Securing homeowners insurance in California has rapidly evolved from a routine step to a critical hurdle. In many wildfire-prone areas, insurance availability and affordability have become top concerns—enough to derail home sales. 

Buying a home is exciting, but the insurance piece often feels confusing and overwhelming — especially for first-time buyers. As a real estate professional, you can add tremendous value by helping clients understand the basics of their insurance quotes. Here are the three most important things to explain:

California’s wildfire disclosure law isn’t brand new. Since 2021, sellers of older homes in high- and very-high fire hazard zones have been required to disclose both a property’s vulnerabilities and what steps, if any, have been taken to harden the home against wildfire.

If you’re a homeowner or driver in California, you’ve probably noticed something frustrating lately: insurance is getting harder to find, and more expensive when you do find it.

While many big-name companies are limiting new policies, we still work with providers that are writing competitive policies in California.

Here are some recent figures on the insurance market, and why rates are continuing to increase as we reach the midway point of 2025.