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
An enticingly attractive initial rate below the market offered in an adjustable rate mortgage. For example, the teaser rate may be offered at 2% below market. A borrower who cannot qualify ...
Relationship between individuals or entities out of which exists a mutual interest. An example is a privity of contract among the contracting parties concerning the actions each are to take. ...
“What is Situs?”, you ask.Situs is a word in Latin that basically means the site or location where something exists or originates. Like most words in latin, situs is usually ...
Association of the owners of all condominium units in a building that is concerned with managing day-to-day matters in the building complex, including the surrounding and enforcing ...
A capitalized expenditure usually extending the useful life of a building or improving it in some manner over and above the original condition. In contrast, a maintenance or repair expense ...
Right to enter and start construction or furnishing property that is in the process of being purchased. ...
If escrow is the legal “moment” where assets are held by a third party (an escrow agent) hired by both the buyer and the seller of goods like real estate and insurance until the ...
People say, in real estate, there's a lot more than meets the eye. If you're connected to the housing market in any way, you've probably heard the term "implicit cost." It sounds fancy, but ...
Loan having the last payment either (1) more than twice the amount of any other payment, or (2) a payment arising from the lenders call provision. The term loan (or straight loan) is a form ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.