Homeowners Insurance

Secondary Home

Be certain that you extend the liability coverage under your homeowners policy to include your secondary home. You should also consider including the secondary home under an excess liability or umbrella policy to provide for additional liability limits.

Flood Coverage

Purchase a flood insurance policy to protect your home and covered contents from certain types of flood losses as designated by the National Flood Insurance Program. A flood policy is purchased as a separate policy through the federal program (NFIP) or through a servicing carrier known as a write your own carrier.

Personal Property / Contents - Property Damage

Your homeowners insurance policy typically covers personal property, including the contents of your home and other personal items owned by you or family members who live with you. Make sure your homeowners policy includes replacement cost coverage for personal property so that you always receive the full cost to replace whatever item is damaged.

Fire

Make sure your homeowners policy contains guaranteed replacement cost coverage. This protects you if the cost to reconstruct your home is higher than your current limit of coverage. Also be sure that your insurance includes rebuilding your home to code. Very often, local ordinances and building codes change over time, which may require additional costs.

Personal Injury

Your homeowners insurance policy includes liability coverage for property damage caused by any member in the family, but it may not cover rumors or statements that damage a reputation. You need to add an endorsement to your policy to expand coverage to include liability protection that covers personal injury.

Umbrella / Excess Liability Coverage

An umbrella or excess liability policy increases your personal liability limits by adding protection over and above your current auto, boat, or homeowners policies-providing real financial value, as well as priceless peace of mind. Excess liability insurance is available either by an endorsement to your homeowners policy or available as separate coverage.

Jewelry, Fine Arts, and Collectibles

Valuable possessions insurance covers personal property that may have unique value, cannot be replaced like regular personal property or is subject to special types of losses such as breakage or mysterious disappearance. For most valuable possession categories, there is no deductible applied at time of loss. Valuable possessions insurance can be added to your homeowners policy or may be written as a separate policy.

Wine Collection

If you have a sizable wine collection, you may want to consider scheduling the collection on your homeowners policy. Doing so expands your coverage and eliminates the deductible in case of a loss. You can also consider unique coverages for wine, such as for spoilage.

Additional Living Expense / Loss of Use

Ensure that your homeowners insurance policy provides additional living expense or loss of use coverage to compensate you for the additional costs you incur for reasonable housing and living expenses if a covered event makes your house temporarily uninhabitable while it's being repaired or rebuilt.

Off-Premises Theft

Most homeowners policies offer an option to include off-premises theft coverage as an endorsement, which covers you for theft of your personal property away from your residence.

Water Backup

Water backup coverage can be added to most insurance policies. Consider adding it so that you have the coverage you need in the event of damages caused by a clogged drain, sewer, sump pump, and related risks.

Personal Liability

Your homeowners policy includes personal liability coverage to respond to incidents where injuries or damages occur to a third party where you may be deemed negligent. However, you should consider purchasing a personal umbrella or excess liability policy to provide additional coverage limits to protect your assets in case a lawsuit is brought against you.

Medical Expenses

Your homeowners policy should include medical expenses coverage to take care of injuries and treatment - generally not of a serious nature. In the event a person is injured on your property and requires medical attention, you would be able to submit the injury-related medical expenses to your insurance carrier. Medical expenses are usually paid without a liability claim being filed against you.

Miscellaneous Coverage

You should make sure your homeowners insurance policy covers your trampoline, as many insurance providers refuse to take on trampoline liability and exclude the item from coverage.

Because everyone's needs are not the same, it is best to consult your agent to help assess your needs and find the insurance policy that is right for you.

What is Homeowners insurance?
Homeowners insurance provides financial protection against disasters. A standard policy insures the home itself and the things you keep in it.

Homeowners insurance is a package policy. This means that it covers both damage to your property and your liability or legal responsibility for any injuries and property damage you or members of your family cause to other people. This includes damage caused by household pets.

Damage caused by most disasters is covered but there are exceptions. The most significant are damage caused by floods, earthquakes and poor maintenance. You must buy two separate policies for flood and earthquake coverage. Maintenance-related problems are the homeowners' responsibility.

Why do you need homeowners insurance?
It is really all about protecting yourself financially if something unexpected happens to your home or possessions. That's important because chances are your home is likely one of your largest investments.

• If your home was destroyed by fire or damaged by a natural disaster, you'd need money to repair or replace it.
• If a guest in your home is injured, liability protection and medical coverage help pay expenses.
• If you are a victim of theft and vandalism, it can reimburse you for your loss or pay for repairs.
• If you are still paying for your home, your lender will require insurance.

It is important to know that homeowners insurance is meant to cover unexpected damage, not routine maintenance. Ask your agent to talk about what is covered and be sure to read your policy so you know exactly what's included and what is not.

Things to consider and questions to ask your agent
Here are few things to discuss with your agent that will influence your decisions.

• How much will it cost to rebuild my house and replace my belongings if they are damaged or destroyed? (Ask your agent to talk you through your home's features and the things you own so you can make an informed decision about coverage.)
• Does the insurance company have a good reputation for customer service? Is it known for paying claims fairly and promptly?
• What discounts are available? (Ask about multiple policy, security system and fire resistance discounts.)
• What's the process for filing and settling a claim? (Ask who to call and what happens after you file a claim.) 
  

What is mobile home insurance?

As with any structure called home, mobile homes can and should be insured to protect your finances from various risks. Purchasing a mobile home is an investment that would not be easy to replace if a disaster hit. The right mobile home insurance policy offers protection for your home, possessions and finances.

Like homeowners insurance, mobile home insurance offers a variety of coverages. Some of the most common coverages include the following:

• Dwelling: Covers the physical structure of your mobile home from a variety of disasters such as fire and theft.
  
  
• Contents: Covers your furniture, kitchen appliances, clothing, electronics and other belongings. You may need extended coverage for valuables like jewelry and antiques.
  
  
• Liability: Covers you if an accident on your property causes injury or property damage. This includes medical and legal expenses.
  
  
• Trip collision: Covers your mobile home while it is in transit.

Get started today!

Protecting your mobile home is as simple as calling our agency for a free quote. We can help find a policy with the right coverages for your needs, as well as answer any questions you may have.

We do the work for you, so you can rest knowing your home is protected.

What is high value home insurance?

Your high value home may not be adequately covered under a standard homeowner insurance policy. Instead, you may need a policy that fills in coverage gaps and recognizes the unique coverage needs of the finest built homes. These polices are designed to protect homes with values in excess of $750,000. We can assist you in selecting a flexible policy to protect your home and your family for years to come.

What does high value home insurance cover?

High value home insurance includes higher limits and exclusive features to provide more coverage to quality homes. Many of these policies are flexible and can be tailored to the unique needs of each family. Some of your coverage options may include the following:

• Property coverage: Many policies may cover the full replacement cost of your home, even if it exceeds policy limits. Compensation rates are determined with similar construction quality and specialized location in mind. The goal is to completely restore your home and family to your accustomed lifestyle.
• Valuable contents coverage: Contents coverage may replace your property with the same or similar quality items. An added benefit of this policy is the coverage of valuable luxury items, such as jewelry, fine art, electronic equipment, antiques, wine and other items of value.
• Increased expenses coverage: After a covered loss, rebuilding efforts may be thwarted by a higher mortgage rate or changes in building code. This policy can cover the difference between what you previously paid and what you are expected to begin paying.
• Sewer and drain backup coverage: Sewer backups and drain or toilet overflows can lead to high expenses associated with cleanup and repair work. This coverage can be added to your policy to protect against these detrimental incidents.
• Secondary residence coverage: Vacation and/or seasonal homes should be similarly insured. You can add multiple homes to your high value home insurance policy to protect all of your properties against potential risks.

Ask an agent

We will help you find a policy to fully protect your home and family. Where standard polices may fall flat, high value home insurance policies offer specialized coverage to fit the needs of the lifestyle you are accustomed to. Call us today to begin protecting your future.