August 16, 2007
- Homeowner Insurance: Read the Fine Print
Homeowner Insurance: Read the Fine Print
A growing number of homeowners are facing sharply higher costs as more insurers change how they calculate deductibles, especially for damage caused by windstorms and other natural events.
The newer method of figuring deductibles is based on a percentage of the insured value of your home — typically between 1% [...]
August 2, 2007
- Homeowner's Insurance - Never Be Without It
Homeowner's Insurance - Never Be Without It
Owning a home is everyone's dream. A home is a big investment, therefore it is imperative to ensure that your dream house is protected against any disaster or calamity. Homeowner's insurance is the most popular way to protect your investment when any unforseen incidents occur with your home.
Nature [...]
July 21, 2007
- Bad Credit? Insurers Will Make You Pay
Bad Credit? Insurers Will Make You Pay
By now you know that you need to keep tabs on your credit history to make a good impression on lenders, landlords and employers. But did you know that your home insurer is also looking?
In most states they're allowed to use your credit information to formulate premiums - and [...]
July 18, 2007
- Insurance: Make Sure You're Covered
Insurance: Make Sure You're Covered
Hurricane season has begun. Financial experts say many U.S. homeowners are woefully unprepared for the threat that wind, storms and floods pose to their home and its contents.
Close to 60% of U.S. homes are undervalued — with the average home undervalued by 22%, according to Marshall & Swift/Boeckh, which provides building-cost [...]
July 13, 2007
- Swimming Pools: Improve Your Real Estate Value
Swimming Pools: Improve Your Real Estate Value
Summer is here and the temperatures are soaring everywhere. During the dog days of summer, there is nothing more refreshing than taking a dip in your own in-ground pool. An in-ground pool not only adds value to your real estate, a swimming pool provides year-round entertainment and enjoyment [...]
June 29, 2007
- Homeowner Insurance - Save Where You Can
Homeowner Insurance - Save Where You Can
There are many things you can do when it comes to saving on the cost of your homeowner's insurance. One of the biggest factors when it comes to saving is which insurer you choose to go with.
When looking for the best deal on homeowner's insurance, you shouldn't just look [...]
May 19, 2007
- Hurricane Season: Are You Prepared?
Hurricane Season: Are You Prepared?
Hurricane season is just around the corner (there's already been one named tropical storm in the Atlantic already!) which means greater potential for flooding and/or flood damage to your home. It doesn’t matter where you live, flooding can occur almost anywhere. If you live along the coast or near a body [...]
April 29, 2007
- Questions to Ask an Insurance Agent
Questions to Ask an Insurance Agent
Every homebuyer should contact his/her insurance company at least once a year to make sure their insurance is up to date.
You should ask your agent the following questions:
1. Do I have enough insurance to rebuild my house?
You should make sure your policy covers the cost of rebuilding. The value of your [...]
April 18, 2007
- Homeowner's Insurance
Homeowners Insurance
When you are a new homeowner and want to insure your home you may take the advice of an insurance broker, but at the same time you should also have some basic knowledge of your own.
How can I find the right homeowners insurance and the best insurance rates?
The Internet is the best option to get [...]
April 7, 2007
- Cheap Home Insurance
Cheap Home Insurance
Most every homeowner agrees that a reliable home insurance policy is a priority. We present a few ways on how to obtain sufficient homeowner's insurance without spending a fortune.
1. It always pays to spend some time shopping around. The easiest way is to access the Internet and check different rates of [...]
February 18, 2007
- Say "No" to Mortgage Life Insurance
Say "No" to Mortgage Life Insurance
Mortgage insurance is designed to repay your mortgage in the event of your death, disability or some incapacitating disease. But the cost of this type of policy can be three to five times as much as comparable term-life insurance, according to Consumer Reports.
Plus, the value of this insurance actually declines [...]
February 15, 2007
- Natural Disasters - Are You Prepared?
Natural Disasters - Are You Prepared?
Tornado devastation like Florida residents experienced recently could happen anywhere at any time. Here's what you need to know about your homeowners' insurance.
1: Check Your Policy
Unlike hurricane and flood insurance, tornado coverage is relatively uncomplicated. That's because wind events are covered under your homeowners policy, says Sue Nestor of the [...]
February 4, 2007
- Homeowner's Insurance - How Do You Pick?
Homeowner's Insurance - How Do You Pick?
There are many homeowner insurance companies, so choosing between them can be a challenge. Here are the main points to keep in mind when selecting an insurance company:
Licensing
Not every company is licensed to operate in each state. As a general rule, you should buy from a company licensed in [...]
January 17, 2007
- Insurance Rates to Drop
Insurance Rates to Drop
According to an insurance industry group, rates for commercial, auto and homeowners insurance will fall in most areas of the United States this year but will continue to rise in storm-prone coastal areas.
The industry-sponsored Insurance Information Institute said property and casualty insurers had such a good year in 2006, when no hurricanes [...]
January 16, 2007
- Make Your New Year Happier
Make Your New Year Happier
A new year has arrived. So it's time to get started on that January to-do list for your home.Check your insurance coverage
The new year is a perfect time to check your flood insurance coverage. If your area is prone to flooding, you'll want to get insurance. Contact the National Flood [...]
January 9, 2007
- Homeowners Threatened From Lightning Strikes
Homeowners Threatened From Lightning Strikes
The cost of homeowners' claims for damage due to lightning strikes is soaring because of the burgeoning number of high-end electronic items and appliances in the average home, insurers say.
Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. says that the cost of claims the company paid due to lightning strikes rose 77% between Jan. [...]
December 9, 2006
- Homeowners Insurance Will Rise in 2007
Homeowners Insurance Will Rise in 2007
Most homeowners can expect their insurance premiums to go up 3 percent to 4 percent next year, given the increased value in your home and the increase in the cost of materials and labor, said Robert Hartwig, chief economist for the Insurance Information Institute.
"The big exception is if you live [...]
November 6, 2006
- Private Mortgage Insurance
Private Mortgage Insurance
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is extra insurance a lender may require you to buy if you're forking over less than 20% of a property's value as a down payment, because people who put down small amounts are more likely to default on a loan. If you opt for mortgage insurance, once you've got [...]
October 31, 2006
- Home Insurance - Are Your Contents Covered?
Home Insurance - Are Your Contents Covered?
Are your house contents insured? Are you absolutely certain? If you're under insured, from a legal point of view, you may as well not be insured at all. Your insurer may simply scale back your claim by the amount you're under-insured, but they would be within their rights to [...]
October 8, 2006
- Title Insurance
Title Insurance
Title Insurance is usually obtained when real property is purchased. The policy of title insurance insures the owner and/or the lender of ownership of the property. There are various coverages afforded, but a basic policy insures that the buyer is the owner and that any lender shown on the policy is an "insured" lender. [...]
