Home Insurance – Houston

  Today, Texas has the highest insurance rates in the US. That is puts them over Louisiana by 25%. One local company has increased rate on average of 25%. This brings the average cost of home owners insurance up to $ 190 to approximately $ 950. There are some homeowners who buy housing policies that only cover the structure of there home, but most Texans buy a Texas Homeowners Policy that combines five different types of coverage. These five include: lodging, personal property, personal liability, medical payments to others and loss of use. Texas insurance companies offer many types of polices for homeowners, each with a different coverage level. Three of the policy forms are HO-A, HO-B and HO-C. The policy will be exactly the same at all insurance companies but have different rates. The HO-A gives limited cash value coverage for the home and contents. The HO-B provides replacement coverage for most damages. HO-C does provide the most coverage but is more expensive than the others. Some companies may exclude coverage for some losses. For example, if you live on the Gulf Coast, you may be covered for wind and hail. When you are looking at a property in Texas, you should consider the risk of flood in the area. The cost of insurance will be more expensive for property in those areas. The Houston area has a very high risk of flooding. The city is at risk for hurricanes with large surges and rainfall. The elevation is close to sea level and the clay-filled ground does not absorb water well. There are many rivers, streams and channels that pass through Houston on the way to the Gulf bringing lots of water in the area. A lot of water can possibly cause mold and has in the past. Make sure to read fine print in policies to find out if mold is coverage in your area. The insurance companies are trying to keep homeowners policies low but with the falling auto insurance business they are having to raise rates on home insurance to be able to make some kind of profit. Do take in consideration multiple policies. Discounts are usually given when you include more than your home, like your car. And the longer you stay with an insurance company, the more like you are to receive a discount. Also, make sure to look online for home insurance. When you call an insurance company directly, you only get what they offer. Competition forces companies to offer the lowest rates possible, so by doing a quick search online you can receive multiple quotes from many providers.