Dr. Phillips: 407-855-1000

Blog

All posts in Homeowners Insurance

Why are Home Insurance Quotes So Different?

Why Are Home Insurance Quotes So Different?

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Jason Levine in Homeowners Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Premiums with No comments

If you’ve shopped for home insurance recently, you might be wondering something…

Why are home insurance quotes so different between carriers?

 

It’s great to get home insurance quotes from multiple companies before settling on one. After all, isn’t that how you get the best value on your insurance?

But it begs the question,” why do homeowners insurance quotes differ so much?”

In last month’s article, “How Does Insurance Work?” we discussed how certain risk factors (or liabilities) can increase the amount you have to pay toward your premium or deductible. This might explain why insurance on your three-bedroom ranch is so different from your sister’s McMansion, but can it explain why your house received four completely different quotes from four different companies?

Turns out, there is a good explanation for that!
Read more →

4 Reasons Your Home Insurance Premiums Increased

4 Reasons Why Your Home Insurance Premiums Increased

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Jason Levine in Homeowners Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Personal Lines, Premiums with No comments

You haven’t filed a home insurance claim in years…so why do your rates keep going up?

Here are four reasons why your home insurance premiums increased (that have nothing to do with your claims history).

 

Like most Florida homeowners, you probably noticed that your home insurance premiums increased over last year, even though you didn’t file a single claim. What’s up with that?

If you’ve always assumed that increased premiums are caused by increased claims, you’re right. But that’s only part of the story.

There are several reasons why your home insurance premiums increased recently (and why it’s likely they will next year, too) that have nothing to do with how many claims you filed.

Read more →

Is slander covered by a homeowners policy

Is Slander Covered By a Homeowners Policy?

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Jason Levine in Homeowners Insurance, Personal Lines with No comments

Here’s why slander is such a big deal and how to get the protection you need.

 

Libel, slander, and other defamatory statements don’t just happen on TV. They’re very real and very common, especially with social media.

In today’s litigious society, lawsuits are increasingly common, even for seemingly “trivial” things. Which is why it’s so important for homeowners to know that defamatory statements are not covered by your standard Homeowners Insurance policy.

But that doesn’t mean you have to pay for lawsuits out-of-pocket.

Here’s everything you need to know about protecting your family from the financial devastation of a defamation lawsuit.
Read more →

10 Common Home Insurance Myths Debunked

10 Common Home Insurance Myths Debunked!

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Jason Levine in Homeowners Insurance, Homeowners Insurance with No comments

There’s a lot of misinformation about homeowners insurance. Let’s set the record straight.

Learn the truth behind these common home insurance myths so you can make educated decisions about your coverage.

 

As of April 2020, there are no laws in Florida that require you to get homeowner’s insurance. And yet, it’s one of the most important things you will ever buy.

But how much do you understand your insurance policy?

Many of our clients find the insurance industry confusing…and we can’t blame them! Between the lingo, legal jargon, and exceptions to the (many) rules, it’s no surprise that certain common home insurance myths have stuck around.

At Harry Levine Insurance, we love to help our clients better understand their insurance policies so they can make informed decisions about their coverage. In this article, we’ll dispel some of the most common home insurance myths.
Read more →

Dwelling Insurance Explained

What is Dwelling Insurance?

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Jason Levine in Coverages, Homeowners Insurance, Homeowners Insurance with No comments

Welcome back to Harry Levine Insurance on YouTube. I’m Jason Levine and I’m here to talk to you today about dwelling fire insurance.

 

What is Dwelling Insurance?

A lot of people don’t know the difference, nor should they, between homeowners coverage and dwelling fire insurance. The two types of policies are actually very, very similar; the principle difference is in the design.
Read more →

5 Things You Need to Know About Home Insurance

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Jason Levine in Homeowners Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Uncategorized with No comments

Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or you’ve owned your home for 50 years, you might still have a lot of questions about home insurance. Hey, I get it! Insurance can be confusing and overwhelming.

But, if you own a home, you should understand your home insurance coverage. In this video, I’ll go over 5 things you need to know about home insurance to bring you one step closer to total insurance mastery!
Read more →

What Is a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

What is a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Jason Levine in Homeowners Insurance, Inspections, Personal Lines with 21 comments

Wind mitigation inspections do more than give Florida homeowners peace of mind.

Find out how a quick wind mitigation inspection can help lower your insurance premiums.

Floridians are well-versed at protecting our homes from hurricane-related wind damage. We secure doors and windows, fill up sand bags, and clear our yards of loose debris.

But most people forget about the biggest area of protection for their home: the roof.

Your realtor or home inspector might have recommended that you get a wind inspection, but what is it? And—more importantly—why is it so important?
Read more →

Sinkhole coverage vs. catastrophic ground collapse

Sinkhole Coverage vs. Catastrophic Ground Collapse

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Jason Levine in Homeowners Insurance with No comments

Florida is famous for many threats—hurricanes, alligators, the eponymous “Florida Man”—but one of its most dangerous features lurks right underground: sinkholes. Which begs the question: “How does this affect my insurance?”

Your Florida homeowner’s policy includes catastrophic ground cover collapse, but is that the same as sinkhole insurance? In this article, we’ll compare sinkhole coverage vs. catastrophic ground collapse to see how the two measure up.

Read more →

Builder's Risk Insurance for New Construction in Horizon West, FL

Builder’s Risk Insurance for New Construction in Horizon West, FL

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Jason Levine in Commercial Insurance, Commercial Insurance, Coverages, Homeowners Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Inland Marine with No comments

Nestled between Clermont, Winter Garden, and Windermere lies the burgeoning neighborhood of Horizon West, Florida. With easy access to both Disney World and downtown Orlando, it’s easy to see why Horizon West could make 34787 the next “it” zip code.

Local builders seem to think so. Construction is underway for dozens of subdivisions in the area. And one thing that no new construction project should be without is adequate builder’s risk insurance.

Just because new construction homes aren’t occupied doesn’t mean they aren’t full of risk. Here’s everything you need to know when purchasing builder’s risk insurance.
Read more →

What is an Assignment of Benefits Agreement? (And why shouldn't you sign one?)

What is an Assignment of Benefits Agreement?

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Jason Levine in Homeowners Insurance, Homeowners Insurance with 2 comments

You come home from work one day to find that a leak under your sink has sprayed water all over the floor. Panicking, you shut off the water main and call the first plumber that pops up on Angie’s List. He fixes the leak and recommends a company to take care of all the water damage.

You’re satisfied with their work, so you take the referral and call the remediation company. But when they show up, that’s when the problem starts.

They present you with an Assignment of Benefits form and say that they won’t start work until you sign it.
Read more →