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Understanding Landlord Insurance

Understanding Landlord Insurance

Article From BuyAndSell.HouseLogic.com

By: Dona DeZube
Published: September 01, 2010

Turning your home into a rental or buying an investment property? Expect to pay up to 20% more for the right insurance policy to protect your property.

If you think a homeowners insurance policy will cover you when you turn your current home into a rental property or buy an investment property, think again.

Rental properties require their own type of coverage--landlord insurance, which is different than the homeowners policy you buy when you live in a house yourself. Landlord insurance protects you against losses from fire, lighting, falling trees, wind and hail, water damage, and injury to your tenants and their guests.

But it doesn't cover the renters' household goods. So encourage tenants to buy a renters policy to cover their stuff. You can even include a clause in your lease saying they have to buy renters insurance, so everyone is clear about what's insured and what's not.

Landlord insurance is expensive

You'll pay 15% to 20% more for a landlord insurance policy than you will for a homeowners policy on the same house--and even more if you offer short-term rentals. Start your policy shopping by calling the company that sold you your homeowners insurance, then check with an independent insurance agent selling commercial and business policies.

Ask how you can get discounts if you have fire prevention devices, burglar alarms, or multiple properties.

What a landlord insurance policy probably will cover:

• Lightning, windstorm, hail, explosion, riot and civil commotion, smoke, falling objects, snow, ice, sleet, vandalism, sonic boom, sprinkler leakage, frozen pipes, water damage, burglary, volcanoes, and sinkholes.
• Things that belong to you that stay at the property, like appliances, furniture, or lawn care equipment. Keep an inventory (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/compile-home-inventory-right-tools/) of what's on site.
• Outbuildings, like sheds or garages, although this coverage will have its own limit (probably 10% of the overall insurance policy amount).
• Costs to defend yourself against lawsuits filed by tenants or guests, as well as the costs awarded if you lose the case. Some policies cover medical bills for injuries; some don't.
• Lost rental income if the property is damaged and you can't rent it.

What a landlord insurance policy probably won't cover:

• The tenants' belongings.
• Your rental property if it's vacant for more than 30 days. Seek an exemption in advance from your landlord insurance company as soon as you know the property is going to be vacant.
• War and nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attacks.

Optional coverage you might want to buy:

• Flood
• Earthquake
• Vandalism (if the policy you buy excludes it)
• Pool and tennis court insurance
• Liability for personal injury, wrongful eviction, wrongful entry, libel, and slander

Don't forget liability coverage

To cover yourself in case you lose a big court case filed by an injured tenant, buy an umbrella insurance policy (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/cost-umbrella-insurance-homeowners/) that gives you liability protection for $1 million to $5 million or more if you have a lot of assets to protect.

Don't file a claim unless you absolutely have to

There's a limit to how many claims (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/homeowners-insurance-to-claim-or-not-to-claim/) you can file before insurance companies start charging you more or canceling your policies. Claims can quickly add up as you buy more rental properties.

One time you always want to file a claim is when someone says they've been injured on your property. One claim you'll want to avoid filing: water damage for less than $10,000 because worries about mold growing in water-damaged properties will lead some insurers to immediately cancel your insurance policy.

Other web resources

Renters Insurance Brochure to Share with Your Tenants (http://www.iii.org/brochures/renters-insurance.html)

Dona DeZube, HouseLogic's News Editor, has been writing about real estate for over two decades. She lives in a suburban Baltimore 1970s rancher on a 3-acre lot shared with possums, raccoons, foxes, a herd of deer, and her blue-tick hound.

5 Tips for Deciphering Your Good Faith Estimate

5 Tips for Deciphering Your Home Loan’s Good-faith Estimate

Article From BuyAndSell.HouseLogic.com

By: G. M. Filisko
Published: April 09, 2010


Knowing how to read your good-faith estimate can help you save money on your home loan.

When you're shopping for a mortgage loan, it's sometimes hard to understand the jargon lenders use in the good-faith estimate explaining the costs and fees you'll pay when taking out a mortgage.

When you apply for a mortgage, the lender has three days to give you a good-faith estimate of the fees and interest rate you'll pay, as well as other loan terms. Here are five tips for using the new three-page form to your advantage. When you apply for a mortgage, the lender has three days to give you a good-faith estimate of the fees and interest rate you'll pay, as well as other loan terms. Here are five tips for using the new three-page form to your advantage.

1. Know which fees can increase and by how much

In the past, lenders provided an estimate of the costs involved in getting your home loan, and if those costs rose by the time you closed on your home, tough luck. The good-faith estimate shows some fees the lender can't change, like the loan origination fee that you pay to get a certain interest rate (commonly called points) and transfer costs.

The form also lists the charges that can increase by up to 10%, like some title company fees and local government recording fees. The lender must cover any increase over that amount.

Finally, the good-faith estimate lists the fees that can change without any limit, such as daily interest charges.

2. Look for answers to basic loan questions

In the summary section, lenders explain your loan's terms in simple language. Can your interest rate rise? If so, a lender must spell out how much the rate can jump and what your new payment would be if it does. Can the amount you owe the lender increase, even if you make your payments on time? If it can, a lender must show you the potential increase.

3. Evaluate the "tradeoffs" on a loan

In the new "tradeoff table," you can ask lenders to provide details on the tradeoffs you can make in choosing among home loans. If you'd like the same loan with lower settlement charges, how will the interest rate change? If you'd like a lower interest rate, how much will your settlement charges increase?

4. Compare apples to apples with the shopping chart

Included on the good-faith estimate is space for you to list all the terms and fees for four different loans, so you can make side-by-side comparisons.

5. Know what's missing from the good-faith estimate

The new form lacks some key information, such as how much you'll reimburse the sellers for property taxes they've already paid on the home. It also doesn't tell you the amount of money you'll have to bring to the closing table. Some lenders have created supplemental forms providing that information. If yours hasn't, ask for it.

Other web resources

The new U.S. Housing and Urban Development good-faith estimate (http://www.hud.gov/content/releases/goodfaithestimate.pdf)

More on shopping for a loan (http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/ramh/res/Settlement-Booklet-January-6-REVISED.pdf)

G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who has encountered many settlement statements that bore no resemblance to the lender's good-faith estimate. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.

5 Tips for Buying a Foreclosure

 

5 Tips for Buying a Foreclosure

Article From BuyAndSell.HouseLogic.com

By: G. M. Filisko

Published: March 29, 2010

Get prequalified for a loan and set aside funds, and you'll be ready to purchase a foreclosed home.

When lenders take over a home through foreclosure, they want to sell it as quickly as possible. Since lenders aren't in the real estate business, they turn to real estate brokers for help marketing their properties. Buying a foreclosed home through the multiple listing service can be a bargain, but it can also be a problem-filled process. Here are five tips to help you buy smart.

1. Choose a foreclosure sale expert. Lenders rarely sell their own foreclosures directly to consumers. They list them with real estate brokers. You can work with a real estate agent who sells foreclosed homes for lenders, or have a buyer's agent find foreclosure properties for you. To locate a foreclosure sales specialist, call local brokers and ask if they are the listing agent for any banks.

Either way, ask the real estate professional which lenders' homes they've sold, how many buyers they've represented in a foreclosed property purchase, how many of those sales they closed last year, and who they legally represent. If the agent represents the lender, don't reveal anything to her that you don't want the lender to know, like whether you're willing to spend more than you offer for a house.

2. Be ready for complications. In some states, the former owner of a foreclosed home can challenge the foreclosure in court, even after you've closed the sale. Ask your agent to recommend a real estate attorney who has negotiated with lenders selling foreclosed homes and has defended legal challenges to foreclosures. Have your attorney explain your state's foreclosure process and your risks in purchasing a foreclosed home. Set aside as much as $5,000 to cover potential legal fees.

3. Work with your agent to set a price. Ask your real estate agent to show you closed sales of comparable homes, which you can use to set your price. Start with an amount well under market value because the lender may be in a hurry to get rid of the home.

4. Get your financing in order. Many mortgage market players, such as Fannie Mae, require buyers to submit financing preapproval letters with a purchase offer. They'll also reject all contingencies. Since most foreclosed homes are vacant, closings can be quick. Make sure you have the cash you'll need to close your purchase.

5. Expect an as-is sale. Most homeowners stopped maintaining their home long before they could no longer make mortgage payments. Be sure to have enough money left after the sale to make at least minor, and sometimes substantive, repairs. Although lenders may do minor cosmetic repairs to make foreclosed homes more marketable, they won't give you credits for repair costs (or make additional repairs) because they've already factored the property's condition into their asking price.

Lenders will also require that you purchase the home "as is," which means in its current condition. Protect yourself by ordering a home inspection to uncover the true condition of the property, getting a pest inspection, and purchasing a home warranty.

Be sure you also do all the environmental testing that's common to your region to find hazards such as radon, mold, lead-based paint, or underground storage tanks.

Other web resources

How to buy a foreclosure from Fannie Mae (http://www.homepath.com/homebuyers/buying_fanniemaeowned.html)

What to consider when buying a foreclosure as your first home (http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-29589.html)

 G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who purchased a foreclosed condominium and found herself in the middle of a months-long dispute between the former homeowner and the bank over whether the foreclosure was conducted properly. Six months after paying the full purchase price, she was finally able to enter the property. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® ; Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.