OK, first of all, I noticed that all of them are direct writers, except one - Travelers.

Second, I seriously doubt all the policies are the same. Allstate tends to write a lot of policies with "functional replacement cost" instead of "replacement cost". And likely, half have backup of sewers and drains, half don't. Or maybe less than half.

Any of these companies is going to be "ok". But here in Texas, Liberty Mutual has a LOT of complaints - higher than average, of SUSTAINED complaints, where the insurance department agreed with the customer.

I think you should go to a local, independent agent, and let them get you at least five additional quotes. Also, I'd let them explain which policies are better, and why.

Out of THESE choices, I'd go for Travelers, hands down. But again, here in TX, they do NOT write the policy with the best coverage, so MY homeowners is with State Farm.

The details of The "HOPE for Homeowners Act of 2008" are as follows:

1. Eligible Borrowers

Only owner-occupants who are unable to afford their mortgage payments are eligible for the program. No investors or investor properties will qualify. Homeowners must certify, under penalty of law, that they have not intentionally defaulted on their loan to qualify for the program and must have a mortgage debt-to-income ratio greater than 31% as of March 1, 2008. Lenders must document and verify borrowers' income with the IRS.

2. Home Equity & Appreciation Sharing

In order to avoid a windfall to the borrower created by the new 90% loan-to-value FHA-insured mortgage, the borrower must share the newly-created equity and future appreciation equally with FHA. This obligation will continue until the borrower sells the home or refinances the FHA-insured mortgage. Moreover, the homeowner's access to the newly created equity will be phased-in over a 5 year period.

The borrower agrees to repay the following share of any home equity appreciation with the FHA when the home is sold or refinanced again;

A. 100% of any equity earned is paid to the government FHA if the home sells or the borrower refinances within 1 year.

B. 90% of any equity earned is paid to the FHA if the home sells or the borrower refinances within 2 years.

C. 80% of any positive equity earned is paid to the FHA if the home sells or the borrower refinances within 3 years.

D. 70% of any positive equity earned is paid to the FHA if the home sells or the borrower refinances within 4 years.

E. 60% of any positive equity earned is paid to the FHA if the home sells or the borrower refinances within 5 years.

F. 50% of any positive equity earned is paid to the FHA if the home sells or the borrower refinances after 5 years.

Note: The FHA requires a 3% Exit Fee of the Mortgage Principal Balance when the borrower sells or refinances the home again.

3. Other Requirements

Existing Subordinate Liens

Before participating in this program, all subordinate liens (such as second loans, home equity loans, etc.) must be extinguished. This will have to be done through negotiation with the first lien holder.

Mortgage Insurance and Other Fees

The Up Front FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium that is required on all FHA Refinance Loans will change as part The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The Monthly MI Rates have also been updated. The following FHA MI rates will begin on October 1, 2008 and will be effective for 12 months;

FHA Up Front MIP - Required on all FHA Loans (Can be financed into loan amount).

1.75% - Normal FHA 203(b) Refinance 1.5% - FHA Streamlined Refinance 3.0% - FHASecure (Refinance for high risk borrowers who are already delinquent on current mortgage)

Monthly MI - Multiply the loan amount by the figure below and then divide by 12. The result is your Monthly Mortgage Insurance.

30 Year Note 0.55% - Refinance greater than 90% of the home's LTV. 0.50% - Refinance less than or equal to 90% of the home's LTV.

15 Year Note 0.25% - Refinance greater than 90% of the home's LTV. Monthly MI is not required on an 15 Year FHA Refinance Loan with an LTV of 90% or less.

The FHA Refinance Loan Process

Each new loan will be originated and underwritten on a case-by-case basis. To get approved, your income statements, bank accounts, credit scores and work history will be examined. A new appraisal must be performed on your home to determine its current value.

If it doesn't have positive equity, then you must contact your current lender and negotiate with them to reduce (write down) your current mortgage to 90% of its current appraised value. If your current lender agrees to the write down, then you will be able to proceed with the FHA refinance.

For more information or to get started with your FHA Refinance Loan, please visit http://www.fha-101.com

Make Sure the Pet Sitter Is Insured & Bonded

Make sure your pet sitter is insured. You may ask for proof of insurance if they do not offer it up front. Pet sitter insurance is fairly inexpensive and not hard to get, so professional pet sitters should always have this safety, no excuses. If you are interviewing a pet sitter that does not have insurance, keep looking!

Look For Recommendations

When you are looking for a pet sitter, ask around. Ask your neighbors, friends, and family if they have used a pet sitter before and who they might have used. You always feel more comfortable when a pet sitter gets recommended to you.

Ask For References & Call Them

When interviewing potential pet sitters, ask for references. If your pet sitter knows better, they should offer them up front without you having to ask, however, they may forget, so it is still safe to ask. Don't hesitate to call the references and ask them questions. Ask them how they know them and if they were pleased with the pet sitting service. Ask any questions you like.

Ask Plenty of Questions

Not only should you question the pet sitter's references, you should question the pet sitter. Ask them questions about how they would deal with certain pet situations, such as a medical emergency. Ask about their knowledge of animals and past experiences. Also, ask any questions that would make you feel more comfortable in making a decision. Example questions: Have you as a pet sitter ever had emergency situations with a client's pet. If so, how did you deal with it? Another example question, do you have any employees? If so, are they reliable and insured? What is your backup process for when you cannot complete your pet sitting duties?

Take all the time you need. I suggest you start looking for a pet sitter way ahead of time so that you may find someone you trust to take care of your pet like you would. And find someone within your price range. Pet sitting services are not that expensive. Daily visits range around $12-$20 while dog walks are anywhere between $15 and $20. You should feel absolutely comfortable in your finding the right pet sitter for you and for the right price.

About the Author:

Mary Hickman is the owner of selectpetcare.com and offers
pet sitting plano tx
. Visit
http://www.selectpetcare.com
for all of your pet sitting needs.

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