Category Archives: Florida Homeowners Insurance

Now is the time to get a quote on homeowners insurance

Home Insurance

Home. It’s your safe haven. It’s where you raise your family and create memories that last a lifetime. L and C Insurance providers can help you protect this prized possession with homeowners insurance that fits your priorities and your budget.

When you’re confident you have the coverage you need to help protect your home and personal belongings, you can focus on those little moments that matter. Getting a home insurance quote today is quick and easy.

What is Home Insurance?

Homeowners insurance can help protect you from the unexpected. If your home is damaged, your belongings are stolen or someone gets injured on your property, it can help cover repairs or replacement, temporary housing, legal fees and more.

Why Do I Need a Homeowners Policy?

A homeowners policy is recommended for anyone who owns a home or condo and may even be required by your mortgage lender. You will need separate coverage to help protect your home and personal belongings against damage due to floods or earthquakes.

If the unexpected happens, home insurance can help you restore your life back to normal.

What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?

A L and C Insurance representative can help you determine the homeowners coverage that best fits your needs and budget, but a typical policy can cover:

  • The structure of your home
  • Other structures on your property (e.g. garage, shed)
  • Your personal belongings
  • Additional living expenses if you cannot live in your home due to a covered loss
  • Your personal liability or legal fees
  • Limited valuable items (extra coverage can usually be added)

Be sure to explore options to customize your limits and coverages to meet your needs. Your homeowners insurance policy includes coverages in the following categories to help ensure your home and assets are appropriately protected.

Dwelling Coverage

Dwelling coverage can help pay to repair or rebuild your house if it’s damaged by a covered cause of loss. Some examples of the types of risks that may be covered include:

  • House fires
  • Severe weather
  • Damage from plumbing or appliance leaks
  • Vandalism/theft

Personal Property Coverage

Personal property coverage can pay you for the personal items in your home that may be damaged or destroyed by a covered cause of loss, which could include:

  • Your furniture
  • Clothes
  • Sporting goods
  • Electronics

Personal Liability Coverage

Liability coverage can help protect you in the event of a claim and can provide a defense in the event of a lawsuit if you or a family member in your household is responsible for causing bodily injury or property damage to others.

Ways to Save on Homeowners Insurance

You could save on your home insurance with a multi-policy and loss-free discounts. You may also save if your home is equipped with qualified smart home technology, security and fire protective devices. There are several insurance discounts you can consider when you explore homeowners insurance coverage to meet your individual needs. Consider the following opportunities for saving on your home insurance.

Multi-Policy Discount

With L and C Insurance Providers, when you have three policies with us, you can save up to 27% on home insurance. These can include auto, umbrella, boat, personal articles floater or Flood Insurance.

Protective Device Discount

You can save by having devices such as:

  • Automatic water shut-off systems
  • Smoke detectors and fire alarms
  • Interior sprinkler systems
  • Home security systems
  • Smart or connected home technology that alerts you when a fire, water or burglar event is occurring

Early Quote Discount

You can save up to 10% when you shop early for your policy, depending on how far in advance you shop.

How to Get A Homeowners Insurance Quote

To get an accurate homeowners quote from L and C Insurance Providers, you’ll need a few pieces of information, including:

  • Your home’s features. We’ll ask for details such as when were your roof and utilities last updated, and what type of construction your home is.
  • The way you use the home. We’ll need to know if it is your primary home, or a secondary or rental home.
  • Your current homeowners insurance coverage. We’ll get a better insight into your insurance needs when you share your current provider information and how long you’ve been insured.

These details will help us find the homeowners insurance policy that best fits your needs.

 

Get a homeowners insurance quote online

Caring for your home and loved ones is crucial. That’s why we offer homeowners insurance you can depend on. From dwelling coverage to personal property protection, we provide homeowners insurance policies to suit your needs and budget. Homeowners’ policies cover:

  • Dwelling – Coverage that protects the structure of the home (roof, walls, wall-to-wall carpeting, etc.)
  • Other structures –  Coverage for sheds, detached garages and other structures not connected to the main dwelling itself
  • Personal property – Coverage for personal items (clothing, furniture, appliances, computers, etc.) on and off the premises
  • Loss of use – Coverage for when an insured has to move out of the home while repairs are made as a result of damage caused by a covered loss

Home insurance can also be used as a means of financial protection. If someone sues after being injured on your property, proper home insurance limits can ensure you won’t be paying their legal fees from your pocket.

We also offer insurance policies for owners of second homes and vacation homes. This way, you, your family and your guests are protected wherever you go.

Homeowners insurance and financial standing

If you own a home and have a mortgage, your lien holder (the bank who is invested in your loan) will likely require you to carry insurance on your home. We often partner with banks to allow members to combine their insurance payments and monthly mortgage bill. This is called escrow. Your agent will be happy to review the details with you.

The average cost of home insurance in Florida is $1,727 per year.

You could save $1,000 or more by comparing quotes from multiple companies.

To find the best homeowners insurance in Florida, we reviewed major insurers and collected thousands of Florida quotes. Progressive ASI offered the cheapest rates, but we recommend homeowners also compare service and coverage from different home insurers to find the best coverage in Florida.

The cheapest home insurance companies in Florida

We surveyed 14 of the largest homeowners insurance companies in Florida in order to find the companies with the best rates. In our research, we collected quotes for a home with $214,000 of dwelling coverage — the median value of an owner-occupied home in Florida — for every ZIP code in the state.

We found a surprising range of premiums. The cheapest Florida home insurance companies offered rates well under $1,000 per year — $519 at Univeral North America  and $717 At Progressive ASI

What risks do homeowners face in Florida?

Florida’s position on the Gulf Coast leaves it vulnerable to several major insurance perils, resulting in the highest homeowners insurance costs in the nation. If you live in Florida, we recommend insuring against the most common and expensive perils when buying home insurance.

Wind damage

High winds caused by storms and hurricanes are one of the most frequent and costly causes of property damage in Florida. Fortunately, wind damage is almost always covered by any homeowners insurance policy. However, some coastal homes that are especially susceptible to wind damage may need to purchase a special wind endorsement.

The good news is that state law requires insurers to offer discounts for homeowners who purchase and pass an optional wind mitigation inspection. You’ll receive a list of ways to reduce your home’s risk of storm damage, and if you pass, you’ll get a home insurance discount that more than makes up for the inspection cost.

 

Free Roof

Free Roof Repair Advertisement on a trailer

“Free” Repairs Aren’t Free; You and Your Neighbors Are Paying

Typically, the conversation goes something like this:

Knock, knock. “Good morning, I’m with (insert company name).”

“We’ve been doing a lot of roof repair work in the neighborhood. Because you live so close by, you may have damage, too. Do you mind if we take a look? The inspection is free, and we don’t need to come inside. If there’s any damage, we can probably replace the whole roof for free. It’s covered by your insurance.”

Over the last few years, policyholders across Florida have increasingly become the targets of such opportunists and unscrupulous marketers who promise to make “free” repairs for worn-out roofs or other items reaching the end of their lifespans. The offers are tempting. After all, that’s what insurance is for, right?

The short answer is, “No.” That’s not how property insurance is supposed to work.

Property insurance protects you financially when the unexpected happens to your home – high winds cause a tree to fall on your roof, a burst water pipe suddenly floods your kitchen, an electrical surge causes a fire, etc. Unlike a home warranty or maintenance contract, insurance does not cover wear and tear on material products that have reached the end of their usefulness.

Free Roof Repair Advertisement on a trailer

The fact is that unnecessary “free” repairs are being paid by you and other nearby policyholders through higher property insurance premiums. That’s because insurance rates are significantly affected by reported losses in your local area. When your neighbor gets a “free” roof when they don’t need one, you are going to pay more to protect your own home.

Such marketing activities often increase following a major storm but have been rising recently despite mild storm activity. And they are not limited to roof repair. Water losses not related to storms are another area of concern when relatively minor damage results in unnecessarily major repairs.

If an unsolicited vendor shows up at your home offering a deal that sounds too good to be true, reach out to your insurance agent to discuss the situation and get guidance. Report suspicious or aggressive marketers, contractors or advertising promising you something for nothing.

Remember, when someone says their repairs are going to be paid by “some deep-pocket insurance company,” they may be referring to you.

 

Why Is Florida Homeowners Insurance Going Up?

Rising cost of Florida Homeowner Insurance

The perfect storm that has been brewing in Florida’s property insurance marketplace has finally made landfall—and it’s wreaking havoc on homeowners insurance rates.

The three leading causes of premium spikes include Assignment of Benefits fraud, Hurricane Irma, and reinsurance claims. Let’s look at the impact of these three factors to answer the question: why is Florida homeowners insurance going up?

Cause No. 1: Assignment of Benefits Fraud

What is an AOB?

An Assignment of Benefits (AOB) is an agreement that transfers a homeowner’s insurance claims rights to a third party. Signing an AOB form gives someone else the power to file claims, make repair decisions, and collect insurance payments on the homeowner’s behalf.

For example, if a home is damaged, a homeowner calls a repair contractor, like a roofer or plumber. The contractor then gets the homeowner to sign an AOB. That contractor is now free to file a claim on the homeowner’s behalf and directly collect a check from the insurance company.

Entering into an AOB agreement seems like a tempting offer since most homeowners prefer not to be involved in the claims process. However, handing over insurance claims rights to a contractor is hardly ever a good idea.

How AOB Scams Work

Many things can go wrong when a contractor works directly with an insurance company. Without the homeowner’s oversight, they can easily overestimate the value of their work to pocket more money. When an insurance company recognizes an amount has been inflated and refuses to pay the padded bill, the contractor may hire a lawyer and sue the insurance company. And without realizing it, the homeowner becomes embroiled in a messy, pricy lawsuit.

How does AOB fraud impact homeowners insurance ?

Both insurance companies and homeowners pay a steep price for AOB abuse. Insurance companies are forced to either pay inflated repair bills or sue contractors and pay for the cost of defense, whether they fight, or settle, that lawsuit. As a result, many carriers must petition for higher rates or stop issuing policies in Florida. Homeowners, on the other hand, get stuck with costly and substandard repairs, hefty lawyer’s fees, and, consequently, higher insurance premiums.

Every Florida homeowner with an insurance policy—even those who play by the rules—ends up paying the price for AOB abuse. That’s why it is crucial homeowners be able to spot home repair insurance scams.

Cause No.2: Hurricane Irma

The storm’s statewide devastation

Hurricane Irma struck Florida twice on September 10, 2017, first as a Category 4 at Cudjoe Key and then again as a Category 3 on Marco Island. The storm unleashed 130 mph winds, spawned 23 tornadoes, and produced heavy rain across the state. By the time Irma crossed the border into Georgia as a tropical storm on September 11, it had caused close to $50 billion in damages, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history.

Irma’s impact on the insurance market

While Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017, insurance companies saw claims from the storm steadily increase through 2019—two years after the storm’s initial impact. That’s because a statewide law gives Florida homeowners up to three years from the date a hurricane makes landfall to report a hurricane claim.

Irma’s cost to homeowners today

The high number of re-opened claims over three years, combined with AOBs, led to claims inflation and steady loss creep, which factored into this year’s reinsurance renewals. As a result, Florida homeowners faced significant insurance rate hikes in 2020.

According to Reinsurance News’ directory of major insurance and reinsurance loss events, Hurricane Irma resulted in an overall economic loss of $67 billion, including a reinsurance industry loss of $32 billion. But what is reinsurance, and how does it factor into homeowners insurance cost?

Cause No. 3: Reinsurance Claims

What is reinsurance?

Dubbed “insurance for insurance companies” by the Reinsurance Association of America, reinsurance is a form of insurance purchased by carriers to lower their risk.

The goal is to make sure no single insurance company is exposed to a significantly massive disaster—like a hurricane.

Because in the insurance business, it’s a matter of when (not if) disaster strikes. Reinsurance limits the amount of loss an insurance company can potentially suffer, which protects them from financial ruin and policyholders from uncovered losses.

Why reinsurance matters to policyholders

Reinsurance protects carriers from bearing the entire financial toll of a catastrophic event, like Hurricane Irma. And by transferring portions of their risks, insurance companies can make their premiums more affordable for homeowners. That’s a good thing for policyholders.

How reinsurance factors into homeowners insurance costs

Between 2005 and 2016, not a single hurricane made landfall in Florida. But the tides changed after a slew of hurricanes, including Harvey, Irma and Maria, made landfall in 2017, costing close to $283 billion in damages and resulting in one of the costliest loss years on record for the insurance industry. Meanwhile, the estimated insured losses for 2018’s Hurricane Michael in Florida reached $7.4 billion, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

For insurance carriers, the increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as major hurricanes, has drastically changed the cost of doing business in Florida. When factored into reinsurance renewals, the costs of the 2017-2018 hurricane season alone caused significant rate hikes for Florida homeowners in 2019 and 2020.

What’s on the Horizon

Rising cost of Florida Homeowner Insurance

AOB fraud, Hurricane Irma, and reinsurance costs have all contributed to rising homeowner insurance rates for Floridians. However, there has been some reform, especially regarding AOB scams.

In May 2019, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 7065: Insurance Assignment Agreements, which addressed AOB abuse. The reform bill aimed to curb AOB fraud which has resulted in rising insurance costs for Floridians. (Download our quick guide on how to avoid falling victim to AOB fraud and abuse).

“I thank the Florida Legislature for passing meaningful AOB reform, which has become a racket in recent years,” DeSantis said. “This legislation will protect Florida consumers from predatory insurance practices.”

While reforms for Florida’s AOB crisis helps address some of the costs, there will always be hurricane-related losses, especially since homeowners have three years from the date a hurricane makes landfall to file for loss or damages. And that means demands for rate increases from reinsurers aren’t likely to drop anytime soon, forcing insurance companies to increase premiums for homeowners.

Save Money on your Florida Homeowners Insurance

LNC INSURANCE PROVIDERS Offers Tips to Help You Save on Homeowners Insurance

The following tips are the top 10 ways to save money on your Florida Homeowners Insurance.

FLORIDA - Purchasing the Florida Homeowners Insurance that is right for you and your home can be confusing, especially for first-time buyers. By learning the basics on how to get the most for your money, you can save on your homeowners insurance and feel confident you have adequate coverage. LNC INSURANCE PROVIERS a leading insurance agency of homeowners and auto insurance in Florida offers these tips to lead you in the right direction when you purchase your homeowners insurance.

  • Shop around. In addition to considering friends, family, the phone book or the Internet as possible sources to find homeowners insurance, consult with an independent insurance agent. Look for a wide range of prices from several companies. Remember, you get what you pay for, so look for not only a fair price but excellent service as well. Check a company’s financial rating with A.M. Best or Standard & Poor’s.
  • Raise your deductible. Companies generally have deductibles (what you pay before your insurance policy kicks in) starting at $250. By choosing a higher deductible ($500, $750, $1,000 or higher), you’ll have lower annual premium payments.
  • Consider how much insuring a new home will be. The age of your home may qualify you for savings because plumbing, heating and electrical systems of newer homes have lower risks than outdated systems.  Construction of the home (brick versus wooden frame) can affect your cost as well, depending on your home’s location.  Also, if you live near your local fire department, your homeowners rates might be lower than if you are many miles away.
  • Insure your home, not your land. Since homeowners policies don’t provide protection for your land, it would be a waste of money to include its value as part of your dwelling coverage, which should only reflect the price it would cost to repair or replace your home’s structure.
  • Insure your car and home with the same company. You can save money if you have more than one type of policy with the same insurance company. The more good business you give the company, the more valuable you are as a customer.
  • Improve home security and safety. If your home has certain types of fire alarms, burglar alarms, locks, or smoke detectors, you’ve reduced your risk and may qualify for a credit.
  • Look for senior discounts. If you are at least 55 years old and retired, your insurance company may offer you a discount. Retirees often spend more time at home and are more likely to spot trouble and prevent a loss.
  • Look for group coverage. Many insurance companies offer discounts to groups such as alumni or business associations. Check with your association director or employer to see if they offer a plan.
  • Stay with one insurer. If you keep your coverage under one insurer for several years, you may be offered a discount from the company. The longer you are a customer, the more money you will likely end up saving.
  • Compare the limits in your policy to the value of your possessions at least once a year.  If you make any major purchases or additions, you want to ensure they will be covered, but you do not want to spend more than is necessary.

Save Money on Homeowner's Insurance

Call us now to find out how: 888-913-6988

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For more information, you might want to read our article on the difference between a condo and a homeowners insurance, and for this article on how to choose the best homeowners insurance.