Even tropical storms leave their mark. South Florida was spared a hurricane, but the fringes of Isaac soaked the area and left behind leaky roofs, flooded homes and, in a few unusual cases, lightning damage. For those affected homeowners the next step is navigating an insurance claims process that involves plenty of patience and paperwork. Follow Link

FORCE-PLACED insurance isn’t high up on most people’s list of mortgage worries, not when so many people are in danger of losing their homes. But it’s been high up on mine ever since my wife and I had to battle our mortgage provider to remove flood insurance it had bought for us — and we didn’t need — for a condominium we owned in Florida. Follow Link