bought new house--have questions! (homeowners insurance, brokers, buying)

[meameame12]

i need to obtain homeowners ins. i called geico , my automotive ins. company, and they said no discounts for that.

any recommendations on who to go with?

also, i want to alarm the house. i was thinking of adt, but almost fainted when i read the price!

[Momof4littleones]

A friend of mine works in the insurance department for Weichert. I've sent her a message regarding HOI. I'll let you know what she says in a little bit. I have Geico for my car insurance too.

Oh, and congratulations on your new home!

[DodgeViper01]

Originally Posted by meameame12

i need to obtain homeowners ins. i called geico , my automotive ins. company, and they said no discounts for that.

any recommendations on who to go with?

also, i want to alarm the house. i was thinking of adt, but almost fainted when i read the price!

Homeowners Insurance Companies:

Geico
Allstate
Progressive
State Farm

As for the alarm system, if it is a complete install and service it can be expensive. I pay about $400 a year for maintence of the alarm but that is about it. Install is another story. I would say your only real choices are ADT, Slomins, or Brinks.

[neekah18]

You can also try NJ Manufacturers for Homeowners insurance. You can also use a company called Monotronics for your home alarm. We pay roughly $42 a month and you can get a good deal on installation if you say you are searching for the right company. Companies love to woo new customers (although you wouldn't be able to tell by the cost of NJ auto insurance they never woo you). Most alarm companies who advertise on television want big bucks. Don't be afraid to look in the phone book for smaller companies. You can always look them up on the BBB website.

[kimchee]

I use Allstate for home ins. and was told it's 10% off the package if we also use them for car ins.

The hubby uses State Farm for car ins. and is happy with the rate so will not be changing.

You can probably get the combo discount from both State Farm and Allstate. I have heard some negatives about Progressive so can't comment on them.

[nkinjc]

I'm also in the process of buying a new home and just got a quote from NJ Manufacturers (NJM). I have a car ins. from Geico. The company you work for has to belong to NJ business Ass. to get insurance with NJM. I heard they are the best so I didn't try others. Good luck!

[Bill Keegan]

Originally Posted by meameame12

i need to obtain homeowners ins. i called geico , my automotive ins. company, and they said no discounts for that.

any recommendations on who to go with?

also, i want to alarm the house. i was thinking of adt, but almost fainted when i read the price!

As to the insurance, it will depend at least a little on the house and it's location. SOme insurance companies are better suited to different markets & types of homes. For instance, many people tell me that for high end homes Chubb is the company to use. I have names & contact info of several insurance brokers, if you like. Yes, one of them is Weichert.

ADT is indeed one of the top names in home security. Also try Slomins. I believe either will install the system for free if you agree to a long term monitoring contract.

[hrjersey]

NJM is really the best and many people don't even know if their companies are members of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association - so ask. Also you qualify if you are a state employee.

What many people don't realize is that the company is not profit based so they pay dividends back their policy holders. I've been insured since I was driving (my mom's company was a member) and there has never been a year that I haven't received a dividend check back...and even if you leave the company you maintain your insurance with them.

[Roselvr]

We use Guardian. You can usually get a deal if you look online.

ADT works with DirecTV, so if you're using them for your TV, look into it that way. My son installs DirecTV, not sure if he has any fliers for ADT.. he did at one time.

ADT installed our alarm years ago, they didn't do the best job, Guardian fixed it when they took over our service. It had something to do with the phone line not being tied into the alarm correctly. As I said, it was years ago.. I would look at consumer sites to see if this is a problem for others; could have been a subcontractor that installed ours, I don't remember

[Momof4littleones]

Just a side note, Chubb also does great policies for jewelry!