A home policy that would actually rebuild your house.

Enough dwelling coverage to rebuild the house from the foundation up at today's labor and material prices, plus liability limits that match what you have to lose. I calculate the first number with a replacement cost estimator and talk through the second with you. The purchase price and the tax assessment are not the answer.

Both cover the structure against anything the policy does not specifically exclude. The HO-3 covers your belongings only against a named list of causes, usually at depreciated value unless you add an endorsement. The HO-5 covers belongings against anything not excluded and usually pays replacement cost. I quote both when a company offers both.

No. Water rising from outside the house is flood, and it is excluded from every standard home policy. You buy it separately through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood company. If you are in a mapped flood zone with a mortgage, the lender will require it; on the South Shore it is worth a quote even if you are not.

A separate, larger deductible that applies only to damage from a named hurricane that meets the policy's trigger. It is written as a percentage of your dwelling limit. I translate that into a dollar figure and read you the trigger language, because the rule is different from one company to the next.

Your lender needs proof of insurance, usually a binder, before closing, and your attorney will ask for it a week or two ahead. Get me the address as soon as you are in contract. I quote, you pick, and I send the binder to everyone who needs it with the correct mortgagee clause.

Send me the declarations page before the renewal date. I quote the same coverage across every company I work with and show you the comparison. Sometimes the answer is to switch, sometimes to adjust the deductible, and sometimes to stay. What you should not do is let it lapse.

Yes, and you are not penalized for honesty. New York does not allow home insurers to decide based on dog breed alone, pools are routine with a proper fence, and trampolines are fine with some companies. Hiding any of these is what gets a claim denied.

Only a little. Business property has a small limit and business liability is generally excluded. Depending on what you do, the fix is an endorsement on the home policy or a small business policy. Tell me what the business is and I will tell you which.

Often, yes. Many companies send an inspector to photograph the exterior after the policy starts, and some ask for interior photos of older homes. It is routine. If something comes up, like a roof or a railing, I handle the conversation with the company.