I usually only blog original content but I’m snagging some information conveyed by my friend Laine Caspi – Insurance Agent/Agency Owner at Paratus Insurance Services that’s relevant to the insurance issues in California.
There’s banter about the insurance companies being greedy, but what we do know are wild fires can be huge loses for insurance companies, insurance companies are forced into the (higher risk) California Fair Plans, and inflation has put construction cost through the roof.
NOTE: When doing a real estate transaction you can not put off evaluating the insurance. 1) You must have insurance if there’s a mortgage involved 1) The cost of the insurance can effect being able to afford the property and the debt to income ratio to qualify for the loan. 3) The insurance evaluation is part of the inspection contingency period. If you go past that timeframe and have an issue, you’re at risk of losing your deposit. 4) If the insurance (availability or cost) is the primary cause the purchase loan didn’t close, the mortgage contingency period can not be used to avoid the deposit loss.
“The Insurance market place is tightening up and it’s happening fast. It’s happening especially fast for auto and home insurance companies. Carriers are pulling a full hard stop on issuing any new policies across the country. Carriers are leaving the market or they are selling to other carriers/merging. They simply can’t operate profitably in this inflationary market. It’s getting downright ugly out there. This market is disrupted and it WILL affect all of you.
The cost of claims has risen exponentially in the past 2 years. Thus resulting in the carriers having to raise premiums and pull out of some markets. If you have an auto or home insurance policy, your rates have gone up and will continue to go up even more. This isn’t personal, it’s not based on a claim you may or may have not had, it’s simply the cost of doing business.
The cost to rebuild your home is up dramatically due to the rising cost of materials and labor. Supply chain for materials continues to be an issue. We can all agree that everything has gone up in price. Carriers simply can’t survive paying these higher prices without charging more themselves.
The cost to repair your car is up dramatically due to the rising cost of auto parts and labor to fix your car. In addition, parts in vehicles now include some technology feature. Replacing a side mirror used to be $500 – now it’s more than triple that.
The cost of medical care continues to skyrocket. Bodily injury on auto accidents is off the charts.
Litigation is expensive and settlements are rising at an unprecedented rate.
Both the frequency and severity of auto accidents are WAY up post COVID along with the rising frequency of auto fatalities.
ReInsurance (the insurance your insurance carrier buys to help cushion catastrophic loss) is at or approaching capacity in many markets, and rising rates are unsustainable.
This is a significant issue affecting the property & casualty industry (home and auto), and pricing correction is anticipated at least through 2024. States also require Carriers to have enough assets on hand to pay losses. This is a nice way to say – you will see rate increases and more frequently.
There are some things you can do to help get through this current insurance market:Consider Higher Deductibles. This will help save some money on your policy.
Safe Driving Telematic Programs. Telematics can reward you by giving you a discount for good driving.
Discount Reviews – make sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to. Every carrier has different discount opportunities. Make sure you go over those with your agent.
Bundle your Auto and Home for more discounts and more stable pricing. Bundled/Packaged policies most always include better coverage and benefits and the cost savings is usually 20% on each policy.
Consider tenure – jumping companies too often will hurt you in the long run. In addition, some carriers won’t take you as a new client if you have less than two years with a carrier. And more importantly, carriers are getting off of some risks if a claim happens in the new business term or for the number of claims in a 3-5 year window. Tenure matters with a carrier.
Follow the laws so you don’t get any tickets. Those tickets really add rate to your policy and stay on your record 3-5 years, depending on the carrier.
Absorb small claims when you’re able. Talk with your agent and let them claims counsel you should a loss happen. Stop using your towing or road side assistance as a maintenance policy. Frequency of claims matters it REALLY matters.
- Buy your insurance from an experienced Independent Insurance Broker that has options and can help you navigate this crazy market WITHOUT SACRIFICING COVERAGE. Lowering coverages could ultimately cost you more money in a loss. California State minimum limits of $15k/$30k/$5k where set as the Minimum Coverage back in 1967 and it won’t cover 90% the cars on the roads these days. Once your limits run out, you are responsible for anything above that.
And, please remember that we are agents for the carriers. We don’t make the rules, we don’t have control over the rates and we don’t make the decision if your policy is cancelled by the carriers. We are here to help educate, make sure you have the best insurance for your situation at the best rate available, manage your account with the carrier, and claims counsel when needed.”
If you are in the Los Angeles area, and have any questions or real estate sales or financing needs, feel free in contacting me
Ron Henderson GRI, SRES, SFR, RECS, CIAS
President/Broker
Multi Real Estate Services, Inc.
Gov’t Affairs Chair – California Association of Mortgage Professionals (2017-2018)
Chairman – OutWest Marketing Meeting (Real Estate Education)
BRE #00905793 NMLS #310358
www.mres.com
ronh@mres.com
Specialist in the Art of Real Estate Sales and Finance
Real Estate market, mortgage rates, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Conejo Valley, Simi Valley, Woodland Hills, West Hills, Calabasas, Chatsworth
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