Homeowner's Insurance Policy
Definition of "Homeowner's insurance policy"
Homeowner’s insurance is a kind of property insurance that covers risks commonly encountered by homeowners.
There are several kinds of homeowner’s insurance policies:
Homeowners-1 (HO-1) - the most basic coverage. Basically, HO-1 provides homeowners protection against catastrophic losses only. HO-1 is a Named Peril Policy, that is; a policy that specifies exactly what it covers.
Homeowners-2 (HO-2) - known as a mid-range policy, the HO-2 provides broader coverage than the HO-1, but it’s not as robust as the HO-3, for instance. It is also a named peril policy.
Homeowners-3 (HO-3) - is the most common homeowner’s policy in the US. The HO-3 is midway between a named perils policy and an open perils policy. That is because under the HO-3, your personal properties (appliances, furniture, cars…) are insured via named perils but the house itself is insured under an Open Peril Policy, which is a list of exclusions of damages insured by the policy. If it’s not on the list, the insurance will cover it.
Homeowners-4 (HO-4) - also known as renter’s insurance, the HO-4 is a policy made for people renting a property.
Homeowners-5 (HO-5) - the HO-5 is one of the most comprehensive homeowner's insurance available. An elite policy, the HO-5 is an upgraded version of HO-3, as it also includes the personal properties under the open perils policy and not just the house.
Homeowners-6 (HO-6) - the HO-6 is for people renting condos and townhomes. Also known as the condo insurance or the townhome insurance, the HO-6 is similar to the HO-4 in scope, but it deviates from it regarding the way some aspects are calculated.
Homeowners-8 (HO-8) - the HO-8 is designed to protect older homes and remodeled buildings that are difficult to replace if destroyed. It is similar to HO-1 as it is also a basic coverage, but the HO-1 usually evaluates the house via replacement cost approach, whereas it’s difficult to do that with HO-8, which typically uses the actual cash value.
Real Estate Advice:
Search our Glossary Terms for the specific definitions of all the types of homeowner's insurance.
And find a real estate agent to help you decide which type of homeowner's insurance is the best for you.
Popular Real Estate Terms
Person who dies leaving a will specifying the distribution of the estate. ...
Written enumeration of the desired selling prices associated with homes or office buildings for sale. The prospective buyer can then determine if the properties for sale are within his ...
Person providing advice for compensation about real estate. ...
Real property being offered for sale that has received a contract for sale but has not gone to a closing. Under these circumstances, it may be possible to accept a refundable binder for ...
Branch of the federal government responsible for collecting taxes including personal and corporate. The IRS administers tax rules and regulations, and investigates tax irregularities. ...
Sponsor of a syndicate involving people or companies buying an interest in a real estate investment or unit. The group of investors are in effect engaged in a joint venture for profit." ...
The maximum pre-approved amount that an individual or business can borrow without preparing a new credit request. It is a safety buffer in the event funds are needed for unexpected ...
Decline in value of real estate property because it is near something which is damaging to its worth. For example, a house located next to a pollution treatment center, drug center, or ...
Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. Land is designated as either a base line (East-West) or principal meridian line (North-South). It is a rectangular approach ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.