RE-Post from 06 Board: Anyone own a home on Fire Island?

DH and I are thinking about buying a 2nd home on Fire Island but we're quite nervous about it. Does anyone know how much homeowners insurance would be for a beach house on Fire Island?
Our house right now is a mile north of the bay, and our homeowner's insurance seems reasonable but I don't know how high it would be on Fire Island...any thoughts??

I don't know about Fire Island, but my sister has a beachfront house in Montauk, and she had exactly two choices for insurance--the one she had already and Lloyd's of London, the one that will insure anything . She pays a LOT of money, although I'm not sure how much. And her house isn't even at sea level, it's 35 or 40 feet above sea level because the ground rises rapidly--it's not a cliff, but it slopes quite a bit.

I've spent my whole life going out to Montauk--my grandmother had a house a few doors down from what is now my sister's house--and I've seen it out there after two hurricanes, the one in '77 and the one in '85. I would never buy a house at sea level or a few feet over. My sister's house is safe enough, it was built in the 1920s and is still here--and there were some BAD hurricanes in the 30s and 50s. But something right by the water? Nope. Maybe if you're rich enough that you don't mind the very real possibility that you might lose your house in five years, but i wouldn't do it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against second houses by the water, it's part of my life. I just wouldn't get one only a few feet over sea level.

But this is only my opinion!!

Thanks, girls! This is very helpful!
I just got back from meeting with the realtor and when I asked him these questions, he of course told me it shouldn't cost more than $5k per year for both homeowners' insurance and the separate flood insurance. I would hate to lose so much money if a hurricane hits, and of course that's why the current owners are selling - and they are selling CHEAP.
Tough choices, DH and I need to think very hard about this one...
Thank you again!!!

WOW!! 5 thousand per year is sooo much! We pay less than one thousand for our house where we are.
It's a tough decision though- esp. if the owners are selling cheap.