HomeOwners Insurance 4s ranch help needed

[asterix007]

I’ve bought a home in 4s and surprisingly it’s getting difficult to obtain homeowners insurance from good companies.

So far, AAA, Allied, Nationwide have denied due to “brush exposure”. The home is in the Southern part of 4s, in the middle of a community, with some open areas at the back, there is however no dried brush.

In any case, I’ve been with AAA for > 15 years and have never had a need to shop anywhere else.

1) Once denied by AAA, is there an escalation process? Has anyone been denied and then approved by AAA?

2) Does anyone have any experience with Safeco or Encompass? Chubb was very expensive. Plus I cannot get EQ at any reasonable cost if I go with them.

Which companies out there would you suggest I work with?

Thanks so much for your help.

[kcal09]

I have been very happy with “Wawanesa Insurance”. Their rate is also one of the lowest.

[equalizer]

Wawanesa doesn’t takes any risks, so no way they would cover. Maybe Travelers. Try an insurance broker like http://www.mccormickinsure.com/insurance/

Haven’t used them but he has been in business for a long time.

[paramount]

Amica has a pretty good reputation as far as insur companies go…

http://www.amica.com/

[skerzz]

Try State Farm, they have been good to me. No problems insuring my two homes in “high risk” fire areas through them. They also do not discriminate against dog breeds, my Rottweiler was non- issue (several insurance companies would not cover me due to the dog).

[Essbee]

We’re in South 4S and have Traveler’s. We have an easement behind us, but there is a cul de sac below, so no direct fire risk here, though.

[UCGal]

Can you find out who the former owners used?
We were given the fire risk line when we went for insurance from AAA, but the seller (my father) had insurance with AAA – so we argued, successfully, that they were not taking on new risk – since they currently insured the property.

I’ve had Amica in the past (back east) and they were excellent about settling a nuisance claim.

[jimmy1977]

We had the same issue with our place. We got quotes from Liberty Mutual and Metlife.

—
Jimmy

[sdnerd]

Did you have them actually out to your property to look in person?

We were denied at first, because most companies use Google Maps and a lot of the pictures for 4S are fairly outdated and show a lot more brush/etc. They sent a person out, took one look, and immediately qualified us.

FWIW we use ANPAC. Absolutely blew away all our other insurance quotes. I’ve moved all our insurance to them after being long time AAA and Wawanesa customer.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=sdnerd]Did you have them actually out to your property to look in person?

We were denied at first, because most companies use Google Maps and a lot of the pictures for 4S are fairly outdated and show a lot more brush/etc. They sent a person out, took one look, and immediately qualified us.

FWIW we use ANPAC. Absolutely blew away all our other insurance quotes. I’ve moved all our insurance to them after being long time AAA and Wawanesa customer.[/quote]

I spent weeks and weeks researching insurance companies. Many had NO clue what they were talking about and even when I contacted different agents at the same company (Statefarm) I’d get wildly different quotes.

In the end, I found that ANPAC was the best of the bunch. GREAT communications, best prices, really responsive. I switched my homeowners, renters policy, umbrella coverage and automobile policies over to them.

Brandi Kiesau
Phone: (858) 566 8555
Fax: (858) 566 4949

http://www.coverca.com

American National Insurance
9625 Black Mountain Road, Suite 206
San Diego, CA. 92126-4598

http://www.anpac.com

[asterix007]

Called up ANPAC; they cannot write a policy. They consider the home to be in the fire risk area.

[sdnerd]

[quote=asterix007]Called up ANPAC; they cannot write a policy. They consider the home to be in the fire risk area.[/quote]

I would be curious to see your general location on a map. Are you literally right up against some hills?

I’m on the Northern side near the lake, and many of the homes are right smack against the hills.

I’m not sure if the sales office is still open for the Estates (the 25 custom homes on North side). If it is you could try going into there and asking them where the new owners have been getting their insurance.

Those homes are right smack in the middle of the brush and someone is insuring them. They took down burned trees from the last fires to build those homes.

[Author]

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