Homeowners insurance in Louisiana is some of the most expensive in the nation. In fact, the Insurance Information Institute puts the average premium at $2,037 per year, earning the Pelican State the number one spot for home insurance costs. If that wasn’t enough to cause alarm, then recent reports Louisiana homeowners insurance rate increases certainly may. Why are insurance rates so high in Louisiana? And why are they going up? Here are three key factors ..read more

A pool can add value to your home, but it can also add some insurance complications. That’s why this guide exists: to clear up some common questions we get about swimming pools. Find out what kind of pools we can cover, how they are covered under your home insurance policy, and exclusions you should know about. Does homeowners insurance cover swimming pools? Home insurance usually covers swimming pools, but most insurance companies consider pools to be attractive nuisances, so you might need to meet some safety requirements before you can get covered ..read more

Unlike other major household systems, a roof doesn’t come with a “best by” date. Roofs don’t age consistently, so there’s no set answer for how often a roof should be replaced. A leaky roof is proof enough that you need a repair. But how do you know when it’s time to replace your roof entirely? Best practices state you should spot check your roof twice a year, typically in the fall and spring ..read more

We’ve looked at how your homeowners insurance doesn’t cover household employees before. In this article, we go into a little more detail about what you need to know about insurance when you hire a maid or house cleaning service. The short version: you may have insurance needs beyond your basic homeowners policy. Does home insurance cover house cleaners? We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Coverage for just about anything depends mainly on the language in your policy ..read more

If you’re planning to give your home a facelift, you want to make sure you’ve got adequate homeowners insurance during construction. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll need, insurance-wise, to make sure you and your property are adequately protected during the renovation process. Do I need home renovation insurance? There’s no such thing as home renovation insurance per se, but having your home renovated can change your risk exposures. That’s why it’s a good idea to talk to your homeowners insurance agent before breaking ground ..read more

The person who helps you buy home insurance matters. But many people don’t know the difference between insurance agents and brokers. Both can get you the insurance that you need but do so differently. Perhaps the biggest difference is that brokers work for you while agents typically work for the insurance company. Insurance agents vs. brokers: A side-by-side comparison Agent Broker Representation Insurance company Insurance buyer Sales ability Can bind policies Cannot bind policies Access Often sells one insurer’s policies Can work with multiple insurers What does an insurance agent do ..read more

Who would have thought that watering the lawn could be such a hassle? The health and appearance of your yard depends on you knowing how much water to use and when to use it. That’s probably why smart sprinklers are becoming more and more popular among homeowners. Not only can a smart sprinkler help you get your lawn in tip-top condition, but it often helps you conserve water by using weather data, soil moisture sensors, and rain gauges to automate your watering schedule ..read more

Florida home insurance is expensive, to say the least. Our most recent data shows the average Floridian pays just under $2,000 per year for their coverage. That makes the Sunshine State the third most expensive for homeowners insurance, just behind Louisiana and Oklahoma. The good news is that the state legislature has signed bills to hopefully bring homeowners some relief from Florida’s increasing insurance rates. Unfortunately, it’s going to take some time before the new laws’ impact makes its way to the people who need it the most ..read more

Making sure you can afford your mortgage payments is just as crucial as finding a home you and your family will love – if not more so! The size of your loan is a big part of your total cost of ownership, but so is the mortgage rate you lock in, as well as other house costs like property taxes and insurance. Plus you may have additional homeowners fees and private mortgage insurance premiums to pay ..read more

There’s a lot of misconceptions about mobile homes. Let’s fix that. Since Kin broke the news that our insurance company now offers mobile home insurance in Florida, we noticed some confusion. Folks asked us if we could cover RVs (that’s a job for auto insurance). Some people rejoiced and sent photos of their campers (sorry, friends! Those aren’t mobile homes either). Some wondered if log cabins count as mobile homes (they do not ..read more