Home Insurance FAQs

Navigating the Home Insurance               Mix-master- Arrgghh!

   Have you ever tried to navigate the mix-master in an unfamiliar city? I have lived in and around the Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex most of my life and I still haven't mastered them. There was only one or two when I first started driving. Now it seems every suburb has it's own version of the Mix-master. 
   Have you tried to navigate shopping for Homeowner's Insurance lately? Same story. There used to be a few carriers- we all grew up with Allstate, State Farm and Farmers. Now, there are dozens and dozens. Talk about navigating confusing roads!
   It is easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure out your policy. So I thought I would share a few of the questions we hear the most often:
* Why is my dwelling insured for so much more than I paid for the home?
Because your insurance covers the cost to REBUILD your home, not move into it. Most carriers have their own dwelling amount estimator. Agents plug in the specifics of a home- square ft, roof type, age, updates, etc and the estimator computes the cost that carrier is willing to pay to rebuild the home from foundation to roofing. 
* Are my wedding rings covered?
Most policies will have some type of jewelry coverage. Most of them will be basic, $2500-$5000 in coverage. But if you want your precious jewelry covered, you will want to consider a scheduled personal property endorsement. It will cover specific pieces without a deductible. It will also cover theft and mysterious disappearance. The basic jewelry coverage in the policy will not.  The same goes for your coin collection, art collection, gun collection (Hey - we are in Texas!)
*If my dog bites a neighbor, will my insurance cover it?
Yes. Your personal liability will cover this.  As long as it is not a ineligible dog breed and there isn't an animal exclusion on the policy. Most carriers will have an ineligible dog breed list. Some will not write the home at all, while others will exclude liability in the case of a dog attack. Most of the dogs on the forbidden list are aggressive breeds; Pitbulls, Dobermans, Rottweilers, etc...
  Believe me- not all insurance policies are the same! As independent agents, my husband and I see many different types of policies. I feel for people calling in with questions- the ones who are truly trying to understand what their coverage is. I know the time and effort it took us to learn the carriers and coverage. And it is what we do everyday, all day. We realize most of our clients don't have that kind of time. And you shouldn't have to. That is what we agents are for! 


Got questions? Call or visit it our website: 
Brockman Premier Insurance
local: 214-592-0859
toll free: 1-877-987-8683