If you've put a Florida property under contract in the last six months you already know: the buyer's underwriter often kills the deal three days before close. The reason is almost never the property — it's the carrier's appetite map.
Knowing which carriers are still writing in your ZIPs is now a listing-side competency, not just a buyer-side problem. This week's Brief breaks down where the major Florida carriers stand as of May 2026 and what to put in front of buyers before they go to underwriting.
Where the major writers are open in May 2026
A practical (non-exhaustive) snapshot of carrier appetite in the most-asked-about Florida geographies:
Citizens Property Insurance — still the writer of last resort, but the depopulation programs continue. Citizens reduced its policy count by roughly 40% from 2024 levels, and as of Q1 2026 is being pulled out of large blocks of Pinellas and Lee County coastal ZIPs and reassigned to private carriers via the Citizens Depopulation Program. Buyers under contract in those ZIPs may receive depop letters mid-due-diligence.
Universal Property & Casualty — has resumed limited new business in inland Central Florida (Lake, Polk, Orange) for non-DP3 coverage. Coastal moratoriums remain in effect for Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee, Lee, Charlotte, and Collier.
Heritage Insurance — selectively writing in Volusia and Brevard inland; coastal new business closed.
HCI / TypTap — continuing to grow inland; coastal selectively.
Slide — actively absorbing former Farmers and Universal coastal policies via takeout deals.
Verify before you cite this. Carrier appetite changes weekly. Always run the buyer's exact address through 2-3 independent agents before representing what's available.
The disclosure traps to know about
A few items that have been hitting buyers (and listing agents) hardest:
The 4-Point inspection. For homes 30+ years old, almost every Florida carrier requires one, and a failed 4-Point will kill the binder. Listing agents on older properties should pre-emptively run a 4-Point during the pre-listing prep — not at the buyer's first inspection.
Wind mitigation credits. A current wind-mit report can save the buyer 30–50% on premium and is the difference between a deal closing and an "unaffordable insurance" cancellation. Pull it for any roof under 15 years.
Roof age cliffs. Most carriers will not write or renew on roofs over 15 years (some 20). If the roof is at year 13–14, list the replacement plan in your remarks — buyers' agents will steer around the listing otherwise.
CAT fund / FIGA assessments. Surcharges on existing policies due to FIGA assessments and the Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders program are still appearing on renewal notices. Buyers may see a number 30% higher than the quote that brought them to the table.
What to put in your listing remarks
If your listing has any of these, put them in the public remarks — it preempts the wave of "what's the insurance situation?" texts:
- Roof age + permit number
- Open Citizens claims history (cleared via FIGA portal if any)
- Wind mitigation report on file
- Hurricane shutters / impact-rated windows + permit number
- Elevation certificate if in flood zone
Quick links for your buyer
- Citizens depopulation program FAQ: citizensfla.com (search "depopulation")
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation rate filings dashboard: floir.com
- 4-Point inspection certified inspector list: search via your local Realtor® association MLS or InterNACHI
What's coming next
Next week's Brief: the full Q1 2026 single-family closed-sale data for Pinellas, broken down by ZIP — including the four ZIPs that flipped from a buyer's market to a balanced market last quarter.
If a colleague forwarded you this Brief, you can subscribe at flrema.org/Brief.