Countrywide Insurance Services (CIS) are now offering a new tool for home buyers and owners on its Web site, www.cwinsurance.com - instant quotes for homeowners insurance on-line in most states.

By filling out a single page on-line form, consumers can input a few pieces of information to obtain a quote within seconds. In addition to homeowner's insurance quotes, the consumer can also obtain quotes for term life and auto insurance.

"This is the first Web site to offer instant quotes for auto, homeowners and life insurance, "said John Ingersoll, senior vice president of business development for CIS. "We are able to search for the absolute lowest insurance quote for consumers looking to save money and at the same time, offer them highly reputable insurance companies."

Ingersoll explains, "We believe that the customer will be comfortable buying insurance on-line, and we are set up to complete the insurance purchase on-line. However, if a customer wants to talk to a sales representative, they can. They can buy the policy and request that we e-mail them back, or phone them."

How do customers know they are buying the best policy to suit their needs? "If the customer likes the quote, they can also double-check the information with the insurance calculator. The quotes are based on the lowest cost carrier, but if there are two bids that are very close, we will explain further. For example, if we have carrier A who is a top five organization in the world, but the lower bid is from a small regional organization, we will be happy to explain the difference."

CIS offer insurance quotes from six prominent national companies as well as local carriers based on where the home is, the square footage, and its age. They are Travelers Insurance, Farmers Insurance, Zurich, Signa, TransAmerica, and Commercial Union.

"Some people make decision solely on price, others on service level," adds Ingersoll. "If you don't care who the carrier is and trust that Countrywide will put you with a top carrier only, then you don't need to go any further. If you care about service, you may want to weigh who the carrier is and what kind of service you can expect before you make a decision."

For additional information, consumers can obtain a thumbnail sketch of the different types of insurance available. According to CIS, homeowners insurance typically covers two issues - property and liability. The property section of your policy covers damage to your home and any other buildings on your property that are not attached to your home such as a shed or detached garages; your personal belongings; and the cost to provide you with living facilities should your home be damaged. If repairs require that you move out for a time, after a fire, for example, that is covered, too.

The liability section covers the cost of judgments against you, the cost of your defense, and medical payments to others injured as a result of an accident occurring on or near your premises. Liability coverage usually will not be paid to your immediate family.

Persons who work at home need to determine which items covered apply to home offices, and where supplemental insurance is needed. Also, personal property coverage is generally equal to 50% of replacement value, and certain types of personal property such as jewelry, silverware, and computers may have ceilings.

Before purchasing homeowners insurance, CIS recommends that consumers make a list of major household items and possessions, or videotape them. Include the serial number, date and cost of purchase, and the receipt wherever possible. Store the list or tape in a safety deposit box or safely in another location away from the home.

Published: December 3, 1998

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.