Storm damage, bought as it stands
Tarp on the roof, permit still open, repairs half finished? We'll buy it like that.
Insurance paid less than the damage, the contractor stopped answering, and the repair turned into a code problem. You don't have to finish it to sell it — here's why these houses stall on the open market, what the 50% rule actually means, and exactly what we buy.
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Why storm-damaged houses stall on the open market
It usually isn't the damage itself. It's that a retail buyer needs a mortgage, a mortgage needs an appraisal and an insurance binder, and neither is easy to get on a house with a tarp on the roof or an open permit on file. Deals fall apart late, after you've already spent weeks waiting.
- Lenders back out. Most loan programs won't fund a house with an active roof leak, missing systems, or unfinished structural work. Cash is the only buyer pool left.
- Insurance won't bind. A buyer can't close without coverage, and carriers are refusing older roofs and open claims across Florida.
- Open permits follow the property. Work a contractor started and never closed out stays attached to the address, and it surfaces at the worst possible moment.
- Repair estimates keep moving. Demolition finds more than the adjuster did. Honest sellers get accused of hiding things they genuinely didn't know.
The 50% rule, in plain English
Most Florida communities follow a federal flood-program standard often called the substantial improvement or "50% rule." In broad terms: if the cost to repair the structure reaches about half of what the structure itself is worth, the building department can require the whole house to be brought up to current code — which in a flood zone can mean elevating it.
This is where a lot of storm repairs quietly die. The repair was affordable; the code upgrade that came with it wasn't. The thresholds, the valuation method, and the look-back period vary by county and city — your local building department is the only authority on what applies to your address.
What we actually buy
- Tarped or missing roofs, including houses that have been covered since Ian, Helene, or Milton.
- Open or expired permits, and work a contractor started and walked away from.
- Unpermitted repairs someone did without pulling anything — common, and not a dealbreaker for us.
- Water intrusion, mold, and gutted interiors. You don't need to clean it out; the cleanout is ours.
- Houses with an open insurance claim. Tell us where the claim stands and we'll price around it rather than pretend it isn't there.
- Flood-zone property facing an elevation requirement you don't want to fund.
Where we honestly fit
If you have the money, the patience, and a contractor you trust, finishing the repairs and listing it will almost always net you more. That is the honest answer and we'd rather say it than talk you out of it. We're the right call when the repair bill is bigger than the insurance paid, when the permit situation has become its own project, or when you simply want it finished and off your plate.
What that looks like: a written cash offer in about 24 hours, bought exactly as it stands, no repairs, no cleanout, no showings, and a closing date you choose. Here's the whole process, and here's how to check that any cash buyer is real before you sign anything.
One thing to be careful about: anyone who asks you to sign over your insurance claim, or to let them "handle the claim" as part of buying the house, deserves a hard look and probably a lawyer's. Your claim is yours.
EM Quick Close is a d/b/a of FICS LLC, 1720 Harrison St, Ste 17A, Hollywood, FL 33020. We are direct buyers, not real estate agents, contractors, or public adjusters. This page is general information about Florida storm-damage rules — not legal, insurance, or code advice. Confirm anything about permits or the 50% rule with your local building department.
Common questions
Will you buy a house that still has an open insurance claim?
Usually yes — tell us where the claim stands on the first call. An open claim isn't a dealbreaker, it's just a fact we price around. What we won't do is ask you to sign the claim over to us or let us run it for you; that's your claim and your money, and anyone pushing hard on that deserves a lawyer's opinion first.
The permit on my roof was never closed out. Is that a problem?
Not for us. Open and expired permits are one of the most common things we see on storm-damaged houses, and sorting them out is part of what we take on. It is a problem for a retail buyer, because their lender and insurer will both find it — which is usually why those sellers end up calling us.
The building department says my repair triggers the 50% rule. Can you still buy it?
Yes, and that situation is a big part of why this page exists. When the repair cost reaches roughly half the structure's value, the whole building can be required to meet current code — in a flood zone that can mean elevating it, which costs far more than the original repair. We buy with that requirement in place and take on the decision about what to do with it.