The First-Time Homebuyer's Insurance Guide for San Marcos

September 5, 2025

Insurance For First-Time Homebuyers

Congratulations! After navigating the competitive housing market in communities like La Cima or Sunfield, you’ve finally got the keys to your first home. It’s an exciting and overwhelming time. While you’re planning your first backyard BBQ, it’s crucial to make sure your new, biggest investment is properly protected.

As your local insurance agency, we help first-time homebuyers in San Marcos, Kyle, and Buda navigate this process every day. Here’s your guide to the home insurance essentials you need to understand.

1. It’s Not Optional—It’s Required

Before you can even close on your house, your mortgage lender will require you to have a homeowners insurance policy in place. Why? Your home is the collateral for their loan. They need to ensure their financial interest is protected against disasters like a fire or a major storm. You’ll need to provide them with "proof of insurance" showing that you have adequate coverage before they will release the funds

2. Understand What a Standard Policy Covers (and What It Doesn’t)

A standard homeowners policy is your financial shield against a variety of risks. It’s important to know that fire, theft, and liability are typically covered perils. However, living in "Flash Flood Alley" presents a unique and significant risk that many new homeowners overlook.

The Risk: Standard homeowners insurance policies explicitly do not cover damage from flooding, which includes water from overflowing rivers or heavy rainfall runoff.
The Solution: You must purchase a separate flood insurance policy. Even if your home isn't in a high-risk zone, a large percentage of flood claims occur in areas considered low-to-moderate risk.

3. Don’t Just Cover the House—Cover Your Life

Your policy does more than just protect the building itself. Key components include:

Personal Property: This covers your furniture, electronics, and other belongings inside the home from events like theft or fire.
Personal Liability: This is critical. If a guest is injured at your new home—say, they trip on a moving box in the living room—this coverage helps with their medical bills and protects you from a potential lawsuit.
Additional Living Expenses: If a fire makes your home uninhabitable, this coverage helps pay for temporary housing like a hotel or rental while repairs are being made.

4. Bundle and Save

One of the easiest ways to save money as a new homeowner is by bundling your insurance policies. By placing your new homeowners' policy with the same carrier that insures your car, you can often receive a significant discount. It also simplifies your life by having one point of contact for your protection needs.

Your Local Home Insurance Partner

Buying your first home in Hays County is a huge accomplishment. Protecting it properly provides the peace of mind you need to enjoy it. As an independent agency, we can compare options from multiple carriers to find a policy that fits the unique risks of our area—from Hill Country hail to clay soil—and meets your budget.

Contact San Marcos Insurance Agency today for a free, no-obligation quote for your new home. Let us help you protect your dream.

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Beyond the Commute: Insuring Your Boat, RV, and Motorcycle in Central Texas

December 3, 2025

Living in Central Texas isn't just about the great communities and proximity to Austin and San Antonio. For many of us, it's about the weekends. It’s about getting out and enjoying the incredible landscape that surrounds us. It's about launching the boat at Canyon Lake, taking a scenic motorcycle ride through the twists and turns of the Hill Country, or parking the RV for a long weekend getaway. Your "toys" are your ticket to freedom, but they also represent a significant investment and a major liability. A common and costly mistake is assuming your auto or home insurance policy automatically covers them. It doesn't. At San Marcos Insurance Agency, we help our clients protect their fun. Here’s what you need to know about insuring your recreational vehicles. 1. Boats on Canyon Lake & The Guadalupe Here’s the hard truth: Your homeowners insurance provides little to no meaningful coverage for your boat. It might cover a small canoe or kayak for liability on your property, but the moment you put a motor on it or take it to a lake, you're exposed. A dedicated boat policy is essential and covers: • Physical Damage: Protects the boat, motor, and trailer from theft, fire, or damage, whether it's on the water or in your driveway. • Liability: This is critical. It covers you if you cause an accident that injures another boater or damages their property (docks, other boats). • On-Water Towing: If you're stranded in the middle of Canyon Lake with a dead engine, this coverage is a lifesaver, paying for the tow back to the marina. • Wreckage Removal: If your boat sinks, you are legally responsible for the cost of removing it. This coverage handles that expense. 2. Motorcycle Rides in the Hill Country A motorcycle isn't just a smaller car; it carries entirely different risks. The winding roads around Wimberley and Dripping Springs are beautiful but demand respect. Standard auto insurance isn't enough. A motorcycle policy needs to include: • Guest Passenger Liability: Does your policy cover a passenger riding with you? Many don't unless you specifically add it. • Custom Parts & Equipment (CPE): You've spent money on custom pipes, a new seat, and chrome. Your basic policy won't cover those upgrades unless you add CPE coverage. • Higher Medical Payments: With a higher risk of injury, increasing your own medical payments coverage is a smart move. 3. RVs & Travel Trailers: A Vehicle or a Home? The answer is: it's both. And it needs to be insured that way. Your auto policy only provides basic liability when the trailer is hitched to your truck, and your home policy doesn't cover it at all. You need a dedicated RV or travel trailer policy, which combines the best of auto and home insurance: • Total Loss Replacement: If your new RV is totaled, this can help you get a brand new, comparable model, not just the depreciated cash value. • Vacation Liability: Covers you for injuries or property damage that happen at your campsite—for instance, if a guest trips over your awning. • Personal Effects: Covers all the stuff you keep inside your camper (grills, TVs, clothes, camping gear) that aren't part of the vehicle itself. • Full-Timer's Liability: If you live in your RV for months at a time, this provides broader liability protection that acts more like a homeowners policy. 4. The Bundle is Your Best Friend Here's the good news. Insuring your "toys" doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Most carriers we work with offer significant discounts for "bundling." When you insure your boat, motorcycle, or RV with the same company that writes your home and auto policies, you not only simplify your life with one agent and one bill, but you can also unlock multi-policy discounts that save you serious money. Get Your Fun Covered Before you hook up the trailer or roll out the bike for your next adventure, let's talk. A quick 15-minute call with us can ensure your weekend fun is properly protected. Contact San Marcos Insurance Agency today for a free, no-obligation quote on your recreational vehicles.