Carolyn Hess-Benson - Real Estate Consultant

12/16/2025

FYI for FL residents

We have received numerous questions about Florida’s license plate frame law, so here is a brief explanation:

License plate frames are allowed in Florida as long as they do not block the letters and numbers on the plate and the registration decal in the top right corner. This applies to standard Florida plates and specialty plates.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles does not consider the wording along the bottom of the plate to be a primary feature, and a frame can cover it. A frame may cover the top area of the plate, as long as law enforcement is able to identify the state that issued the plate.

A link to the official FLHSMV guidance and clarification is included below. (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17rL2edTwK/)

06/04/2025

Current housing information for Port St John, FL (32927). If you require data for an alternative area, please notify me 🏠🗝️🙂

06/02/2025

10/12/2024

FYI - some useful information after Hurricane Milton
🌀 not 🌊
‼️‼️ INSURANCE ADVICE given from a Florida agent (and good human for sharing): For anyone who sustains water damage: when placing a claim do NOT use the word flood. At all. Don’t even agree that your house was flooded if they say something like ‘oh so the house is flooded’. No. Bad. Respond using ‘no my home did not flood, my home had water intrusion/damage due to hurricane winds and rain’ Use things like ‘water intrusion from hurricane winds’ and ‘water damage due to hurricane force winds’. WATER INTRUSION AND WATER DAMAGE. No flood. They will throw out your claim faster than you can finish speaking.
Same goes for your car and anything else insured. When submitting a claim don’t just say ‘toaster’ cause they’ll go as cheap as possible and send you a $7 Walmart toaster even though you had a $450 Hamilton Beach 4 slice digital toaster or something. The more serial numbers and photos and receipts the better honestly. For everything. Appliances, furniture, electronics, etc. Cannon camera with 2 lenses can go from $1,200 to $70,000 real fast if you don’t specify make and model and generation and alllllll of that. Stay safe. ♥️

Ex: it’s about phrasing the damages as hurricane damages. Hurricane insurance and flood insurance are two separate insurances. Even if you say ‘hurricane caused flooding’ they will put it under flood insurance and your claim will be wholly denied. ‘Water damage due to hurricane’ is the best classification. Not flood damage. Your home sustained water intrusion not flooding.‼️‼️

08/23/2024

Never fails. One always has something urgent come up while enjoying vacation time as a real estate agent. This photo resonates with me, but I'm on a kayak near Sanibel Island with my phone.

08/02/2024

Need a rental? Contact me 🙂

07/27/2024

🚀 Discover the Excitement of
Florida’s Space Coast 🌴

• Witness a rocket launch 🚀
• Go sailing on the Atlantic Ocean ⛵️
• Tee off at beautiful golf courses ⛳
• Try your luck at deep sea fishing 🎣
• Observe turtle nesting 🐢
• Go parasailing for spectacular views 🪂
• Ride the waves on a jet ski 🌊
• Explore the Brevard Zoo 🦒
• Kayak through bioluminescent waters 🌌
• Suft the waves 🏄‍♂️
• Cruise out of Port Canaveral 🚢
• Go boating on the Indian River 🚤
• Have lunch with an Astronaut at NASA 👩‍🚀
• Take an airboat ride with the alligators 🐊

Just a few things that Brevard County offers

05/30/2024

Interesting.

01/14/2024

Stay warm to all up north.