Your home is one of your biggest investments. It also provides you with a sense of safety and security. However, it is also a target for creditor’s judgments.
A number of strategies can help protect your real estate assets from creditors and tenants. One such strategy is a land trust. This is a popular method for protecting real estate and offers many benefits including privacy and tax advantages. In this article, there are different suggestions to protect your home but with every technical detail, be sure to get a professional’s help in each of these areas. From insurance to making sure your home is protected, there are laws that have to be followed and only a professional can help solicit factual advice. A home protection plan is a great way to protect your home and start but read into all the fine details.
Property Insurance
One of the most important steps in protecting a home investment is getting property insurance. It will help you cover the costs associated with accidents on your property such as a tenant or vendor slipping and falling, or damage from natural disasters.
Another key step is to structure your assets. This process is known as real estate asset protection and it can be done in a variety of ways. One common way is to create a separate LLC for each property. This will help you to minimize the risk of lawsuits and keep your personal assets safe from creditors.
Other ways to protect your investment include minimizing risk by screening tenants carefully and asking for references and credit reports. It is also important to choose contractors wisely, and to avoid unnecessary risk by implementing a thorough inspection process. Debt stripping is another option that can be used to protect rental properties. By removing equity and maintaining a loan-to-value ratio of 75%, it is harder for a creditor to collect from your property.
Tenant Insurance
Tenant insurance is a savvy way to protect your property investment. It covers the tenants’ personal belongings if they are damaged by something covered by your landlord’s insurance policy, like a fire.
It also covers a tenant’s additional living expenses (ALD) in the case of an event that makes their apartment uninhabitable, like a fire or burst pipe. This coverage helps with hotel stays, restaurant meals and pet boarding costs.
The policy limits can be customized based on your tenants’ needs, and the deductible they choose. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium.
You can also schedule personal items separately, so they aren’t subject to the policy’s standard limits. For example, expensive jewelry can be covered up to a certain amount without having to be professionally appraised and then added onto the policy. This is often the best option for high-value items. It also prevents disputes about coverage and limits. Liability coverage, which is usually included in a tenant’s insurance policy, can help you pay for legal fees if your tenants are sued for causing damage to the building or their neighbors.
Landlord Insurance
Landlord insurance is one of the most important protections for rental property owners. It offers property and liability coverage that help protect your investment from out-of-pocket expenses or lawsuits.
This specialized policy can cover things like lost rental income when an event (such as a fire) makes some units uninhabitable. It can also provide liability coverage that helps pay for legal costs, medical bills, or even a death benefit should someone be injured at your property.
You can also purchase additional policies to cover things like property damage, vandalism, and ordinance/law coverage. These can help protect your investment from expensive repairs and upgrades needed to bring a home up to current codes. A good real estate agent can help you understand the different landlord insurance options available and make recommendations for your specific situation. They can also guide you in the proper ways to screen tenants, including conducting background checks and asking for references and proof of insurance.
Contents Insurance
Whether you own your home or rent it, ensuring your personal possessions is essential. Tenants usually take out contents insurance, but homeowners can also get it as an add-on to their home or condo insurance policy. This will cover your possessions against loss, damage or theft and includes items both inside your home and temporarily away from it (such as in a car).
Most policies offer a limit for each item, but premiums vary depending on how much you want to insure. Some insurers will give you the option to purchase a higher value limit for special items, such as works of art or jewelry.
If you want to insure your possessions for their current market value rather than their actual cash value, you can also get a replacement cost policy. This is generally more expensive up front, but it means that if you lose your leather recliner, you’ll be compensated to replace it with one of the same kind and quality.