A home owner insurance quote can vary quite significantly from company to company. In fact, home insurance rates are almost solely chosen by individual companies. This, however, makes it extremely difficult to compare multiple quotes. Knowing where to look for a good insurance quote is half of the battle in making understanding and comparing several quotes easier.
The first place to start when searching for a home insurance quote from reputable companies is your local real estate association. Because these agencies do not represent individual home buyers, a majority of them offer lists for home buyers seeking insurance for their premises free of charge. Usually these lists consist of reputable and reliable insurance agencies in the state or even in a particular city. These companies will most likely be licensed by the state's department of insurance and have worked with members of the association in the past. Working from this list makes it more likely that that the quote and insurance agent you obtain a quote from, and potentially choose, will be reliable and honest.
If your home is new and you are its first occupant, another place to look for the best home insurance rates is from the builder. Many times, prior to beginning construction, the builder will have entered into a contract with a particular insurance agency to protect himself against any damage that befalls the developing properties. Because these agencies will have information and be knowledgeable about the property, they might provide you with an extremely affordable rate. Moreover, the fact that the company will already have all the information about the property can make obtaining a home owner insurance quote quite simple.
Often, the best place to find a home owner insurance quote is in your own neighborhood. Rather than relying on home insurance rates delivered over the phone or the Internet, try walking into a local insurance agency. Because these agencies are smaller they are often able to deliver more personalized quotes than the larger agencies. Local homeowner's insurance agencies are substantially dependent on word-of-mouth referrals; as such, they are willing to invest the time and effort necessary to provide potential customers with cheap rates for good policies. To obtain and retain customers, it is worth these small agencies' time to invest in making each customer happy.
Finding the best home owner insurance quote is not a difficult task, but is one that requires effort and forethought. Do not hesitate to obtain multiple quotes from reputable, referred agencies and, if you are unsure about their contract or specific clauses, ask for more information. Remember, home insurance rates should be determined, as much as possible, by you and not the agency.