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Homeowners Insurance When Buying a Home in Farmington Hills MI – Buying a home is exciting whether you are a first-time homebuyer or an experienced homeowner. However, often overlooked in the long list of things to do between price negotiations, home inspection, and mortgage terms is getting homeowners insurance, which is an important step in the home buying process and one that should be a priority.
Of course, If you plan on paying off your home in cash, then technically you don’t need home insurance before closing. There’s no law that requires home insurance, but most mortgage lenders will require you to get home insurance coverage before they will agree to finance your home purchase.
Home insurance protects the mortgage lender’s investment by providing the money to repair or rebuild the home if it is damaged or destroyed by a fire, a lightning storm, a tornado, or some other covered event. By securing the coverage you need before you even move into your new home, you safeguard your purchase from disaster.
What does homeowners insurance cover?
Most homeowners insurance policies cover flooding from a burst pipe or other water leak in your home, but they usually don’t cover flooding as a result of a natural disaster. Depending on the location of your home, your lender may require you to buy insurance that covers earthquakes or floods.
Basic homeowners policies will usually include liability coverage to protect you against legal action if someone is hurt on your property.
If you have valuable items that exceed the special dollar limits of your policy, such as a fine art collection, sports memorabilia, or expensive jewelry, you may want to purchase extra coverage, known as a Personal Articles Floater (PAF).
Shopping for homeowners insurance
It’s a good idea to start shopping for homeowners insurance as soon as you sign a contract to buy a Farmington Hills MI home. This allows you to get your policy in place before closing on the purchase. It’s important to research various policy options as they may offer different levels of coverage.
Once you have decided on an insurance policy that fits your needs, make sure you check that it also meets the requirements of your lender.
The cost of home insurance
The cost of homeowners insurance depends on a number of factors, including the coverages you select, features of your home, and the value of your personal belongings. There may also be extra costs for additional coverage or increased coverage limits.
Once you’ve determined that your desired policy meets your mortgage lender’s requirements, you can purchase the insurance, which should be done sometime before you go to the meeting to officially close on your home.
The insurance company will typically pre-approve the policy and then wait for your escrow/title company to send a request for Proof of Insurance when the final closing date is near. The insurance company will then email or fax the confirmation of coverage before the closing date.
Paying for your home insurance
Paying for your home insurance is usually made simple with an escrow account, which is a separate bank account that you maintain with your mortgage lender. An escrow account can help you set aside money each month for bills that relate to your property and usually come due as a lump sum.
Typically, your escrow payment covers part of your property taxes, mortgage insurance, and homeowners insurance. When you have an escrow account, you make a single payment, usually monthly, which includes both your loan payment and your escrow payment.
The takeaway
When buying a home in Farmington Hills MI, your lender will probably require at least a basic homeowners insurance policy and may also require additional coverage for natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to get your policy in place before closing on your new home.
Partner with Top-rated Farmington Hills MI REALTOR® – Tom Gilliam
Whether you are interested in Farmington Hills MI homes for sale or it’s time to list your current property, experience matters most in a changing market. Top-rated Farmington Hills REALTOR® – Tom Gilliam offers over 20 years of local experience, in-depth market knowledge, and access to the most up-to-date listings for Farmington Hill MI homes for sale and the surrounding area.
Known for his professionalism and care for every detail, Tom is an expert at uncovering the perfect home for his clients’ lifestyle needs in the right neighborhood or community.
If you are ready to sell your home, Tom will create a comprehensive marketing plan that exposes your home to the public as well as to other real estate agents through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), other cooperative marketing networks, open houses for agents, etc.
Your listing will appear on all the most popular real estate sites where buyers spend hours a day looking at homes such as Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, REMAX, Redfin, and dozens of others.
Your property will also be featured on Tom’s own highly-trafficked website Homes2moveyou.com. You can be assured that your home will get sold quickly and for the best price.
Search Farmington Hill MI Homes for Sale
Tom works very hard for his clients. He will protect your interests, advocate for you, negotiate on your behalf, and go the extra mile to ensure the best possible results. If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling Farmington Hills MI real estate, please give top-rated Farmington Hills MI REALTOR® – Tom Gilliam a call today at (248) 790-5594 or you can get in touch here.
Tom Gilliam, REALTOR®
RE/MAX Classic
29630 Orchard Lake Rd.
Farmington Hills 48334
Direct: 248-790-5594
Office: 248-737-6800
Email: Tom @ Homes2MoveYou.com
License #314578
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