Best Home Insurance Companies

If you are about to purchase a home, you already know that finding the best deal on home insurance is a mandatory step. Many realty agents will simply not sell to an individual who does not possess home insurance.

While it is possible to own a home, especially a much older home, without being covered by a comprehensive policy of home insurance, it is very inadvisable to do so.

Be sure to compare a variety of policies before deciding on a company by using the FREE search tool above!

Home Owner's Insurance: The Rules Have Recently Changed

Before you settle down to the admittedly time consuming task of crunching the numbers to determine which brand of home insurance is best for you, you should first know that the rules that govern the industry have recently changed.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has approved a new Model Act which boils down to this:

• There will be more transparency in the way that insurance companies govern their internal affairs.
• Regulators will thus have more knowledge of the internal workings of the company, and more control over them.
• This translates to better protection for members of the public who seek the services of these insurance companies.

Increased Transparency Equals Better Consumer Protection

From a consumer's point of view, it is impossible to overrate the good work that the NAIC has been doing on behalf of the public.

Increased transparency equates to a sharply reduced chance of insurance companies engaging in "insider practices" and other questionable activities that artificially increase home insurance premiums and limit the frequency and total amount of payouts to policy holders in the event of an emergency.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding the presence and activity of the NAIC in your own state, you contact your local NAIC representative using this handy State map of all agency jurisdictions.

Narrowing Down Your Search Parameters

It is important to first narrow down the parameters of your search for comprehensive and cost effective home insurance. Naturally, the first thing you should do is locate, compare, and contrast all of the companies who are offering home insurance in your state.

Most insurance companies which operate on a national basis will offer policies that are tailored to homes by age, condition, and zip code. This means that several factors will affect the ultimate cost of your home insurance policy. These factors may include:

• The age and condition of your home.
• The average cost of homes in your specific zip code.
• The average income of families in your zip code.
• Other miscellaneous factors that affect the quality of life in your area, such as crime, health issues, and climactic conditions.

Using A Zip Code Search For Quick Insurance Quotes

You may find that narrowing down your search for a home insurance provider becomes a more manageable task when you use a zip code search for providers in your area.

This is a very handy tool which allows consumers to get quick quotes for home insurance from the companies in their immediate proximity. Please take a moment to use our handy zip code search tool to see for yourself the excellent information it can instantly reveal to you.

The Criteria You Should Judge All Offers By

There are certain criteria by which you should judge the merits of every quote that you receive from a home insurance company regarding the coverage they are prepared to offer you. The list of these criteria includes the following items:

• The ultimate price of the policy, including the deductible that is offered to you.
• All claims made by the company regarding the policy that is offered to you.
• The ultimate nature and extent of the coverage that is offered to you.

Using Available Resources To Compare And Contrast

Issues such as pricing and the size of any deductible you may be required to shell out for before your coverage commences will be the first concern most consumers have. But it is equally important to use all the resources of the state and Federal governments to weigh the claims made by insurance companies regarding the nature and extent of their coverage.

To do so, it is vitally important that you make use of the resources provided by the NAIC via their list of state insurance departments.

If, after comparing and contrasting the various claims made by agents of insurance companies regarding your potential coverage, you are dissatisfied, or if something seems amiss, you can contact your state insurance department with any complaints or concerns that you may have.

What the does coverage offered to you really amount to?

The ultimate criteria by which to judge any offer you receive from an insurance company regarding your home owner's policy should be this: What does the coverage offered to you really amount to?

After you compare and contrast the various rates and policies which home insurance companies offer you, you should always make use of the resources offered online by organizations such as the NAIC and its related bodies.

As you begin to compare and contrast the quotes and comprehensive policy offers that you receive from various insurance companies, you will begin to notice certain discrepancies in the way that these companies respond to your specific concerns and requests.

Always take note of these differences. They could be crucial to the way that they handle your claim in the event of an emergency. Never be afraid to check the claims and assurances of insurance companies against the evidence and testimony of various independent consumer oriented websites, such as the Better Business Bureau.

Use Online Tools To Compare Rates And Policies

As mentioned above, our handy zip code tool is an excellent resource to determine the average home insurance quote in your area. You can also use the tool to experiment with the extent of your coverage.

For example, if you list your lowest possible home value, you will certainly get a different quote and overall offer than if you list a much higher figure. In addition, you can punch in different zip codes, such as those of neighboring cities or towns, to see how the quoted rates differ in various areas.

Not only will you generally receive different price quotes for different areas, but you will also begin to get an idea of just how widely the extent of your coverage will vary, depending on the zip code you live in.

The nature of the coverage any home insurance company offers you will certainly be different if you live in a tornado prone area, such as the heartland of Kansas, than if you live in a region which is prone to hurricanes, such as Southern Florida or Louisiana.

Conducting A Home Inventory Of Your Possessions

Before agreeing to the terms of any home insurance policy, it may be wise to first conduct a home inventory of all of your personal possessions. In the event of a disaster, such as a fire, hurricane, or other "Act of God", it is an excellent idea to have a precise list of all of your precious possessions and keepsakes.

A proper home inventory of your keepsakes and possessions should be conducted in the following manner:

• Categorize all of your possessions (for example, by the room they are in, by which family member they belong to, etc.)
• Include all of the items you have inherited from parents, grandparents, etc., as family keepsakes.
• Include all of your hobby and leisure items and equipment (musical instruments, computer game modules, weight lifting equipment, etc.)
• Keep all of your sales receipts and appraisal documents together in a safe place.
• Get video or photo documentation of each item.
• Record the serial number of every item where this is applicable.

The NAIC, in conjunction with iTunes, offers an app called My Home Scr.APP.book. This app is an excellent resource which allows users to photograph and register precise descriptions of each and every possession in your home. The captured documentation is then stored online for precise safekeeping.

Hang On To All Of Your Receipts

As noted above, it is also an excellent idea to retain all receipts and appraisal documents for all of your home possessions, such as furniture, antique items, family owned vehicles, etc.

This is the best way for you to maintain an independent record of your home possessions, as well as their total value. Having the evidence to back up your own independent appraisal is an excellent tool with which to avoid insurance fraud and corporate intimidation.

Weigh Your Decision Carefully Before You Commit

It is important to use all of the tools at your disposal to carefully compare and contrast all of the offers that you receive. Remember that the safety and value of your home are at stake in any agreement that you commit to.

Enter your ZIP code into the FREE tool below to start comparing quotes today!

By using all of the available resources, you will be able to arrive at a carefully considered decision that will enable you to sleep comfortably at night, knowing that you and your loved ones are fully protected.