1. Ensure there is a contingency clause in your contract - In case the home you are buying turns out to be “un-insurable”.  One factor that may impact insurability, for instance, is a “water damage” claim that has occurred within the last 3 to 5 years.  This increases the potential for “mold”, which is a new major red flag for insurance companies.
2. The quality of your roof - Is one of the most important aspects in calculating the premium you will be paying.  The higher the quality, the lower the premium.  In Colorado, the most frequent claim paid by insurance companies is “wind and hail damage” to roofs.  The best roof is a “Dimensional Asphalt” roof with a hail warranty of 40 years.  Make sure you obtain the paper work from the seller certifying there is a hail warranty on the roof.
3. Avoid purchasing a home with a “Wood Shake” shingle roof – This type of roof is the most susceptible to “wind and hail” damage, and one of the most expensive to replace.  Many Colorado insurance companies will not insure these types of roofs, or if they do, the premiums are quite high.
4. Central alarm systems significantly decrease premiums – Many insurance companies provide substantial discounts for central alarm systems.  To receive maximum benefit, the system should be wired to a central monitoring facility AND should include both SMOKE and BURGULAR alarm protection.  Deadbolts and fire extinguishers are required by most insurance companies!
5. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium – In most cases, your homeowners deductible should be around $1,000, or higher if you can swing it.  This will substantially reduce your annual premiums, and defer you from filing smaller claims which may hurt you in the long run (see section below).
   Insurance companies estimate that the average person will file ONE homeowners claim in 22 years.  If you are one of the many people that have been paying higher premiums every year to keep that deductible low, you are allowing the insurance companies to smile all the way to the bank.  In most cases the savings you will see in your premium in only 2 years will offset the difference in deductible.
6. Keep yourself insurable - Insurance companies insure both YOU and your HOME.  The first 4 of our tips are important to ensure your home is insurable, the next several tips help keep you insurable.

 Tips To Keep Yourself Insurable

1. Before filing a homeowner’s claim CALL YOUR AGENT!  He or she is in the best position to advise you of what to do about a potential claim, and how that claim may or may not impact your current and future premium rates.  One of the biggest downfalls of online or 1-800 insurance companies is that you have no agent to serve as a "go-between" between you and the company.
2. Once you call the insurance company directly - Even if you only want an estimate on cost to fix some damage that has occurred, you have just opened up claim.  Regardless if any money is ever paid out by the insurance company, the claim is part of your history.
3. Every home and auto claim is recorded in a national database - The CLUE system is shared by all insurance companies.  Some insurance companies will not write new insurance if there are multiple “claim hits” on your record.  Some may charge you additional premium because of these claims.  This policy varies from company to company.  As a value added service, we will do a FREE CLUE SEARCH to find out if your new property has any claims reported on it. 
4. Contrary to popular belief, your insurance premiums may go up faster if you have many small claims than if you had one big claim.  For example, several $500 theft claims may count against you more than that new $10,000 roof the insurance company just put on your house because of a major wind storm.  In fact, that type of weather claim may not count against you at all.