Like most people, I don’t like paying high insurance premiums, but I do like being protected against catastrophic losses like those I would face if a wildfire tore through my neighborhood. In California, especially in rural areas like ours, the risk of wildfire has increased dramatically during the last several years; yet, the state limits … Read more
Homeowners’ insurance companies have taken a beating in recent years, especially those that cover homes in rural areas like ours. Consider the payouts to homeowners in Redwood Valley, Potter Valley, and other communities devastated by wildfire. The unfortunate result is that homeowners throughout Mendocino County are getting notes like the one I just received from … Read more
If your home burned in last fall’s wildfires, you may be interested in the following bills going through the state legislature right now. AB 1797: Replacement cost coverage With a few minor exemptions, this bill would require an insurer that provides replacement cost coverage to provide an estimate of the cost to rebuild or replace the insured structure … Read more
A couple years ago, I wrote about homeowners and renters insurance and I strongly recommend investing in it. I sure hope those who live in Lake County happened to read and heed that advice. If you live in an area that has not been devastated by fire recently, and you don’t have insurance, this is … Read more
Recently, rural properties in California have had a harder time qualifying for homeowner’s insurance. After the big fires in 2014 (and the not-so-big Black Bart Fire locally), many insurance companies have declined new requests for coverage and even opted not to renew existing policies. Why? Because the Department of Insurance disallowed a rate increase for … Read more
Sometimes life goes in a direction you don’t expect—either positive or negative. So this week, I thought I’d write about one way to prepare for surprises of the unpleasant variety. (Most of us can handle the happy surprises without too much preparation.) Whether you’re a homeowner or renter, I strongly recommend investing in homeowner’s or … Read more