Plus the Florida statute that backs you up.

Read it →
En españolAvailable

El calendario de pagos que lo protege al contratar un contratista

Nunca pague el total por adelantado. Un depósito moderado, pagos por etapas terminadas y el pago final retenido hasta que el trabajo esté completo.

Read it →
Contractor safetyAvailable

The One Paper You Should Not Sign in the Driveway

Assignment of benefits (AOB): what that clipboard paper did to Florida homeowners, and the law change that means nobody should be handing you one now.

Read it →
Claims processAvailable

The Two Deadlines That Can End a Florida Storm Claim

One year to report, 18 months to ask for more, both counted from the day of the storm. When the clocks start and what to put on the calendar this week.

Read it →
En españolAvailable

Los dos plazos que pueden terminar su reclamo de seguro en Florida

Un año para reportar y 18 meses para pedir más, contados desde el día de la tormenta. Cuándo empiezan los relojes y qué anotar en el calendario.

Read it →
Claims processAvailable

Insurance Words, Translated Into Plain English

The 25 words on your claim paperwork, translated: deductible, actual cash value, the depreciation holdback, proof of loss, supplemental claim, and the rest.

Read it →
En españolAvailable

Las palabras del seguro, explicadas en español sencillo

Las 25 palabras en inglés de su papeleo de reclamo, explicadas en español sencillo, del deductible a la recoverable depreciation.

Read it →
Claims processPublishing soon

What to Do in the First 48 Hours After Hurricane Damage

Chronological: what to photograph, who to call first, and what not to sign.

Claims processAvailable

Public Adjuster or Handle It Yourself? An Honest Comparison

What a public adjuster legally costs in Florida, what doing it yourself actually takes, the free middle paths most people skip, and the cold math for deciding.

Read it →
En españolAvailable

¿Ajustador público o manejar el reclamo usted mismo?

Lo que cuesta legalmente un ajustador público, lo que exige hacerlo solo, y los caminos gratuitos que casi nadie menciona.

Read it →
Claims processPublishing soon

What NOT to Say to Your Insurance Company's Adjuster

Five phrases that can hurt your claim, and the language that protects you.

En españolPublishing soon

Lo que aprendí después del Huracán Ian

La historia completa, en español: el reclamo, el contratista, y lo que nadie le advierte.