Homeowner's Insurance

A policy that protects you and the lender from fire or flood, which damages the structure of the house; a liability, such as an injury to a visitor to your home; or damage to your personal property, such as your furniture, clothes or appliances

A form of insurance that protects the owner of the insured property against loss from theft, liability and most common disasters.

An insurance policy, also called hazard insurance, that combines protection against damage to a dwelling and its contents including fire, storms or other damages with protection against claims of negligence or inappropriate action that result in someone's injury or property damage. Most lenders require homeowners insurance and may escrow the cost. Flood insurance is generally not included in standard policies and must be purchased separately.

Homeowners insurance is a contract between an insurance company and a homeowner to cover certain types of damage to the property and its contents, theft of personal possessions, and liability in case of lawsuits based on incidents or events that occur on the property.

To obtain the insurance, which is based on the value of the home and what is covered in the policy, you pay a premium set by the insurance company.

For each claim there's generally a deductible - a dollar amount - that you must pay before the insurer is responsible for its share. If you have a mortgage loan, your lender will require you to have enough homeowner's insurance to cover the amount you owe on the loan.

Homeowner insurance policies vary substantially from contract to contract and from insurer to insurer as well as from region to region. Almost all policies have exclusions, which are causes of loss that are not covered. All of the coverage and exclusions of a particular policy are spelled out in the terms and conditions.