Homeowner Insurance

Homeowner Insurance quotes can be complicated. Our free homeowner insurance faq will help you get the best rate on your online homeowner insurance.

What is Homeowner Insurance?

As its name suggests, homeowners insurance protects you if your home is damaged or destroyed. In addition, it covers your family's possessions and can provide you with compensation for liability claims, medical expenses, and other amounts that result from property damage and personal injury suffered by others. By paying insurance premiums, and satisfying the other requirements of your insurance company, you can protect yourself in the event of loss due to unforeseen and/or catastrophic events. You still won't be able to predict when lightning will strike your house, but you will sleep better at night knowing that homeowners insurance can save you from financial ruin if such an event happens.

Why do you need Homeowner Insurance?

You may need homeowner's insurance because your mortgage lender requires it. But, even if you own your home outright, you still need homeowners insurance to protect that which you can't afford to lose. It is really that simple. You spend years building up a solid financial foundation for you and your family. All that hard work can go down the drain in a matter of minutes when, for example, a tornado devastates your house, a burglar robs and vandalizes your home while you're gone, your dog bites and severely injures a neighborhood child, a guest in your home is hospitalized after falling on your icy stairs, or a neighbor sues you for personal injury after your chimney topples over on his head. There are virtually thousands of possible scenarios that could result in severe financial loss or even the loss of your home. Homeowner's insurance is designed to help prevent that result. (Renters and owners of condominiums and cooperatives can get coverage using variations of the same basic insurance tailored to their needs).

What do you need to know?

Homeowners insurance protects more than just the owner of the house. Generally, it protects anyone named on the policy, your spouse, residents of the home (other than renters), household employees, guests and visitors.

The property insurance section of your homeowners policy protects more than just your actual home or dwelling. In most cases, your insurance company should reimburse you for damage or theft affecting your dwelling, any structures attached to the dwelling, structures on your premises that are not attached to the dwelling, personal property, loss of use of your dwelling, and liability if you or another insured are found responsible for personal injury or property damage to another.

There is a wide variety of damages, conditions, and costs that are not covered by homeowners insurance. Here are just a few examples of situations that are not covered by a homeowners insurance policy: the land underneath your home is damaged, your claim exceeds your maximum stated coverage amount, you have flood damage, you have losses related to business activities in your home, your liability results from injuries suffered by a tenant, your claim is covered by other insurance, or your claim was caused by someone else who is insured under your party.

Your homeowners policy may exclude coverage that you can purchase by adding an endorsement to your policy. Other coverage, such as flood insurance, has to be purchased under a separate insurance program. Still other coverage can be obtained by purchasing a policy that covers a broader list of perils. The cost of homeowner's insurance will depend upon the amount of your coverage, any endorsements you add to the policy, and the deductibles you choose.

How do I get it?

Homeowner's insurance is not available to groups. Policies are written individually, typically at the time you purchase the home or at the time you take out a mortgage on the home. You can contact any homeowner's insurance professional for information and quotes.

How do I take a home inventory and why?

Would you be able to remember all the possessions you've accumulated over the years if they were destroyed by a fire? Having an up-to-date home inventory will help you get your insurance claim settled faster, verify losses for your income tax return, and help you purchase the correct amount of insurance.

Start by making a list of your possessions, describing each item and noting where you bought it and its make and model. Clip to your list any sales receipts, purchase contracts, and appraisals you have. For clothing, count the items you own by category such as pants, coats, shoes, for making notes about those that are especially valuable. For major appliance and electronic equipment, record their serial numbers usually found on the back or bottom.

How much homeowners insurance do I need?

You need enough insurance to cover the following:

• The structure of your home.
  
• Your personal possessions.
  
• The cost of additional living expenses if your home is damaged and you have to live elsewhere during repairs.
  
• Your liability to others.
  

What is in a standard homeowners insurance policy?

Generally, speaking a standard homeowners insurance quote policy includes four essential types of coverage.

They include:

• Coverage for the structure of your home.
  
• Coverage for your personal belongings.
  
• Liability protection.

Additional living expenses in the event you are temporarily unable to live in your home because of a fire or other insured disaster.

Are there different types of homeowners insurance quote policies?

Yes. A person who owns his or her home would have a different policy from someone who rents. Policies also differ on the amount of insurance coverage provided.

The different types of homeowners insurance quote policies are fairly standard throughout the country. However, individual states and companies may offer policies that are slightly different or go by other names such as “standard” or “deluxe”. The one exception is the state of Texas, where policies vary somewhat from policies in other states.

What type of disasters are covered?

Most homeowners insurance quote policies cover all disasters listed below, but it is safer to check with your insurance company.

• Fire or lightning
  
• Windstorm or hail
  
• Explosion
  
• Riot or civil commotion
  
• Damage caused by aircraft
  
• Damage caused by vehicles
  
• Smoke
  
• Vandalism or malicious mischief
  
• Theft
  
• Volcanic eruption
  

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