Brookings Homeowners Insurance
Find the right homeowners insurance policy for you.
Home to South Dakota State University, the beautiful city of Brookings has a lot to offer in the way of art, culture, and entertainment. It is little wonder that so many people opt to purchase homes and settle down here. If you are among this city’s proud homeowners, you will want to be sure to cover your property with a comprehensive home insurance policy.
Independent Insurance Agents in Brookings can help you find reliable, competitively priced homeowners insurance. Find an insurance agent near you to start reviewing customized quotes.
How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost in Brookings, SD?
To get an idea of how much a policy will cost you, let’s look at some average rates:
- National average yearly premium: $1,173
- South Dakota average yearly premium: $1,096
- Brookings average yearly premium: $1,193
The average home insurance rates in this state are a bit lower than the national average, but in Brookings, the rates higher. Of course, your quoted costs may vary from the figures above because rates are based on several factors such as:
- The age, size, and value, of your house
- Whether the property is your primary residence or a second home
- The crime rate and common weather hazards in your ZIP code
- Your claims history and credit score
- The amount of your deductible
If you bundle your home insurance with other coverage such as car insurance or life insurance, you can usually get all of your policies at discounted rates. An independent agent in Brookings can help you find the right home insurance policy to meet your coverage and budgetary needs.
Coverage against Burglary for Brookings Homeowners
The burglary rate in South Dakota is lower than the national average, and in Brookings, the risk is even lower. This does not mean that burglaries never happen here. Residents of this city report about 50 burglaries a year.
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in the US: 4.69
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in South Dakota: 3.47
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in Brookings: 1.84
Although the risk of burglary is low in this city, some Brookings residents have opted to install home security systems in their houses. Of the many preventive measures you can take to lower your risk of being targeted by thieves, burglar alarms are the most effective. That is why many insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders who use them.
If your house is broken into, it may give you some comfort to know that your homeowners insurance policy can provide compensation for your losses. Your local insurance agent can help you review your contents coverage to ensure that your most valuable belongings are appropriately covered.
Coverage against Catastrophic Events in Brookings
Homeowners insurance is designed to cover loss or damage to the structure of your home and the personal property inside it. You will want to be sure that your building and contents coverage limits are high enough to allow you to rebuild, repair, or replace damaged property if your house is impacted by a damaging event like a fire, frozen pipes, or heavy winds.
- Number of federally declared disasters in South Dakota: 65
- Most common reasons for disasters in the state: Severe Storms and Wildfires
- Average number of tornadoes per year in South Dakota: 32.6
- Average amount of property damage per year in SD: $93.3 million
- 1 in 15 insured homes has a claim each year.
Be aware that home insurance does not cover flood damage if the flooding is caused by rising waters. If your home is located in a designated flood zone or is otherwise at risk for flash flooding, be sure to ask your insurance agent about supplementing your coverage with an affordable flood insurance policy through the NFIP.
Liability Coverage for Property Owners in Brookings, SD
Homeowners insurance does more than just cover your property. It also provides you with personal liability insurance. This liability coverage is designed to pay for expenses such as court costs, legal fees, and damages if you are sued for a covered event. Examples of times that you may need to use your homeowners liability insurance include:
- A visitor to your home slips on an icy walkway and suffers a serious back injury that requires months of physical therapy.
- Your child leaves the gate open and your dog gets out and bites a neighbor.
- An area business takes issue with a scathing review you posted on Yelp and threatens to sue you for libel.
If you want to have even more liability coverage than your home insurance can provide, umbrella insurance is an affordable way to significantly boost your coverage limits. An independent insurance agent can help you find an affordable policy.
Second Home and Vacation Home Insurance
If you are a Brookings resident who owns a house that is not your primary residence, this extra property is likely to have additional risk factors that insurance companies will take into consideration when calculating coverage rates.
If you own a multi-family house that you rent out to students at SD State, this second home will have lower contents coverage needs, since your tenants will be responsible for covering their property with renters insurance, but your liability risks will be higher. That is why this type of home would need to be covered by landlord insurance.
Or maybe you own a winter vacation house in a warmer climate. Depending on the location of your vacation home, it may have different weather risks that you will need to have coverage against. Furthermore, if the house is left vacant and unattended for several months out of the year, your insurer will probably require you to purchase vacant home insurance.
Your insurance agent can help you review the coverage needs of your secondary properties and can help you find the best home insurance coverage for all of your houses.
Why Work with an Independent Insurance Agent in Brookings?
Independent insurance agents are happy to assist you with all of your insurance coverage needs. You can turn to one of these local agents when you are seeking answers to your insurance-related questions, want advice from a trusted professional, or just need help finding the best and most affordable policy.
Contact an insurance agent with an office in or near Brookings to learn more. You will soon discover how easy it can be to compare customized, competitively priced homeowners insurance quotes from reliable insurance companies.
http://www.naic.org/prod_serv/AUT-PB-14.pdf
https://www.census.gov
http://www.city-data.com