On a more general note, after this catastrophe, will there be a premium for homes that can be shown to be fire resistent (with construction materials/techniques, foam coating etc.,)? I saw a video of AIG spraying fire retardant foam at their own expense on high end homes to save paying replacement costs. The woodframe based construction seems very inadequate and unsuited to SoCal weather. Greater use of metallic or non-combustible building materials should be encouraged both through building codes and market demand. If enough potential buyers start getting cold feet buying wood framed homes, that can start a trend. How many of you potential buyers will pay attention to fire resistance in your future home purchase decisions?
