Gulf and Atlantic Coast Rated Higher for Vacant Home Insurance

The rates for vacant homeowners insurance have been relatively stable for years but the cost to insure an empty or vacant house in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia is now about 15% higher than providing vacant home insurance in Ohio, Arkansas, or Oklahoma for example.

It appears the "hurricane underwriting" that hit those regions several years ago has now affected the vacant homeowners insurance market as well.

When insuring an empty home with vacant home insurance, other States where the cost is above average (and this can depend on the insurer) is lead by California and can include Maine, Oregon and Washington State.

Insurance agents are advised to let clients know that if they are in these States, they may be paying more for vacant home insurance. This is somewhat of a problem because vacant homeowners insurance and vacant building insurance is at least 3 times as expensive a regular home insurance anyway.