Posts Tagged home insurance

6 Home Insurance Myths That’ll Cost You Big-Time

On May 29, 2017   /   Home Insurance  
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home insurance

By: Daniel Bortz

When you’re plunking down a big bundle of cash for a house, you need to protect it from all that could go wrong—and that means you’d better buy home insurance. Pronto. Without it, your biggest investment could fall prey to floods, theft, and all other sorts of natural disasters. That explains why most mortgage lenders require borrowers to purchase home insurance; they want their investment safe and sound, too!

Unfortunately, there are some big misconceptions about home insurance. Here are six common myths, plus a reality check on each so you know what to do.

Myth No. 1: Home insurance is a rip-off

While home insurance costs vary by state—as well as factors like the square footage of the house, building costs in the area, and the location’s likelihood of damage from natural disasters—the average annual premium runs about $952 nationwide. But when broken down, that’s only an extra $79 that you need to add to your monthly housing budget (i.e., mortgage premium, property taxes, and interest).

Also, “considering the financial protection that you’re getting, it’s well worth the cost,” says Jeanne Salvatore, chief communications officer at the Insurance Information Institute.

For example, let’s say the average home insurance claim was $9,779 in 2014, with the average fire damage claim clocking in at a whopping $39,791. Many consumers don’t have anywhere close to that kind of cash lying around. (Indeed, 69% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings, a recent survey by GOBankingRates.com found.) So if you’re in that group, experiencing a loss without home insurance could force you to rack up massive credit card debt in order to repair your house.

Myth No. 2: All of a home’s belongings are covered

Like car or health insurance, home insurance has limitations.

“A homeowners insurance policy is not designed to cover everything,” says Salvatore. “Each policy clearly states what’s covered and what’s not.”

While most standard home insurance policies cover damage caused by a natural disaster such as a fire, hurricane, or snowstorm, some types of personal belongings aren’t covered under basic insurance.

“If you have valuable art or fine jewelry inside your house, you might need a scheduled personal property policy to cover those items,” says Laurie Pellouchoud, a vice president at Allstate.

Myth No. 3: All injuries within a home are covered

If a visitor gets hurt at your house or on your property, your home insurance policy’s liability coverage will typically kick in to cover any claim that’s filed. But that’s not the case if you or a family member gets injured in your own home. If you slip in the kitchen or fall down the stairs, for instance, “your health insurance is what protects you from injuries, not your homeowner’s insurance,” Pellouchoud says. Got that?

Myth No. 4: I should base my coverage on the market value of my house

More than half (52%) of home buyers mistakenly think they should buy insurance coverage based on their home’s market value, a recent survey by Insure.com found. But for most home insurance policies, rates are based on the cost to rebuild the home—not the value of the house. In fact, “in most cases you need less coverage than the market value of your house,” says Salvatore.

Myth No. 5: My home business is covered under home insurance

Sadly, 61% of home-based businesses in America lack adequate business insurance, according to the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. That high percentage might be a reflection of confusion among home-business owners, because many people assume that they’re covered by their home insurance. However, “business liability and business equipment is not covered by homeowners insurance,” says Salvatore. Therefore, if you run a home-based business you’ll want to purchase a separate insurance policy for the company.

The good news is purchasing business insurance is easy. In most cases you can simply attach a business rider to your existing home insurance policy for about $100 a year, which will provide about $2,000 to $3,000 of additional coverage.

Myth No. 6: Flood coverage is included in standard policies

Think flood coverage comes with your standard insurance policy? Typically, it doesn’t. So if you live in an area prone to flooding (i.e., a flood zone), you should definitely make sure to buy a separate policy in case flooding occurs. In fact, homes in flood-prone areas are often required to have separate flood insurance. Flood insurance is available from the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program as well as some private insurers.

And in case you think you’re safe and don’t need flood insurance because you’re in a dry area, know this: “Floods can happen anywhere,” says Pellouchoud. Hence, she recommends that homeowners who live outside flood zones (particularly if they’re close to one) should still consider purchasing flood insurance. The average policy is about $700 a year; you can look up price quotes for your area on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center.

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3 Types of Insurance You Need to Buy a Home (and 4 You Don’t)

On December 12, 2016   /   Home Insurance  
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homeowners insurance

By: Craig Donofrio

When you buy a home, you will be showered with offers to buy insurance—and not just one type, but many types. Such awesome deals! So which ones do you really need?

There are a few that are downright essential, and others are nice but not necessary. Furthermore, others are total rip-offs to avoid at all costs.

To help you differentiate among them all, here’s a rundown of the types of insurance you’ll likely encounter on your home-buying journey and a reality check on whether you need them.

Title insurance
Do you need it? Absolutely!

Normally, this isn’t even a question because it’s almost always mandatory when you’re getting a mortgage. But if you’re paying all-cash, you have the option of skipping on title insurance. You shouldn’t.

Title insurance “ensures both the lender and the owner’s financial interests in the home are protected against loss due to title defects, liens, or other matters,” says Liane Jamason, a Realtor® and owner of the Jamason Realty Group at Smith & Associates Real Estate in Tampa, FL.

It’s especially important to get title insurance in transactions like short sales and foreclosures, which often carry the high risk of some kind of tax lien being attached to the property. Title insurance is going to safeguard against your needing to pay for liens, and will ensure the title is clear so no one down the road could claim they own the property and file a lawsuit.

If for some reason you’re dead set against getting title insurance, Jamason suggests you should at least get a lawyer to “thoroughly check the property’s history to ensure there could be no future claims to title.”

Homeowners insurance
Do you need it? You bet

Like title insurance, this is another one that’s not required if you own the house outright (you’ll need to have it with a mortgage), but this is necessary. Homeowners insurance covers you for a variety of things like fires and storms. You’ll want it even if you aren’t legally required to have it.

Eric Kossian, agency principal of InsurePro, a Washington state insurance agency, cites an example of a wealthy homeowner who had paid off his house and “figured since he had never had an insurance claim he would save himself the $700 a year in premium.” Then some kids near his home started a fire, which got out of control and burned down several houses—including his. It cost the homeowner about $450,000 in damages. Consider this a cautionary tale.

Extra moving insurance
Do you need it? Yes, if you’re smart.

Bare-bones, federally mandated moving coverage offers just 60 cents per pound of an item, and is known as “released value protection.” So if something breaks and that’s your only coverage, you won’t get back the full cost of the item, just what’s calculated under the coverage limits.

There’s also “full-value protection,” which can be purchased from the moving company, but you need to specify which items are worth more than $100 per pound. The moving company can opt to repair the item back to its original state, or give you the fair market value of the item—not necessarily what you paid for it. Plus, full-value protection excludes items over $5,000. Opt for this instead of released value protection. (Rates vary by moving company—it’ll be more than released value, but it’s worth it.)

If you’re moving some really valuable stuff, you can purchase extra insurance from a third-party insurance provider. This typically costs $100 per $10,000 of coverage.

Flood insurance
Do you need it? It depends on where you live and how lucky you feel.

Flood insurance is a tricky one. Requirement for flood insurance can be mandatory for homes in flood-prone areas. Otherwise, it’s optional. The biggest problem with flood insurance is you don’t know you need it until it’s too late. Last year, flash floods in Texas and Oklahoma washed homes away. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast and left thousands in low- or moderate-risk flood zones with water-damaged homes.

Torrential rain and freak storms can happen anywhere.

“If you are not in a designated flooding area, it is still a wise idea to get flood insurance, and typically it is very affordable if you are not in a low-lying area,” Jamason says.

So this one’s sort of a toss-up. If you have it, you may never need it. But it’s worse to really need it, and then not have it. A similar argument can be made for earthquake insurance.

Private mortgage insurance
Do you need it? Hopefully no.

For most loans, private mortgage insurance is mandatory if you don’t have a 20% down payment. But if you can put down at least that amount, it’s well worth doing to avoid PMI. The reason: Mortgage insurance benefits only the lender—it does nothing for you, so get rid of it as quickly and cheaply as possible. Some options to avoid PMI include piggyback loans, lender-paid PMI, and single-payment PMI.

Mortgage protection life insurance
Do you need it? Not really.

In case you die while you’re still paying off a mortgage (bummer, we know), this insurance is supposed to make sure your family is financially covered when it comes to paying your mortgage. But it’s basically pointless.

“I would say as a general rule that mortgage life insurance or mortgage protection insurance is unnecessary,” says David Reiss, a law professor specializing in real estate at Brooklyn Law School. Reiss says consumers “are generally better served by a cheap term insurance policy from a well-rated insurance company,” and “you will generally get more protection per premium dollar with a term life insurance policy.”

Umbrella insurance
Do you need it? Usually not.

Umbrella insurance is basically insurance for your insurance. It vastly expands the amount of damages your insurance will cover. But it’s not necessarily worth it.

“One common rule of thumb is that an umbrella insurance policy should equal the net worth of the insured,” Reiss says. So for the average middle-class American homeowner, Reiss notes that an umbrella policy is generally “less relevant,” probably because your regular insurance covers enough. For the rich, or those who are “reasonably expecting” a rise in income, Reiss says it can be a good idea and worth researching further.

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The Perils of Taking Possession Before Closing

On November 14, 2015   /   Moving  
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taking possession before closing

By: Gina Roberts-Grey for Realtor.com

Timing your move out of one house and into another is a delicate feat that might seem as tricky as determining the next GOP presidential nominee. Trickier, even! In addition to the usual stress of packing and arranging to have your things transported (we’re talking about housing again), you also need to coordinate with the current owners of your new home and the incoming residents of your current home. And since no one wants to pay another month’s rent or mortgage, it’s awfully tempting to move into your new place even if the closing isn’t quite final yet.

But taking possession of a home before your name is on the title could open a Pandora’s box of problems—for buyers and sellers.

Why buyers should move in with caution

Buyers who move into a house before closing lose some of their bargaining power, says Daniel C. Price, president and CEO of OneTitle National Guaranty Co. in New York City.

“Any unresolved title issues could be problematic for buyers moving in before closing,” he says. “Buyers might lose the leverage necessary to clear issues like judgments, liens, and even old mortgages, since they will have a much harder time walking away once their possessions are in the house if these title issues are not resolved.”

Buyers also lose the ability to voice concern or negotiate over any last-minute issues with a home’s condition.

“A final walk-through prior to moving in should always be conducted,” says Price.

The question of who pays for what also comes into play. If you move in early, the seller might expect you to fork over cash for utilities used before the closing. Even if that doesn’t amount to much, the squabble could delay closing.

Another concern: coverage in the event of theft, fire, or other calamities.

A home insurance policy on a new home doesn’t take effect until closing, and a property is legally in the possession of the buyer, says Ken Davidson, principal at Eagle Independent Insurance Agency in Dallas.

So any damage that happens to the structure is covered by the seller’s home insurance, he says—but that doesn’t include damage to, or loss of, your personal property.

However, such damage or loss could be covered if you have a homeowners insurance policy on your current home that has “off premises” property coverage. The coverage limit, however, is usually 10% of the total personal property limit.

Why sellers face risk, too

Price says sellers who hand over the keys before closing could also be in trouble if the deal falls through.

“If something happens and a buyer backs out last minute, sellers could face the costly and lengthy process of eviction proceedings. Not only is that a hassle, it will delay the ability to relist the home.”

Sellers also run the risk of having their home insurance claim history dented.

If the buyer’s movers damage the house, or if their buddy slips down the stairs while helping out, you as the seller are liable. Your insurance covers this kind of damage and injury (to the extent dictated by your policy), but the fact that you’ve had to file a claim could jack up the premium for the policy on your new home.

Davidson recommends talking to an insurance agent and the real estate agent and attorney, if applicable, handling the sale before shaking hands on any preclosing deals.

“One five-minute phone call could prevent a huge headache.”

 

 

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Compile a Home Inventory with the Right Tools

On July 28, 2015   /   Home Insurance  
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video home inventory

By: Gwen Moran

A home inventory of your belongings for insurance purposes is a relatively inexpensive way to make any future claims go smoother.

Creating a home inventory for insurance doesn’t need to be complicated. All you really need is a pencil and paper. The key is to have a record of your possessions in the event you experience a theft or casualty loss from flood, fire, or other disaster.

But the more thorough the documentation of your belongings, the less likely you are to run into problems when you file an insurance claim. That’s why you should consider using a digital camera, fireproof safes, and other equipment to create and store your home inventory. Devote a full day to the task.

Take pictures of your belongings

Photos of your belongings go a long way toward demonstrating ownership and value. Digital photos are preferred, since they’re easier to print and store. A decent digital camera costs less than $100. Be sure to get full-room shots, as well as close-ups of items. Don’t neglect to photograph possessions inside drawers, cabinets, and closets.

Video is even more convenient and effective, especially since you can record audio along with the images. Describe items and any identifying details as you film your home room by room. Digital camcorders are available for less than $150. It’s a good idea to keep backup copies of digital files and hard-copy printouts in a safe place. (More on storage options below.)

Prepare a written home inventory

Images alone aren’t enough. You should also prepare a written home inventory. Your insurance company will likely ask for one if you ever file a claim. Include as much identifying detail as possible, such as serial numbers, brand names, purchase dates, and estimated costs. Keep a copy off-site, perhaps with a friend or in a bank safe-deposit box, in case your home is damaged or destroyed. Download our free home inventory worksheet to get started.

Home inventory software is also available. Enter information on your possessions, attach digital images, and store the data electronically. The Insurance Information Institute has a free program called Know Your Stuff, or there are a number of programs available for purchase.

Be sure to attach receipts to your home inventory list. If you’re storing your records electronically, you’ll want to scan receipts at a copy and print shop or purchase a scanner. Pick one up for as little as $50 at an office supply store. Digital copies of receipts come in handy if originals are damaged or lost.

Safe ways to store your records

When backing up digital files, a USB drive—sometimes called a “thumb” drive, due to its small size—can be useful. Buy one for as little as $5. Simply copy the files onto the drive and keep it somewhere safe, preferably away from your home.

You can also stash a drive in a pre-packed emergency “go” bag, which should be accessible in case you need to evacuate quickly. An external hard drive can perform the same function, though it’s less portable.

You can use a bank safe-deposit box to store paper records, drives, and other valuables off-premises. Rent may range from about $25 per year for a small box to more than $100 for a larger box.

If you like to keep important documents closer at hand, consider a fireproof safe, which is usually waterproof as well. You can find small safes for as little as $50, but a more representative range for good residential fireproof safes is $150 to $300. Larger, high-end safes can cost more than $1,000.

When your home inventory files are electronic, it’s relatively easy to use online backup systems to keep digital copies outside of your home. That’s a big plus if your computer is stolen or destroyed. Some backup services like Mozy offer limited storage space for free, while others like Carbonite charge $5 or more per month. Choose a backup service whose features fit your needs.

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