Best insurance rates? (Jacksonville, Middleburg, Orange Park: rent, homeowners insurance, home)

[pcsn0122]

Hi. We are new to the area, having recently moved from Buffalo, NY. Currently renting in Orange Park, but looking to buy near Middleburg or somewhere else.

What companies offer the best car insurance and/or homeowners insurance rates? I use GEICO now, and Liberty Mutual in past years. I had to drastically lower my car insurance coverage just to keep the premium the same. Maybe I'm with the wrong company because I am very surprised it was more expensive than NY. Could it be because I rent near Blanding?

[hornsch]

When I moved from NY I was also surprised at how high auto insurance was. I expected it to be a little higher but not as high as I paid my first year here. My second year I bundled my auto and home with triple A. Saved a small fortune- and it was better coverage.

[Florida2014]

This is a bit older now, but gives you a good idea of auto rates in FL. For us, FL Farm Bureau wouldn't even quote us due to our au pair being on our insurance, but I will give them another look when she's off:

Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes in Florida?

[cyrece]

Brightway all the way...lol I've converted all my family! Great customer service, offer coverage for everything and cheaper! GL

[pcsn0122]

Originally Posted by cyrece

Brightway all the way...lol I've converted all my family! Great customer service, offer coverage for everything and cheaper! GL

Who did you use before? We have Geico currently.

[MattJax2015]

Florida is home to the highest average homeowners insurance rates in the nation and that is due to the fact of the many natural exposures to our state (i.e Hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, storm surge, lightning, fires, etc). You will find that the closer to the coast you are, the higher the rates. Middleburg should have lower rates than most of Jacksonville largely because of how far it is inland.

I would not cut back on auto coverage's to lower premiums, because you are more likely to have an auto claim than a homeowners claim. In your situation, because you are not from the area, I would strongly recommend dealing with a licensed insurance agent that is from this area and knows the companies that are competitive with premiums.

Geico is an auto based carrier, great for most ages and families (not older); if you purchase a home here and want to bundle, very few companies will do that in Florida on their own paper other than State Farm or USAA.

For auto carriers I would recommend using an independent insurance agency to shop the 30+ auto insurance carriers we have in Florida, most are close in premium.

For Homeowners- Biggest thing is making sure the company is financially stable-most companies are not as stable in Florida as you think (just look at Sunshine State). Most are Florida based carriers unlike the rest of the US. So I would recommend- Security First, St. Johns, ASI, Stillwater and Federated National.

Hope this helps!