Latest Homeowners Headlines

All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Damage to Homes May Lead to Required Soil Tests in South Dakota

Aug 3 2015 // Rapid City, S.D., officials are considering requiring homebuilders to test soil conditions at building sites after homeowners complained of severe damage caused by expansive soils. The Rapid City Journal reports the...

Progressive CEO Renwick’s 5 Macro Trends of Note

Aug 3 2015 // By his own admission Progressive Insurance CEO Glenn Renwick (and his company) may not be right about the impact certain macro trends will have on the insurance industry, but in his view “it’s important to have...

Massachusetts Home Insurance Rates Soar After Harsh Winter

Aug 3 2015 // Massachusetts homeowners are paying for last winter’s record-setting snowfall with insurance premiums that are jumping by about 9 percent, much higher than in most years. The increases could translate to an...

Simple Solutions

Aug 3 2015 // Once upon a time a doctor on Main Street USA made the same diagnosis and prescribed the same solution for every patient. This was a long time before WebMD or even Marcus Welby, MD. Patients had to weigh their two options...

Evolving Consumer Base Is Changing Personal Lines: Conning

Aug 3 2015 // There are “far-reaching implications” for personal lines insurers and the products and services they provide as the U.S. continues to undergo changes in its demographic structure, an industry report states. The...

Massachusetts Senate to Launch Inquiry Into Home Insurance Rate Hikes

Jul 31 2015 // The Massachusetts Senate’s oversight body is launching an inquiry into homeowners insurance rate increases approved by the Division of Insurance (DOI) this year after a brutal winter led to increased claims...

R.I. Consumer Alert Looks at Insurance Implications for Home-Sharing Rentals

Jul 29 2015 // Rhode Island’s Insurance Division is advising consumers to examine insurance implications when using home-sharing rental websites such as Airbnb. “Technology has changed the way people interact. There are now...

The Hartford’s Profit Up in Q2; CEO Addresses M&A Outlook

Jul 28 2015 // The Hartford reported core earnings of $389 million for the second quarter 2015, an increase of $245 million from $144 million in second quarter 2014. The increase was due in part to improved underwriting results with...

Ironshore Launches Umbrella Coverage up to $5M for High Value Homeowners

Jul 28 2015 // Ironshore Personal Lines is now offering a new umbrella program for high net worth homeowner insureds, with properties valued in excess of $1 million, as complementary liability coverage for losses due to unforeseen legal...

Damage to Homes May Lead to Required Soil Tests in South Dakota

Jul 27 2015 // Rapid City, S.D., officials are considering requiring homebuilders to test soil conditions at building sites after homeowners complained of severe damage caused by expansive soils. The Rapid City Journal reports the...

Northern California Wildfire Threatens Homes, Prompts Evacuations

Jul 27 2015 // A Northern California wildfire raced through more than six square miles of drought-stricken timber over the weekend, threatening at least 150 rural homes in the Sierra Nevada, authorities said. The blaze forced evacuations...

Ohio Sees Rise in Auto, Homeowners Insurance Rates in 2014

Jul 23 2015 // Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor announced that average rates for the top 10 private passenger auto and homeowner’s insurance groups in Ohio increased 2.6 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, in 2014. The...

6.6M Atlantic, Gulf Coast Homes at Risk of Storm Surge

Jul 20 2015 // More than 6.6 million homes on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at risk of hurricane storm surge with a total reconstruction cost value estimated to be nearly $1.5 trillion, according to an annual report released by...

Progressive’s Move Into Homeowners Paying Off; Q2 Profit Up 24%

Jul 17 2015 // Progressive Corp., the fourth-largest U.S. auto insurer, said second-quarter profit rose 24 percent after an acquisition that pushed the company into homeowners coverage. Net income climbed to $363.3 million, or 62 cents a...

AIG Launches Risk Management Service for Builders of Luxury Homes

Jul 16 2015 // AIG Private Client Group, a division of American International Group, Inc., has introduced a risk management and mitigation service for residential construction projects with budgets of $5 million or more. As part of its...

Home Insurance Rates in Massachusetts Rising After Harsh Winter

Jul 14 2015 // Some of the largest home insurers in Massachusetts are raising premiums by about 9 percent to recoup what they paid out in claims for damage caused by last winter’s record-setting snowfall. The Boston Globe reports...

California Fire That Threatened Homes is Fully Contained

Jul 6 2015 // A wildfire that might have been started by fireworks and burned more than 320 acres while threatening homes in the California city of Vacaville was 100 percent contained Sunday, officials said. The fire started Saturday...

Wildfire Report Shows 2 Million California Homes at Risk as Drought Continues

Jul 6 2015 // A report issued in June shows California has more than 2 million homes at “high” or “extreme” wildfire risk, as the multi-year drought continues to stoke fears among some experts of a potentially...

Louisiana Commissioner Requests Flood Claim Deadline Extension

Jul 6 2015 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires homeowners to file a Proof of Loss form to claim damages within 60 days of a flood. On June 17 in a letter to FEMA...

Report Says 6.6M-Plus Atlantic, Gulf Coast Homes at Risk of Storm Surge

Jul 6 2015 // More than 6.6 million homes on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at risk of hurricane storm surge with a total reconstruction cost value estimated to be nearly $1.5 trillion, according to a recently released report. The...