This seems like the right way to handle the greedy insurance companies. If enough people upgrade their windows and roofs, surely insurance premiums will come down. Only $10,000 doesn't go very far, unfortunately.
We have a small house and we've done all the above (at our own expense) in the last two years, windows all around, a metal roof plus a new hurricane rated garage door as well. Last year when our long-term insurer cut us off, we were quoted over $7000 for new insurance including hurricane and we are on high ground, over a mile inland of the Intercoastal waterway. Happily, we do not have a mortgage so we decided to just take out regular homeowner's (fire, theft, liability) insurance and it cost us only $900. We're basically self-insuring now if there is hurricane damage. Taking a chance that the $6000/year we're saving will pay for a lot of damage, if it happens. Plus it will be a further direct investment in the house, instead of flushed away into the pockets of insurance companies.
If more people are able to do what we're doing, the hurricane insurance rates WILL eventually have to come down. But if you have a mortgage for more than a certain percentage of your home value, your bank can foreclose if you don't fully insure your house.
