Massachusetts Home Insurance

Homeowner insurance is designed to protect your home from certain perils such as fire, theft, wind, hail, falling objects, riot, vehicle damage, explosion, smoke and bursting of pipes. Notable exclusions are: flood, earthquake, mold, mildew, rot or animal damage.

When setting up your policy your Massachusetts Independent Insurance Agent will attempt to come up with The Replacement Cost of your home. Not to be confused with Market Value, The Replacement Value is the amount of money it would take to replace you home if it were destroyed by an insurance loss. The Coverage A, Dwelling, amount should represent this Replacement Value.

Complete Protection for Your Home

Your home is one of the largest investments you will ever have. You want to make certain that your coverage is tailored to your individual home and personal needs. Your Independent, Massachusetts Insurance Agent will offer quality, basic coverage with many features and many coverage options to enhance your protection.

A Homeowners Policy Protects:

• Dwelling (your home)
• Other Structures, such as a detached garage, shed, fence, mailbox or doghouse
• Personal Property, including furniture, clothing, appliances and much more
• Loss of Use, for living expenses, when the home is damaged and uninhabitable
• Personal Liability Coverage, protects you and your family against a claim or lawsuit if someone is injured or their property is damaged while at your home
• Medical Payments to Others

Coverage Options:

• Personal Property Replacement Cost Protection. Provides full replacement cost (no depreciation)for your personal belongings
• Replacement Cost Protection on your Dwelling. Provides the extra insurance you need to rebuild your house if your coverage amount is inadequate
• Personal Injury. Protects you against libel and slander
• Schedule Valuable Items. Provides a blanket of coverage that is broader than what a basic Homeowners policy provides. It is the right coverage for people who own valuable possessions such as jewelry, fine arts, collectibles, antiques and other “special items”
• Umbrella Policy. Offers an additional $1 million to $5 million of liability protection
• Flood Coverage. Flood damage is typically not covered under a home insurance policy. This affordable coverage covers damage to your property and provides cleanup reimbursement
• Earthquake Endorsement

An Independent, Massachusetts Insurance Agent will find you products that are competitively priced & that offer great value with many money-saving discounts:

• New or renovated home discount
• Account discount when you insure both your auto and home with the same company
• Loss free credit
• Non-smoker credit
• Security discounts are available for homes with: smoke detectors, dead bolts, fire extinguishers or alarm systems.

Massachusetts Home Buying Tips:

The home buying process may seem complicated, but if you take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home!

1. Know how much you can afford - This depends on your income, credit, current monthly expenses, down-payment and interest rate.
    
2. Shop for a loan -Talk to several lenders, compare costs, interest rates, and negotiate to get a better deal. Consider getting pre-approved for a loan.
    
3. Shop for a home - Come up with a wish list. This list should include: price, location, rooms (including bathrooms), age, and condition.
    
4. Make an offer - Do not be afraid to make a low offer. As told to us by one real estate agent: “There is no such thing as a bad offer.” Be prepared to negotiate and be prepared to walk away from the deal if the home gets too pricey. Try to remain as emotionless as possible and view the purchase like the business decision that it is.
    
5. Get a home inspection - A home inspection is a vital part of the home buying process. Make your offer contingent on this inspection. An inspection needs to be done to tell you about the condition of the home. The inspection can assist you in avoiding buying a home that needs major repairs.
    
6. Shop for Massachusetts Homeowners Insurance - Mortgage companies require that you have homeowners insurance in place at the time of the closing. We recommend that you get a quote from http://www.MassQuotes.com.
    
7. Sign the papers - You are finally ready for your closing. Be sure to read everything before you sign. An attorney can help assist you with this process.
    
8. Move in! - Congratulations on your new home!
   

Massachusetts Home Selling Tips:

1. Get pre-approved for a home loan - It is important to know if you are qualified to buy another home before you sign a contract to sell your existing house. If not, you may end up renting or buying something that is far from ideal.
    
2. Know your mortgage payoff - It is important to know what the payoff is for your current home mortgage so that you know exactly how much you can afford to sell your home for.
    
3. Determine how much your home is worth - Determine your home's fair market value. Real estate agents will usually help you with this process but you might want to order an appraisal. (Zillow.com can help give you a general idea of your home’s value.)
    
4. Estimate the costs to sell your home - Costs can include: commissions if you use a real estate agency to help you sell your home, advertising costs, signs and other fees if you plan to sell yourself, attorney, closing agent and/or other professional fees, excise taxes, other fees typically paid by the seller (surveys, inspections etc...)
    
5. Estimate the costs to buy your new home - Estimate buying and moving expenses to buy your new home. Expenses include things such as: loan costs, down-payment, home inspections, title work, paying for a new home insurance policy.
    
6. Make necessary repairs - Make all needed repairs unless you want the house to be regarded as a fixer-upper. Not, necessarily cosmetic updates but items in need of repair.
    
7. Get your home ready to show - Items include: fresh paint indoors and out, organized closets, cabinets, clean windows and appliances, and a clutter-free look. A little work can go a long way and ensure the offer from a potential buyer that you are looking for.
    
8. Sell, sell, sell! - Make your home accessible and always ready to show. Know your asking price & know the very minimum offer that you are willing to accept. Do not be afraid to reject an offer if it is not acceptable to you.