What to request for the actual property
- Insurance quote or declarations information. Confirm the property address, named insured, effective dates, limits, premium, and deductibles.
- Roof and coverage terms. Ask the insurance professional to identify roof settlement language, exclusions, and endorsements. “Roof covered” is not a complete answer.
- Wind and hurricane terms. Florida deductibles can be expressed differently from the base deductible. Read the policy terms rather than relying on a general description.
- Flood information when applicable. Ask whether a separate policy is needed and give the lender the evidence it requests.
- For a condo, the association documents. A unit policy does not replace the association master-policy and project documentation a lender may need to review.
What the conventional-loan guidance does—and does not—say
Fannie Mae’s property-insurance guide for one-to-four-unit properties says a policy must provide replacement-cost coverage, with an exception for roofs: roofs must be insured, but roof coverage does not have to use replacement-cost settlement. The same guide also addresses required perils and situations where a limitation or exclusion may require separate acceptable coverage.
That roof exception is not a blanket approval. It does not answer the policy’s exclusions, deductible, limits, property condition, condominium documentation, or lender review. The Florida Department of Financial Services’ hurricane-deductible explainer is a useful consumer starting point; ask the carrier or agent to explain the terms of the actual policy.
A Realtor-ready 48-hour checklist
- At the showing or before an offer, ask the buyer whether they have an insurance contact and a lender involved.
- Once an address is serious, send the property address, listing, deadline, and any roof or insurance concern to the buyer’s chosen insurance professional and loan team.
- For a condo, request association insurance and project information immediately; do not wait until the last financing week.
- Do not promise that a roof, deductible, or policy “will be fine.” Ask for the documents and allow time for review.
- Update the loan team if the quote, carrier, premium, deductible, endorsement, or effective date changes.
For the larger buyer-readiness sequence, see Should I Get Preapproved Before House Hunting in Florida?. For insurance-document timing, see Will a Florida Hurricane Deductible Stop My Conventional Loan?.
Three independent roof decisions
A roof creates three different reviews: the appraiser considers condition and marketability, the insurer decides available coverage and terms, and the lender applies agency and loan-file requirements. Approval by one reviewer is not approval by all three.
Collect permit history, age/material information, inspection reports when available, repair records, policy settlement terms, deductibles and exclusions. For a Florida condo, determine whether the roof is covered by the association and connect that evidence to the master policy and project review.
- Identify visible defects and known leaks before the appraisal.
- Obtain a property-specific insurance indication.
- Resolve required repairs, escrow questions and contract timing in writing.
- Reconfirm coverage after repairs or policy revisions.
Florida decision cases
Older roof, no active leak
Obtain the property-specific appraisal and insurance response; age alone does not answer every eligibility question.
Open permit
Resolve status and final inspection evidence with the appropriate authority and transaction parties.
Condo roof project
Connect association responsibility, assessment, master policy and project documents rather than reviewing the unit policy alone.
Use: identify the closest case, collect the named evidence, and have the lender apply the current agency section to the complete borrower and property file. These cases illustrate decision paths, not approval outcomes.
Joe’s Advice
“Treat roof condition and insurability as an early contract checkpoint. The appraiser, insurer and lender answer different questions, so one party’s acceptance does not guarantee the others’.”
— Joseph “Joe” Pistone, NMLS# 2087918
Frequently asked questions
Does roof age alone determine conventional-loan eligibility?
No. Condition, remaining utility, appraisal findings, insurance and program requirements must be reviewed for the specific property.
Can a roof pass appraisal but fail insurance review?
Yes. Appraisal and insurance are separate reviews with different purposes.
What roof documents should a Florida buyer request?
Useful records include permits, invoices, inspection reports, repair history and the proposed policy’s roof settlement terms and exclusions.
Who reviews a condo roof?
The association’s responsibility, master policy, project documents, appraisal and lender requirements can all be relevant.
Should a buyer waive insurance review?
That is a legal and risk decision for the buyer and advisers; the mortgage file still must contain acceptable insurance evidence.
Get the property questions in front of the right people early
Joseph can review your conventional-financing scenario and identify the loan documents needed. Insurance professionals explain coverage; loan approval and insurance acceptability depend on the complete file.
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Current agency guidance and the complete loan file control. Lender overlays and automated-underwriting findings may add requirements.
Educational information only; not a commitment to lend. Joseph Pistone NMLS# 2087918. CrossCountry Mortgage NMLS# 3029. Equal Housing Opportunity.