Free community guide — nothing to buy, no appointment needed. After the Spokane-area wildfires, we put together a plain-language guide to the questions families and property owners are facing right now: insurance settlements, mortgages, land, temporary housing, and taxes.
What the guide covers
- Why the first insurance check may be smaller than expected — and what releases the rest
- Temporary-housing limits, and the two numbers to confirm this week
- What happens to your mortgage and your land after a total loss
- Rebuild, buy elsewhere, or cash out — how the three paths differ
- The basic federal tax picture, in plain language
- A separate track for rental and business property: coverage, lost income, depreciation, employees
- Deadlines worth writing down, and every official helpline in one place
Free official help
Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner: 800-562-6900 · Spokane County Assessor: 509-477-3698 · CFPB housing counseling: 855-411-2372 · IRS disaster line: 866-562-5227 · Current declaration status: fema.gov/disaster/declarations
This guide is general education only — not tax, legal, lending or insurance-claims advice. Insurance policies, loans, taxes and assistance programs vary. Confirm important decisions with your insurer, mortgage servicer, CPA, attorney or other qualified professional.
Prepared and shared at no charge by Black Sand Capital Group and Black Sand Realty. Updated August 2, 2026.