Homeowners of America
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
Operational overview: Homeowners of America writes primarily personal homeowners and related property lines (homeowners, dwelling fire, tenant/renters, condo) on a state‑specific basis. The main underwriting portal lists separate guideline sections for each active state, including Alabama, Arizona (HO, DF, tenant), Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina (HO, DF, tenant), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas (HO, DF, tenant condo), Utah, Virginia (HO, DF), Wyoming, and others. All guidance is subject to individual underwriter discretion and not every scenario is addressed in writing.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines)) Texas Homeowners – key appetite and eligibility notes (representative of broader risk posture): • Occupancy / use: • Home must be occupied by the named insured or the insured’s immediate family (mother, father, son, daughter).([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/occupancy)) • Short‑term rentals, leases, or Airbnb/short‑stay usage are explicitly ineligible – this is a hard decline usage class.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/occupancy)) • Secondary/seasonal homes or homes occupied less than 9 months out of the year are listed as ineligible, signaling a clear preference for full‑time owner‑occupied primary residences.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Property condition / construction – restricted or declined: • Any risk in poor condition, disrepair, or showing lack of maintenance is ineligible. • Roofs in poor condition or with less than 5 years of remaining life are ineligible; roof materials with special concern include flat, tar & gravel, metal, and mansard roofs, which are generally unacceptable subject to separate roof eligibility rules.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Aluminum or knob‑and‑tube wiring is ineligible unless aluminum has been professionally modified/pig‑tailed with proof from a licensed electrician.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Asbestos, wood shake, EIFS or Dryvit siding are listed as ineligible; vinyl or aluminum siding requires specific underwriting approval.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Frame homes over 100 years old are ineligible; all dwellings must have updated plumbing and wiring. • Homes with open foundations, homes raised on piers or stilts, mobile or modular homes, underground/log/dome/"kit" homes, and other homes of unusual construction are ineligible.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Risks on more than 5 acres, on mountainsides/cliffs/bluffs, not in sight of other homes, inaccessible to emergency vehicles, or located in fly‑in/fly‑out airpark communities are ineligible or require explicit underwriting exception.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Dwellings that do not comply with local/state building and safety codes are ineligible. • Detached metal buildings over 700 square feet are ineligible. • Occupancy structure and units: • More than 2 units (triplexes, quadplexes, etc.) are ineligible; risk appetite is limited to 1–2 family dwellings.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Townhomes without adequate firewall protection are ineligible. • Homes used for renting or held for rentals (i.e., landlord exposures) are listed as ineligible in the standard Texas HO guideline section, reinforcing a primary‑residence focus.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Prior insurance / lapse and insured history: • Risks with a lapse in coverage greater than 30 days are ineligible; risks with a lapse under 30 days require underwriting review and are not guaranteed to be accepted. Lender‑placed/forced‑placed policies do not count as prior coverage.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Risks with no prior coverage are ineligible unless the dwelling is a new purchase. • Past conviction for arson, fraud, or other insurance‑related offenses is an automatic decline.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Liability‑driven restrictions – animals and premises: • Prohibited animals include a broad list of dog breeds (e.g., pit bull‑type dogs as defined by multiple bull terrier and Staffordshire breeds, American Bulldog, Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Tosa Inu, Fila Brasileiro, American Bandogge, Belgian or German Shepherd, Beauceron, Akita, Doberman Pinscher, Chow Chow, Rottweiler, wolf hybrids), any mix/hybrid of these, and any dog with prior aggression/biting history.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/unacceptable-animals)) • Exotic, saddle, and farm animals are listed as unacceptable. Some animals may be insurable only with an animal‑liability exclusion endorsement; however, pit bulls, Rottweilers, or any dog with a bite history are never acceptable under any circumstances. • Risks with docks used for non‑mooring purposes (e.g., 2‑story party docks, diving platforms, docks with living quarters) are ineligible; risks over water or on stilts, including other structures over water, are also declined.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Pools/spas must be fenced; unfenced pools or spas and pool cages are specifically ineligible. • Special hazards – plumbing, heating, trees, acreage: • Risks with galvanized or polybutylene plumbing, or roofs with swamp‑cooler units, are ineligible.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Portable space heaters or wood‑burning stoves as a primary heat source are ineligible; a wood stove as a secondary heat source may be considered if professionally installed with proof submitted for underwriter approval before binding.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Homes with trees overhanging the roof or otherwise deemed dangerously close to the structure may be ineligible. • Coastal / CAT and special coverage requirements: • Risks within 2,000 feet of the Gulf of Mexico or subject to tidal surge irrespective of distance are ineligible for standard HO.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • For homes in Special Flood Hazard Areas (FEMA Zone A or V), a separate federal flood policy is required with building limits matching the HO policy limit.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/matching-coverage-for-flood-zone-and-windstorm-excluded)) • If the HO policy excludes windstorm/hurricane/hail, the dwelling must be covered by a TWIA policy with matching building limit, and a wind/hurricane/hail exclusion endorsement must be signed by all applicants. The agent must keep the signed exclusion in agency records.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/matching-coverage-for-flood-zone-and-windstorm-excluded)) • Occupancy / vacancy and inspection: • Vacant or unoccupied homes are ineligible. • Risks the company cannot inspect are ineligible; agents should expect inspections and must avoid binding risks that may be inaccessible to inspectors or emergency services.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/ineligible-risks)) • Financial/other risk controls: • Risks with more than two mortgages are ineligible. • Homes under construction or major renovation, and homes under contract for deed/owner‑financed sale, are ineligible. Preferred business indicators (inferred from restrictions): • Well‑maintained, code‑compliant 1–2 family primary residences with standard construction, updated systems, insurable roofs with adequate remaining life, compliant pools/fencing, and no disqualifying animals or adverse prior insurance history. • Dwellings in non‑coastal, non‑flood‑hazard areas, on standard lots (≤5 acres), in established neighborhoods with accessible roads and visible neighboring homes. Submission / producer notes: • Submissions must be state‑specific and entered through the appropriate portal (PTS or BriteCore, depending on state/transition status); agents are directed from the public agent portal to log into the correct system for Illinois vs. other states.([portal.hoaic.com](https://portal.hoaic.com/agent?utm_source=openai)) • For Texas and similar states, agents must: • Confirm occupancy type and avoid any short‑term rental or seasonal/secondary home usage. • Verify and document any approved exceptions (e.g., aluminum wiring pig‑tailed by licensed electrician, professionally installed secondary wood stove) before binding. • Ensure required companion policies (flood, TWIA) are in place with matching building limits where applicable and obtain signed exclusion endorsements, retaining these in agency files.([ptshelp.hoaic.com](https://ptshelp.hoaic.com/index.cfm/underwriting-guidelines/texas-homeowners/matching-coverage-for-flood-zone-and-windstorm-excluded)) • Avoid binding on prohibited property/animal classes or where prior coverage/lapse conditions are not met. Because guidelines are heavily state‑specific and subject to change, producers should always refer to the state‑level page under the central underwriting guidelines portal for applicable rules before quoting or binding.