Latest Homeowners Headlines
All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Alabama Storms Damaged More Than 240 Homes
May 1 2014 // Emergency managers said at least 240 homes were damaged or destroyed by the tornadoes and strong storms that swept through Alabama. The Alabama Emergency Management Agency said damage has been reported in 31 of...
Florida Lawmakers Pass Homeowners’ Rights Bill With Credit Restriction
May 1 2014 // Insurers in Florida could not use credit information to deny a claim or cancel a policy under a bill now headed to the desk of Florida Gov. Rick Scott. The Florida House voted unanimously for a bill that would also create...
Florida House Nixes Shifting Citizens Policies to Surplus Lines
Apr 30 2014 // The Florida House has rejected a proposal that could shift homeowners away from the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance and into private surplus lines insurers. The Florida Senate last week narrowly voted for a...
Policyholders File Claims, Get Payments For California Quake
Apr 29 2014 // The California Earthquake Authority reported Tuesday it has paid numerous claims for damage to homes that sustained “relatively minor damage” from the magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck La Habra on March...
Surplus Lines Insurers Could Pick Up Citizens Policies Under Senate Bill
Apr 28 2014 // Homeowners seeking coverage from Citizens Property Insurance could wind up getting policies from out-of-state insurers that are exempt from many of the state regulations other insurers must honor. The Florida Senate on...
Rhode Island Homeowners Seek FEMA Grants to Elevate Houses
Apr 22 2014 // Some Rhode Island residents are seeking federal grant money to help pay for elevating their homes to reduce the risk of flooding — and avoid spikes in flood insurance rates. Seven homeowners in Barrington who want to...
NYC Mayor Pledges to Reform Maligned Sandy Rebuilding Program
Apr 21 2014 // New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a sweeping report on April 17 that examined New York City’s recovery progress from Superstorm Sandy and promised to reform a much-maligned program that was supposed to...
Democrats Seize on Koch Brothers, Republican Opposition to Flood Insurance
Apr 20 2014 // 17 Apr 2014 09:00 Democrats are exploring a new attack line against the Koch brothers and Republican allies, telling voters the billionaire energy executives want to let home flood insurance premiums soar to help corporate...
San Francisco Considers Ending Ban Renting Homes
Apr 17 2014 // San Francisco lawmakers are considering making it legal for city residents to rent out their homes on sites such as Airbnb, but only if they have liability insurance and meet other requirements, a newspaper...
Mississippi Withdrawing Lawsuit Over Flood Insurance Rates
Apr 17 2014 // Mississippi’s insurance regulator is withdrawing his lawsuit against the federal government after Congress voted to delay changes to the federal flood insurance program. Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney...
South Carolina Looks to Increase Home Mitigation Funding
Apr 17 2014 // South Carolina lawmakers are moving forward with a plan to increase grants to homeowners who strengthen their homes against storm damage. The South Carolina Senate Finance Committee approved the “Competitive...
Specialty Insurance Managers Launches High Value Homeowners Program
Apr 14 2014 // Specialty Insurance Managers Inc., a managing general agent based in Austin, Texas, has begun offering a new high value homeowners insurance program in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas, with plans...
Amica Mutual Offers Outdoor Spring Cleanup Tips for Homeowners
Apr 8 2014 // A long, cold winter has finally given way to spring, and it’s time to start cleaning up the yard and making other household repairs. Amica Mutual Insurance Company in Lincoln, R.I., reminds homeowners to consider six...
Maine Insurance Bureau Announces New Online Auto, Homeowners Resources
Apr 8 2014 // Maine Governor Paul R. LePage and Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa recently announced that the Bureau of Insurance now offers new online resources for consumers who want to compare auto and homeowners insurance...
Home-Elevation Grants Begin Flowing to N.J. Communities
Apr 7 2014 // A low-lying barrier island community north of Atlantic City is the first to be awarded state aid since Superstorm Sandy to help residents elevate their homes. New Jersey officials announced on April 4 they have approved...
Flooded Austin, Texas Homes to Be Demolished
Apr 7 2014 // Demolition has begun on some Central Texas homes left unlivable after flooding during deadly fall storms. The Austin American-Statesman reported that crews are concentrating on Onion Creek neighborhoods. Late October and...
Lincoln, Nebraska to Pay $127K to Homeowners for Sewage Flood Damage
Apr 7 2014 // The city of Lincoln, Neb., is paying thousands to more than a dozen homeowners whose basements were flooded with sewage. A water main break in the Belmont neighborhood of north Lincoln early New Year’s Day filled a...
New York DFS Becoming ‘National Player’ Among Insurance, Banking Regulators
Apr 7 2014 // On a June morning in 2012, New York bank examiners paid surprise visits to the offices of Ocwen Financial Corp., the biggest non-bank mortgage servicer. That break with tradition — examiners typically set up...
North Carolina Coastal Homeowners Weigh Self-Insuring for Floods Due to Premium Hikes
Apr 7 2014 // Bill Cherry has seen his share of storms buffet his house and his Breezeway Restaurant and Motel near Topsail Beach in North Carolina, a slip of a barrier island just over two blocks wide. But with sharp increases in...
Mercury Ins. Lowers Homeowners Rates in Penn., Seeks to Grow Market Share
Apr 3 2014 // Mercury Insurance said the company is lowering its homeowners insurance rates for Pennsylvania residents by an average of 10 percent. The Los Angeles-based insurer said the rate reduction would help attract more...
