A state panel charged with exploring how to shrink Citizens Property Insurance Corp. recommends boosting rates up to 20 percent for individual policyholders per year starting in 2010.

The Citizens Mission Review Task Force, which is meeting today, voted to recommend increasing statewide average rates by as much as 10 percent each year and up to 15 percent by region. The legislature froze rates for state-backed Citizens, the largest property insurer in the state, in 2007 and 2008 with a plan to increase rates in 2010.

Consumer advocates on the panel say the recommendation would cap rate increases each year to protect homeowners.

Check back here later today for the task force's other recommendations. They will be sent to Gov. Charlie Crist and House and Senate leaders.

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How does Florida's battered economy recovering in 2011 grab you?

That's the thesis of a report issued Tuesday by Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund Inc.

In two years, Florida's housing starts will eclipse 125,000 units and the rising demand will push prices back up to levels last reached in 2006, Central Florida economist Hank Fishkind says.

Fishkind's forecast predicts that all Florida housing markets will be in decline through 2009.

But Orlando will continue to weather the downturn better than other markets because it has less speculative overbuilding to contend with, has a relatively better employment base and has comparatively fewer new condominiums than other markets (read: South Florida).

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Happy New Year, everyone.

Our first post of 2009 comes courtesy of Michele Bellisari of Realty Associates Florida Properties in Boca Raton. She wants to set the record straight.

She's tired of hearing would-be home buyers saying they're convinced that they can't qualify for a mortgage. Here's what she's telling clients:

*No, the market hasn't hit bottom, but only the luckiest of the lucky can actually time it right.

* FHA is the main type of financing available. VA financing also is available.

* You do not need stellar credit or 20 percent down to get a FHA loan.

* You do need at least 3.5 percent down and a 580-600 credit score. Also, lenders must be comfortable with your ratio of debt to income, and they will verify income and employment up until the day you close.

* Friends and family can help you with the down payment.

* Subsidies and grants are available for qualified buyers.

* A $7,500 tax credit is available for first-time home buyers through July 1.

* Sellers are paying most or all of the buyers' closing costs.

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The Florida Public Service Commission staff recommends requiring that 20 percent of major utilities' energy output be renewable by the year 2041.

The recommendation -- released today after nine Public Service Commission meetings on the issue -- is opposed by environmentalists and the state's renewable power industry, which prefer Gov. Charlie Crist's recommendation of achieving the goal by 2020.

But commission staff and consumer advocates say the longer time line would soften the blow to the state's electric customers, who will foot the bill. The commission staff recommends capping the cost of implementing the renewable energy quotas to 2 percent of a utility's annual revenue, which would work out to an additional $2.57 on a typical FPL residential customer's bill.

A state renewable energy study shows that the 20 percent goal could be met by 2020 if the price cap is closer to 5 percent.

The commission staff recommends two proposals for achieving the goal, including one that would allow renewable energy providers to competitively bid to sell energy to utilities. Both proposals include perks favoring solar and wind over other renewable energy types -- an idea opposed by consumer advocates. Commissioners are expected to make a decision on the issue on Jan. 9.

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Before guests at your New Year's Eve party hit the punch bowl, you should know that in some situations Florida homeowners that serve alcohol to someone who then drives under the influence can be held liable under state law for injuries or damages.

Four in ten fatal drunk driving accidents from 2002 to 2006 happened in the last two weeks of December, according to a new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study.

What can you do to protect friends and family -- and yourself -- if you're throwing a party?

I know it's hard, but refrain from getting boozed up yourself so you can use your judgment to call cabs for people who need them.

Switch to serving tea and coffee for the last few hours of your party. Your guests can go from being drunk to being high on caffeine.

Hire professional bartenders because they're trained to spot people who are getting tipsy and they typically have liability insurance. These tips and others are offered by the Insurance Information Institute.

Happy holidays to all readers of this blog.

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There have been roadblocks for Florida Power & Light's proposed wind turbines in St. Lucie County but its sister company, FPL Energy, announced recently that it will fully power the Emerald Bowl game tomorrow between the Miami Hurricanes and the Cal Bears with wind.

Let's hope wind fuels the game in more than one way: with strong gusts from the Hurricanes.

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A Christmas Eve question for you: What are the best home bargains along the coast in South Florida?

Would you believe it's houses and not condominiums? So says Condo Vultures, a Bal Harbour-based real estate consultant.

Single-family houses in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties are down an average of 39 percent, or $350,874 each, for a total discount of $523 million through Nov. 30. Condos and townhouses are down an average of 37 percent, or $202,385 each, for a total discount of $669 million.

“Steep discounts are available on single-family houses, but the choices are much more limited as condominiums account for a majority of the distressed residential properties in the Vultures' database,” said Peter Zalewski, a principal at the firm.

Single-family houses account for 31 percent of the 4,795 residential properties in the database. Condos and townhouses account for the remaining 3,305 properties, or 69 percent.

Condo Vultures starts tracking houses, condos and townhouses when a property east of Interstate 95 in the tri-county area has fallen in asking price by at least 10 percent, or $100,000.

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The state is considering suspending Conseco Life Insurance Co. amid allegations of mismanagement.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation announced today it is investigating Conseco and demanding that the company demonstrate why it should not be suspended.

The office alleges that Conseco Life misled about 5,200 policyholders enrolled in its Lifetrend program by waiting at least three years to tell them their policies are underfunded. The office also claims that the company knew for at least three years that the policies weren't being administered properly but failed to resolve the problem or let regulators know until recently.

"The company has grossly mismanaged its Lifetrend product, misled Florida consumers, and withheld from the office vital information," reads an order issued by the office.

Conseco has 21 days to ask for a administrative law hearing.

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Florida residents who are slammed by the troubled economy and falling behind on paying their electricity bills have several options.

There was a 17 percent rise in Florida Power & Light customers who were more than two months late on payments in the third quarter of this year compared to the same time the year before. Customers not using power -- in part due to foreclosed homes -- increased 32 percent this year from about 220,000 in January 2007 to about 290,000 this fall.

Francisco Leo, an information technology manager who lives in Pembroke Pines, was late paying recently as he struggled to keep up with paying for rent, gas, student loans and food for his family. "I have one son in the autism spectrum and he requires a little more involvement than a normal child so my wife stays at home," Leo wrote. Because of the late payment, FPL required a two-month deposit, which Leo said he "obviously cannot afford."

There are options for customers like Leo.

The deposit can be waived for customers who sign up for the utility's automated bill payment program or find a friend or family member that agrees to pay in emergencies, said FPL spokesman Mayco Villafana.

Low-income and elderly customers can get help through the federal government, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The state and FPL successfully lobbied to increase the program's funding for Florida from $26 million last year to $100 million next year. Other programs include the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Food and Shelter Program.

More than 150 social service agencies who participate in FPL's Care to Share program can help eligible FPL customers. FPL donates $1 million to the program.

Another option is trying to lower your electricity bill. FPL offers free home energy surveys to help customers do that.

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An FPL official told me that customers will receive a bit more than what the state reported yesterday for a refund for costs related to a 2006 power outage blamed on an FPL contractor.

Residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours a month -- slightly less than what the average FPL customer uses -- will receive a one-time payment of 87 cents early next year. (The Public Service Commission estimated the refund at 72 cents.)

For those of you who commented on our blog and story yesterday ridiculing the amount, think of it this way: the refund is almost enough to buy a Sunday paper, a fast food burger or a pack of gum. Also, there's the Yiddish maxim: "A penny is a lot of money, if you have not got a penny.”

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