Yurt Insurance

[Duckhot16]

Okay thank you. Hopefully I can find someone who does.

[Jafo]

If anyone has contacted these guys and had no success, please let me know!

[HawaiiYurts]

As far as I know, we were the first to be successful in getting

insurance

for yurt owners statewide. Our contact here is Herb Spector, I'd have to dig up his information. They'll insure any permitted yurt here now, on the Big Island and Kauai. The angle we took was to find someone who is motivated and then present them with 40 potential yurt

insurance

policies (no names, just knowing that we have permitted that many), explaining that they're missing the boat... It didn't take long for him to get an underwriter to come around. You may look at doing the same thing, with this forum, you'll likely come across many people looking for the same things. If you go with a company that has done adequate engineering for snow and wind loads, and I mean PROVEN, stamped, etc. engineering, these should be minor obstacles as well.

Good luck!

Melissa

[Jafo]

I believe the biggest thing is finding a motivated agent. I mean, we are not talking about insuring a million dollar home or anything, but basically a $10,000 - $50,000 structure/contents policy. Since yurts continue to fall under the "unique structure" category, many agents may not want to do the footwork for such a small policy. Fortunately my agent will.

If you could post your info on your agent, that would be great!

[HawaiiYurts]

He is specifically for Hawaii only, he was clear about that, but maybe he can help other agents? I don't know. Yes, Jafo, it's not much money for them, exactly. That's why it may help to gather together as a group and dangle the bait!

Here's our guy: Herb Spector of the Royal Insurance Agency in Hilo at (808) 935-2766

[lizsteve]

Thanks for this info. We're in Upstate NY and our yurt does have a a C of O so we're legit officially... and having a hard time. Our car insurance is through USAA but they won't do anything for yurt insurance.

I'll try contacting Dawn as you suggested and keep looking around.
Thanks

[NomadShelterSales]

I'm so happy to read about the insurance that is available 'out there.' I just joined Nomad Shelter.com last week and am loving it! I've always liked yurts but never knew much about them. LOL I still don't but I'm learning more every day! Finding this site has been fabulous. I was under the impression that no insurance was available, ever, for the yurt. Looks like it's got a remedy .. and it makes sense. If it makes them money, they'll underwrite it! Don't hear of many yurts burning to the ground, or flying away in the wind, or being crushed under snow.

We had the worst winter since 1954 this last one - and not one yurt collapsed anywhere! LOTS of small sheds, carports, and even some roofs caved but not on a single one of our yurts! My associate, Nulani, lives in a yurt, up on the ridge above town, and had about 5 ft of snow on her roof. No damages!

I'm trying to find financing for them, insurance, and even put together some deals with speculators about yurt communities. One is already going in here now! I'm sure there will be more soon, maybe even specialized ones for people who need some supervision (instead of closing down institutions for those unable to protect & help themselves, why NOT yurt clinical communities?! Beats having them homeless, and victims.)

EVERYONE wants the American Dream of home ownership but at today's prices? HOW? Yurts are one of the ways to achieve this dream.

Yah, yah - I'm preachin' to the choir, huh? Anywho, thanks to all for the info, the answers and questions! ~~ Terry

[HawaiiYurts]

Terry, sounds like

Shelter Designs

have gained a motivated and sensible new yurt person for their team! Yeah! You're thinking along a lot of the same lines I have thought, and we've done quite a bit of work in that direction along with other members of

NAYA

. I'm pretty sure Shelter Design is part of

NAYA

. We'll be having a group call in the coming month. You may want to sit in on that or speak with me or another NAYA member about what we've done/where we're going in those directions and see how we can pool our efforts! Welcome to the 'choir'

[Jafo]

Terry welcome aboard! I have heard great things about

Nomad Shelter Yurts

and would love to read whatever you can add here!

Insurance is a business about risk. As long as an insurance company can get enough factual information about yurts so they can make accurate calculations of their risk, then they will offer policies on anything. If there are too many unknowns, then they will not. It is my sincere hope that what we all do here will provide some clarity for insurers.

Melissa's permitting thread is a good start. I believe insurance companies leverage some of their decision making on what localities will permit in their areas.

[NomadShelterSales]

Heehee.. I'm sure the folks down in Montana love hearing you say good things about them, HAWAII, but I think they may be scratching their heads, too. Teehee! I'm with Nomad SHELTER in Homer, Alaska. But I get how that bit of confusion could happen .. shelter. Shelter ... :-) No worries.

I REALLY liked reading how we are thinking along the same lines! I have never heard of NAYA but then I've only been working for a whopping three part-time days, with the bosses gone! I'll be looking it up this morning, you can bet on that! THANKS!! Please do include me in anything to do with it; if we aren't members, I'll see why and remedy it - especially if NAYA is headed where we hope to go ourselves: mainstream! One yurt at a time. :-D