Short Answer
A few years ago, insurance was an afterthought in a Westside purchase - a box you checked a week before closing. After the January 2025 Palisades Fire, I've watched insurance go from paperwork to the single biggest variable in some of my transactions.
So let me walk you through it the way I walk my buyers through it: what the California FAIR Plan is, why most coastal buyers also need a second policy alongside it, what it actually costs right now, and where the market is finally starting to improve. One honest caveat up front - I'm a real estate broker, not a licensed insurance agent. Treat this as a buyer's orientation, not insurance advice, and confirm the specifics with a licensed California insurance professional before you rely on any number here.
Why insurance moved to the center of every Westside deal
Coastal Los Angeles - the canyons above the Palisades, the hillsides of Malibu, parts of Brentwood and the Santa Monica Mountains - carries real wildfire exposure, and insurers price that exposure aggressively. After the 2025 fires, several major carriers pulled back or stopped writing new policies in the highest-risk zones. The result is simple: you can no longer assume that the home you love is easily insurable at a price you've budgeted for. That's exactly why I now treat insurability as part of due diligence, not an afterthought.
What the California FAIR Plan actually is
The FAIR Plan is California's insurer of last resort. It exists so that property owners who can't find coverage on the open market still have somewhere to go. Two things you need to understand about it:
It's primarily fire coverage. The FAIR Plan covers fire and a few related perils. Think of the DIC as a wrap that fills the gaps the FAIR Plan leaves open: liability, theft, water damage, and other standard homeowners protections.
Together, the FAIR Plan plus a DIC is designed to approximate the coverage of a traditional homeowners policy. the practical trade-off is cost - a FAIR Plan-plus-DIC combination often runs meaningfully more than a single conventional policy would have a few years ago. If you're buying this year, budget forward, not backward.
The market is finally starting to thaw
It's not all bad news, and I make sure my buyers hear the other side too. Under the state's Sustainable Insurance Strategy, carriers that want to use modern catastrophe modeling have to commit to writing more policies in wildfire-exposed areas. That framework is starting to bring capacity back:
In April 2026, Travelers became the first top-10 national carrier to voluntarily join the strategy and signal it will expand availability across the state, including underserved wildfire areas.
Carriers including Mercury, CSAA, Farmers, USAA, Pacific Specialty, and California Casualty have committed to growing rather than shrinking their California books. These come from things like a Class A fire-rated roof, ember-resistant vents, defensible space, and other recognized mitigation. When I'm advising a buyer on a hillside property, hardening isn't just safety - it's a line item on the insurance bill.
How I fold insurance into your purchase
Here's my actual process, because this is where a good agent earns their keep right now:
We check insurability early - before you're emotionally committed. I'd rather know on day three than day thirty.
You get real quotes during your contingency period, not estimates. A FAIR-Plan-plus-DIC number from a licensed broker is part of how we decide what the home truly costs you.
We factor the premium into the offer. Carrying cost is part of value. And if you're looking specifically in the burn area, read it alongside my note on Pacific Palisades after the fire.
Let's talk
Insurance shouldn't be the thing that surprises you at the closing table. Before you fall for a Westside home, I'll help you understand what it will actually cost to protect it - and connect you with the insurance professionals who can quote it properly.
Reach out to me or call 310.595.5181. Many buyers in the highest-risk coastal zones now rely on the California FAIR Plan, usually paired with a Difference in Conditions (DIC) policy. Most buyers who use the FAIR Plan pair it with a DIC so their overall coverage resembles a traditional homeowners policy.
Are insurance companies coming back to the Westside?
Slowly, yes. In April 2026, Travelers became the first top-10 national carrier to voluntarily join California's Sustainable Insurance Strategy and signal expanded availability, and several other carriers have committed to growing their California books rather than shrinking them.
Can I lower my wildfire insurance premium?
Often, yes. The FAIR Plan's updated wildfire hardening program lets qualifying homes stack up to 12 discounts on the wildfire portion of the premium through measures like a fire-rated roof, ember-resistant vents, and defensible space. Hardening a hillside property can meaningfully reduce that part of your bill.
How should insurance affect my offer on a home?
Treat the premium as part of the home's carrying cost.
Work With Monica Antola on Westside Home Insurance
Monica Antola helps buyers compare homes and neighborhoods across Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Venice, and Marina del Rey. Use the next conversation to turn commute pattern, neighborhood fit, HOA or metro-district tolerance, school-boundary checks, and current inventory into a practical tour plan.
- Service areas: Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Venice, Marina del Rey, South Bay, and Marina Del Rey
- Office or service-area location: Service-area business serving Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Santa Monica, and Brentwood
Related Local Market Resources
From Monica's channel · July 2026 · 0:30
The Insurance Gap: When the FAIR Plan Isn't Enough to Rebuild
California FAIR Plan coverage tops out around $3 million, which does not cover many Palisades rebuilds. Monica describes gap financing she has been researching with Citizens Private Bank in Manhattan Beach to fund the shortfall so families are not forced to hand back their keys.
Watch on YouTube →Read the transcript
Here's something almost no one in the Palisades is talking about, the insurance gap. If you're on the California Fair Plan, you may only be covered up to about $3 million. For these fire rebuilds, that just isn't enough.
So, I've been digging into gap financing with Citizens Private Bank out of Manhattan Beach. They can fund the rebuild and cover the shortfall, so families aren't having to hand back their keys. If that sounds like you, DM me and I'll walk you through what I've found.
From Monica's channel · May 2026 · 1:01
Why Insurance Companies Are Lowballing Fire Victims, and What to Do About It
Monica's brother documented an $800,000 claim and was offered $10,000. Her advice: document every receipt and photo, do not accept the first offer, and if you cannot fight it yourself, hire a public adjuster (typically 25% to 35% of the recovery) or an insurance attorney.
Watch on YouTube →Read the transcript
My brother submitted a claim to Travelers for $800,000. He had documentation for every single dollar. You know what?
They offered him $10,000. And he's not alone. Almost everyone I know in the Palisades is fighting their insurance company right now.
It's become a full-time job. Not rebuilding, not grieving, fighting. Unless you have the bandwidth to go round after round, you're hiring a private adjuster, and they're taking 25 to 35% of whatever you finally get.
And you've already lost everything. And now you're losing a chunk of what you're owed just to have someone fight for you. So, what do you do?
Document everything. Every receipt, every photo. If you can't fight this yourself, get a public adjuster or insurance attorney.
And do not accept the first offer. The first number is not what you're owed. It's what they hope you'll take because you are exhausted.
If you're going through this right now, I see you. My family's going through it. My clients are going through it.
DM me if you need someone to talk to. I'm here.
From Monica's channel · May 2026 · 0:55
California's $100K Fire Relief Mortgage Program
The state released a mortgage relief program for fire-affected homeowners of up to $100,000, structured as a loan that appears not to be repayable, separate from insurance and FEMA, plus extended mortgage forbearance. Application windows and funding are limited.
Watch on YouTube →Read the transcript
California just dropped a program that could put up to a hundred thousand dollars in the hands of fire-affected homeowners and there's a good chance you haven't heard about it yet. Here's what we know. The state released a mortgage relief program specifically for homeowners affected by the fires, up to a hundred thousand dollars.
They're calling it a loan, but from everything I've seen it's not repayable. So effectively it's a grant. This is separate from insurance, separate from FEMA, state level relief designed to help you keep your home and your mortgage current.
On top of that, they've extended mortgage forbearance. You can push payments out without penalties. Look into this immediately.
Don't wait. These programs have application windows and funding limits. Start with the California state website, look for fire specific mortgage relief.
DM me if you want the links and details, I'll send you everything I've found. This is too important to sit on.