PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A Florida-based insurance company is offering a new program of lower premiums to buyers of newly constructed homes.
"This program is for new home construction, and it's an embedded program that is sold through the builder," Melissa Burt DeVriese, the president of Security First Insurance, said.
She said the HO-5 program works with builders as new homes are constructed to Florida's new building codes.
![Melissa Burt DeVriese of Security First Insurance discusses why new homes might be eligible for cheaper insurance rates.](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7aa93f2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6d%2F08%2F9fbf58a846dfb2527506be881eba%2Fdevriese.jpg)
"It can be a substantial cost saving for consumers because new homes are built to high standards, especially when they come from a developer," DeVriese said. "Generally for our consumers at Security First, if they have a new home policy compared to a standard policy the savings will be about 20-30%."
Lower premiums for newly built homes have been a perk lately for buyers in the Port St. Lucie area where new construction is popular.
![Sonsire Gonzalez discusses the cheaper insurance rates for newly-built homes.](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2cf934a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F54%2F01%2F245a2b44405cbdcc4685b76049ad%2Fsonsiregonzalez.jpg)
"Insurance for new construction is less than half of what it would be for an older home," Realtor Sonsire Gonzalez, who also owns a home built in 2023, said.
WPTV asked her what she pays for homeowners insurance for her three-bedroom home.
"I can tell you it's about $1,400 for the whole year," Gonzalez said.
That's an eye-opening figure, and one worth considering as home buyers look around in Florida.
Matt Sczesny is determined every day to help you find solutions in Florida's coverage collapse. If you have a question or comment on homeowners insurance, you can reach out to him any time.
![Contact Matt Sczesny](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9a64694/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F58%2F72%2F5e717fd6405486df87d4c169183a%2Fcontact-matt-sczesny.png)
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