Can You Buy Home Insurance for Property in Different States?

No matter where you live, you can and should insure property in the state in which the real estate exists. Insurance companies will base your premiums on the location of the property, not on your physical residence. You can save money on insuring both properties by using a single insurance company for all pieces of property.

Just because you cannot live in two locations does not mean you cannot own homes in more than one state. And while you cannot simply add a second property to your existing home coverage, you are still eligible to buy a new policy, often from the same company as your first home insurance policy.

Insurance is not regulated by the federal government, but is regulated at the state level. This means that not every insurance company is licensed to sell insurance in all states, and that an insurance company that sells home insurance in one state, may sell insurance but not home insurance in another. The Free Insurance Advice Website contains a comprehensive list of insurance companies, ratings for the companies and what states each one is licensed to do business in.

A benefit of using the same insurance company for more than one insurance policy is that you will be eligible for discounts as a loyal or multiple policy holder. For example, if your home and car are covered by a national company in your home state, choosing that same company to insure a vacation home in another state would mean lower premiums.

Some types of insurance coverage may be difficult to get, depending on the type of coverage and where it is located. Texas is a good example of this, because flood insurance is not offered by all insurance companies, and in some locations in the state you will need to purchase the policy from a high risk insurance company or even through the Texas FAIR plan that offers coverage on properties that are otherwise too risky to insure.

Before you purchase insurance in another state, contact that state’s Department of Insurance. Its representatives can tell you whether the insurance company you are considering is licensed and whether there are any outstanding complaints against the company. The department can also tell you if the area where your property is located is a high-risk zone.