 TITLE: Why Are My Home Insurance Quotes So High? CONTENT: What Factors Determine a Home Insurance Quote?\n----------------------------------------------\nA litany of factors determine a home insurance quote, and insurers calculate their prices differently. These are some of the factors that play into your insurance premium:\n*   **Your credit**: If you live in a state where it's allowed, your insurer can check your credit when you apply for homeowners insurance. They may refer to your credit-based insurance score, which uses your financial history to help insurers determine your likelihood of filing a claim. The worse shape your credit is in, the higher your home insurance quote can be. Typically, though, your credit won't be the sole factor determining your rates. So if your rates are high, there's likely more at play.\n*   **Your deductible**: Like other types of insurance, the amount of your deductible plays a role in determining your premium. In general, asking your insurer for a higher deductible can help you nab a lower rate. However, the consequence of doing so is that you'll be on the hook for a larger portion of upfront expenses when you file a claim, which could put you in a financial bind.\n*   **Your home's age and materials**: Home insurance is partly based on your home's construction materials, features, age, compliance with current building codes and other factors, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Your insurance policy covers repairs to the home if it's damaged, and those costs can vary significantly depending on when and how a home was built. If your home was built with unique features or pricey materials that would be expensive to replace, your home insurance premium may be higher.\n*   **Your location**: The physical location of a home can impact home insurance quotes in a few ways. Homes that are closer to a coast or in areas prone to natural disasters are riskier and usually command higher premiums, while homes in low-risk areas may score lower premiums. Homeowners insurance also tends to be more expensive in densely populated urban areas, and can be influenced by state and local regulations.\n*   **Extra features**: Insurance is all about risk, so additional features such as a swimming pool or hot tub can increase rates since they might add risk and require greater liability coverage.\n*   **The value of your belongings**: Homeowners insurance doesn't just cover your home itself, but the belongings within it. If you own many valuable items you want to protect, you may have to pay more for higher coverage, or even add an additional policy if your standard coverage isn't enough. This helps make sure you'll receive enough compensation to replace any belongings that are destroyed or stolen, but increased coverage can easily increase the cost of your premium. END