Latest Homeowners Headlines

All the headlines from our Homeowners Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Homeowners’ Satisfaction

Mar 9 2020 // U.S. homeowner insurers are doing a better job than ever making their customers happy when responding to claims, according to J.D. Power. Results of the firm’s Property Claims Satisfaction Study show that overall...

Homeowners Fail to Protect Against Water Damage, Most Common Property Claim: Chubb

Mar 9 2020 // There continues to be a disconnect between homeowner beliefs and behaviors, especially when it comes to protecting against the most common source of property-related damage: water.That’s according to the annual Chubb...

California FAIR Plan Can Offer Only Fire Insurance, Judge Says

Mar 9 2020 // A fund that offers only fire insurance to California residents in wildfire-prone areas can’t be required to provide coverage for other hazards such as flooding or theft, a judge ruled in late February.Superior Court...

Amid Tennessee Tornado Devastation, Surviving Homes Become Beacons of Hope

Mar 6 2020 // Moments after a tornado tore through his quiet Tennessee neighborhood, Darrell Jennings walked out his front door and heard screaming.The house next door – and many others – had been leveled to its foundations....

Popular Climate Change Mitigation, Clean Energy Financing Plan Has Its Fans and Foes

Mar 4 2020 // A decade ago, if a Floridian wanted extra cash to replace a roof, install solar panels or a brand new air conditioner, the most common choice was a bank loan. But for the last few years, homeowners also have had a...

Homes in Flood Plains May Be Overvalued by $34 Billion

Mar 3 2020 // At least 3.8 million U.S. homes lie in flood plains. Together, they may be overvalued by $34 billion.New research published Monday in a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper shows that markets fail to...

Three Florida Men Plead Guilty to Scamming Homeowners After Hurricane Michael

Mar 2 2020 // Three men have pleaded guilty to scamming Florida Panhandle homeowners out of about $319,000 by promising to repair hurricane damage and never doing the work.Edward Newton, Christoper Mayes and Christian Pantazonis each...

Vermont Reaches Settlement with Nursing Homes After Fatality

Feb 24 2020 // Vermont’s attorney general announced a settlement with three of the state’s nursing homes over allegations of neglect that resulted in serious injuries to three residents and the death of a fourth.The...

California FAIR Plan Can Offer Only Fire Insurance, Judge Says

Feb 21 2020 // A fund that offers only fire insurance to California residents in wildfire-prone areas can’t be required to provide coverage for other hazards such as flooding or theft, a judge ruled this week.Superior Court Judge...

California Commissioner, Lawmakers Intro ‘Hardened Homes’ Wildfire Bill Requiring Admitted Market to Offer Coverage

Feb 18 2020 // A newly proposed bill would clarify under California law the concept of “hardened homes” that are safer or more resistant to wildfires and then require admitted carriers to cover those homes.California’s...

Swiss Re’s iptiQ and IKEA Partner to Offer Home insurance

Feb 18 2020 // Swiss Re’s iptiQ and IKEA announced the launch of HEMSÄKER, home insurance that provides accessible protection at an affordable price, said Swiss Re in a statement.HEMSÄKER, which can be purchased online via the...

HCI Approved by Florida Regulator to Replace Anchor P&C Coverage for 43K Insureds

Feb 18 2020 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has approved a plan for Homeowners Choice Property and Casualty Insurance Company, a subsidiary of HCI Group, to provide replacement policies for Anchor Property and Casualty...

Georgia Moves Towards Loosening Safety Regulations for Dams Near New Homes

Feb 11 2020 // Georgia could soon loosen safety standards for dams that sit above newly built homes, under a proposal unanimously passed by a state Senate committee.Senate Bill 319 would allow for homes and other inhabitable structures...

Homeowners Insurtech Openly Expands Into Tennessee

Feb 7 2020 // Openly Inc., an insurtech backed by Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture fund, has gone live in Tennessee.The addition of Tennessee comes on the heels of the company’s launch and funding announcement...

15 Homes in Kentucky Evacuated After Semi-Truck Crash Causes Hazmat Spill

Feb 5 2020 // A semi-truck crashed Monday morning and began leaking a flammable liquid, leading emergency crews to evacuate about 15 homes in southern Kentucky, police said. The truck overturned and was partially hanging off a bridge...

CEO Retreats on Pledge to Fix All Homes Damaged in Houston Blast

Jan 30 2020 // The head of a company involved in a massive explosion in Houston that killed two workers and injured 20 others on Jan. 28 backtracked on a pledge he had made earlier in the day to fix the hundreds of structures damaged by...

Insurers Say Proposed California Regs Could Axe Discounts for Millions

Jan 28 2020 // The American Property Casualty Insurance Association testified today in opposition to draft regulations they say could eliminate many affinity group insurance discount programs during a pre-notice workshop held by the...

Iowa Town to Buy more Homes in Flood Plain

Jan 28 2020 // The city of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been awarded a $2.2 million federal grant that, coupled with state and city contributions, will make $2.95 million available to buy out up to 22 homeowners in the flood plain along Duck...

South Carolina Homeowner Claims in Suit Airbnb Guest Threw Party, Trashed Home

Jan 27 2020 // The owner of an island home off South Carolina’s coast is suing Airbnb, claiming it only reimbursed him for a “fraction” of the damages that a guest who threw a big party did to his home.In a federal...

Ratings Agencies Disagree Over Financial Strength of Florida Family Insurance Co.

Jan 23 2020 // The credit ratings of homeowners insurer Florida Family Insurance Co. and its subsidiary, Florida Family Home Insurance Co., have been downgraded by AM Best due to a deterioration in underwriting results for the insurer....