Exclusions.
They are a part of all insurance policies, and your homeowner’s policy is no different. However, many of the major exclusions included in most standard homeowner’s policies can be covered with a rider or a separate policy.
There are three major areas of concern when it comes to homeowner’s policy exclusions here in the Northwest. The first two, you’ve probably considered – earthquake and flood. The third and not as frequently talked about is land movement.
We live in a hilly and mountainous region that sees more than its fair share of rain each year. That combination can make for some pretty unstable ground and result in landslides. As I mentioned before, damage caused by landslides (land movement) is not covered by standard homeowner’s policies.
If you live on or near a hill and are concerned about damage caused by land movement, call your FirstMark Insurance agent and ask about a Difference In Conditions policy.
A Difference in Conditions policy typically covers all three aforementioned perils – earthquake, flood and land movement. There can be exceptions to that rule, but as a general comment, all three are covered.
Here are two examples of when the land movement aspect of a Difference in Conditions policy would come into play. The first is if the hill a home is built on gives way and the home goes with it, and the second is if a hill behind someone’s home gives way and damages said house.
Though these policies can be a bit on the expensive side, the premium you’ll pay for one pale in comparison to losing your house.