JJ, what happens in NY State when insurer's go belly up? Do you know?
Florida has statewide back-up coverage. My insurer went BK after Wilma and then returned as a solvent company several years later. But we did get paid.
Here are a few things you can absolutely count on:
1 - Workers will emerge from all sorts of different places.
2 - Other than absolute basics, replacement costs will be 2-3 times what things really cost.
3 - The economy will get a nice boost from this tragedy.
4 - In a few years many of the companies that will be knocking on your door will go out of business so forget about warranties. Here, even businesses that were around for 20 years expired a couple of years after Wilma as the work just dries up completely.
5 - The garbage men will eventually show up.
6 - It's going to take quite a few months, maybe even a year for things to just start looking normal again but you will get there.
Whatever you do, no matter what, don't pay anyone anything up front. Say no till your tongue bleeds. I was the only person anyone heard of who got his roof replaced without a dime up front. And after they f**ked it up the first 2 times, they finally put an undercoat on, making it impossible to leak!
Take lots of pictures, maintain a sense of humor, be 3 times more patient than you ever thought you could be & you will see bright days again. And remind the young ones what it used to look like because they will forget.
I know you are a very smart person & you're no virgin so you'll probably get things in order better than most.
