In article .com,
says...
I'm in the process of moving across the country, am selling my present
home. Called my insurance agent today (Farmer's) to tell him of the
move, thinking some adjustment to the home owner's policy would be
required (on the one hand the house is vacant, so presumably more
vulnerable, on the other it's empty, so no content is there to be
harmed) he told me they will not insure an empty house & as far as he
knows no one will.

Much depends on the state the house is in, since insurance is
regulated at the state level.

I'm only really familiar with Washington State, since that's where I
live and have my insurance license. In Washington, Farmers agents
can insure a vacant house through Foremost Insurance, which is owned
by Farmers. It has a variety of "specialty" policies for houses that
don't meet the standards for normal homeowners policies. But I know
there are states where Foremost does not offer those plans, so you
might be in one of them.

You might also call your agent back and ask what, exactly, the
company would do if your house is vacant. They already have it
insured, is vacancy grounds for a mid-term cancellation of your
policy, or would they temporarily reduce coverage while vacant, then
decline to renew the policy when the current term expires? How long
do you expect to own a vacant house?

You might try going to www.netquote.com and putting in the info on
your house -- it will be forwarded to multiple insurance agents
serving your zip code, so it's a lot faster than calling around local
agents to explain everything again.

Disclaimer: Unless you see my name on your Policy Declaration Pages,
I am not your insurnce agent and this is not specific advice about
any particular policy, house, or situation. Contact your own
insurance agent for specifics of your policy.

--
is Joshua Putnam
http://www.phred.org/~josh/
Updated Bicycle Touring Books List:
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