Home Insurance

Serving Central New Jersey

Ranging from $100,000 homes to $20MM estates, the NJ homeowner’s insurance market covers a diverse group of properties. At Sharer & Associates we understand that your home is likely you’re most valuable asset and needs to be adequately protected.

Since home insurance is not “one size fits all”, we work with many carriers to find the protection that is right for you at a price that is competitive. We understand the strengths & weaknesses of each company that we represent and can help you make the best choice for the protection of your home and your family.

As licensed agents living your local community, we have a stake in your long term satisfaction should the unexpected happen.

What do I need to know when insuring my home?

What determines the cost of my home insurance?

Which homeowner insurance companies do you work with?

At Sharer & Associates, we provide quality, affordable insurance to the residents of Millstone Township, Monroe Township, Manalapan, Freehold, East Windsor, Hightstown, Jackson, Hamilton, West Windsor, Princeton, and all of Central NJ.

What do I need to know when insuring my home?

You know what your home insurance covers & doesn’t cover, right? We find most people don’t, and this really isn’t a big deal – until something happens. Your family’s security & quality of life depend on having a safe & comfortable place to live.

The good news is you don’t need to become an expert to select the right home insurance, you just need to understand a few basic concepts. Being an educated consumer can do more than just keep your premiums low – it can also help you make sure that what you think is covered…is really covered.

Dwelling coverage - Insuring your home’s structure:

Many folks don’t realize that when they insure their home, they’re just covering the physical structure (dwelling) & not the total value of the property. What you paid for the home includes the location & the land, and these are still going to be there even if something catastrophic happens to the house. Dwelling coverage provides the funding to get your home rebuilt. As professional agents, we help you determine what it costs to replace your home so there are no unfortunate surprises if something happens.

Along with your home’s physical structure, dwelling coverage can also be extended to other structures including sheds, detached garages and gazebos.

Personal Property – Insuring your stuff:

Your homeowner policy will also cover your personal possessions. What does this include? The simplest way to think about personal property is to imagine tipping your home on it’s side. Basically everything falling out is probably personal property & would include furniture, clothes, and the TV sets. Those pets falling out? Sorry, not included.

A couple of important things to consider with personal property. First, if you any unusually valuable items, like custom built or heirloom furniture, collectibles, or artwork, you’ll want to be sure to document this with appraisals or receipts kept in safe, fireproof place. Second, jewelry and other items often carry specific, very low limits that may not cover the cost to replace them. We can help you determine if this is something you need to address.

Liability coverage – What if I get sued?

Lawsuits? But I love my neighbors & they love me!

Unfortunately, accidents happen and when they do, occasionally so do lawsuits. One of the most important protections on your policy, Liability coverage helps insulate you against the financial risk arising from injury or property damage that you or your family may cause to other people – on or away from your property. It can even help provide for legal defense expenses for your day in court. At Sharer & Associates we will help you determine the amount of liability coverage that is needed to protect your financial well-being in such an unfortunate event. For many clients, we also recommend a Personal Umbrella Policy that can extend your protection to higher amounts and additional accidents.

Additional living expenses – Where do we go if can’t go home?

Additional living expenses provide for temporary living in the event your home is not inhabitable due to a covered loss (something happens to your home that your home insurance covers). You’ll want to make sure that this covers you for comparable living quarters, and may be a rental home or extended living facility. Usually, other expenses are covered as well, like temporary housing for pets.

Medical coverage – What if someone gets hurt on my property?

Ice, slippery leaves or a misplaced extension cord -- occasionally, invited guests are injured on your property. These folks have the right to sue you for damages. The guest medical coverage on your homeowner’s policy can reimburse your guest for their medical expenses as a result of an accident on your property. These expenses can include emergency room visits, ambulance, medical and surgical services. Please talk with one of our agents to learn more about this valuable coverage.

Very important note: Does home insurance cover for Flood? Answer: NO

Learn more about New Jersey flood insurance coverage.

<< back to top

What determines the cost of my home insurance?

Many factors go into determining the price of any home insurance policy. You can purchase home insurance to fit your exact needs and situation and in todays market at a very affordable price. We’ve been able to help many clients realize significant savings while maintaining or even improving their coverage.

Here are just a FEW of the factors that can affect the price of your home insurance policy:

The age of your home (and if it has had updates) and the age of your roof
The coverage amounts you choose for both the dwelling and personal property. We sometimes find homes severely over or under-insured in this area.
Claim History, prior losses and insurance (credit) score.
The area of NJ you live in and your proximity to coastal water. In general, the further you are from the water, the lower your premium will be. Also the distance you are from a fire hydrant and fire station can have an impact on price.
The deductibles you chose for your home insurance policy can have a dramatic impact. The greater the risk you assume as the homeowner, the lower your premium, but higher the out of pocket cost to you should you have a claim.
There are also a multitude of discounts and credits many of our insurers offer our customers the most common being centrally monitored alarms (burglar and fire) discounts.

You can submit a request for a free homeowners insurance quote right on our website!

<< back to top

Which homeowner insurance companies do you work with?

Chubb Group
Fidelity Mutual
Fireman's Fund
Franklin Mutual
Pacific Specialty Insurance Company
Peerless Insurance
Philadelphia Contributionship
Preferred Mutual
Providence Mutual
Selective
The Andover Companies
Tower Group Companies

<< back to top