High Risk Home Insurance

If an insurance company says you’ll likely have to purchase high risk home insurance, it means there’s a factor somewhere making you and your home riskier to insure than normal. By “riskier to insure” we mean the home is more likely than other homes to experience property damage, or you’re more likely to find yourself in a personal liability situation. This means you need to look high risk homeowner insurance.

Such factors include, but are not limited to:

• Homes located in high risk weather areas. For example, your town may often experience floods, hurricanes, or tornadoes.
• Homes located in areas at risk for fires. Homes in this kind of high risk home insurance category include those located in those parts of California that frequently experience wildfires.
• Homes located in neighborhoods at high risk for crime. The home may be everything you’ve dreamed of, but crime lurks all over the country – in some areas more than others – and insurance companies are well-aware. That’s why they offer high risk homeowner insurance.
• Certain breeds of pets. Dogs particularly set off alarms when insurers begin to determine your home insurance premiums. Not only can certain pets cause home damage, but they can also cause harm to visitors – putting you and the insurance company in the middle of a personal liability suit. If you insist on keeping the canine, your agent may insist on high risk home insurance.

Of course, there are ways to lower premium costs high risk homeowner insurance. Take steps to make your home more resistant to extreme weather, including installing sturdier doors and windows and getting rid of potentially destructive landscaping, i.e. trees that may fly into your window during a hurricane. These steps, along with installing alarm systems, can also protect you against burglary and theft.

Always talk with your insurance agent about changes to lower policy premiums based on your home and where it’s located.