Josie Grabois

A step-by-step guide to buying homeowners insurance when you buy a house: when to start shopping, what lenders require, insurance binders and declarations pages, the mortgagee clause, how premiums appear on the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure, CLUE reports, inspections, flood zone requirements and the problems that delay closings. Continue reading Buying Homeowners Insurance Before Closing: Timeline, Binders, Lender Requirements and How to Avoid Delays

Does homeowners insurance cover sinkholes? Why standard policies exclude earth movement, the difference between Florida's catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage and full sinkhole loss coverage under section 627.706, how sinkhole claims are tested and paid, the two-year reporting deadline, neutral evaluation and how homeowners outside Florida can find coverage. Continue reading Sinkhole Insurance Explained: Catastrophic Ground Cover Collapse, Florida Rules and How Claims Work

How pools, hot tubs and trampolines affect homeowners insurance: why insurers treat them as liability risks, the attractive nuisance doctrine, common exclusions and requirements such as fencing and netting, how a pool is covered as property, when to raise liability limits or add an umbrella policy, and what to tell your insurer. Continue reading Homeowners Insurance for Swimming Pools and Trampolines: Liability, Exclusions and Safety Requirements

Does a parent's homeowners policy cover a college student's belongings? How the standard HO-3 form treats full-time students in dorms and off-campus housing, the 10 percent off-premises limit, when a student needs their own renters policy, liability coverage, roommates and how to file a claim for stolen laptops or bikes. Continue reading Renters Insurance for College Students: Dorms, Off-Campus Apartments and What a Parent’s Policy Covers

How homeowners insurance escrow works: why lenders collect premiums with your mortgage payment, the federal RESPA escrow rules on cushions, annual analyses, shortages and surpluses, what happens when your premium rises or you switch insurers, flood insurance escrow, and how to fix escrow mistakes. Continue reading Homeowners Insurance and Escrow: How Your Mortgage Pays the Premium and What Happens When It Rises

How manufactured and mobile home insurance works: what the policy covers, how it differs from a standard homeowners policy, the 1976 HUD Code and why home age matters, HUD wind zones and tie-downs, replacement cost vs actual cash value, flood and transit coverage, lenders and park lot requirements, and ways to lower the premium. Continue reading Manufactured and Mobile Home Insurance Explained: Coverage, Costs, Wind Zones and Older Homes

Does homeowners insurance cover frozen pipes? How the standard HO-3 handles burst pipe water damage, the freezing exclusion for vacant or unoccupied homes and the reasonable-care heat rule, what is paid for the pipe itself, gradual leaks, renters and condos, prevention steps and how to file a burst pipe claim. Continue reading Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Frozen Pipes? The Heat Rule, Burst Pipe Claims and Winter Prevention

Does homeowners insurance cover dog bites? How personal liability and medical payments coverage respond when your dog injures someone, what Triple-I data shows about dog bite claim costs in 2025, breed restrictions and animal liability exclusions, strict liability state laws, renters and canine liability policies. Continue reading Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Dog Bites? Liability Limits, Breed Rules and What Claims Cost

Does homeowners insurance cover theft? How the standard HO-3 treats burglary at home, items stolen from your car or while traveling, special theft limits for jewelry, firearms and cash, the police report requirement, deductibles and how to document a theft claim. Continue reading Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Theft? Burglary, Off-Premises Losses, Special Limits and How to File

FAIR plan insurance explained: what state Fair Access to Insurance Requirements plans are, who qualifies, what they usually cover and leave out, how difference in conditions policies fill the gaps, the California FAIR Plan, Florida's Citizens Property Insurance and its 20% rule, beach and windstorm plans, and how to shop your way back to the private market. Continue reading FAIR Plan Insurance Explained: Coverage of Last Resort When You Cannot Find a Homeowners Policy