San Leandro, CA Oakland, CA Homeowners Insurance Is Going to Get Messy in 2021

California Homeowners Insurance is not in the best place these past few years – wildfires have pummeled insurance company loss ratios, and many insurance companies want out.  We would have seen many more non-renewals in 2020, but the California Department of Insurance encouraged carriers to hold off on non-renewing policies, so there was stability for most of 2020.  This is about to change!

We are already getting warnings that non-renewals will be coming and the communications have been clear that it will be very hard to get the to Underwriters to change their mind!  Sadly, the warnings have been coming to us from most carriers, not just those that had high losses due to the wildfires.

What can you do?  Be prepared to shop especially if you have a property in brush area or in a remote area.  You should also consider clearing at least 30 feet around your dwelling as insurance carriers are sending inspectors.  Some insurance companies are re-underwriting based on fire-mapping while others have a large concentration of risk in a given geographic area, so they are reducing exposure. Nearly every major player in Homeowners Insurance has filed for a rate increase with the Department of Insurance, so be prepared to pay more.

While we cannot solve the Homeowners Insurance crisis in California, we can work with you to find solutions that make sense for you and your family.  It can be helpful to package your home and autos to make yourself more attractive to the carriers that are still writing insurance in California.