You have to ask yourself…
What would happen if a disaster struck your home tomorrow? Are you confident you’re properly covered for damages and total loss? Would you be required to pay out of pocket for some or all the repairs?
These questions are crucial to address because major insurance carriers hold on new clients after a disaster strikes. More importantly, when you're facing a crisis, you’ll feel less pressure knowing:
- Your representative took the time to make sure you have the right protection
- Your insurance carrier has your back
What is Homeowner’s Insurance?
Homeowner’s insurance is a necessary component of owning your own home. A kind of property insurance, homeowner’s insurance, protects against losses and damages to your residence as well as some furnishings and assets inside the home. It provides a level of liability insurance coverage protecting against accidents on the property or inside the home. Generally, a homeowner’s insurance policy will cover interior damage, exterior damage, loss of or damage to personal assets, and injury that occurs on the property. Every policy has a liability limit that will cover only a certain amount if there is an accident resulting in an injury on the property.
You could potentially need insurance to protect you from having to pay for:
- Storm damage, fire, windstorm, lightning, and hail
- Dog bite liability
- Manufactured home coverage
- Trampoline or swimming pool liability insurance
- Wind damage
- Sinkholes
- Flood damage
- Sewer or septic backups
- Replacement cost for personal property
- Umbrella liability insurance
When you see an independent insurance agent like us you have the chance to explore all your options for insurance, and protect the things that are most important to you.
The Basics
Most homeowners insurance policies have six kinds of coverage, dwelling, other structures, personal property, liability, additional living expenses and medical expenses. The homeowner is usually required to pay a deductible when a homeowners insurance claim is made, which is essentially the out-of-pocket expense for the policy owner.
"Acts of War" and "Acts of God"
“Acts of War” or “Acts of God” are usually excluded from a typical homeowners insurance policy. These are natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. If you live in an area prone to natural disasters such as these, it is advisable to get special coverages for it. On the other hand, most basic homeowners insurance policies will cover natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. All insurance policies have their limits. Each kind of coverage is subject to its limits based on your policy. It can sometimes be a good idea to add a personal umbrella insurance policy to your coverage to add a layer of protection in the case of injury on your property or damage to another person’s private property in or at your home.
What if my homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t cover it?
Protecting what you have and protecting your loved ones is a top priority. This is why people get insurance. Would you be covered if someone were to become injured on your property? What if someone believes you to be at fault and decides to bring a lawsuit against you? We’ve got you covered with a personal umbrella insurance policy. Umbrella insurance policies cover above and beyond what the liability coverage is on your regular homeowner’s or auto insurance policy. When the coverage runs out on your standard policy, your umbrella insurance policy kicks in. Speak to an agent today to find out if this is a good fit for you.
Little-known facts about Homeowners Insurance
There are many things about insuring a home that most consumers aren’t aware of. We are here to make sure you avoid potential problem areas, including:
- Most policies will not cover sewer backup, unless you purchase a special endorsement
- Damages caused by surface water or water that flows below the surface of the ground aren’t usually covered
- A standard homeowners policy typically does not include Flood Insurance
- A standard homeowners policy only covers jewelry, up to set limits if the loss resulted from one of the perils named on the policy
- Many policies default to actual cash value, which means if you purchased a widescreen TV and home theater system for $1,000, it may now only be worth $450, so that's all you'll receive on the claim. Just like the dwelling limit mentioned above, replacement cost insurance pays out the total replacement value of your possessions, not their market value, in the event of a claim.
- IMPORTANT: You can combine your Home and Auto policies (and others) for even more savings.
Why We're Different
While most insurance products are similar in price and function, insurance providers vary when it comes to structuring a policy tailored to you.
After all, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all insurance policy when it comes to your personal policy.
Contact us today, and we'll help you protect what matters most.