Latest Homeowners Headlines
All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Louisiana Commissioner Asks State Farm to Offer Lower Hurricane Deductible
Jul 17 2014 // Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has asked State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. (State Farm) to offer its Louisiana policyholders Louisiana the option of a 2 percent hurricane deductible on their homeowners’ insurance...
North Carolina Hearing on 25% Homeowners Hike Moved to October
Jul 17 2014 // North Carolina’s insurance commissioner has postponed until October a hearing into a request by homeowners insurance companies to raise rates by an average of 25 percent statewide. Commissioner Wayne Goodwin said the...
Louisiana Parishes Buying Out Flood Prone Homes
Jul 16 2014 // Terrebonne Parish in Louisiana has a $4 million grant it’s using to buy nine storm-damaged or flood-prone homes throughout the parish. Lafourche Parish has a similar program, but only two households are...
Despite Increases Ohio Auto, Home Insurance Rates Remain Low
Jul 10 2014 // Lieutenant Governor and Department of Insurance Director Mary Taylor says Ohio’s average auto and homeowners insurance rates remain among the lowest in the country despite recent increases. In 2013, the average rate...
Alaska Homeowner Fills 8-Story Mystery Sinkhole
Jul 10 2014 // Geophysicists don’t know what caused a sinkhole measuring about 80 feet deep to appear in a Fairbanks, Alaska resident’s yard last week. And they might never know. Homeowner Al Schultz had safety concerns about...
Lighthouse Property Insurance Launches Dwelling Fire Product in South Carolina
Jul 10 2014 // Owners of South Carolina rental properties have the option of insuring their residences through Lighthouse Property Insurance Corp. beginning July 14. The coverage is available for rental residence or an owner-occupied...
6.5 Million Homes from Maine to Texas at Risk for Storm Surge: CoreLogic
Jul 10 2014 // More than 6.5 million homes along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at risk of storm surge inundation, representing nearly $1.5 trillion in total potential reconstruction costs. More than $986 billion of that risk is...
Home Emergency Insurance Solutions Relaunches Home Protection Plans in California
Jul 3 2014 // HomeServe USA‘s subsidiary Home Emergency Insurance Solutions (HEIS), is relaunching its optional Water Service Line Insurance plans as home protection plans to more than 425,000 households across the state of...
MAPFRE Insurance Enters Pennsylvania Auto, Home Insurance Market
Jul 3 2014 // MAPFRE Insurance has entered the Pennsylvania insurance market. MAPFRE’s operations in Pennsylvania will be headquartered in King of Prussia and the company will offer private passenger automobile and homeowners...
Mass. Senate OKs Bill Tying Required Flood Coverage Amount to Mortgage Balance
Jun 30 2014 // The Massachusetts state Senate on June 26 passed legislation filed by the state’s attorney general, Martha Coakley, and state House Speaker Robert DeLeo aimed at softening the impact of flood insurance rate...
Tornado, Severe Storms Damage Homes in Ohio
Jun 26 2014 // Parts of Ohio are again cleaning up after severe storms rolled through — including a tornado that touched down in northeast Ohio. The National Weather Service confirmed a high EF1 or EF2 tornado touched down on June 23...
New Wisconsin Law Aims to Protect Against ‘Storm Chasers’
Jun 24 2014 // There’s a new state law that aims to protect homeowners against unscrupulous contractors who offer to repair the sort of storm damage that occurred last week in southern Wisconsin. The law’s provisions seem to...
Florida’s HCI Moves to Acquire Competitor Prepared Insurance
Jun 24 2014 // The parent company of one of Florida’s largest home insurers has entered into a non-binding deal to purchase another state-based insurer in a move that could affect 21,500 state policyholders. HCI Group Inc....
No New Rights in Florida’s Homeowners’ Bill of Rights
Jun 23 2014 // Florida’s passage of a homeowners’ claims bill of rights left few satisfied after lawmakers largely codified current law while avoiding controversial issues such as the practice of policyholders assigning their...
Massachusetts FAIR Plan Mulls Appeal of Commissioner’s Rate Decision
Jun 20 2014 // The Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (“FAIR Plan”) said its board of directors will meet next week to decide whether to file an appeal to challenge Insurance Commissioner Joseph G....
Wildfire Threatens Homes in New Mexico
Jun 18 2014 // Firefighters are bracing for another day of hot, dry and windy conditions as they battle a fast-moving wildfire in New Mexico. The Assayii Lake Fire blackened more than 19 square miles in less than two days while making...
Mass. AG Sues Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Over Foreclosure Law
Jun 16 2014 // Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has sued the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for allegedly violating the state’s 2012 foreclosure prevention...
Frontline Introduces Coastal Rental Home Insurance in South Carolina
Jun 12 2014 // Frontline Insurance has launched a new rental home insurance product for owners of rental property in South Carolina. The coverage protects non-owner occupied properties in coastal areas and offers protection from fire...
Report: Louisiana Nursing Homes Rank Among the Worst
Jun 10 2014 // The quality of care at Louisiana’s nursing homes is among the worst in the nation, with high rates of bed sores and physical restraints and low levels of nursing staff, according to a state legislative report...
Massachusetts DOI Rejects FAIR Plan Rate Increase
Jun 9 2014 // Massachusetts Commissioner of Insurance Joseph G. Murphy announced Monday his decision rejecting the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association’s (“FAIR Plan”) request to increase its...
