So much has changed in our world since 9/11. Every industry has been effected in one way or another and the insurance industry has certainly paid out more than they could have ever anticipated. There is a good chance that your Home Owner's policies have increased. You might have also gotten a letter from you insurance company, as I did, reminding you that there are limits set on the amount of claims you can have in a given period. Failure to comply with those limits can, and likely will, result in the cancellation of your homeowners policy.

Insurance companies are having to become more frugal about the customers they serve and the houses they insure. They are evaluating their clients personally, similiar to what lender's do with FICO scores. They are also evaluating the particular property to be insured.

The C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) Personal Property report was developed by ChoicePoint to allow underwriters and insurance agents to make more informed decisions in underwriting and pricing policies. The report contains a five year history of property insurance claims filed by you and/or on the property you own.

Only the property owner or insurance companies are allowed to request a CLUE report. Before buying a house it's a good idea to ask the seller if they have a CLUE report available on their property. Knowing ahead of time the claim history on the property might save you much time and grief in the long run.

The CLUE Report is fairly simple to get if you are familiar with the internet and cost only $9.00. The website is: www.choicetrust.com. It will take you about 15 minutes to request and view your report. You will be able to view a sample report before you sign up to receive your own. Your report will contain all the claim history on your property and property owner within the last five years. This means that if you owned your property less than five years and you had a claim from a previous property within the last five years that information will also be on the report.

It's a great idea to provide a CLUE report to a buyer if you are selling personal property such as a house. It is an extra step in assuring your buyer that you are willing to be up-front and honest about disclosing any areas of concern regarding the house. If you are buying a home I would make it a point to request a CLUE report from the seller. Information is power in real estate and you want to be in the best position possible when making a purchase.

If you have any questions regarding CLUE reports or any other real estate questions please feel free to call Jeff Kroll at 303-840-1542.

Note: Not all insurance companies participate in this database. Always contact your personal insurance agent to find out the insurability of a property your wish to purchase. 2003