Buying Louisiana Homeowners Insurance After Hurricane Katrina

Floods. Famine. Fire. Louisiana got to enjoy all of that and more after Hurricane Katrina swept through, leaving devastation and ruin behind. On top of that, millions of residents were left homeless because their homeowners insurance wouldn't or couldn't pay out their necessary claims. Today's residents are still paying for the 2005 disaster by paying exorbitant prices for their homeowners insurance and struggling to find any type of flood insurance coverage to keep them from becoming just another statistic.

The first step to buying Louisiana homeowners insurance is to determine how "high risk" your community is in terms of flooding. If you're inland and away from areas that tend to spill over on a fairly reliable basis you might be able to find flood insurance through a private insurer for a reasonable rate; however, if you make your home in the bayou area along the coast almost no insurer is going to be willing to provide you with coverage. If that's the case, your best bet is going to be to contact the National Flood Insurance Program to see about purchasing government insurance.

The next step is to shop around. The internet has made shopping for quotes online infinitely easier than the old fashioned method of picking up the phone and spending days calling around, so don't take the first decent offer that comes your way. Remember, haggling is practically the cornerstone of modern day insurance shopping. Take advantage of it. You'd be astonished at how quickly an insurer will drop their prices if you tell them that their competition offered coverage to you for 20% less!

Don't forget to push your agent into telling you about their discounts; all of their discounts. You'd be amazed at what will save you money when you're talking about your homeowners insurance. For example, installing deadbolt locks and an electronic security system can save you as much as 10% on your coverage. People over 55, retired or working from home can save money because they're home most of the day to respond quickly if there's an emergency. Some organizations team up with insurance companies to offer their members discounts, and some employers participate in these programs as well.

A big percentage of the almost incomprehensible equation used to determine Louisiana homeowners insurance premiums is how much coverage you want. Be sure that you're insuring your house and not your house and the grass, trees and soil it's sitting on. Cutting your land out of the equation can shave hundreds off the cost of your premiums. Also, decide if you want to insure using the replacement cost of your house or its cash value (i.e. do you want to take depreciation into account?). Things lose value over time, and the less money your insurance company has to pay out if there's an emergency the less money you're going to have to pay in annual premiums.

Finding affordable Louisiana homeowners insurance isn't impossible, just a little tricky. Be sure you know the ins and outs of your insurance coverage. When you live in the second most expensive state in the country it's up to you to make sure your home is protected while making your dollars count.
by: Anthony Peck