to take your money, but just...can't...quite...bring themselves to dole it out. I got crushed for a over 100k loss one time - needed a lawyer to get it out of them, but had so many other fires to put out, I had just to let it go.

I have a couple of really old places here that I have renovated (my way - NOT the Miami-Dade, government mandated, way) that held up beautifully through the storm - no damage whatsoever, other than some scratches from trees flying around. I bet if I were paying for insurance, by year 8 to 10, I would have spent the amount on insurance bills equal to what it would cost me to rebuild myself. I'm a "play the odds" type of guy. A lot of people here that have no mortgage do the same. Some pay into an account of their own instead of sending a check to the insurance company. Then spend that cash for repairs - IF that day comes.

I have always thought getting insurance was a loser's game, though. All those ads on TV, all of those employees, stock dividends?...The customer is paying for all of that. The math is obvious to me. And I ain't skeered, lol, so there's that, too.