Chance Gates' Blog

http://members.houselogic.com/articles/7-home-owners-insurance-tips/preview/

By: Richard Koreto

Published: December 10, 2010

The new year is a good time to take stock of your home owners insurance coverage.

1. Make sure you can rebuild all, not just part of, your house

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that just because your home’s value has gone down that the cost of materials and labor have gone down, too. For example, home construction costs rose 1.3% from January 2009 to January 2010, according to construction cost consultants Marshall and Swift/Boeckh, even while many homes were falling in value. Make sure your home owners insurance pays you for full rebuilding costs in the event of a disaster.

2. Check your flood insurance

The National Flood Insurance Program can help by making affordable flood insurance available, but there are limits to how much coverage you can get, and it isn’t available everywhere. In addition, the NFIP has only been approved for a series of short-term renewals. (That is, Congress has been extending its provisions for only short periods and has not committed to making it permanent.)  Keep an eye on the NFIP to make sure the program remains in force.

If you can’t participate in NFIP or need more extensive coverage, see if you can buy flood insurance from your existing carrier. Flood insurance rarely comes with a standard home owners policy.

3. What’s new in your life?

If you’re recently divorced, and you got the house, make sure your ex-spouse’s name is off the policy. Did you build a playground for your children? Install a swimming pool? These may change your liability needs. Talk to your agent and compare your life status this year with last year’s to update your home owners insurance.

4. Maybe your valuables are worth more

Your art, jewelry, antiques, and other collectibles may have appreciated in value over the years. If your home owners insurance policy doesn’t have accurate values on these items, your company may not reimburse you for the full value in the event of fire or other home disaster.

5. Tally up any home improvements

Have you made any renovations or additions to the home, such as an expanded garage, new bathroom, or home theater in the basement? Your house may now be worth more and your home owners insurance needs to reflect that. Create a home inventory video and keep it in a safe place outside the home.

6. Give your trees the once-over

Hire an arborist to look at the trees on your property, and check with your home owners insurance agent to see if your policy covers you if one of your trees falls on the neighbor’s car. An arborist can tell you if your trees are healthy and advise whether they should be removed or trimmed.

7. Watch the nickels and dimes

Hunt for any special discounts that can reduce your home owners insurance premiums. For example, you may be eligible for a discount if you have an automobile or valuable articles policy with the same company has your home owners insurance policy.

These home features can also give you discounts on your home owners insurance–but only if your insurer knows you have them:

• Burglar or fire alarms

• Gated community patrol service

• Storm shutters

• Temperature monitoring system to protect against freezing, connected to a central station alarm

• Permanently installed, electrical back-up generator

Richard J. Koreto, a freelance writer, is the former editor of several professional financial magazines and the author of Run It Like a Business, a practice management book for financial planners. He and his wife own a pre-Civil War house in Rockland County, N.Y., and a country house in Martha’s Vineyard.

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As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney

When buying a home it is important to remember the cost.  The days of 103% financing with nothing down are behind us for the most part.   So what will a buyer need to pay at closing?

The easiest place to start is the down payment; most FHA loans require 3.5% minimum. Every lender will require an appraisal, to determine the market value of a house. To get a complete cost of what a lender is going to charge ask for a good faith estimate.   Lender title insurance policy is another lender requirement.

A buyer should always know the condition of the home he/she is purchasing.  This can be accomplished by getting everything inspected by a licensed professional.   A home, pest, septic, and well are the common inspections, however there are more.   I do not recommend cutting costs by skipping the inspections.

Escrow fees and transfer tax are usually (not always) split.  Escrow fees are based on the purchase price and will change.  The Washoe County transfer tax is $4.10 per every thousand of the purchase price.   For example:

$100,000 house would be 100 x 4.10 = $410.00

There can be other costs such as a home warranty, property taxes, garbage fees, etc…

There can be many tax benefits, to homeownership. In today’s lending climate, it would be difficult to get into the predicament that many current homeowners find themselves in. However, homeownership is a big and costly responsibility and not one to be taken lightly. You should consult with your accountant, financial advisor, and lender to be sure that you are aware and able to meet the necessary monthly, yearly, and future financial commitments required in homeownership

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional I encourage all questions and comment on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any article posted.  I can be reached by email at chance@ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates