The dramatic video of a Pasco County home being swallowed by a sinkhole in Land O' Lakes left many homeowners nervous and worried about every crack in their own home.

“Typically you've got warning signs, and houses don't typically fall into a hole like that," real estate agent Vince Arcuri said. "I've only seen that twice in 26 years."

Still, that's two times too many. So we asked the veteran real estate agent to explain the difference between sinkhole warning signs and the normal settling you see in many Florida homes.

Checking Cracks

First: Cracks. Whether on your walls or on your floor, size matters. 

“This is Florida, you’re gonna have cracks,” Arcuri explained, “but if it’s a bigger separation, where you can put a credit card or a finger in it, that’s something to be alarmed about.”

Cracks big enough to insert a credit card should be investigated, whereas hairline cracks-- typically from normal settling, probably just need to be sealed and painted. 

Another red flag is a clear pattern of separation on the side of your home, near the foundation.

“The stucco would be separating and cracking, and you would actually see a pattern of the bricks," Arcuri said. “That’s a really major separation, because not only are the bricks separating, but it’s enough to crack the outside stucco in a pattern.”

Depressions Developing

If you see a depression develop on your property where the land used to be flat, that is something to get checked out. Don’t panic, though. There are other possible explanations, besides just a sinkhole. For example, it could be the result of a pocket underground created by something buried on your property long ago.

"I like to say Florida was built on an orange grove,” Arcuri said. “Back in the day, they used to just cut down trees and bury them. Then, they would bring in a bunch of fill and build a home on top. Well, as the years progressed, the ground underneath decayed and rotted and it created these empty pockets.”

A depression could also result from a tree stump being ground down, causing the root system underneath to deteriorate.

Windows & Doors Not Closing Properly

Doors and windows that don't close properly can also be cause for concern. For example, a door that used to remain open, slowly swinging closed all the time, could be a sign of trouble.

"It tells you the home is no longer level, and there's been some sort of a shift-- not necessarily a sinkhole, but enough of a warning that you should investigate, just to be sure," Arcuri explained.

Past Sinkholes

Another warning sign is past sinkhole activity in an area. If a sinkhole was not repaired properly the first time, it could create problems again. 

For example, the recent catastrophic sinkhole in Land O' Lakes had been remediated once before, in 2014. Instead of filling the hole with grout, as recommended, underpinnings were placed under the home. The underpinnings were cheaper-- costing about $30,000 versus $100,000 for the grout. The repair saved money at the time, but did not stabilize the ground, potentially leading to sinkhole that swallowed the home.

"Don't take it lightly and don't cut corners,” Arcuri said. “It really is something to be very cautious about because we've seen exactly what can happen, if you don't treat something properly when you have an issue like that.”

Investigating Warning Signs

If you have warning signs on your property, Arcuri recommends that you call your insurance company, so they can send an engineering team out to run a series of tests.

"They drill into the soil to see if it's just a shift in the foundation or something else. It's not necessarily a sinkhole, although it could have the same symptoms as a sinkhole," Arcuri explained.

Be sure to review your insurance policy to determine if you have sinkhole coverage. In many cases, you have to buy a separate sinkhole policy, like flood insurance, for sinkhole remediation work to be covered. 

Don’t assume your home will automatically be covered. Under Florida Law, several factors must be met before a loss is covered for catastrophic ground collapse, including:

• Sinking of the top layer of soil must occur abruptly.

• A depression in the ground cover must be clearly visible without the aid of instruments.

• There must be structural damage to the home, including the foundation itself.

• A government agency must condemn and evacuate the structure.

“A home is somebody’s largest investment, in most cases, so you really need to protect it,” Arcuri said. “It (sinkhole insurance) is expensive, but if you live in an area like Spring Hill or Land O’ Lakes, where you’ve seen homes that are susceptible to that type of activity, to me, it’s worth it.”