HOME INSURANCE BOWLING GREEN, KY

Ingram Home Insurance

Ingram Insurance Company offers a wide array of homeowners insurance options.  We cover traditionally built homes, mobile homes, condos, rental properties, renters insurance, and many other options,  Make sure to consider bundling your auto with your home insurance as it can save you as much as 30% on the home to bundle with the auto.

 

 

What is Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance is a form of property insurance that covers losses and damages to an individual’s house and to assets in the home. Homeowners insurance also provides liability coverage against accidents in the home or on the property.

 

 

BREAKING DOWN Homeowners Insurance

When a mortgage is requested on a home, the homeowner is required to provide proof of insurance on the property before the lending bank can issue him or her a mortgage. The property insurance can be acquired separately or by the lending bank. Homeowners who prefer to get their own insurance policy can compare multiple offers and pick the plan that works best for their needs. If the homeowner does not have their property covered from loss or damages, the bank may obtain one for them at an extra cost. Payments made toward a homeowners insurance policy are usually included in the monthly payments of the homeowner’s mortgage. The lending bank that receives the payment allocates the portion for insurance coverage to an escrow account. Once the insurance bill comes due, the amount owed is settled from this escrow account.

 

A homeowners insurance policy usually covers four incidents on the insured property – interior damage, exterior damage, loss or damage of personal assets/belongings, and injury that arises while on the property. When a claim is made on any of these incidents, the homeowner will be required to pay a deductible, which in effect is the out-of-pocket costs for the insured. For example, a claim is made to an insurer on interior water damage that occurred in a home. The cost to bring the property back to livable conditions is estimated by a claims adjuster to be $10,000. If the claim is approved, the homeowner is informed of the amount of his or her deductible, say $4,000, according to the policy agreement entered into. The insurance company will issue a payment of the excess cost, in this case, $6,000. The higher the deductible on an insurance contract, the lower the monthly or annual premium on a homeowners insurance policy.

 

Every homeowner’s insurance policy has a liability limit, which determines the amount of coverage that the insured has should an unfortunate incident occur. The standard limits are usually set at $100,000, but the policyholder can opt for a higher limit. In the event that a claim is made, the liability limit stipulates the percentage of the coverage amount that would go toward replacing or repairing damage to the property structures, personal belongings, and costs to living somewhere else while the property is worked on.

 

Acts of war or acts of God such as earthquakes or floods are typically excluded from standard homeowners insurance policies. A homeowner who lives in an area prone to these natural disasters may need to get special coverage to insure his or her property from floods or earthquakes. However, most basic homeowners insurance policies cover events like hurricanes and tornadoes.

 

A homeowners insurance policy is different from a home warranty. A home warranty is a contract taken out that provides for repairs or replacements of home systems and appliances such as ovens, water heaters, washers/dryers, and pools. These contracts usually expire after a certain time period, usually 12 months, and are not mandatory to have in order to be issued a mortgage. While homeowners insurance does not cover damages that result from poor maintenance or inevitable wear and tear, a home warranty covers such issues.

 

A homeowners insurance policy also differs from mortgage insurance, which is typically taken on home buyers making a down payment of less than 20% of the cost of the property. Mortgage insurance covers the lender for issuing a loan to a home buyer who otherwise might not be able to get the loan required. Basically, homeowners insurance protects the homeowner and mortgage insurance protects the lender.

 

Coverage for the structure of the home

This part of a policy pays to repair or rebuild a home if it is damaged or destroyed by fire, hurricane, hail, lightning or other disaster listed in the policy. It will not pay for damage caused by a flood, earthquake or routine wear and tear. Most standard policies also cover structures that are not attached to a house such as a garage, tool shed or gazebo.

Coverage for personal belongings

Furniture, clothes, sports equipment and other personal items are covered if they are stolen or destroyed by fire, hurricane or other insured disaster. Most companies provide coverage for 50 to 70 percent of the amount of insurance on the structure of a home. This part of the policy includes off-premises coverage. This means that belongings are covered anywhere in the world, unless the policyholder has decided against off-premises coverage. Expensive items like jewelry, furs and silverware are covered, but there are usually dollar limits if they are stolen. To insure these items to their full value, individuals can purchase a special personal property endorsement or floater and insure the item for its appraised value.

Liability protection

Liability covers against lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that policyholders or family members cause to other people. It also pays for damage caused by pets. The liability portion of the policy pays for both the cost of defending the policyholder in court and any court awards—up to the limit of the policy. Coverage is not just in the home but extends to anywhere in the world. Liability limits generally start at about $100,000. An umbrella or excess liability policy, which provides broader coverage, including claims for libel and slander, as well as higher liability limits, can be added to the policy.

Additional living expenses

This pays the additional costs of living away from home if a house is inhabitable due to damage from a fire, storm or other insured disaster. It covers hotel bills, restaurant meals and other living expenses incurred while the home is being rebuilt. Coverage for additional living expenses differs from company to company.

Types of Homeowners Insurance Policies

The different types of homeowners policies are fairly standard throughout the country. However, individual states and companies may offer policies that are slightly different or go by other names such as “standard” or “deluxe.” 

People who own the home they live in have several policies to choose from. The most popular policy is the HO-3. It provides coverage for the structure of the home and personal belongings as well as personal liability coverage. It also provides the broadest coverage, protecting against 16 disasters or perils listed below.

  • Fire or lightning
  • Windstorm or hail
  • Explosion
  • Riot or civil commotion
  • Damage caused by aircraft
  • Damage caused by vehicles
  • Smoke
  • Vandalism or malicious mischief
  • Theft
  • Volcanic eruption
  • Falling object
  • The weight of ice, snow or sleet
  • Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam from within a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or automatic fire-protective sprinkler system, or from a household appliance
  • Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning, or bulging of a steam or hot water heating system, an air conditioning or automatic fire-protective system
  • Freezing of a plumbing, heating, air conditioning or automatic, fire-protective sprinkler system, or of a household appliance
  • Sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current (does not include loss to a tube, transistor or similar electronic 
    component)

Owners of multifamily homes generally purchase an HO-3 with an endorsement to cover the risks associated with having renters live in their houses. Other types of policies for homeowners are the HO2, which provides more limited coverage, the HO-1, a bare-bones policy that is not widely available, and the HO-8, designed for older homes. There is also a version of the HO-2 designed for mobile homes.

The HO4-policy was created specifically for those who rent the home they live in. It covers a policyholder’s belongings against all 16 perils. It also provides personal liability coverage for damage the policyholder or dependents may cause to third parties. The HO-6 policy was designed for owners of condominium and cooperative units. It provides coverage for belongings and the structural parts of the condominium or co-op that the policyholder owns. It protects against all 16 perils and provides personal liability coverage. Both cover additional living expenses.

Levels of Coverage

There are three coverage options:

1. Actual Cash Value
This policy pays to replace the home or possessions minus a deduction for depreciation.

2. Replacement Cost
This policy pays the cost of rebuilding or repairing the home or replacing possessions without a deduction for depreciation.

3. Guaranteed/Extended Replacement Cost 
This policy offers the highest level of protection. A guaranteed replacement cost policy pays whatever it costs to rebuild the home as it was before the fire or other disaster—even if it exceeds the policy limit. This gives protection against sudden increases in construction costs due to a shortage of building materials after a widespread disaster or other unexpected situations. It generally won’t cover the cost of upgrading the house to comply with current building codes. However, an endorsement (or an addition to) the policy called Ordinance or Law can help pay for these additional costs.

Some insurance companies offer an extended, rather than a guaranteed, replacement cost policy. An extended policy pays a certain percentage over the limit to rebuild the home. Generally, it is 20 to 25 percent more than the limit of the policy. For example, if homeowners take out a policy for $100,000, they can get up to an extra $20,000 or $25,000 of coverage. Guaranteed and extended replacement cost policies are more expensive; but they offer the best financial protection against disasters for a home. These coverages, however, may not be available in all states or from all companies. Replacement cost coverage is available for the structure of the home, but only actual cash value coverage is available for possessions.

 

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1-270-842-3322

Ingram Insurance
3251 Spring Hollow Ave
Bowling Green, KY 42104

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