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Article by Insurance Expert

Century 21 Insurance Claims

When it comes to living in a flood zone or flood plain, most people already residing there are completely aware. But, if you are looking to rent, you may not be informed and though required by law, it is not necessarily true that you will be informed when buying either, especially if buying directly from an owner instead of through a realtor.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has made it easy to find out. They used to provide paper maps, but have discontinued that practice as part of their Digital Vision initiative. This will not only save the agency tons of money, but is a ‘green’ initiative that also makes sense for the consumer and saves you money as well. No more request forms or calls, no more waiting for the information to arrive in the mail and instant access, now, to the information that you need in order to make an informed purchasing or renting decision.

Now anyone can view these products for free, online, or can purchase them in a digital format. The maps available through FEMA are Flood Hazard Boundary Maps, Flood Boundary and Floodway Maps, Flood Insurance Study reports and Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The new software, called FIRMette 3.1, desktop viewer has new user-friendly additions that actually allow you to search by address or G.P.S. coordinates. How easy is that? Customers can even search for and download LOMCs (Letter of Map Changes) and can print full-sized Flood Insurance Rate Maps.

Flood plains and zones change regularly. As floods occur, water pathways can change along with the topography of the surrounding land. Check Internet #1 Century 21 Insurance Claims right now!It is always wise to be fully informed and if you have even the slightest inkling that a property you are looking at is in a flood prone area, take the time to do your homework and research. The amount of time it takes is well worth the amount of money it may save you in the long run, even when it comes to the decision on where to buy and what your flood insurance premiums will be.

Just go to the FEMA website to download the software and the MapViewer beta desktop version. When you get to this page you can click on the ‘learn more’ buttons to get PDF instructions, complete with screenshots that will enable you to navigate the software and to print the required information. Check Internet #1 Century 21 Insurance Claims right now!

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