Citizens Insurance Chief Praises New Law, Warns on Rates
Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-07-22 · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®), affiliated with Silver Door Realty, LLC (License #CQ1064903)
No -- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation's own leadership told Florida Politics that while the state's newest property insurance law deserves credit, homeowners and sellers in Leon County shouldn't expect it to bring down premiums in the short term, so if you're counting on an insurance-driven price rebound before you list your Tallahassee-area home, plan around today's rates instead of a promise about tomorrow's.
What This Means for Florida Home Sellers
Property insurance now sits right next to price and condition on every buyer's checklist. When Citizens Property Insurance Corporation's own leadership tells Florida Politics that a brand-new state law deserves top marks but still won't move rates much in the short term, that's a signal worth reading carefully if you're planning to sell. Lenders won't fund a purchase without proof of coverage, and buyers are increasingly asking for a quote before they'll write an offer -- especially on older homes. If your policy has lapsed, gotten non-renewed, or jumped in price, that's now a conversation buyers will have before they ever see your kitchen.
Should Tallahassee Sellers Wait for Insurance Rates to Drop Before Listing?
Florida Politics reported that Citizens' leadership praised the new property insurance law but was explicit that homeowners shouldn't expect it to bring premiums down fast. That caution matters most for a place like Tallahassee, since the law itself was written and signed in Leon County -- the special legislative session that produced it was convened right there in the state capital. It's a rare case where a "statewide" insurance headline is also a hometown one. On the legal side, any insurance-related disputes, foreclosures, or liens tied to Leon County homes run through the Second Judicial Circuit court, so sellers dealing with an insurance-driven financial squeeze aren't dealing with some abstract statewide trend -- they're dealing with the same courthouse system covering Tallahassee. Waiting for a rate cut that the insurer's own leadership won't promise is a real risk for anyone who needs to sell in the next year, not just an eventual one.
What Florida Sellers Should Do Now
Pull a fresh insurance quote before you list, so you know the real number a buyer will see -- don't let it surprise you at underwriting. Disclose any lapse, non-renewal, or major premium jump up front; Florida's seller disclosure rules don't leave room to bury it. If a buyer's financing contingency depends on an insurability check you're not confident you'll pass, a direct cash sale removes that risk entirely. Cash Flow Deals buys homes directly and closes through a novation, working alongside Silver Door Realty, a licensed Florida brokerage, so you're not left waiting on an insurance market that even Citizens' own leadership says won't move fast.
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What this means for your options
Insurance eligibility, not just rate, decides whether a financed buyer can actually close on your property. A rate cut doesn't fix a home that fails a 4-point inspection.
Wait and see
Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.
List with a traditional agent
Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.
Sell to Cash Flow Deals
No repairs, no showings, no financing contingency on your side — our novation structure connects you with a bank-financed buyer at a price locked at signing. A no-obligation offer, usually within one business day.
See your no-obligation cash offer before you decide anything.