Farmers Mutual of Tennessee
Carrier website links, underwriting access points, mapped product lines, and appetite notes in one place.
This appetite summary is only a guide. Confirm eligibility, submission requirements, restrictions, and binding authority directly with the carrier or underwriter before relying on it.
Carrier appetite summary
Official producer-facing underwriting guidance is available on FMT’s homeowners manual page rather than only the older one-page risk selection summary. Current published home appetite is for owner-occupied principal residences in Tennessee that are in good condition, show pride of ownership, are visible from the road, and are generally within a 40-mile radius of the agent’s office. FMT segments business by form: ML-3/Special for newer, better-protected homes with central heat and air; ML-2/Broad for newer homes with superior heating systems; ML-2 ACV for older but above-standard homes in excellent repair; and ML-1/Basic ACV for older, lower-value homes in good condition. Published valuation thresholds in the risk selection summary are approximately: ML-3 minimum Coverage A $100,000 and 80% to 90% of market value excluding land; ML-2 minimum $75,000 and 75% to 90% of market value; ML-2 ACV minimum $50,000 and 70% to 90% of market value with at least $35 per square foot market value; ML-1 minimum $40,000 and 70% to 85% of market value. Roof expectations vary by form but generally require good-condition asphalt or acceptable metal/tile/slate roofs, with roll, flat, or built-up roofs not acceptable on most forms. Protection class appetite is strongest for better-protected properties, but ML-1 allows all protection classes if the dwelling is in sight of at least one other residence; ML-2/ML-2 ACV allow some class 9/10 homes if visible from the street and within 300 feet of and in sight of at least two occupied dwellings. Applicant quality is emphasized: financially stable insureds with good credit/financial responsibility, limited mortgage leverage, stable homeownership/employment history, and generally above-average policyholders. Restricted or declined home classes include dwellings without continuous foundations; brokered risks from other agents; risks with attractive nuisances; multi-family, roomer, or boarder occupancies; tenant/homeowner form risks such as HO-4 or ML-4; unoccupied or seasonal homes; homes for sale; and mobile or modular homes including those on permanent foundations or with additions. Homes built before 1900 are not automatically declined but should be submitted for prior approval under certain forms. Submission/broker notes: agents are expected to verify the home is in good condition with no known hazards before submitting; risks outside parameters must be discussed with an underwriter before binding; FMT’s agency philosophy stresses adherence to underwriting standards, attention to suspected moral hazard, and agency performance review based largely on loss ratio. FMT also maintains an Agent Resource Center and Agent Portal for producer use.