Big changes are happening within the home insurance industry. After several years of large payouts due to storms and wildfires, many insurers are now charging higher rates and insuring less to pull themselves out of their losses.
According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, since January 2022, insurance rates in Arizona have increased between 20-30%. In states like California and Florida, some insurers are pulling out altogether by halting all new policy sales.
Desert Mountain is no exception to these increases. Many homeowners have reported their rates increasing upon their renewals, and some have even reported being unable to get insurance through certain companies on new homes located in areas considered to have a higher risk for wildfire.
Often this causes homeowners to “shop” their coverage. When you do so, those best served often engage insurance brokers/agents to assist them with this process.
Hopefully, you are comfortable with your current broker/agent; however, not all brokers/agents routinely work with higher-value properties. Insurance carriers willing to insure higher-value properties may be more limited.
To help, the HOA is compiling a list of brokers whom other Desert Mountain homeowners have worked with and recommended to assist in shopping for coverage. While the HOA does not endorse these brokers/agents, a list of them can be obtained by contacting the HOA at hoa@desertmthoa.com. If you have an agent/broker you’d like to add to the list, please email us to do so.
These insurance trends serve as a strong reason to make your property Firewise compliant. You’ve received and will continue to receive communications from the HOA regarding Firewise.
The goal of the Firewise campaign is to have 100% compliance from every homeowner in Desert Mountain. At this point, while we’ve made progress, most of the Desert Mountain Villages are still less than 50% Firewise compliant. Being Firewise compliant helps ensure you have access to homeowners insurance and to better protect your property from fire damage.
Please visit the Desert Mountain HOA website for more information on how to become Firewise compliant. If you have questions about getting your home Firewise compliant, please reach out to firewise@desertmthoa.com.
