Empty or partially vacant buildings are becoming increasingly common in both urban and suburban communities, with office vacancy rates in most cities exceeding 10 percent--projected to rise to 16.7 percent in 2009.

NEW YORK--While buyers of insurance agencies may not share the same strategies for purchasing agencies, they all have clear ideas about why they make the deals.

"Owner give-ups" is a phrase claim adjusters and investigators have been familiar with for years.

As consumers deal with the fallout from the recession, some are cutting back on coverage when insuring non-essential luxury items such as boats and other recreational watercraft--a short-sighted step that could come back to haunt them, carriers warn.