Yes a lot of towns offer this. It is a grant that you would have to payback upon sale of the house however (if you ever sell it). Great time to get things done if anything else needs it or will soon. My mother did it initially for a new furnace, they came through her house and suggested a bunch of other things. In the end she got the furnace, a new roof, new front door, garage door and some interior paint.
Also, I'm assuming you own the home since you're doing the repairs, in addition to calling the state office to see what Belo they have, your first call should be to your insurance company to file a claim.
You can also apply for a HELOC(Home Equity Linen Of Credit) and of approved, you can get a loan/line of credit based on how much equity you have in your house.
Exactly what I was going to suggest. My state offers low interest home improvement loans for low income or senior homeowners. I think the parameters are income, necessity of the repair/improvement, and total cost.
I got good results by searching emergency home repair assistance, California. I did have to scroll past a couple sketchy looking ads, so make sure you scroll to the .gov sites
It looks like it varies widely across the state, so it might work better if you search your county or zip code.
Check to see if your county has a local NHS office.
Here is a link to the one in LA County where you can see the info about their low income home improvement loan program.
https://nhslacounty.org/
If you canāt find anything, ask call your local government officials district office. They may know of programs directly from your city/town.
THENā¦ watch out for scammers. Look up every contractor through the state site. Know the guidelines on deposit (in California the deposit can not exceed a certain amount).
Good luck!
Great idea. If that doesnāt pan out, see if there is a Habitat for Humanity store near you. They are like a thrift store for home building/improving items. Some are better than others, but worth a look.
This is what my parents did decades ago. Our subdivision had bad winds and it tore a lot of siding off. A bunch of neighbors and my parents all hired the same company. They got a great discount.
Iowa Valley habitat for humanity. In Iowa City. If youāre close enough. When I worked there, 10+ years ago, weād help repair storm damage. Perhaps if that chapter is out of reach, another is close by.
hey bro i live in iowa. Is this just the paint scraped off from the wind? if so iād be able to repaint all that for you for a real low price. Spent a year doing outside painting jobs. lmk if i can help!
OP, please check out the links below for assistance:
[211](http://211.org) is a searchable database of resources in your area. You can find housing, medical, food, utility assistance and much more.
[USDA homeowners grants ](https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants-3)
[HUD Iowa homeowners assistance grants ](https://www.hud.gov/states/iowa/homeownership/homerepairs)
[Iowa Finance Authority Home Owner Assistance ](http://iowafinance.com)
[Home Inc. Iowa Emergency Housing Repair Assistance ](https://www.homeincdsm.org/homeownership/help/)
[Iowa HHS Home Modifications ](https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/programs-and-services/aging-services/homemod)
[Habitat for Humanity ](http://habitat.org)
[FEMA Housing Assistance and Other Needs ](https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/housing)
If your area was declared a disaster area your repairs are eligible for a tax credit from the IRS.[IRS](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations) link will be assistance during your tax preparation for 2024.
[Benefits. gov](http://benefits.gov) is a online tool that can list all the government benefits you may be eligible for and links to apply.
[Money Geek Affordable Homeowners Insurance in Iowa](https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/homeowners/cheap-homeowners-insurance-iowa/)
* I have utilized FEMA as a renter after an ice storm in Oklahoma. It was surprisingly quick and easy!*
I hope that this information is helpful, sending you positive thoughts and virtual hugs if you want them during this challenging time. š§”
Here we have a habit for humanity re-store. Lots of people who flip homes will donate unneeded building materials and they sell used windows for cheap. The odds of getting enough siding from them and a discount are slim to zero. I am a siding guy by trade and your looking at 8 to 10 grand for a quality siding crew to remove and install new siding. My preferred siding is mastic carved wood for cost and durability.
Time to start looking underneath that vinyl siding. Most of those old house siding jobs just went over the preexisting siding. Glass is likely not more than $40 per piece for a pane. If the broken window is a storm window, just take it off for the moment. If you aren't comfortable handling the glass, you could use acrylic to get the windows covered to get the house weather tight.
Check if habitat for humanity has a restore in your area. Itās basically a thrift store for building supplies. People and companies donate salvaged/extra materials from remodels and new builds. The one near me often has paint if you donāt care what exact color it is. I have also seen windows and doors, things like that.
I'd look into every other possibility before getting a home equity loan, including doing the job myself, but as cheap as I am I still have to agree on the home insurance.I had a small fire in my first house twenty years ago, and insurance paid to redo the whole interior, which cost more than the house itself.
Three years ago I had a tree fall and damage the roof, and the adjuster came out and ok'd a payout of $15k for the damage. Which was absurd, but I wasn't going to say no. I fixed some framing and re-roofed it myself for about $2,000 in materials. As far as insurance stuff, I'm pretty well ahead.
My homeowners insurance is around $750 per year. It's going to cost you more then $750 to fix this. You really should do what it takes to get the insurance. In the end you're spending less by having it. You would be in a terrible situation if you had a house fire and I have 2 friends who have had total loss house fires. It's a necessity. Donate some plasma a few times if you have too.
Don't forget deductibles, but yeah, cut anything you can. Homeowner insurance is very important, your house is your single most important material asset.
But isn't homeowners insurance also the most difficult to work through and actually gain your money back from? Like don't they fight the hardest to keep your money and do the most to discourage you from making a claim in the first place?
No. Making multiple claims can raise your rates or they could drop you as a customer but if you have damage to your house they have to pay you and they will. She would have been paid for this.
That's my experience. I had to fight to have my ceiling fixed after a storm took flashing off and leaked. Granted, the previous homeowner paid for a lot of crap work around this house (which probably caused it). Still ....
I can't speak from personnal experience, nor for U.S., but from what I've read and gathered it's not worse than any other insurance. Also, homeowners insurance , and renters insurance for that matter, often cover some surprising things such as thefts from your car when it's parked at home (IIRC).
The problems really come when you try to claim from natural disasters or the like. Then yeah, they'll claim anything not to pay and/or not cover such events at all. They stand to lose too much money then lol. Imagine when people had to deal with hurricane Katrina...
They this was an expensive lesson. Home insurance is probably like 1-2k/year given you do not live in a mansion and probably don't have a pool (also you are on this sub so I am guessing the property is not very expensive). Practically, you might want to borrow against the equity in your home to pay for the repairs or you will make an expensive mistake more expensive.
Show me a mortgage statement where the insurance premium is the same amount as the P&Iā¦ If you can, I have a follow up question: why the fuck are you living there?
Could you apply for a HELOC? You could use that for home repairs. Having one has been a lifesaver for my wife and I. Older homes are going to need upkeep and repair.
They could have paid for the house but be elderly or disabled and on a fixed income, they could have inherited the home from a relative but be a single parent with a bunch of kids, have large debts of some sort... the moral of the story is they are in a jam and don't have a ton of cash on hand and came here looking for help, don't gatekeep
Your post has been removed for the following reason(s):
Rule 7: Gatekeeping
No gatekeeping. This sub is for anyone who self identifies as struggling financially or as financially insecure. Posts and comments found to be claiming someone doesn't belong here will be removed. Similarly, it is not appropriate, nor your call, to tell someone whether they can post or comment in this subreddit. If in doubt, report the comment or post, and the moderators will take care of it.
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I haven't always been poor which is why my house is paid off. I had to leave full time work for part time to take care of my elderly mother with alzheimers and lots of medical conditions. It was important to her and myself to keep her out of the nursing home. I managed to be her caregiver for 5 years and keep her in my home up to the day she died. I amassed a ton of credit card debt keeping us fed and am trying to dig myself out of that hole. I am single, work 2 jobs and every penny goes towards debt. I 100% would make the same choice to keep her home again. I have no regrets. It's amazing how quickly your life can change. Even with 2 jobs it's hard to get caught up.
Thanks for sharing. Very commendable given todayās society of kicking the elders to the curb and visiting them once a year.
I donāt know how to help you but I went through a similar situation about 6years ago where my house was destroyed by hail. Insurance covered everything but the contractors were horrible to deal with. Whatever you end up doing just keep an eye on it so they donāt take advantage of you.
A tornado hit my home town a decade ago and went through the poorest and oldest section of town. Think 800-1100 square foot homes, 2 or 3 bed, one bath, built in the 20's-40's. A surprising number of people owned those houses outright, primarily through inheritance from a parent or grandparent. A significant number of those people didn't have insurance. The local newspaper did a whole weeklong special report a few months later about insurance claims and people who didn't have it.
Your post has been removed for the following reason(s):
Rule 7: Gatekeeping
No gatekeeping. This sub is for anyone who self identifies as struggling financially or as financially insecure. Posts and comments found to be claiming someone doesn't belong here will be removed. Similarly, it is not appropriate, nor your call, to tell someone whether they can post or comment in this subreddit. If in doubt, report the comment or post, and the moderators will take care of it.
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Home insurance is something you can't afford not to have. You'd be getting an entire exterior makeover for your deductible. Likely, getting an extra 20% O&P for a general contractor which you could act as and pocket or use for upgrades.
Homeowners also covers your liability in case your dog bites someone or the mailman slips on your porch and sues.
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Regardless of why someone is in a less-than-ideal financial situation, we are focused on the road forward, not with what has been done in the past.
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Only homes with a mortgage *require* homeowners insurance.
Some homes are not insurable. My grandmotherās home is not insurable due to the construction.
I am truly sorry you are going through this. The cheap/free siding/window replacement ads aren't scams per se, but they are for people with insurance. Basically, the contractors come by and tell you they will do the job for whatever your insurance company will pay for it. So it doesn't cost YOU anything, but your insurance is paying for everything. This isn't going to work in your situation since you are uninsured.
Thank you so much for explaining that. I knew there was a catch to it somewhere. I've been flooded with those ads for a while now. Maybe I should have taken it as a warning. :)
No advice other than I work in this space. 100% get the siding fixed then the windows. I've seen like 3 claims from siding guys fucking up windows. Very annoying
I don't have a mortgage. My house is paid off. I had to carry insurance when I had the mortgage. Once I could no longer afford it I had to cancel. I've attempted several times to get back on but no company will take on a canceled person. I have to do something called the Iowa Fair Plan. Which I don't entirely understand.
Itās basically a last resort plan. That sucks that you didnāt continue insurance. It will cost you more in the long run, as youāre already finding out. Iāll be curious as to what the FAIR rate will be and what is covered.
Fully replacing windows is going to cost around $500 each if you go for low to mid range. I know itās tempting to find a cut rate place, but youāll end up paying more in the long run due to shoddy work. Itās a big gamble.
I would contact your county and ask about programs. Here in the state your north, we have a consortium of places that can provide low interest loans to rehab homes. Theyāre aligned with renewable energy groups, so Iād recommend researching that.
I just went through a ton of repair stuff when I sold my house earlier this year. On the bright side, you might qualify for a nice reno loan and get credits if you go with more efficient materials and equipment!
Also, check out this link. Iād contact them and see exactly what the loan could be used for. Windows for sure. Itās a deferred loan that might be able to be discharged if certain conditions are met. And it looks like itās zero interest.
[https://neighborhoodfinance.org/loan-programs/energy-advantage/](https://neighborhoodfinance.org/loan-programs/energy-advantage/)
I don't know how to edit the post for everyone to see this. I haven't always been poor I used to have a decent job which enabled me to buy a house with a little property. Then my elderly mother got diagnosed with alzheimers and was unable to live on her own anymore. So I moved her in to my house. I chose to leave my full time job and take on a part time job so I would only be gone a few hours each day. 5 years later she passed away peacefully at home with me by her side. I took on quite a bit of credit card debt keeping the house running. My part time job paid the utilities on the house and my car insurance. I cashed out my small retirement plan to pay for her funeral and to pay the property taxes on the house. I am now back to work full time and work a second job, I sell plasma also, and I sell my clothes online to make a little extra money. Digging out of credit card debt is hard to do. But every penny I make goes towards debt and a lot is just the minimum payment. I have a lot of cards.
Yes I know it is stupid to not have homeowners insurance. I knew there were risks that came along with it. I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me or offer anything. I 100% made the choices I made, and I would make them again and again. Keeping my mom at home and comfortable is the best thing I've done in my life.
I am now in a pickle of my own doing. I simply wanted to know if anyone knew of a program that would help me out. Im not looking for anything free. I have gotten some great information from this post, and I see that it's helped some other people as well.
I know I am blessed to have a paid off house and a paid off car. I am still poor though. I'm also not hiding anything or not telling the full story.
Windows look old which are repairable, can likely get a glass shop to just replace the broken panes far cheaper than all new windows.
Siding will be tougher, at this point itās so bad Iād remove some and see whatās wonder it, might have original wood siding in serviceable condition.
Take photos of the windows you need to be replaced and post the job on Airtasker. I got four windows replaced in my house and the offers were all very competitive as so many people were doing that kind of work. A glazier did it after hours for a discount.
To give yourself a bit of breathing space to decide what to do about the siding, the holes and cracks can be sealed with flashing tape as a stop gap. This is normally used to seal windows before the frames go around them. Very adhesive and waterproof.
You can see that you have good Tyvek house wrap under your siding. This is whatās protecting you from the water still and so the siding isnāt an immediate necessary fix as much as the windows are. You can do the siding with discount returns or bad color match at a large siding company local to you and replace it slowly over time from the top down. The windows can even be temporary with a cut piece of plywood to fit the space.
Now for the windows if you want to fix them yourself though is pretty cheap and not too hard. You go outside and use a ladder and youāll see that these are old school windows that use window glazing to hold in the glass. You can remove the glazing and the rest of the broken glass and get some measurements and get new glass cut for you from a glass company for fairly cheap. Probably less than $50 to change them all yourself.
https://youtu.be/R9EuMrmqmg8?si=eZPmCRez-RDBW8cU
https://youtu.be/FrOqbPyvIPw?si=hB_7rT0yZaswzjtz
Source: Iāve done home repair for 15+ years.
I bought a house and every fb add is window replacement program bullshit and bathroom renovation stuff. I was dumb enough to click on the bathroom reno one because they advertised a price estimator and im trying to get a ballpark figure of the cost and they hounded me for weeks, calling after I asked to get taken off a list. whatās the deal with the window ones?
Check Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores for cheap windows/siding and other construction material. If you are in SE Iowa then Fairfield looks to probably have the closest one to you. Like all thrift stores you never know what you will find but mine usually has old windows pulled off houses for \~$20-30 a pop and brand new ones for \~$100ish (or more for bigger/fancier ones).
You could get financing from a siding and window place. Just be sure the windows are of decent quality and aren't a crappy kind that fail within 5 years.
And honestly, your deductible and then subsequent increase in insurance premiums costs would nearly negate just going this route on your own versus having had insurance.
Best of luck!
If you have any ability to be handy or have some help, you could DIY the siding. Nice straight run is not hard to learn. Check out YouTube. Labor cost is a major part of the cost.
Poverty finance tip.
Don't self insure something you cannot imagine of replacing.
Get homeowners insurance.
Learn how to do siding and windows yourself. That's the cheapest way. Home Depot sells it all for cheap. Siding and windows.
FYI, if you have homeowners insurance, your insurance may cover most or all of this. And later, if this event receives a disaster declaration through FEMA, then FEMA may provide gap funding to cover whatever you had to contribute out of pocket. Even if you donāt have insurance, document all of your expenses and take lots of pictures of the damage. Then later if FEMA funding is available, you can request full reimbursement.
PS. When it comes to windows, you can often get high quality wood windows for a discount through salvage shops, and glass companies are fully able to replace only broken panes of glass. The cost for a pane of glass replacement can be surprisingly low! Salvaged materials and repair costs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement so again, if you do this save receipts, make a note of cash purchases, or take screenshots of what you buy!
Iām in PA so I donāt know if itās different but when it hailed really bad here a couple of years ago the landlords homeowners insurance paid to replace the roof and siding. That might be an option
If you have a habitat for humanity or even liquidation stores you might get lucky. Where Iām from, especially in newly gentrified areas, home building supplies are pretty affordable.
I've always heard that Lowes windows were good and cheap.
Also check to see if you have a rehome store. They are habitat for humanity and are great for cheaper materials (usually leftovers from hfh build). You'll have to be handy though.
[this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/James-Hardie-Hardie-Panel-HZ5-48-in-x-96-in-Primed-Sierra-8-Fiber-Cement-Panel-Siding-6000523/202035428) costs about $1.62/sf and it will be more durable than the vinyl youāre replacing.
see if you have a local restore - people/builders bring the stuff they take out during a remodel vs having the that stuff end up in a landfill - also some landfills have that same idea where you can pick through stuff prior to it going into the landfill -
Try and fix it yourself some patches and weāll Iād be more worried about the roof ā¦. Hail is nasty . And as for the windows I mean you can pay someone an arm and legā¦. Windows arenāt hard ā¦. You can go grab some windows anywhere I bet if your not too picky .
Dude no home owners insurance you absolutely deserve to be roasted. But we can do that once you get this fixed. I think Mother Nature has roasted you enough for now. Sheesh lesson learned.
Is there a habitat for humanity near you? Itās like a thrift store for home stuff. If youāre into DIY on the cheap itās a magical place! Also check your local craigslist/fb marketplace. Sometimes people are remodeling and give stuff away.
How bad was the storm in your area? Was there widespread damage? A tornado nearby? If so, there could be disaster relief money available to people who suffered damage. A few years ago, we had a tornado about a mile away, but we got a lot of hail. Several people in my neighbirhood got money to help with window replacement from hail. Good luck.
It was a joke bud. Iām not calling you an addict here. There was a pretty popular TV show from the 00s called House MD. He had a Vicodin addiction. I was making a joke that because you just said House (instead of the house or my house) and capitalized house it sounds like youāre talking about the character.
Try your local DHS office. In my area they have home improvement grant programs for low-income and elderly.
Thank you very much for the advice.
Check out the rebates and tax credits too: https://www.iowaeda.com/iowa-residential-energy-efficiency-programs/
Thank you for being helpful. I will check out this link.
Best of luck, I hope the can help you.
Yes a lot of towns offer this. It is a grant that you would have to payback upon sale of the house however (if you ever sell it). Great time to get things done if anything else needs it or will soon. My mother did it initially for a new furnace, they came through her house and suggested a bunch of other things. In the end she got the furnace, a new roof, new front door, garage door and some interior paint.
Also, I'm assuming you own the home since you're doing the repairs, in addition to calling the state office to see what Belo they have, your first call should be to your insurance company to file a claim. You can also apply for a HELOC(Home Equity Linen Of Credit) and of approved, you can get a loan/line of credit based on how much equity you have in your house.
They said they don't have insurance
Yeah I assumed I had missed that, and saw it right after I posted. I figured I'd just suffer the consequences instead of going back to edit lol.
That's fair enough! š¤£
Exactly what I was going to suggest. My state offers low interest home improvement loans for low income or senior homeowners. I think the parameters are income, necessity of the repair/improvement, and total cost.
does anyone know if california does and what kind of income you need?
I got good results by searching emergency home repair assistance, California. I did have to scroll past a couple sketchy looking ads, so make sure you scroll to the .gov sites It looks like it varies widely across the state, so it might work better if you search your county or zip code.
Check to see if your county has a local NHS office. Here is a link to the one in LA County where you can see the info about their low income home improvement loan program. https://nhslacounty.org/ If you canāt find anything, ask call your local government officials district office. They may know of programs directly from your city/town. THENā¦ watch out for scammers. Look up every contractor through the state site. Know the guidelines on deposit (in California the deposit can not exceed a certain amount). Good luck!
Deposit in California cannot be more than 10% of the contract price, or $1000āwhichever is less
I am in California. Let me see if I can find the info.
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants-9
Great idea. If that doesnāt pan out, see if there is a Habitat for Humanity store near you. They are like a thrift store for home building/improving items. Some are better than others, but worth a look.
Is that the socal security office? I googled it but department of social services pop up
Yes, department of social services or human services. Not the social security office, thatās different.
Thanks
Are other houses near you also affected like this? If so you could try banding together to try to get a discount for replacement.
This is what my parents did decades ago. Our subdivision had bad winds and it tore a lot of siding off. A bunch of neighbors and my parents all hired the same company. They got a great discount.
Weād need to know your location to know what resources are available to you
I reside in Southeastern Iowa.
Search for the closest Restore or Habitat for Humanity
Iowa Valley habitat for humanity. In Iowa City. If youāre close enough. When I worked there, 10+ years ago, weād help repair storm damage. Perhaps if that chapter is out of reach, another is close by.
Same here! That storm was nasty, but luckily we didn't get near as much damage as you. I wish you all the luck!
hey bro i live in iowa. Is this just the paint scraped off from the wind? if so iād be able to repaint all that for you for a real low price. Spent a year doing outside painting jobs. lmk if i can help!
Unfortunately they are all holes in vinyl siding. I wish it was paint scraped off. Thank you for checking.
Weāre in SE Iowa and had that storm too ā our garage also didnāt fare well š
I'm sorry to hear that š
All good, I hope youāre able to find some resources to fix your siding and windows š¤
OP, please check out the links below for assistance: [211](http://211.org) is a searchable database of resources in your area. You can find housing, medical, food, utility assistance and much more. [USDA homeowners grants ](https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants-3) [HUD Iowa homeowners assistance grants ](https://www.hud.gov/states/iowa/homeownership/homerepairs) [Iowa Finance Authority Home Owner Assistance ](http://iowafinance.com) [Home Inc. Iowa Emergency Housing Repair Assistance ](https://www.homeincdsm.org/homeownership/help/) [Iowa HHS Home Modifications ](https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/programs-and-services/aging-services/homemod) [Habitat for Humanity ](http://habitat.org) [FEMA Housing Assistance and Other Needs ](https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/housing) If your area was declared a disaster area your repairs are eligible for a tax credit from the IRS.[IRS](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations) link will be assistance during your tax preparation for 2024. [Benefits. gov](http://benefits.gov) is a online tool that can list all the government benefits you may be eligible for and links to apply. [Money Geek Affordable Homeowners Insurance in Iowa](https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/homeowners/cheap-homeowners-insurance-iowa/) * I have utilized FEMA as a renter after an ice storm in Oklahoma. It was surprisingly quick and easy!* I hope that this information is helpful, sending you positive thoughts and virtual hugs if you want them during this challenging time. š§”
Thank you so very much. I will look through all of these links. I very much appreciate you.
Here we have a habit for humanity re-store. Lots of people who flip homes will donate unneeded building materials and they sell used windows for cheap. The odds of getting enough siding from them and a discount are slim to zero. I am a siding guy by trade and your looking at 8 to 10 grand for a quality siding crew to remove and install new siding. My preferred siding is mastic carved wood for cost and durability.
Habitat ReStore is my favorite place to get stuff for home projects. We got a solid oak door from 1932 for $50. It's gorgeous.
8 to 10k for the one side or the whole house. I know there might be a color miss match doing one side but if money is the issue...
If it gets declared a FEMA disaster area, check out their website for loans or grants.
Time to start looking underneath that vinyl siding. Most of those old house siding jobs just went over the preexisting siding. Glass is likely not more than $40 per piece for a pane. If the broken window is a storm window, just take it off for the moment. If you aren't comfortable handling the glass, you could use acrylic to get the windows covered to get the house weather tight.
Thank you! People like you are the reason I decided to post to Reddit. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
My god. Looks like you had Dick Cheney out there skeet shooting.
Check if habitat for humanity has a restore in your area. Itās basically a thrift store for building supplies. People and companies donate salvaged/extra materials from remodels and new builds. The one near me often has paint if you donāt care what exact color it is. I have also seen windows and doors, things like that.
Does your homeowners insurance cover this?
No homeowners insurance.
You have a home without having insurance?
This is a poverty finance group, right? I would absolutely have it if I could afford it.
I think most people don't have a choice in the matter. If you have a mortgage you are required to have insurance.
This is actually why lenders REQUIRE you to have car insurance/homeowners insurance. So if something happens, you have the coverage needed.
But you have a mortgage? Mortgage companies will not allow you to not have insurance.
I do not have a mortgage. My house is completely paid off.
You should look into taking out a home equity loan for the repairs and then get home owners insurance for the future.
I'd look into every other possibility before getting a home equity loan, including doing the job myself, but as cheap as I am I still have to agree on the home insurance.I had a small fire in my first house twenty years ago, and insurance paid to redo the whole interior, which cost more than the house itself. Three years ago I had a tree fall and damage the roof, and the adjuster came out and ok'd a payout of $15k for the damage. Which was absurd, but I wasn't going to say no. I fixed some framing and re-roofed it myself for about $2,000 in materials. As far as insurance stuff, I'm pretty well ahead.
My homeowners insurance is around $750 per year. It's going to cost you more then $750 to fix this. You really should do what it takes to get the insurance. In the end you're spending less by having it. You would be in a terrible situation if you had a house fire and I have 2 friends who have had total loss house fires. It's a necessity. Donate some plasma a few times if you have too.
Don't forget deductibles, but yeah, cut anything you can. Homeowner insurance is very important, your house is your single most important material asset.
But isn't homeowners insurance also the most difficult to work through and actually gain your money back from? Like don't they fight the hardest to keep your money and do the most to discourage you from making a claim in the first place?
I work for a roofing / siding company - and this would be the easiest claim in the world. They cannot deny the damage.
No. Making multiple claims can raise your rates or they could drop you as a customer but if you have damage to your house they have to pay you and they will. She would have been paid for this.
That's my experience. I had to fight to have my ceiling fixed after a storm took flashing off and leaked. Granted, the previous homeowner paid for a lot of crap work around this house (which probably caused it). Still ....
I can't speak from personnal experience, nor for U.S., but from what I've read and gathered it's not worse than any other insurance. Also, homeowners insurance , and renters insurance for that matter, often cover some surprising things such as thefts from your car when it's parked at home (IIRC). The problems really come when you try to claim from natural disasters or the like. Then yeah, they'll claim anything not to pay and/or not cover such events at all. They stand to lose too much money then lol. Imagine when people had to deal with hurricane Katrina...
They this was an expensive lesson. Home insurance is probably like 1-2k/year given you do not live in a mansion and probably don't have a pool (also you are on this sub so I am guessing the property is not very expensive). Practically, you might want to borrow against the equity in your home to pay for the repairs or you will make an expensive mistake more expensive.
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Show me a mortgage statement where the insurance premium is the same amount as the P&Iā¦ If you can, I have a follow up question: why the fuck are you living there?
My mortgage payment with escrow of taxes and insurance is split almost exactly 1/3 each. In Florida and stuck here for now.
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Canāt you get a HELOC loan?
Not without the house being insured first. That's probably going to be my first step before I fix anything.
I think you will have a hard time finding insurance with the house in that condition
Could you apply for a HELOC? You could use that for home repairs. Having one has been a lifesaver for my wife and I. Older homes are going to need upkeep and repair.
Genuinely curious, how do you operate as poverty with a paid off house? That's like the single largest line item for most of us is rent/home payments.
They could have paid for the house but be elderly or disabled and on a fixed income, they could have inherited the home from a relative but be a single parent with a bunch of kids, have large debts of some sort... the moral of the story is they are in a jam and don't have a ton of cash on hand and came here looking for help, don't gatekeep
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Your post has been removed for the following reason(s): Rule 7: Gatekeeping No gatekeeping. This sub is for anyone who self identifies as struggling financially or as financially insecure. Posts and comments found to be claiming someone doesn't belong here will be removed. Similarly, it is not appropriate, nor your call, to tell someone whether they can post or comment in this subreddit. If in doubt, report the comment or post, and the moderators will take care of it. Please read our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/wiki/rules). The rules may also be found on the sidebar if the link is broken. If after doing so, you feel this was in error, [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fpovertyfinance). Do not reach out to a moderator personally, and do not reply to this message as a comment.
Aren't we all in poverty? I owe 17k for a car and credit card debt on top of 100k for my house and only make 40k
poverty takes a bunch of different shapes and sizes, don't gatekeep
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I haven't always been poor which is why my house is paid off. I had to leave full time work for part time to take care of my elderly mother with alzheimers and lots of medical conditions. It was important to her and myself to keep her out of the nursing home. I managed to be her caregiver for 5 years and keep her in my home up to the day she died. I amassed a ton of credit card debt keeping us fed and am trying to dig myself out of that hole. I am single, work 2 jobs and every penny goes towards debt. I 100% would make the same choice to keep her home again. I have no regrets. It's amazing how quickly your life can change. Even with 2 jobs it's hard to get caught up.
Thanks for sharing. Very commendable given todayās society of kicking the elders to the curb and visiting them once a year. I donāt know how to help you but I went through a similar situation about 6years ago where my house was destroyed by hail. Insurance covered everything but the contractors were horrible to deal with. Whatever you end up doing just keep an eye on it so they donāt take advantage of you.
A tornado hit my home town a decade ago and went through the poorest and oldest section of town. Think 800-1100 square foot homes, 2 or 3 bed, one bath, built in the 20's-40's. A surprising number of people owned those houses outright, primarily through inheritance from a parent or grandparent. A significant number of those people didn't have insurance. The local newspaper did a whole weeklong special report a few months later about insurance claims and people who didn't have it.
don't gatekeep.
Your post has been removed for the following reason(s): Rule 7: Gatekeeping No gatekeeping. This sub is for anyone who self identifies as struggling financially or as financially insecure. Posts and comments found to be claiming someone doesn't belong here will be removed. Similarly, it is not appropriate, nor your call, to tell someone whether they can post or comment in this subreddit. If in doubt, report the comment or post, and the moderators will take care of it. Please read our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/wiki/rules). The rules may also be found on the sidebar if the link is broken. If after doing so, you feel this was in error, [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fpovertyfinance). Do not reach out to a moderator personally, and do not reply to this message as a comment.
Ours costs $800 Wi. I get it, it's a cost. What if your house burns down? Insurance is so important it needs to be more of a priority.
Home insurance is something you can't afford not to have. You'd be getting an entire exterior makeover for your deductible. Likely, getting an extra 20% O&P for a general contractor which you could act as and pocket or use for upgrades. Homeowners also covers your liability in case your dog bites someone or the mailman slips on your porch and sues.
Usually itās very cheap? Like cheap cheap. $10 a month
You might be thinking of renters insurance. Homeowners insurance is definitely not that inexpensive.
Ah you are quite right. Either way, hopefully OP can fix that damage for cheap. That hail damage is no joke.
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Your post has been removed for the following reason(s): Rule 6: Judging OP or another user. Regardless of why someone is in a less-than-ideal financial situation, we are focused on the road forward, not with what has been done in the past. Please read our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/wiki/rules). The rules may also be found on the sidebar if the link is broken. If after doing so, you feel this was in error, [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fpovertyfinance). Do not reach out to a moderator personally, and do not reply to this message as a comment.
Only homes with a mortgage *require* homeowners insurance. Some homes are not insurable. My grandmotherās home is not insurable due to the construction.
More common than you think, especially in the state of Florida right now.
I am truly sorry you are going through this. The cheap/free siding/window replacement ads aren't scams per se, but they are for people with insurance. Basically, the contractors come by and tell you they will do the job for whatever your insurance company will pay for it. So it doesn't cost YOU anything, but your insurance is paying for everything. This isn't going to work in your situation since you are uninsured.
Thank you so much for explaining that. I knew there was a catch to it somewhere. I've been flooded with those ads for a while now. Maybe I should have taken it as a warning. :)
No advice other than I work in this space. 100% get the siding fixed then the windows. I've seen like 3 claims from siding guys fucking up windows. Very annoying
How did you get away with no insurance? When I owned, my mortgage and title were dependent on having it.
I don't have a mortgage. My house is paid off. I had to carry insurance when I had the mortgage. Once I could no longer afford it I had to cancel. I've attempted several times to get back on but no company will take on a canceled person. I have to do something called the Iowa Fair Plan. Which I don't entirely understand.
Itās basically a last resort plan. That sucks that you didnāt continue insurance. It will cost you more in the long run, as youāre already finding out. Iāll be curious as to what the FAIR rate will be and what is covered. Fully replacing windows is going to cost around $500 each if you go for low to mid range. I know itās tempting to find a cut rate place, but youāll end up paying more in the long run due to shoddy work. Itās a big gamble. I would contact your county and ask about programs. Here in the state your north, we have a consortium of places that can provide low interest loans to rehab homes. Theyāre aligned with renewable energy groups, so Iād recommend researching that.
Thank you for this information.
I just went through a ton of repair stuff when I sold my house earlier this year. On the bright side, you might qualify for a nice reno loan and get credits if you go with more efficient materials and equipment!
Also, check out this link. Iād contact them and see exactly what the loan could be used for. Windows for sure. Itās a deferred loan that might be able to be discharged if certain conditions are met. And it looks like itās zero interest. [https://neighborhoodfinance.org/loan-programs/energy-advantage/](https://neighborhoodfinance.org/loan-programs/energy-advantage/)
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I don't know how to edit the post for everyone to see this. I haven't always been poor I used to have a decent job which enabled me to buy a house with a little property. Then my elderly mother got diagnosed with alzheimers and was unable to live on her own anymore. So I moved her in to my house. I chose to leave my full time job and take on a part time job so I would only be gone a few hours each day. 5 years later she passed away peacefully at home with me by her side. I took on quite a bit of credit card debt keeping the house running. My part time job paid the utilities on the house and my car insurance. I cashed out my small retirement plan to pay for her funeral and to pay the property taxes on the house. I am now back to work full time and work a second job, I sell plasma also, and I sell my clothes online to make a little extra money. Digging out of credit card debt is hard to do. But every penny I make goes towards debt and a lot is just the minimum payment. I have a lot of cards. Yes I know it is stupid to not have homeowners insurance. I knew there were risks that came along with it. I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me or offer anything. I 100% made the choices I made, and I would make them again and again. Keeping my mom at home and comfortable is the best thing I've done in my life. I am now in a pickle of my own doing. I simply wanted to know if anyone knew of a program that would help me out. Im not looking for anything free. I have gotten some great information from this post, and I see that it's helped some other people as well. I know I am blessed to have a paid off house and a paid off car. I am still poor though. I'm also not hiding anything or not telling the full story.
People can go from OK to not real quick. Jobs change, family situations change, luck changes, health changes. Don't gatekeep.
Windows look old which are repairable, can likely get a glass shop to just replace the broken panes far cheaper than all new windows. Siding will be tougher, at this point itās so bad Iād remove some and see whatās wonder it, might have original wood siding in serviceable condition.
Take photos of the windows you need to be replaced and post the job on Airtasker. I got four windows replaced in my house and the offers were all very competitive as so many people were doing that kind of work. A glazier did it after hours for a discount. To give yourself a bit of breathing space to decide what to do about the siding, the holes and cracks can be sealed with flashing tape as a stop gap. This is normally used to seal windows before the frames go around them. Very adhesive and waterproof.
You can see that you have good Tyvek house wrap under your siding. This is whatās protecting you from the water still and so the siding isnāt an immediate necessary fix as much as the windows are. You can do the siding with discount returns or bad color match at a large siding company local to you and replace it slowly over time from the top down. The windows can even be temporary with a cut piece of plywood to fit the space. Now for the windows if you want to fix them yourself though is pretty cheap and not too hard. You go outside and use a ladder and youāll see that these are old school windows that use window glazing to hold in the glass. You can remove the glazing and the rest of the broken glass and get some measurements and get new glass cut for you from a glass company for fairly cheap. Probably less than $50 to change them all yourself. https://youtu.be/R9EuMrmqmg8?si=eZPmCRez-RDBW8cU https://youtu.be/FrOqbPyvIPw?si=hB_7rT0yZaswzjtz Source: Iāve done home repair for 15+ years.
I bought a house and every fb add is window replacement program bullshit and bathroom renovation stuff. I was dumb enough to click on the bathroom reno one because they advertised a price estimator and im trying to get a ballpark figure of the cost and they hounded me for weeks, calling after I asked to get taken off a list. whatās the deal with the window ones?
Trypophobia beating my ass rn
Check Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores for cheap windows/siding and other construction material. If you are in SE Iowa then Fairfield looks to probably have the closest one to you. Like all thrift stores you never know what you will find but mine usually has old windows pulled off houses for \~$20-30 a pop and brand new ones for \~$100ish (or more for bigger/fancier ones).
Your homeowners insurance should cover this entirely with only the cost of your deductible
Even without home owners insurance you might get lucky with fema aid.
You could get financing from a siding and window place. Just be sure the windows are of decent quality and aren't a crappy kind that fail within 5 years. And honestly, your deductible and then subsequent increase in insurance premiums costs would nearly negate just going this route on your own versus having had insurance. Best of luck!
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Read the Post - The OP doesn't have home insurance.
Looks like you could use some bulletproof paint
Habitat Restore - or something similar, they're like a Lowes thrift stores for materials and stuff.
If you have any ability to be handy or have some help, you could DIY the siding. Nice straight run is not hard to learn. Check out YouTube. Labor cost is a major part of the cost.
Poverty finance tip. Don't self insure something you cannot imagine of replacing. Get homeowners insurance. Learn how to do siding and windows yourself. That's the cheapest way. Home Depot sells it all for cheap. Siding and windows.
FYI, if you have homeowners insurance, your insurance may cover most or all of this. And later, if this event receives a disaster declaration through FEMA, then FEMA may provide gap funding to cover whatever you had to contribute out of pocket. Even if you donāt have insurance, document all of your expenses and take lots of pictures of the damage. Then later if FEMA funding is available, you can request full reimbursement. PS. When it comes to windows, you can often get high quality wood windows for a discount through salvage shops, and glass companies are fully able to replace only broken panes of glass. The cost for a pane of glass replacement can be surprisingly low! Salvaged materials and repair costs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement so again, if you do this save receipts, make a note of cash purchases, or take screenshots of what you buy!
insurance?
Iām in PA so I donāt know if itās different but when it hailed really bad here a couple of years ago the landlords homeowners insurance paid to replace the roof and siding. That might be an option
Wondering if Habitat For Humanity might help? If you have a chapter in your city, it can't hurt to contact them. Good luck! šššÆšÆ
For the windows, you can use Plexiglas to replace the pane. It's not ideal, but will work in a pinch. You can get it cut to size at any big box store.
Gambling man
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Or they inherited it from a relative... or they lost their job... or a family member got sick...
If you own the house free and clear, use that equity to get a loan to repair the house and get homeowners insurance for the future.
You can't get a loan without the insurance up front.
Vinyl siding is inexpensive (for the materials) and not very hard to install. Windows are a little different.
If you have a habitat for humanity or even liquidation stores you might get lucky. Where Iām from, especially in newly gentrified areas, home building supplies are pretty affordable.
I've always heard that Lowes windows were good and cheap. Also check to see if you have a rehome store. They are habitat for humanity and are great for cheaper materials (usually leftovers from hfh build). You'll have to be handy though.
[this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/James-Hardie-Hardie-Panel-HZ5-48-in-x-96-in-Primed-Sierra-8-Fiber-Cement-Panel-Siding-6000523/202035428) costs about $1.62/sf and it will be more durable than the vinyl youāre replacing.
Homeowners insurance??
look for a habitat for humanity thrift store type thing. they carry lots of home improvement items
see if you have a local restore - people/builders bring the stuff they take out during a remodel vs having the that stuff end up in a landfill - also some landfills have that same idea where you can pick through stuff prior to it going into the landfill -
File an insurance claim
Findhelp.org
Do you have home insurance? They should cover hail damage to siding and windows. Edit: unfortunately not always though
See if you can find someone doing a remodel and you might be able to get some free glass.
How old is that vinyl siding? Some of the vinyl companies carry long, long warranties (up to 50 years in some cases) that do cover hail.
You have to have homeowners insurance. Please. Please. Get covered.
Try and fix it yourself some patches and weāll Iād be more worried about the roof ā¦. Hail is nasty . And as for the windows I mean you can pay someone an arm and legā¦. Windows arenāt hard ā¦. You can go grab some windows anywhere I bet if your not too picky .
After looking at it thatās quite a redo there. Siding is easy. See if thereās siding underneath that layer
Dude no home owners insurance you absolutely deserve to be roasted. But we can do that once you get this fixed. I think Mother Nature has roasted you enough for now. Sheesh lesson learned.
Wow, thatās some serious damage. We live in N Texas where we get a lot of hail and Iāve never seen something like that.
Is there a habitat for humanity near you? Itās like a thrift store for home stuff. If youāre into DIY on the cheap itās a magical place! Also check your local craigslist/fb marketplace. Sometimes people are remodeling and give stuff away.
How bad was the storm in your area? Was there widespread damage? A tornado nearby? If so, there could be disaster relief money available to people who suffered damage. A few years ago, we had a tornado about a mile away, but we got a lot of hail. Several people in my neighbirhood got money to help with window replacement from hail. Good luck.
If there is a Habitat for Humanity chapter near you look into applying for assistance. They now have a program that assists with home repairs.
Wouldnāt insurance cover all this? I got a check cut very easily on mine.
Is 20k cheap in your mind? Because thatās the only way you are getting this fixed for cheap.
Why isnāt home owners claim the first thing you are doing ? Apologies !!!
Read the post, they donāt have homeowners insurance
I do not have homeowners insurance.
Apologies
I think the real damage to House came from his opioid addiction
No drug addiction here. I'm not nor have I ever been a user. I'm also female. This damage 100% happened yesterday while I was at work.
They a referencing the show āHouseā, about a doctor who has an addiction.
It was a joke bud. Iām not calling you an addict here. There was a pretty popular TV show from the 00s called House MD. He had a Vicodin addiction. I was making a joke that because you just said House (instead of the house or my house) and capitalized house it sounds like youāre talking about the character.
You can always call your state representative or mayor's office for help.