The best way to tell that the California homeowners insurance market has been a bear is to see where buyers facing higher rates and lack of options in traditional markets are going for alternatives. One choice is the surplus lines market, where there has been growing evidence of a surge in demand.
The latest data on that trend is unequivocal. Surplus lines homeowners insurance transactions were up 119% in the first half of the year from the same period last year, when transactions were already on the rise.
Transactions, which include new business, renewals, extensions