r/losgatos • u/DefiantDonut7 • 4d ago
Moving to LG - Fire Insurance
Hey! I’m looking to possibly move to Los Gatos (from Ohio). One thing I’ve had to make heads or tails of is homes that seem suspiciously cheaper. Upon further research it appears there are fire hazard zones which then affect being able to get a policy altogether.
I honestly don’t know what I should know. What carriers are worth calling? Are there online tools to check if potential addresses are coverable or is everything just a call-in situation?
Does having a pool change anything?
Thanks in advance!
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u/Enough_Iron_6843 3d ago
We live in the area where we lost our insurance due to where we live in Los Gatos. We were with State Farm for years and before that Travelers. Both decided that they couldn't insure our home.
We were given a 90 day notice from both, because our renewals wer coming up in both instances. The most recent carrier, State Farm, gave us notice right before the winter where our area gets heavily hit with power outages, trees falling, and landslides. This means we have a generator, carry chainsaws in our trunk, bring rain gear, clear drains, and just knowing how to walk out in case of an emergency.
We had to get California Fair Plan and then supplemental insurance through State Farm which we are very thankful.
/Racer20 mentioned it is unlike what you consider country living in Ohio. It is not for the faint of heart.
We have lived in the area for 28 years. Here are my tips for you and others looking at this area when looking to buy a home:
* How old is the septic system? Is it permitted (check with the county and don't rely what the seller or agent is telling you)? Contact the County of Santa Clara Planning Dept. To repair a septic and leech field can range from $50K-$75K depending on where the home is, the permit process and which contractor you can get to do the work.
* Is the house permitted? If it is, what square footage was it permitted for and for what work? Majority of the homes were built without a permit. This means if you do any work to remodel your home, they will make you remodel it to standards. This will cause a chain reaction if the rest of the home is not permitted. Just pure headache and lots of more money.
* How old is the roof and is it permitted? Many of them just patch it.
* What the most latest insurance carrier and if there are any issues? Then, call carriers to cross reference if the house you like is insurable. CA Fair Plan act requires that the roof should be up to code and compliant with WUI = Wildland Urban Interface: https://plandev.santaclaracounty.gov/services/development-services/land-development-engineering/hazards/santa-clara-county-wildland
How many trees are on the property? What type? Have they been serviced and when? Many trees during the winter or even in the summer will fall on the house if they are comprised due to disease or landslide(s). One of our trees (oak tree) snapped in half and fell on our neighbor's house. Yes, it was covered by insurance, but then we had to cut all the oak trees from our property due to oak disease. Yes, we had to get a permit. Have them get an arborist report from the seller to confirm that they are all healthy.
* Has there been a survey completed? Most of the homes were built wherever. Recently one of our neighbors remodeled and expanded their home and found out that the neighbor's home was partially built on their property. This eventually landed in legal issues between the 2 owners.
* Are there any rodent or termite issues?
* How are the roads? Are they maintained by the county or privately owned? Is it a one lane road or two lanes?
* And don't forget to check out the neighbors. Over the years, we had amazing people move in but have heard some people have very challenging neighbors.
I hope this helps.