Lowering Premiums For Your Staten Island Real Estate Flood Insurance

September 4, 2025

Lowering Premiums For Your Staten Island Real Estate Flood Insurance

You can lower your flood insurance premiums lowered by having a SURVEYOR assess you property and declare it elevated. By using this process, you may be able to potentially save yourself a considerable sum on flood insurance premiums on your Staten Island real estate.

Detailed instructions can be found here National Flood Insurance Program Elevation Certificate and Instructions here.


Hurricanes Sandy and Irene have taught a very painful lesson to homeowners that live in Staten Island flood zones, and those without flood insurance were left wondering whether it is worth the premiums. Homeowner’s insurance does NOT provide coverage for damages as a result of rising water levels from the ocean, rivers, lakes or streams. In many cases, you are required to acquire flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program administered by FEMA, otherwise a lender will not fund the mortgage.


You can find the particular flood map for your Staten Island property here



A very interesting article from Curbed NY detailing the government,s “managed retreat” efforts to combat flooding from climate change currently underway in several neighborhoods across Staten Island can be found here.

Is January the Best Time To Buy a Home?

January 8, 2026
Buying a home in January could save you money. Discover why winter buyers see lower prices, fewer bidding wars, and better terms.

2026 Housing Market Outlook

December 31, 2025
After a couple of years where the housing market felt stuck in neutral, 2026 may be the year things shift back into gear. Expert forecasts show more people are expected to move – and that could open the door for you to do the same.  More Homes Will Sell With all of the affordability challenges at play over the past few years, many would-be movers pressed pause. But that pause button isn’t going to last forever. There are always people who need to move. And experts think more of them will start to act in 2026 ( see graph below ):

Why More Homeowners Are Giving Up Their Low Mortgage Rate

December 24, 2025
If you’re like a lot of homeowners, you’ve probably thought: “I’d like to move… but I don’t want to give up my 3% rate.” That’s fair. That rate has been one of your best financial wins – and it can be hard to let go. But here’s what you need to remember… A great rate won’t make up for a home that no longer works for you. Life changes, and sometimes, your home needs to change with it. And you’re not the only one making that choice. The Lock-In Effect Is Starting To Ease Many homeowners have been frozen in place by something the experts call the lock-in effect. That’s when you won’t move because you don’t want to take on a higher rate on your next home loan. But data from Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) shows the lock-in effect is slowly starting to ease for some people. The share of homeowners with a mortgage rate below 3% ( the yellow in the graph below ) is slowly declining as more people move. And while some of the people with a rate over 6% are first-time buyers, the number of homeowners with a rate above 6% ( the blue ) is rising as others take on higher rates for their next home: