MORE ON INSURING YOUR ALASKAN HOME

The tree from the roof has been transformed to a nice pile of logs. Another homeowners tip: watch for carpenter ants. These pesky critters killed said tree, which was toppled from the neighbor's yard. We don't have termites in Alaska, but carpenter ants do their share of damage both to trees and houses. Call an exterminator if they become a problem.

When you're shopping for homeowner's coverage in Alaska, there are a few points to keep in mind. One is that some insurers place unreasonable restrictions from Outside on Alaskan properties. For instance, they may want evidence of fire hydrants in close proximity. That doesn't happen in many Alaskan locations.

Log homes can be another sticking point. Some (but not all) insurers penalize log homes with higher rates, the logic being that if one log burns, the whole wall has to be replaced. Actually, burns rates on log homes tend to be slower than for stick frame, not to mention that it's the rare stick frame fire that leads to only a portion of a wall being replaced.

Lastly, Alaskan homeowners sometimes end up bearing the burden for disasters elsewhere in the country. After Katrina, one company dropped Alaskan homeowner coverage altogether. It's hard to follow the logic - we're not prone in the least to hurricanes. But apparently we're clutching the tail of the insurance food chain, and it's easiest to cut policies or raise rates here.