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
Upon satisfaction of a mortgage or other debt payments, the deed releases property, or a portion of it, form the incumbrance. Often it is used in circumstances where a deed of trust is ...
Neighborhood square somewhat resembling a park. It is often owned by town or row house owners situated near the square. ...
One who represents a zone such an elected leader of a region. He or she have dealings with the county's officials in matters affecting that zone. ...
Products, services, markets, and even humans are often subject to swift and unpredictable changes that go against all previous expectations. In other words, they’re volatile. What is ...
Measure of the typical U.S. family's ability to buy a home, published by the National Association of Realtors. When the Index measures 100, a family earning the median income has exactly ...
The escrow fee is basically how the escrow agent or manager get his/her compensation for assisting and handling both the parties and the funds involved in escrow. In real estate, the ...
Map showing the kinds of soil in a designated locality. ...
Increase in the amount of money available for businesses and people to by real estate because of lower interest rates. Easy money stimulates spending on investment such as houses. See also ...
Net return rate earned on an equity investment in real estate after deducing any interest costs and taxes. ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.