Home insurance

Home insurance is often required by a lending company that carries your mortgage. If you have paid for your home and are not required to have insurance, it may be a good idea to stay on that policy in the event of a disaster. Many areas of the country have their own special weather hazards, from mudslides in California to tornadoes in Alabama to hurricanes in Texas or Maine. The weather is not predictable, and the damage it can cause is also not predictable. Don’t risk your home by leaving it uninsured; make sure you protect yourself and your home.
There are many types of home insurance, and these policies and coverage types will vary by the company, and sometimes by the situation. For example, flood insurance may be difficult to get if you live in a flood plain. However, the basic types of insurance for the home include, lightening, flood, hail, smoke, theft, vandalism, fire, and even civil unrest (riot) or volcanic eruption. Depending upon your financial needs and the area that you live in, you need to decide which kind of insurance offers you the best protection against any real threats, and get the best coverage that you can afford.
Many people live in an area of the Midwest called Tornado Alley, where tornadoes are an unhappy fact. The damage done by these winds will decimate an entire town, and leave homes completely uninhabitable. This means that you are completely at the mercy of your home insurance, as many people simply do not have the money to rebuild from scratch. If you have no insurance, then you will be left trying to get a form of assistance from a disaster agency, and will have no assets left to you. Insurance is there to protect you against possibilities that cannot be avoided.
When you are looking for a good home insurance company, make sure you already have a general idea of which kind of insurance you may need. Find as much literature about the subject as you can, in order to avoid pitfalls. Talk to an agent from several different companies, and compare their costs and their practices. If possible, discreetly talk to clients of the insurance companies, in order to get a complete picture of what you can expect. Get quotes to compare, and remember to always read the fine print of any agreement. Make sure you understand completely before you sign any document.