Why does my policy have more than one deductible?

A policy commonly carries a flat deductible for most claims and a separate percentage-based wind and hail deductible in storm-exposed states like Georgia.

Does my own insurance cover me when I stay in an Airbnb or VRBO?

The host's short-term rental policy protects the host, not you. As an Airbnb or VRBO guest, your own homeowners or renters insurance usually covers your belongings and personal liability away from home, within policy limits, while travel insurance covers trip-specific risks neither the host nor your home policy will.

Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?

No. Standard homeowners policies exclude all flood damage regardless of cause.

What does uninsured motorist coverage do?

If you are hit by a driver with no insurance or not enough insurance, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills.

When do we use Selective for flood coverage versus NFIP?

Selective private flood wins for Zone X and moderate AE properties where it beats NFIP on price and offers higher limits with ALE coverage.

Does Georgia have a coastal wind pool for hard-to-insure property?

All FAQs

Quick answer: Georgia does not run a wind pool. The Georgia Underwriting Association (GUA), created under O.C.G.A. Title 33, Chapter 33, is the residual property market for wind and coastal risk. A Tybee Island homeowner declined in the standard market can apply to GUA as the market of last resort.

No. Georgia does not run a dedicated wind pool the way some Gulf Coast and Atlantic states do. Instead, the state's residual market, meaning the insurer of last resort for property that standard carriers decline to write, is the Georgia Underwriting Association, or GUA, created under O.C.G.A. Title 33, Chapter 33. GUA covers wind and other property risk for coastal and hard-to-place property across the state, not wind risk alone.

The distinction matters because a true wind pool typically writes only the windstorm portion of a policy, leaving the property owner to find a separate policy for fire, theft, and other perils. GUA works differently: it can write a broader property policy for applicants who have been declined by the standard market, which is the more common situation for older coastal homes, homes with prior wind or water claims, or property in a high-risk zip code near the coast.

Access to GUA is not automatic. An applicant generally has to show that standard carriers turned the property down, which typically means getting declinations from admitted insurers before applying to the residual market. A homeowner on Tybee Island whose 1960s-built house was declined by several standard carriers because of its age and proximity to the water can apply to GUA as the market of last resort once those declinations are documented. GUA coverage tends to come with a narrower scope and a higher premium than a standard homeowners policy, consistent with its role as a backstop rather than a first choice.

Most Georgia coastal property owners never reach GUA. A property with reasonable wind mitigation, a newer roof, and no recent claims history often qualifies through standard or surplus-lines carriers first, particularly through an independent agency that can shop several markets before treating GUA as the fallback option. The distinction between "declined everywhere" and "not shopped broadly enough" is where a lot of coastal placements actually get resolved.

For how a standard homeowners policy handles wind and named-storm risk before GUA becomes relevant, see homeowners insurance. Flood damage from storm surge is excluded from both standard homeowners policies and GUA coverage and requires separate flood insurance regardless of which market writes the wind coverage. The carriers Olive Cover places property with, including surplus-lines options for coastal risk, are listed on the carriers page. A coverage review can confirm whether a specific coastal property is likely to place in the standard market before GUA becomes the only remaining option.