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The insurers in Texas are getting bashed pretty bad by "mold" claims. Hey, it's covered. But, the premiums, like all premiums have been calculated from past claims experience. There have been very few mold claims in the past. Also, the trials lawyers are all over this and some of the litigation and awards they have won have caught the insurance industry by surprise or flat footed. The bottom line? When losses spike so do premiums.

As far as CLUE, it is provided by a company called Choicpoint (CPS-NYSE) has been around for many years and another organization called the Insurance Office of New York (ISO) has a similiar database called A+Plus.

Expect premiums to jump an average of 14% across the board countrywide for most lines of insurance this coming year. If another 9/11 type event happens the US insurance industry will be in a very fragile condition.

You can learn a lot by just calling your agent:)

"I was aghast and frustrated," says Mr. DeLuke. "I knew I had a perfect claims history."

Who uses the word 'aghast'?

Mr. Deluke does not have to buy this house. The fact that he didn't walk away from the deal tells me he is a lousy negotiator. Now he's complaining?

This story is really just a rip on insurance companies, and is practically a blueprint for socialism.

I would think that the insurance problem with his house would weigh into the negotiations about a house and might be a clue, as would an inspection, that something is amiss.

Notifying the seller in writing and demanding redress might also knock the price down or give the buyer leverage. It sounds like Mr. DeLuke was unwilling to walk away from the transaction, a fatal flaw in any negotiation.

Notifying the seller in writing would also require them to include notice of uninsurability under real-estate disclosure laws to any subsequent buyer

In any case, it seems to me that Mr. DeLuke could apply for lower rates if he has 3 claim-free years.

No problem here. Sounds like good business sense!

But of course when the Offended Ones (OO), formally known as the PC crowd, get around to this they will discover an inordinate amount of minorities have been denied insurance. This will bring new laws and regulations into effect and we will all pay more for our insurance.

"For consumers, it is the latest development from an increasingly hostile [read: increasingly greedy] insurance industry."

"Insurers were hit with $8.9 billion in home-related underwriting losses last year, and they are taking aggressive steps to make sure they don't get hit again."

Funny how these kinds of stats are flashed at us, eh?
While industry profits (at an ALL TIME HIGH) are never cited in the same piece?

...funny alright; down right hilarious.

I know of one house where the husband tried to fix the toilet plumbing himself, which resulted in leak while he and the family were away for a weekend. The master bedroom and bathroom carpeting was ruined.

I don't know how or under what coverage it was filed, but homeowner's insurance paid for new carpet in the bedroom and ceramic tile in the bathroom.