Homeowners Insurance Presentation

At the 2009 Annual member meeting a presentation on Homeowners Insurance was given. Several members requested the slides supporting the presentation be posted on the website for future reference. This presentation was based upon my personal experience of searching for insurance after I was  non-renewed by my insurance company of 20 years and subsequently canceled by a replacement insurance company.  I learned a lot about the industry, property risk management, how risk is determined and what we as consumers need to know and be prepared for. While it appears that many insurance companies are ‘quitting’ the California wildland/forest areas, there are insurance companies that are not. These insurance companies tend to be the larger more well known companies. So the bottom line is, if property owners do the right things with respect to minimizing their own property risk, insurance can be obtained. It will, however, be more costly……a price we pay for living in the forest.  Click on the link below for a .pdf copy of the presentation.

HomeownersA (.pdf, 29kb)

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3 Comments

  1. Posted November 11, 2009 at 5:57 pm | Permalink

    FYI, This past Spring, Allstate Insurance notified us that our Cold Springs Homeowners Policy would not be renewed. The reasons were stated in a report prepared by a contracted inspector. We are not sure how any property would pass the criteria mentioned in the report. Subsequently we found coverage with AAA, but are concerned this policy might be cancelled.

    Has anyone had a property inspection from a public source like the County Fire Service or State Forestry? We would be interested in actually having an independent inspection to see if we are complying with current standards. Please advise.

    • Posted December 14, 2009 at 6:37 am | Permalink

      My personal response: I was cancelled twice earlier this year and my subsequent search for insurance led me to prepare/make the insurance presentation at our Sept annual member meeting. It seems pretty clear to me that many of the smaller, possibly underfunded, insurance companies are bailing out of the wildland areas of California. My third attempt to get insurance was successful (so far). I am paying more but that is the nature of the problem right now. What impressed me was that this company inspected our property themselves one day after I contacted them. Cal Fire say they will inspect individual properties. But in reality they are so short handed and probably underfunded that in practice it would be difficult for them to respond to a multitude of requests. Despite that, I would recommend you give it a try. Unfortunately, one property owner can be diligent about making his property as fire safe as possible only to have the effort compromised by surrounding properties either by proximity or neglect. I am sure insurance companies look at individual property risk in the context of the larger community risk. We are all in the same boat after all. It really takes a community effort to make Cold Springs as fire tolerant as practical.

      • Posted October 13, 2011 at 1:25 pm | Permalink

        Just got notice of not renewing our policy, after 25+ years. Your article has always been on our back burner so it was easy to pull it up. Unfortunately, the cabins on either side of us and the empty lot behind us have NEVER exercised caution. I hate to think of the long haul we are about to embark upon.

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