home owner insurance

hello.

new to the community and the brown stone (very near future) owner experience. weirdly exciting times, i guess… in the mean time i’d very much appreciate a few tips/recommendations on getting home owner insurance to present to the bank. i have a quote form a company called Brownstone Agency inc. which is a 3 year prepaid policy. the property is a primary residence + a rental unit.
i was hoping someone can offer some insights and recommend what the smartest way to approach acquiring insurance for a brown stone property is in the current situation.

thank you all and stay safe…

Guest User | 5 years and 2 months ago

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cate | 5 years and 2 months ago

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I think Lurker means their agency, Proper Insurance, is underwritten by Lloyd’s of London.

Guest User | 5 years and 2 months ago

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@ Lurker. not planning any Airbnb, just having a home… but… do you mean Brownstone Agency Inc. is underwritten by Lloyd’s of London? and in your case are they (BA inc) your insurer? thanks…

Guest User | 5 years and 2 months ago

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thank you all for taking the time to reply.

yudashasom | 5 years and 2 months ago

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A few years ago I had a substantial claim with Brownstone for property damage. It was several hundred thousand dollars. They paid and within a reasonable amount of time.

Lurker | 5 years and 2 months ago

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FWIW, if you’re planning on doing Airbnb or any other short term rental of your property, those are forbidden by standard insurance policies. We converted to Proper Insurance, which is a commercial policy and cost twice what we were paying for reg insurance but it in theory covers regular and short term rentals, including vacancies which many policies dont’ cover. I haven’t filed a claim yet so can’t speak to their quality and it’s only been a yera, but I was happy about the sign-up experience, and get quick responses. It’s underwritten by Lloyd’s of london.

Guest User | 5 years and 2 months ago

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thanks Bob. appreciated….

anybody else that has filed a claim with Brownstone Agency inc. recently? or any other thoughts on new homeowner insurance purchase?

thanks….

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 5 years and 2 months ago

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The only claim I ever had with Brownstone Agency was over a minor burglary back in the early ’80s; it was settled promptly.

Guest User | 5 years and 2 months ago

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hi guys… thanks for all the replies. sincerely appreciate it. one additional question: has any of you had to file any claims with them? there are some on-line reviews on google, yelp, etc that are not that favorable towards Brownstone Agency, Inc. i realize that there always will be people that are not happy wth their insurance situations but just wanted to see if anybody can share any positive experience on filing claims with that insurer.

thanks again…

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 5 years and 2 months ago

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Ah yes, those 3 year policies and clueless banks! Chase held my mortgage for almost all of its 25 year term and had no problem with the insurance; I just had Brownstone Agency send them a copy of the policy each time I renewed it. A few months before the mortgage was paid in full Chase sold my mortgage to Fleet Bank. Fleet promptly screwed up my water bill payments out of escrow, so I wasn’t inclined to accommodate them when they asked for a copy of my policy mid-way through the three year term. I told them that they could either get it from Chase or wait a couple of years until it was renewed. When they started to make threats I told them to go ahead and call in the loan (since I only had a few payments left, which I could have paid in full). They called back asking for a phone number at Brownstone Agency and, I assume, they worked out their petty bureaucratic problem–I never heard from them again and my mortgage satisfaction documents eventually came from Chase.

yudashasom | 5 years and 2 months ago

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Brownstone is great. I’ve had them for years, and no issues. The only issue is that a lot of banks/lenders are not used to seeing a three year policy. You have to make it clear as this can throw off your ratios and escrow.

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 5 years and 2 months ago

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FWIW I’ve had insurance through Brownstone Agency for >45 years. Back when I bought my house they were the ONLY practicable insurance source for old city row houses. There are many more options now, but I’ve never had a reason to change.