Hochheim Prarie Insurance
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
Current publicly available information for Hochheim Prairie Farm Mutual / Hochheim Prairie Casualty does not include a detailed, open-access homeowners underwriting or appetite guide. However, several operational points and recent actions can be inferred from carrier and rating-related communications and trade press: Preferred / Target Business - Longstanding Texas-focused mutual carrier with emphasis on property risks in **small towns and rural Texas** rather than large urban centers. S&P noted that Hochheim undertook underwriting actions to **shift the book back to a purely rural Texas focus and eliminate prior drift into urban markets**. This implies an ongoing preference for non-urban homeowners and farm/ranch dwellings. ([insurancejournal.com](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2018/11/19/509692.htm?utm_source=openai)) - Core appetite historically includes **homes, farms, ranches, manufactured homes, personal property, automobiles, small businesses, and liability** for Texas members, with a strong orientation around farm and ranch property. ([capitol.texas.gov](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/85R/billtext/pdf/HR00523I.pdf?utm_source=openai)) Restricted / Declined Classes and Recent Changes - **Poultry houses (CU units under Farm or Non-Dwelling Buildings)** are no longer written by Hochheim Prairie Farm Mutual on either new or renewal business effective **August 1, 2023**. Existing poultry-house accounts are non-renewed with 45 days’ notice. Agents were notified by formal bulletin and directed to reference the Communication Center in Hochheim Passport/Station. This is a clear exclusion for farm property and a red flag for any home risks that depend on poultry-house structures. ([assets.ctfassets.net](https://assets.ctfassets.net/6c7xfesd5ypk/70sIf5RUe86vGDKi7Y1KeE/f900cccf3a0c5f6626613e797ad96aed/7-20-2023__-_Poultry_Houses.pdf?utm_source=openai)) - As part of earlier corrective underwriting actions, Hochheim increased property deductibles (shifting $500 deductibles to $1,000), tightened insured-to-value standards, adjusted reinsurance, and **de‑emphasized urban markets**; while not homeowner-specific, these actions indicate a bias against under‑deducted, under‑valued, or catastrophe-exposed property risks and a stronger filter on metro/urban homes. ([insurancejournal.com](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2018/11/19/509692.htm?utm_source=openai)) - Customer reviews and agent feedback on BBB and elsewhere state that by 2024 Hochheim **was not writing any new policies** and was issuing non‑renewal notices on some long‑tenured personal property accounts; although not a formal guideline, producers should treat Hochheim as **highly selective or effectively closed to new homeowners business in many Texas areas** and expect heightened non‑renewal activity, especially on non‑core or marginal risks. ([bbb.org](https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/yoakum/profile/insurance-companies/hochheim-prairie-farm-mutual-insurance-association-0825-19142/customer-reviews?utm_source=openai)) Geographic Notes - Carrier is **Texas‑only**, headquartered in Yoakum, TX, and positions itself as serving communities across the state with a particular focus on rural and small‑town markets. ([buzzfile.com](https://www.buzzfile.com/business/Hochheim-Prairie-Insurance-361-293-5201?utm_source=openai)) - Past rating commentary specifically cited a move away from broader urban/metro exposure back to rural Texas; producers should treat **large metro cores (e.g., Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio urban cores)** as non‑preferred and anticipate tighter underwriting or non‑renewal there. Submission & Producer Instructions (from available sources) - Formal agent communications (e.g., poultry-house discontinuation memo) are distributed through **Hochheim Passport/Station – Communication Center**, indicating that **current underwriting rules, line‑of‑business restrictions, and moratoria are maintained inside the agent portal rather than on public pages**. Producers must rely on the internal Passport/Station system for current homeowners eligibility, form selection, and rating rules. ([assets.ctfassets.net](https://assets.ctfassets.net/6c7xfesd5ypk/70sIf5RUe86vGDKi7Y1KeE/f900cccf3a0c5f6626613e797ad96aed/7-20-2023__-_Poultry_Houses.pdf?utm_source=openai)) - Application materials (e.g., "Hochheim Choice" applications for farm buildings) show typical mutual-carrier expectations: accurate description of buildings, occupancy, protection class, and confirmation of any tied auto or other Hochheim policies (credits may depend on active companion auto). Similar standards likely apply to homeowners submissions (complete construction/occupancy/protection details, valuation support, and disclosure of farm or incidental business use). ([assets.ctfassets.net](https://assets.ctfassets.net/6c7xfesd5ypk/1Ur4pRaP8L5865yzXsaE7f/2b0396d0a2f91f566f1315958c4eb5f3/Hochheim_Choice_Application_Farm_Bldgs.pdf?utm_source=openai)) - For mortgagees and banks, Hochheim distributed a **November 2, 2023 letter** explaining that Hochheim Prairie Farm Mutual and Hochheim Prairie Casualty were not rated by Demotech as of that date and requesting that lenders exercising discretion **allow continuation of coverage** despite the lack of a current rating. This underscores that some lenders may object to Hochheim as a homeowners carrier, and producers should proactively discuss **lender-acceptability and rating status** with insureds and mortgagees during placement or renewal. ([assets.ctfassets.net](https://assets.ctfassets.net/6c7xfesd5ypk/JWlzMlAVatS1yj8nyNwWq/708b5a192cc172cb5e1ea4061f954908/Letter_to_Banks_and_Mortgage_Companies.pdf?utm_source=openai)) Operational Takeaways for Home - Treat Hochheim as **Texas-only, rural/small‑town‑preferred**, with **limited to no appetite for new homeowners in many areas as of 2024–2025**, and a demonstrated willingness to non‑renew marginal or non‑core accounts. - Avoid submissions that include **poultry houses or significant poultry exposure**, or that rely on low deductibles or under‑valued dwelling limits. - Expect **internal-only** underwriting guidance; before binding or marketing a homeowners risk to Hochheim, consult **Hochheim Passport/Station** or your underwriter for the current stance by county/zip, age of home, roof conditions, and catastrophe exposure. - Prepare insureds and mortgagees for **rating-status conversations** and confirm that Hochheim will meet lender requirements before relying on them as the sole homeowners market. Because Hochheim does not publish a detailed public homeowners appetite or underwriting manual, always treat these points as directional only and confirm individual risk acceptability directly with a Hochheim underwriter or through the agent portal before quoting or binding.