Homeowner's Insurance Policy

Definition of "Homeowner's insurance policy"

Shon McGuire real estate agent

Written by

Shon McGuireelite badge icon

Adams Cameron & Co. Realtors


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.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

A window in a roof or ceiling of a structure from which light enters the house. ...

A rectangular area bordered on all sides by buildings. Often, a quadrangle is grassy with decorative landscaping. A quadrangle can be found in a central business district or on the site ...

Administrator of estate is a term used in common-law jurisdiction for a person assigned a particular responsibility. The administrator of estate definition describes a court-appointed ...

The term foraging comes from the old germanic language, which passed through Old French “fuerre” and “fourrage” and it means the search for wild food resources. ...

Document describing the benefits and provisions for people or businesses covered by group insurance. Document in life and health insurance issued to a member of a group insurance plan ...

Surveyor's use of hypothetical lines to portray a properties position. North to South in the meridian line while East to West is the base line. ...

Also called a title defect. Any claim, lien, or encumbrance which, if valid, may impair the owners title to the property. This cloud does not hinder transfer of ownership on the property, ...

Fee charged by a lender to a borrower for a standby commitment. ...

Property of a defaulted borrower is sold under court order, and the judge must approve the amount received. For example, Fidelity Bank has a first mortgage balance of $100,000 on Mr. X's ...

Popular Real Estate Questions