Yeah, we just paid you $75K to help with bills because you're a valued customer...

[Sliceanddice]

to go with the off topic branch in my area 300k would but you 4 bedroom 3 bath with some good updates and a pool.

[Argabarga]

Wow, someone who really DOES belive in free money.....

[greensinestro]

Gee, I thought insurance money for damages and destruction to your property was a way to get rich! I didn't know it was supposed to be used to actually fix the property I lost, and pay whatever contractor I hired to do my repairs for me.

I've told this one before, but I was a juror for a woman suing another man's estate after he crashed into her car at a busy intersection in Boca Raton. He had been killed in the accident, and she seemed to be fine after it all happened. In all, she was awarded $80,000, not the $10 million she was going after. We all felt this woman was entitled to something to cover her lost time from work, her lost wages, and the pain and suffering she dealt with. We did not feel she was entitled to live a much more comfortable life of luxury due to another man's carelessness. This is the belief I think many others have about insurance. "I pay a premium, or the other person does, so if anything happens, we can live better afterwards."

[Gurndigarn]

I'm surprised nobody's used this standard of judgement: around here, $300,000 would get you 50-75 acres with a reasonable house on it.

[ebonyknight]

Excuse me while I laugh for a few minutes.

......

Sorry. The only insurance I've ever dealt with was when the dipshit in the Exploder ruined my Volvo. And while the check they sent me was nice, it wasn't nearly enough to cover buying another car of the same quality (it was old, but it was in outstanding condition), and the fact that they cut off the rental car before I ever received the check.... No, I'm not bitter at all.

But your guy. He's a real winner. How the hell can you get a huge check and just spend it so frivolously when you have a contractor rebuilding part of your house?

^-.-^

I know how you feel. I had insurance with that damn lizard. A deer hit me (yes, hit me, not the other way around) and trashed the right side of my car.

Took it and got it appraised, played by the rules, etc. Got a loaner for the time the auto body said it would take to repair. Got a call from the lizard after a few days saying that the autobody shop told them that the repairs would take 3 days longer. I am like "Yeah, and...." They wanted ME to pay for the rental car for those three extra days.

I hit the roof, I am like what does the autobody extending the time, have to do with me? I argued with them for 10 minutes refusing to pay. Finally they called me back and told me not to worry about it. I told him I was a paying customer for that very reason and hung up on the jackass.

I swear, the insurance industry is a rackett and unfortunately, we are required by law to participate in the rackett.

I understand that, as I live in an urban area with similar real estate prices. One-bedroom condos start at about $250,000 here.

Unfortunately, regardless of what $300,000 buys you, you still need to put down a down payment and make payments.

There is a reason why I am not a home owner yet.

I don't know if you know this or if this helps (most people don't know). First time homebuyers can use their IRA funds as a down payment and not have to worry about tax penalties.

That's what I did. Of course this is assuming you live in the US. If not, check the laws, you may find that there is something similar where you live.

[Boozy]

That's what I did. Of course this is assuming you live in the US. If not, check the laws, you may find that there is something similar where you live.

I live in Canada, but we do have something called a homebuyer's RRSP. Its similar to what you are describing.

My concern is not coming up with the dough so much as how much I am willing to pay. These real estate prices are artificially high. A tiny one-bedroom isn't worth $300,000. We plan to remain patient and wait until the inevitable market crash.

I suppose I could always be careless with the gas stove, set the apartment on fire, and use my renter's insurance to make a down payment on a home instead of paying my landlord for the repairs.

What? Oh. Right. We just determined that was stupid.

[protege]

I hit the roof, I am like what does the autobody extending the time, have to do with me? I argued with them for 10 minutes refusing to pay. Finally they called me back and told me not to worry about it. I told him I was a paying customer for that very reason and hung up on the jackass.

Ugh. That just sucks. A few years back, some idiot backed his truck into my mother's new Saturn. Didn't do much damage, except for crumpling up the hood, and cracking one of the headlights. Since it was a company truck, the guy admitted that he didn't see the car, and was willing to pay for it. (He wasn't about to damage his employer's reputation...) However, the company he worked for *refused* to acknowledge the accident or file a claim. Yep, that's right. The company owner actually tried to cover it up with a little insurance fraud. (They tried to claim that it was either *another* company's truck, and when that failed...that my father had *hit* their truck with the car. Never mind that the *driver* of the truck said it was his fault, and so did witnesses...)

The truck owner's insurance company (Progressive) wimped out and refused to honor the claim. Needless to say, we went after their asses...and got the car fixed. Of course it took a little leaning on them, mainly from the county...along with our insurance company's insurance fraud division