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

Two or more authorized brokers who agree to cooperate together representing a principal for the completion of a real property sale. ...

Securing lease commitments to a building prior to its being available for occupancy. For example, a developer offers a discounted lease to potential tenants providing they agree to sign a ...

Reduction in taxes payable to the IRS or local government. A tax credit is more beneficial to the taxpayer than an itemized deduction because it reduces taxes on a dollar-for-dollar basis. ...

Mortgage guaranteed up to 30 years by the Veterans Administration to veterans meeting minimum requirements. Originally established by the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, amended ...

Simply put, the meaning of purchase money mortgage is a type of seller financing. Explicitly, a home seller issues a mortgage to the borrower as part of the buying transaction without ...

Raising money by mortgages and borrowing the money directly from financial institutions. The presence of debt financing provides financial leverage, which tends to magnify the effects of ...

A lien on the property of a mortgagor. In most states a mortgage gives the mortgagee a lien-as opposed to the common-law practice of granting conditional title-on the house or property as ...

Combination of insurance policies on property with each providing an additional increment of coverage exceeding the limits of the preceding policy. For example, policy A adds $70,000, then ...

A reassessment or a reappraising is a decision or strategy made by the owner or the state or local authorities. The reassessment definition is a revision of an earlier assessment. Property ...

Popular Real Estate Questions