Don’t expect a government bailout in leu of earthquake insruance, just look at New Orleans, people are still waiting for that check.
I agree with the general sentiment of the thread, if you have your own money in the balance and it is an older home, by all means get the insurance. If you bought with 100% financing and the home has newer earthquake avoidance techniques incorporated then you are probably ok without it.
It also matters what the home is built on. Loose sand makes for liquid like movement in an earthquake, not much survives that. In contrast, if the home is built on bedrock it will probably have much more limited movement during an earthquake and has a better chance of surviving intact.
In the end you have to weigh all the pros and cons and decide based on your tolerance of risk…kind of like investing in stocks, climbing rope, quality parachutes, filtered water, condoms, etc. 😛
