Top 10 Home Insurance Myths Debunked
Filed Under (Home Insurance) by admin on 17-03-2009
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Myth #1: Standard home insurance covers flood damage.
Fact: Standard home insurance does NOT cover damage caused by a flood. If you feel that you need coverage for a flood you should purchase a separate flood insurance policy.
Myth #2: The Medical Payment portion of my homeowners insurance will cover injuries to me and my family.
Fact: MedPay, a common feature of standard home insurance policies, is there to protect you in the event that someone other than you or your family (a neighbor, friend, etc) gets hurt on your property and they do not want to sue you. MedPay will typically cover up to $1,000 for each covered claim to someone outside of your family. If you or your family, however, gets hurt on your property they are not covered by your home insurance policy.
Myth #3: If my home is ever lost, my insurance company will reimburse me for whatever I tell them I owned at the time of loss.
Fact: In the event of a covered loss your home insurance company will ask you to make a list of everything you own and include specific details such as purchase price, date of purchase, serial numbers, etc. (Imagine trying to do this from memory!) The best way to avoid this situation is to have a home inventory already put together. Use a checklist like this one: http://homeinsurance.com home insurance home inventory checklist. Make sure to include photos, receipts, serial numbers and anything else that will help you prove ownership. Don’t risk not having everything replaced in the event of a disaster. Make sure to keep your inventory in a fire proof safe or at a friend’s house so it is still around when you need it!
Myth #4: If I file a home insurance claim, my home insurance premium will definitely go up.
Fact: While many home insurance companies do look at your claims history, there are many other factors that determine how much you will pay for home insurance. Filing one claim over a period of a few years might not increase your home insurance premium. To be on the safe side, always think twice before filing a claim for minor damages to your home. Consider your deductible. If the total cost of repair is not too much more than your deductible you might want to consider paying for the repairs yourself. While this might cost you more upfront, it might save you from an increased premium. If, because of a stroke of bad luck, you have to file multiple claims over a period of a few years and your premium is steadily increasing, rest assured there are other ways to save on your home insurance. Ask your agent about home insurance discounts. Sometimes simply installing a smoke alarm, burglar alarm system or by adding your auto policy to your home policy, you can save a great deal of cash.
Myth # 5 All of my valuables- like jewelry -will be covered in the event of a burglary.
Fact: There are limits on the amount of coverage you can receive for valuable such as jewelry, furs, etc. For example, most companies put a cap of $1500 on total jewelry lost during a burglary of your home. If you find that your jewelry values over $1500 you should talk to a home insurance agent and schedule an endorsement on your policy giving you additional coverage.
Myth # 6: My home insurance covers mold and/or other issues related to lack of maintenance.
Fact: Actually, a standard home insurance policy does not cover issues related to a lack of maintenance. For example if a plumbing leak that was left unfixed caused mold to grown in the interior walls of your home- mold removal and remediation would NOT be covered in your home insurance. Remember that your home insurance only protects you from damage caused by covered perils such as wind, hail, lightening, fire and theft. Keeping your home well maintained and safe for others is your responsibility and your home insurance company will decline coverage for maintenance related claims.
Myth #7: Flood Insurance is only for people who live in a flood zone.
Fact: Lending institutions, such as the bank that holds your mortgage, will require you to obtain flood insurance if you live in a major Flood Zone. However, keep in mind that all homes are at the risk for flood and standard home insurance policies do NOT cover flood related damage to your home. Due to the recent flooding in the Midwest the importance of this type of coverage for homeowners outside of a major flood zone has become even more apparent. If your home is flooded and you do not have flood insurance you will be on your own to replace your home and its contents. Flood insurance is a wise idea for every homeowner.
Myth #8: I will have to skimp on my coverage in order to save money on my home insurance.
Fact: Saving on your home insurance does not mean that you have to give up important parts of your coverage. It is very important to always be adequately insured in the event of a loss. However, there are lots of ways that you can save money on your home insurance that do not involve changing your coverage. Home Insurance discounts are available for homeowners who use burglar alarms, smoke alarms, deadbolts and other protective devices. Want more savings? Ask your agent about combining your home insurance and your auto insurance policies- you can usually save up to 15% this way.
Myth #9: When determining my coverage, I should use the purchase price for my house as my dwelling coverage amount.
Fact: A common mistake when homeowners are getting quotes for their home insurance is that they use the purchase price of their home to determine their dwelling coverage. Yet, the purchase price of your home includes the land under your home- which does not need to be replaced in the event of a fire or other peril to your home. For this reason, your dwelling coverage should always reflect the replacement cost of your home- or how much it would cost to rebuild your home in the event of a total loss. To determine this amount, multiple the sq. footage of your home by local construction costs. You can use a http://homeinsurance.com/calculators/ home insurance calculator to help you determine the amount if necessary.
Myth #10: You can not buy a home without purchasing homeowners insurance.
Fact: This is a tricky one. Because while you actually CAN buy a home without home insurance (a lender may not require it or you may, although rare, pay cash for the home) you should still always have home insurance on any property you own. Whether a lender requires it or not, the risk is always there. It would only take one fire or lightening storm to destroy your home and leave you uncovered.
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Help answer the question about home insurance
How can I buy home insurance if I use one room for my business?Hello there! I am a freelance web publisher so basically I work from home using my laptop. My husband and I just bought our first home. The other day I was shopping around for home insurance when an agent told me if I run my home business many carriers will mark me as "not eligible" for home insurance. Is this true? How do I get around that? What's the best home insurance company?
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You may have the HO-5 policy which is a good policy if you live in an area where the temperature drops way below freezing. It covers things like frozen pipes and damage from weight of snow or ice. The basic policy, HO-1, is for people who live in warmer climates. It's the best value in a policy if minimum premiums are your goal. So get out your homeowner's policy so that you can check coverages and make any possible changes.
Also, see what your deductible is. You can save money by raising your deductible to $500 or $1000. But be sure you check with your morgage company for the minimum required coverages.
Check to see if you have replacement value coverage, not market value coverage. Replacement value coverage will pay whatever it cost to replace your home. Make sure your fire insurance is also replacement value coverage. You can also ask for an appreciation clause in your policy that will automatically raise your coverage limits each year for inflation.
And, check your policy for gimmick insurance that may be attached to your policy. Examples are:
Credit Life Insurance
Credit Disability Insurance
Morgage Life Insurance
Automobile Service Contracts
Extended Waranties on Appliances and Electronics
Chargegard
And finally, check all options to your homeowners's policy. None of these are a good value.
1)Removal of debris
2)Damaged-property removal
3)Fire department surcharges
4)Temporary repairs to prevent further damage to property
5)Trees, shrubs, and plants – since windstorms are excluded, this insurance is of little value
6)Stolen credit cards
You used the words paid, pay, money, spend, and they are all correct. It is all about the money, yours specifically, and how much of it the insurance industry can get (steal).
You need to change or they will not pay if you have a claim. Holes are not covered, neither is most tenant damage. But, you still need fire damage, weather, etc etc.
Also, if you are going to allow animals check your policy, they are not likely to cover your property if you allow any dangerous animals.
Try this site
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Here you can get quotes from different home insurance companies in your area, its the best way to find an affordable home insurance with a reliable company.
Why not just go to an online site that will give you bids from multiple agencies. It's quick and you're not at any risk, and it will give you a ballpark figure to work with and decide what is right for you.
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Try this site to find the best home insurance company that suits your need
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Here you can get quotes from different home insurance companies in your area, its the best way to find an affordable home insurance with a reliable company.
True, but it depends on the exact type of business.
I'd think, with no foot traffic, and no business property exposure except a laptop, and no manufacturing going on, most homeowners carriers won't have a problem – If you carry business liability insurance.
Even if you don't want to carry insurance for the business, you'll still likely be able to find an insurer willing to cover the homeowners part (none will cover the business part), you'll just have to look a little harder. Use an independent agent, and they'll be able to take care of you.
I think you should go to the local building department (city or county) and apply for as built permits for these unpermitted structures. Although costly, it's better than Code Enforcement coming by, realizing that those additions/properties are unpermitted and going to court, seeking an injunction to have you (1) obtain as-built permits or (2) having them torn down.
It is more expensive to have Code Enforcement come in and seek relief from the courts (assuming you don't comply and apply for as built permits) because you may have to pay their attorneys' fees when they win.
I believe you apply for as built permits from the Building Department in the city. Make sure you're in the incorporated portion of the city, otherwise you'll have to go to the County Building Department.
Also, if the bank didn't know that these additions were unpermitted, you wouldn't have an recourse. Most foreclosures are sold as is and requires buyer's diligence. A title insurance policy may or may not disclose unpermitted additions (depends on the wording of the policy). As I recall, a title insurance policy only guarantees that you have marketable title to the property.
Try this site
http://best-home-insurance-comparator-usa.blogspot.com/
"Homeowners insurance" covers the owners dwelling [house/garage] and contents [owners personal property on the premises]. "Owner" [landlord if he is the owner] takes out this policy and is responsible for the premiums. If building is leased or rented out, it does NOT cover tenants personal property, such as furniture, electronics, etc, or even tools borrowed from a neighbor.
"Renters insurance" covers the tenants personal property only. They take out this policy and pay the premiums.
Home owners policies cover every circumstance EXCEPT what is listed in writing, or "exemptions". These are normally: floods [obtain this through FEMA], home businesses losses [such as a fire in a residential garage being used as auto repair business], or anything else that is listed in writing. If your house up in Alaska gets stampeded by purple elephants, and it is NOT listed as an exclusion, it WILL be covered.
whoever owns the house
duh
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Best Wishes,
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Here you can get quotes from different home insurance companies in your area, its the best way to find an affordable home insurance with a reliable company.
Insurance companies are wary of lapses in any kind of insurance policies. In your case it just happened to be home insurance.
The single most feared factor in the insurance business is not hurricanes, not bush-fires, not wars, not meteor strikes but what's known as 'moral hazard'. Moral hazard is, in simple terms, lack of inhibition in preferring a claim under less than above-the-board circumstances.
For example, if your camera is insured for home use only, you cannot make a claim if the insured camera suffers damage during a jungle safari. Most of us, being honest persons, would not even want to claim under such circs. However, since, as a rule it takes all kinds to make this world, there exist individuals who would make a claim as if the damage occurred at home. Such individuals are considered to be 'moral hazards'.
Coming back to your original question, insurance companies know from empirical evidence that the incidence of moral hazard is greater – much greater – in those cases where there's a break iin coverage. It's likely that the insured is trying to renew the policy after a loss has occurred.
You need to provide evidence to the insurance company that you did not intend to let the policy lapse. That it lapsed, is a fortuitous happenning (please note the wording – underwriters love such language) and not a deliberate omission. 'I do not want to be penalised for something over which I had no control' is the line you need to take. You could strike lucky with this line.