There are options for water leaks and the damage they cause, home equipment breakdown coverage, replacement cost versus actual cash value coverage, identity theft, credit card fraud, and even scheduled items coverage. There is one option no condo insurance policy should be without though…
How much condo insurance an owner needs is one of the more challenging questions I must answer when talking with someone who’s buying or owns a condo. Regardless of how the policy is written (see last week’s post, https://wiseinsurancegroup.com/two-ways-condo-insurance-can-written/), the amount of coverage must be sufficient to protect the finish out of the home and their personal property or contents. Let’s examine how to approach both areas.
I have been working with a first-time condo buyer over the last week. As we reviewed the different condo insurance options available to her from all our carriers, I was reminded of the two different ways insurance companies approach insuring a condo. Let’s look at what condo insurance is designed to cover from a property standpoint and then address how different carriers approach it.
I had an interesting conversation last week with a Dallas area mortgage professional about condo insurance. He was working on his client’s loan and had several questions about coverage, which I thought would be useful in guiding a blog post for those who own, or are considering buying a condo.
In 2016 the number of people accessing the internet using a mobile device such as a smart phone or tablet surpassed those using a PC or laptop. That number will continue to climb since millennials tend to rely on their mobile devices for connection, shopping, information, and service needs. This raises the question as to how well insurance companies will respond by providing a meaningful app experience for millennials and clients in other age groups.
Last week’s post, An Introduction to Condo Insurance (see https://wiseinsurancegroup.com/an-overview-of-texas-condo-insurance/) addressed how to determine the amount of condo insurance needed and what it covers. There’s more to a condo policy, however, than covering the finish out of the home and your personal property or contents. There are other coverage items to consider including personal liability, medical coverage, deductibles, and home owner’s assessment.
I wrote a condo insurance policy last week for a new client. He’d started out with an offer for a single family home in the Dallas area which fell apart after the home didn’t appraise for the amount he offered. As he thought through what he desired in his next home, he decided to look at condos in the area. It turns out, he found the perfect home, but since it was the first condo he’s ever purchased, he had a lot of questions about condo insurance.
Yahoo posted an interesting article on June 2nd listing 25 Ways to Make Money Renting Your Home, Car, Kitchen and More to Total Strangers. I am always fascinated to see how people make money. In this digital age, it’s possible for anyone to participate in the sharing economy and make a little extra money too. The one thing that’s missing from this article and other blog posts I’ve seen are the insurance implications for the owner of the home or vehicle, and there are some.
The Dallas Morning News published an article on Friday, March 7th on the rising home prices of close in Dallas neighborhoods. In 12 months, prices have skyrocketed to historic highs while inventory of homes available for sale are at a 20 year low. Traffic at open houses has jumped and many sellers are receiving multiple offers for their home with most above the asking price. People who would normally be in the market to sell their house and move up are sitting on the sidelines for fear of not being able to find a home before they sell theirs.
This past week I helped a new client with condo insurance for his new home. The condo is in a high rise condominium tower located in the Turtle Creek area of Dallas. It’s beautiful and the view is amazing. He’s very excited and has been wonderful to work with. There was one little issue we had to work through involving the amount of insurance for his new home and what the mortgage underwriters would approve. It was an interesting conundrum.
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