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Apopka firm makes Tiny House insurance affordable

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Tiny Houses are hot. At last count there were at least six TV programs dedicated to convincing us that "living tiny" is actually possible for those who have come to expect "living large" as the American dream.

Tiny Houses do not necessarily come with tiny price tags. You can spend as little as $20,000 for a build-it-yourself home and as much as $220,000 for a 400 square-foot luxury tiny house from Tiny Heirloom.

But whatever the price tag, all tiny houses have shared one problem: Affordable Insurance.

UCF signInsurance companies have been reluctant to insure tiny houses for two reasons; the lack of consistent building standards and no way to know if the standards had been adhered to.

But where there is a problem there is an opportunity, and an Apopka entrepreneur has devised a solution.

Robin Butler is the founder and president of the National Organization of Alternative Housing (NOAH). His firm is a client of the UCF Business Incubator in Apopka.

tiny house interviewNOAH has developed a set of standards and an inspection system that is beginning be accepted by the insurance industry.

NOAH announced today that the Foremost® Insurance Group will accept NOAH Certified Tiny Houses. Foremost® is a member of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies.

The announcement is expected to bring national attention to Butler's firm. He was interviewed today by Mike Holfeld with Orlando's CBS affiliate, WKMG-TV.

DSC_0343According to Butler, Foremost® will now accept certifications from only the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association and NOAH. Applications can be made for personal-use Tiny Houses built on a foundation or on wheels. Agents will have binding authority to $150,000.00 on new Tiny Houses.

Those wanting to apply for Tiny House insurance should contact their local Foremost® agent or visit www.foremost.com to find an agent.

NOAH is a national trade association providing nationwide inspection and certification services for builders of Tiny Houses and membership for businesses offering products and services for the Tiny House Industry. It launched on January 1st, 2016. NOAH Certification is available for builds by Manufacturers, Do-It-Yourself’ers, Educational Organizations and Institutions.

Since its founding, NOAH has become widely recognized as an industry leader providing support to its member builders and municipalities at both local and state levels across the nation. NOAH Certification provides independent third-party creditability, confidence and peace of mind for consumers and levels the playing field for builders, lenders & insurers.

For more information on NOAH inspections and certification services visit www.NOAHcertified.org.

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National Organization of Alternative Housing, NOAH, UCF, UCF Business Incubator Apopka

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