Citizens' Takeouts.. Should I stay or should I go now?

So, maybe you have received a letter from Citizens notifying you that another company will be offering you a property policy that will replace your current Citizens wind only or multi-peril policy and that familiar Clash song from the 80's came to mind as you read through the initial letter and the subsequent letter from the "take out" carrier about the process.  You think to yourself , "take out", now I am picking up Chinese and humming an old 80's song?  Hold that thought and let's look at what is really going on here.  Citizens has been trying to depopulate for quite sometime due to the large exposure the pool has amassed since Hurricane Andrew.  Attracting private insurers to the provide coverage in wind prone areas has long been the goal and 2014, 2015 and 2016 have seen large numbers of policies removed by the private market.  Carriers participating in this process must be approved by the Department of Insurance and meet financial condition requirements.  In addition, the approved "take out" carriers are stress tested given certain "what if" scenarios as a result of assumed storm damage.  The policies that are being offered are supposed to be very similar in coverage and price to the Citizens policy that is being replaced but sometimes have enhanced coverage options and premiums can be lower.  A compelling reason to make the switch away from your Citizens policy is the fact that Tier 1 Citizens assessments (up to 45% of your premium should Citizens have losses that chew up reserves) will no longer apply.  In addition, these carriers may not be on the same "glide path to rate adequacy" as Citizens which we have seen as multiple year premium increases with the latest slated to be 8.9%.  And, finally, supporting the private market and extending more choices for consumers is usually a good thing and should lead to a stronger property insurance market.  So if you receive one of these notifications, you could check out www.citizensfla.com where you will find a depopulation corner with links to the Office of Insurance Regulation site where you can find financial information on the carrier offering to take you out of Citizens and other useful information to help you decide, Should I Stay or Should I Go.