Have you ever been to a primary care doctor and wondered why they focus on treating symptoms instead of addressing the root cause of your illness? Rather than take a patient-centered approach to address questions like, “Why are you ill?” they prescribe medications that alleviate symptoms but don’t do much to solve the underlying issue that’s causing you to be sick.
When you have a runny nose, you’re handed an antihistamine. When you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, you’re prescribed a pill that treats the number. The truth is that this approach only tackles your symptoms. When the root cause isn’t fixed, your symptoms can get exponentially worse. Remember - your body’s dysfunction isn’t due to your meds not working.
This begs the question: Wouldn't you rather address the underlying cause of your health concerns so you can experience long-term relief? As a naturopathic doctor in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, Dr. Erica Oberg takes a functional approach to medicine and well-being instead of treating the symptoms her patients endure.
Health is a state of vibrant vitality, abundant energy, and positive affect. It can be learned, cultivated, and practiced by everyone. Dr. Oberg's approach to health and medicine combines the rigors of science with the wisdom of nature and our bodies. She is passionate about helping people experience a higher level of health and vitality. As such, her clinical practice focuses on preventing, reversing, and taming chronic disease, neuro-degeneration, and anti-aging.
Dr. Oberg specializes in nutrition & lifestyle, IV therapy, and identifying the underlying causes of disease using advanced testing and creating customized treatment plans to help individuals dial in their lifestyle, dietary supplements, peptides, bioidentical hormones, anti-aging pharmaceuticals, and more. If you’re looking for individualized, science-based, proactive functional, integrative, or natural medicine, we believe you’ll resonate with Dr. Oberg and work your way through life’s challenges with help from our functional medicine clinic in Rancho Santa Fe, CA.
Dr. Oberg and her team of licensed providers specialize in a range of naturopathic and science-based services, including but not limited to:
If you're ready to reclaim your vitality and learn more about Dr. Oberg's approach to health and medicine, we make it easy to get started. The first step is to have a complimentary 15-minute phone call to ask questions and determine if her approach is a good fit. Once Dr. Oberg understands your health needs and goals, your journey to optimal health and wellness truly begins.
Now that you know more about what makes Dr. Oberg different from other physicians, let's dig a little deeper into some of the most popular programs and clinical services offered at her functional medicine clinic.
As people get older, many things change in life. Often, those changes are good, like having more self-control, financial freedom, and patience. Others are hard to deal with, especially when they're out of our control. Like all things in life, our hormones change when we get older. These fluctuations can cause problems for both men and women, including:
If those symptoms sound familiar, you're not alone. A 2019 American Psychological Association survey found that almost half of women aged 30 to 60 in the US have experienced symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. Of course, as men age, they suffer from imbalanced hormones, too. Research from BodyLogicMD states that nearly 38% of males in America aged 45 and older have a testosterone deficiency.
The good news is that balancing your hormones and addressing the root cause of your symptoms doesn’t have to be hard. It’s a realistic goal with Dr. Oberg by your side. As a functional medicine doctor in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, she can help your body metabolize and detoxify both your own hormones and the endocrine-disrupting chemicals infiltrating your life. When your hormones are in harmony, you experience improved energy, mood, and overall health – and that’s something to be excited about.
Our comprehensive Three-Month Hormone Balancing Program is designed to empower you with the knowledge and tools to take control of your hormonal health. This is no "one-and-done service" - it's a holistic journey that spans three transformative months, offering the support and guidance to become confident, capable, and healthier than ever. Features of our hormone balancing program include:
You will receive support throughout your journey from Dr. Oberg, who will provide healthcare services, and our health coaches, who offers personalized coaching tailored to your specific needs.
Nutrition has a significant impact on hormonal health. A customized hormone-balancing diet plan will be provided to help nourish the body optimally based on individual goals.
We provide a range of practical strategies and tips for regulating hormone balance through your nervous system. These techniques aim to empower you to take control of your well-being.
When appropriate, we’ll prescribe you hormone replacement therapy (HRT), testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), or growth hormone peptide therapy to help balance your hormones.
At our functional medical office, we make it a point to correct the root causes of our patient's problems. We don't treat symptoms - but we do use them to figure out the underlying issues you're facing. If you notice any of the following symptoms, it could be time to consider HRT.
When you mention hormone replacement therapy, most people think the treatment is exclusively for females going through menopause. While that's partially true - HRT can relieve night sweats, hot flashes, and other menopause-related problems - men also deal with imbalanced hormones.
Testosterone plays a crucial role in male sexual health. Low levels can result in decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual performance issues. Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection may be a sign of imbalanced hormones or low testosterone levels.
When your sleep patterns change - like when you have trouble falling or staying asleep - it could be a sign of a hormone imbalance. Testosterone is involved in regulating the sleep cycle, and insufficient levels of it can disrupt quality rest.
Imbalances in hormones can affect mental health and mood. If a man shows signs of irritability, mood swings, or depression, it could indicate low testosterone or other hormonal issues. Hormone replacement therapy can help regulate mood by balancing your hormone levels.
Menopause happens when a woman has not had a menstrual cycle for at least 12 consecutive months. It is a result of declining sex hormone levels, causing the ovaries to stop releasing egg cells. During menopause, women face a range of challenges.
Testosterone plays a crucial role in male sexual health. Low levels can result in decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual performance issues. Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection may be a sign of imbalanced hormones or low testosterone levels.
Irregular menstrual cycles are a common sign that women are nearing menopause, and their hormone levels may be shifting. The frequency of their periods may increase or decrease, and the amount of bleeding could be more or less than usual, while also lasting for a shorter or longer time.
Hot flashes are perhaps the most well-known symptom of menopause and a frequent sign that a woman's hormones are imbalanced. Hot flashes are sudden feelings of warmth and sweating that are usually most intense on your face, neck, and chest.
Don't let hormone imbalances dictate your life. Take the first step towards reclaiming your balance, energy, and vitality. By working together with Dr. Oberg and her team, you can unlock the path to a healthier, more harmonious you.
When you choose Dr. Oberg as your naturopathic doctor in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, a new world of healthy living and wellness options are at your disposal. One of the most popular and effective ways to give your body the goodness it needs is with custom IV therapy at our functional medicine office.
Customized IV therapy from Dr. Oberg is all about tailoring your treatment to meet your health goals and needs. Unlike one-size-fits-all IV clinics, our team considers factors like nutrient deficiencies, hydration levels, and overall health to create a customized infusion. This personalized approach gives you better and more applicable results, whether you're looking to get a boost of energy, fortify your immune system, or get relief from a specific ailment.
Your custom IV therapy begins with a consultation with Dr. Oberg. During your initial meeting, we’ll get a better sense of what your brain and body needs. From there, we’ll create a custom infusion for you – not just a formula that matches your height, weight, and age.
Our IV drip therapy menu includes infusions such as:
IV therapy is considered one of the best ways to get the nutrients and immune-boosting goodness your body needs because it gives you a more direct, efficient means of delivery. Unlike oral supplement, which often falls short due to digestive limitations, IV therapy ensures swift and comprehensive nutrient absorption. Some of the biggest benefits of IV therapy from a functional medicine doctor in Rancho Santa Fe, CA include the following:
IV fluids and electrolytes rapidly hydrate your body, providing an efficient remedy for dehydration resulting from illness, physical activity, or excessive alcohol intake.
IV treatment is able to increase energy and fight tiredness, which can make you feel re-energized.
IV infusions containing immune-enhancing vitamins and antioxidants can fortify your immune system and assist in recovering from illness.
IV therapy containing growth factors, exosomes, and vitamins is effective in improving the health and appearance of the skin and hair. These components complement hair and facial microneedling treatments exceptionally well.
IV therapy can help reduce the symptoms of toxic exposure, like headaches, nausea, fatigue, and dehydration, whether it's from a basic hangover or prolonged exposure to molds, heavy metals, or other toxins.
Dr. Oberg’s personalized IV infusions can serve as an initial boost for making lifestyle changes and play a role in a sustained plan to control persistent conditions like diabetes, autoimmune disorders, cancer, heart disease, and others.
Support Mitochondria function and Anti-aging
Dr. Oberg offers carefully sourced and research backed regenerative therapies such as exosome and stem cell infusions. These can be powerful options for people recovering from chronic infections such as long COVID or Epstein Barr or Lyme. They are also powerful for neuro-regeneration and we frequently use them in stroke recovery and for traumatic brain injury.
Dr. Oberg offers personalized IV micronutrient therapy tailored to address specific nutritional deficiencies, hydration needs, and overall health. This therapy is based on advanced testing that evaluates your cells' nutrient levels. Whether you need more energy, a stronger immune system, or relief from different health issues, IV drip therapy can be customized to help you rediscover the very best version of yourself.
As we get older, our bodies experience a range of changes that affect our health and appearance. These changes are primarily caused by issues with mitochondria and cellular aging. However, there have been significant developments in regenerative medicine, offering the potential to turn back the hands of time and improve health. Schedule a consultation today with Dr. Oberg to begin your journey with regenerative medicine.
Regenerative medicine is an exciting, innovative field that centers on activating your body's innate regenerative abilities to repair and revitalize tissues, cells, and organs. Its focus is on improving your body's natural healing processes to counteract the impacts of aging and different health issues. If you find that old, nagging injuries won’t go away or that fine lines and wrinkles have become overwhelming, anti-aging medicine from a functional medicine doctor in Rancho Santa Fe, CA may be perfect for you.
At our naturopathic medical office, we use treatments like IV therapy, hormone replacement therapy, and Peptide Therapy to manage a broad array of health and aesthetic concerns. These treatments can aid in tissue repair, inflammation reduction, and enhancement of cellular function.
Anti-aging services offered at our functional medicine clinic include the following:
Peptides are fundamental components of proteins and play a crucial role in various biological processes, such as the aging process. Dr. Oberg offers peptide treatments to help counteract age-related decline, enhance muscle growth and performance, improve skin health, and more.
When you bring your hormones back into balance, you can fight back against issues such as fatigue, mood swings, reduced libido, and even erectile dysfunction.
Replenish vital nutrients, antioxidants, and hydration for improved energy levels, skin health, and immune support.
Exosomes are tiny vesicles generated from mesenchymal stem cells. These vesicles serve as powerful communicators, transmitting signals to various tissues in the body. Their main function is to trigger healing, regeneration, and repair processes, mimicking the actions of younger cells. They are considered to be one of the most effective strategies for combating the aging process.
When nutrition guidance, lifestyle adaptations, and powerful supplements are combined with naturopathic medical therapies from Dr. Oberg, you can reverse chronic diseases in your life and reach your anti-aging goals.
Our goal with regenerative medicine treatments is to rejuvenate deteriorating or aging tissue. Our approach to treatment centers on fixing and reversing damage instead of solely addressing symptoms like pain. Regenerative medicine harnesses the power of healthy cells to renew and restore function by enhancing the body's innate capacity for self-healing.
Dr. Oberg uses regenerative medicine to treat a range of issues, both aesthetic and injury-related, including the following:
Experience the future of anti-aging and regenerative medicine with Dr. Erica Oberg. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and embark on your journey to a healthier, more youthful you.
When you visit our functional medicine clinic, you can rest easy knowing Dr. Erica Oberg uses her unique skills, knowledge, and naturopathic principles for the betterment of your health and well-being. Unlike many traditional primary care providers, our team combines the best aspects of traditional wisdom and modern scientific medicine to diagnose, treat, and prevent chronic diseases.
You don't have to worry about us suggesting addictive pain medications or treatments that simply mask your aesthetic or medical challenges. Instead, our goal is to address the underlying factors holding you back. If you're ready to take the first step toward purposeful progress and healthy living, contact us today.
RANCHO SANTA FE – Belmont Village Senior Living is partnering with Greystar Real Estate Partners to build a community for older adults in Rancho Santa Fe that will have 185 apartments, including 15 free-standing cottages.This is the second San Diego project that the Houston-based company will have built in San Diego in partnership with Greystar following the 2022 construction of a 17-story senior living apartment tower in La Jolla.Belmont Village Rancho Santa Fe will be Belmont Village’s fourth community in San Dieg...
RANCHO SANTA FE – Belmont Village Senior Living is partnering with Greystar Real Estate Partners to build a community for older adults in Rancho Santa Fe that will have 185 apartments, including 15 free-standing cottages.
This is the second San Diego project that the Houston-based company will have built in San Diego in partnership with Greystar following the 2022 construction of a 17-story senior living apartment tower in La Jolla.
Belmont Village Rancho Santa Fe will be Belmont Village’s fourth community in San Diego County and the 17th built in California since 2002.
Construction is slated to start toward the end of the year and finish in two years. The cost of the Rancho Santa Fe project was not disclosed.
Designed by HPI Architecture, based in Carmel Valley, the three-story Belmont Village Rancho Santa Fe is being built within the gated community of The Lakes Rancho Santa Fe, adjacent to The Crosby Club golf course.
“For a golfer, it’s a dream come true,” said Patricia Will, CEO and founder of Belmont Senior Living. “The building itself is built around courtyards that afford a very unique indoor/outdoor experience.”
The 15 cottages will ring the property.
Will described the project design as having “an Italianate, sort of Tuscan feel” to blend in with other structures in Rancho Santa Fe, “but contemporized with large spaces, high ceilings with a nod to today.”
“Not only will the project have very manicured and pretty gardens, but integrated into those gardens are what I would call a lot of play spaces where people can really take advantage of the climate and the outdoors,” Will said. “This is a place where it is really important for us to use the outdoors and the indoors almost interchangeably.”
The apartments will range from about 500 square feet for a studio apartment to about 1,600 square feet for a cottage, Will said. Monthly rents haven’t been set.
“One of the things that we are seeing in the marketplace throughout the San Diego area, and in fact throughout California, is a demand for larger apartments,” Will said. “In a place like Rancho Santa Fe, we’re leaning into that.”
In a twist, Will, a Rancho Santa Fe resident, said that she plans to eventually move into the new center because the hillside home she owns is getting difficult to navigate.
“I’m on a ridgeline, which is very beautiful, but I’m realistic and I want to embrace my older age and still be able to enjoy everything that I enjoy there, but I may not be able to in my own house,” Will said.
Greystar Executive Director Jerry Brand also lives in Rancho Santa Fe.
“We are very excited about bringing what we know to our own neighborhood,” Will said.
Amenities at the Rancho Santa Fe project will include indoor and outdoor dining areas, a gym, private wine room, and outdoor pool, an art studio, movie theater, hair and nail salon, a sports lounge, shuffleboard, bocce courts, a putting green and poker tables.
Tenants will likely come from Del Mar Heights, Solana Beach, and Rancho Santa Fe, and some people from out of state, who are moving to San Diego County to join their adult children, Will said.
Men also make up a larger share of tenants than in the past.
“When I entered this business, 25, 27 years ago, the males represented maybe 5% to 7% of our head count,” Will said. “In our La Jolla building 40% of our occupants are men.”
Belmont Village Senior Living FOUNDED: 1997 HEADQUARTERS: Houston CEO: Patricia Will BUSINESS: develops and operates senior housing SAN DIEGO EMPLOYEES: 425 WEBSITE: www.belmontvillage.com CONTACT: 713-467-1700 NOTABLE: Belmont Village Senior Living has more than 5,000 apartments in 35 locations in the U.S. and Mexico Cit
Video shows an adult mountain lion jumping the fence and strolling through the backyard pool area after midnight.SAN DIEGO — A Ring security camera captured images of a mountain lion scaling a fence and strolling through the backyard of a home in Rancho Sante Fe.“It’s always alarming when you see a mountain lion in your backyard,” said Tim Daly wit...
Video shows an adult mountain lion jumping the fence and strolling through the backyard pool area after midnight.
SAN DIEGO — A Ring security camera captured images of a mountain lion scaling a fence and strolling through the backyard of a home in Rancho Sante Fe.
“It’s always alarming when you see a mountain lion in your backyard,” said Tim Daly with California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
It happened a week ago during the overnight hours shortly after 1:00 a.m. Daly told CBS 8 there is plenty of suitable habitat in the area, and in fact, half of the State of California is considered mountain lion habitat.
“As I look at a map of the Rancho Santa Fe area, there’s really good habitat just to the north," said Daly. "Mountain lion sightings might be more unusual in the San Diego region than in other parts of the state, but certainly not unexpected.”
After watching the video, Daly surmised the mountain lion in question looks like an adult. He said the animals can have a home range of up to 100 square miles, covering a lot of territory in a short amount of time.
"If we’re close to what’s considered mountain lion habitat, it’s entirely possible they’ll find a way into one of our neighborhoods, look things over, and hopefully go back to that habitat,” said Daly.
The sighting came just days after another mountain lion was spotted in the backyard of a home in La Mesa. And two weeks before that, a mountain lion believed to be a juvenile was caught on camera walking past the front porch of a home in Mira Mesa.
In March, there were multiple reports of sightings of a mountain lion in Oceanside as it roamed through parking garages and outside the Regal Cinemas theater, much of it captured on surveillance video.
Daly told CBS 8 they’ve seen an increase in the number of reported sightings in recent years, but said that doesn’t necessarily mean there are more mountain lions around than in years past.
“It’s entirely possible that between the pandemic when more people were spending more time at home and between the popularity of security cameras at home and in backyards, it’s a very strong possibility that’s why we’re sensing more sightings in the San Diego region as well,” said Daly.
He outlined a few tips to make our yards less attractive to wildlife such as mountain lions, telling CBS 8 it’s important to clean up grills after a barbecue, to secure trash cans, and to bring in small pets at night as well as their pet food.
“We need to just do as good a job as we can securing our backyards, and hopefully your neighbors are doing the same, so that a mountain lion, if it’s coming into the area, it just passes through and keeps on going back to the habitat where it came from,” said Daly.
WATCH RELATED: Camera catches mountain lion roaming neighborhood
Belmont Village Senior Living and Greystar Real Estate Partners, LLC will develop Belmont Village Rancho Santa Fe, a luxury senior housing community within the gated Lakes of Rancho Santa Fe master-planned community. Groundbreaking is expected before year-end. Located at 16202 Sunny Summit Dr. in Rancho Santa Fe, the project will feature more than 185 apartments, including 15 freestanding cottages.Jerry Brand, executive director of Greystar Development and Construction Services, and Belmont CEO Patricia Will are both long-term residen...
Belmont Village Senior Living and Greystar Real Estate Partners, LLC will develop Belmont Village Rancho Santa Fe, a luxury senior housing community within the gated Lakes of Rancho Santa Fe master-planned community. Groundbreaking is expected before year-end. Located at 16202 Sunny Summit Dr. in Rancho Santa Fe, the project will feature more than 185 apartments, including 15 freestanding cottages.
Jerry Brand, executive director of Greystar Development and Construction Services, and Belmont CEO Patricia Will are both long-term residents of Rancho Santa Fe. Following the success of their initial collaboration, Belmont Village La Jolla in 2022, Brand and Will are bringing their expertise to their hometown.
“Simply put, this is the project where I expect to live,” said Will. Belmont Village Rancho Santa Fe will be Belmont Village’s fourth community in the San Diego area and 17th in California since 2002. The company benefits from a relationship for program development with UCSD’s Stein Center for Research on Aging.
Pictured: Patricia Will and Jerry Brand.
Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 16-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 7-10 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA GOLFCHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs return to the NCAA Men's Golf Tournament in two weeks the NCAA announced on the Golf Channel Wednesday afternoon. The Mocs are the seven seed in the Rancho Santa Fe Regionals May 13-15 at the Farms in suburban San Diego."We're honored to be in the field again in 2024," Coach ...
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs return to the NCAA Men's Golf Tournament in two weeks the NCAA announced on the Golf Channel Wednesday afternoon. The Mocs are the seven seed in the Rancho Santa Fe Regionals May 13-15 at the Farms in suburban San Diego.
"We're honored to be in the field again in 2024," Coach Blaine Woodruff stated. "Our guys earned this throughout the season. Every year is new, but our guys are postseason tested and ready for the challenge to not only repeat advancing from regionals but exceed it. It doesn't matter where we go or who we are up against, we need to do what we do, and we'll be just fine."
The postseason roster is pretty well set. SoCon starters John Houk, Paul Conroy, Samuel Espinosa, Garrett Engle and Braedon Wear are joined by Dalton Chuba. The 3rd-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils headline the field for the group that's made two trips to California already at PGA West in Palm Springs in February and Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz in April.
It's a long way to go, but that's not terribly new for the Mocs. Five of the prior 13 appearances saw the program travers west. Two of those ended in trips to the finals.
"We're honored to be in the field again in 2024," Coach Blaine Woodruff stated. "Our guys earned this throughout the season. Every year is new, but our guys are postseason tested and ready for the challenge to not only repeat advancing from regionals but exceed it.
"We can't wait to get started."
The trip to San Diego is a good precursor for the group. This year's Championships are played May 24-29 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Claif., also in the metropolitan area.
FIELD (2023-24 Record vs. Opp) 1 – (3) Arizona State (0-0) 2 – (10) Washington (0-2) 3 – (16) Oklahoma (0-0) 4 – (22) Cal (1-1) 5 – (26) Oklahoma State (0-0) 6 – (34) North Florida (1-0) 7 – (38) Chattanooga 8 – (46) South Florida (0-0) 9 – (50) San Diego (0-1) 10 – (58) West Virginia (1-0) 11 – (67) Kansas (0-1) 12 – (124) Wright State (0-0) 13 – (166) Seton Hall (0-0) 14 – (192) Winthrop (0-0)
Individuals: Mahanth Chirravuri, Pepperdine Tegan Andrews, Cal State Fullerton William Walsh, Pepperdine Brady Siravo, Pepperdine Kevin Li, Seattle
NCAA REGIONALS SITES The University of Texas Golf Club | Austin, TX (Texas, host) University Club | Baton Rouge, LA (LSU, host) UNC Finley Golf Course | Chapel Hill, NC (UNC, host) The Farms Golf Club | Rancho Santa Fe, CA (San Diego, host) Stanford Golf Course | Stanford, CA (Stanford, host) Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex | West Lafayette, IN (Purdue, host)
FIELD Eighty-one teams and 45 individuals embark May 13-15 at those regional sites to reach the finals. The top five teams and top individual on a non-advancing program move on to Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., May 24-29.
HISTORY 10 team and 14 total entries in NCAA Men's Golf Regionals all-time. The program moved on to the finals five times: 1993: Neil Connolly, MC 2009: Team, 18th 2012: Team, 18th 2014: Chris Robb, T15 (All-America) 2023: Team, T23
FUN FACT All five members of last year's NCAA Championships squad are back: Houk, Conroy, Espinosa, Wear & Engle. The alternate for this season is junior Dalton Chuba, a Chattanooga native.
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here. Go here to check out the NIL Marketplace for our student-athletes.
Look out below! There’s been a seismic shift in California, and Rancho Santa Fe is at its epicenter. The earthquake isn’t just under our feet. It’s all around our homes. Our lush landscape brings with it very real fire risk, as we learned during the Witch ...
Look out below! There’s been a seismic shift in California, and Rancho Santa Fe is at its epicenter. The earthquake isn’t just under our feet. It’s all around our homes. Our lush landscape brings with it very real fire risk, as we learned during the Witch Fire in 2007, and now, according to State Farm and other insurers, our homes are virtually uninsurable.
Since late 2022, seven of the 12 largest home insurance companies in California have either completely paused or greatly limited new home insurance applications. In 2022, State Farm, which is California’s largest home insurer and one of the largest insurers in the country, had more than 21% of the market and incurred $5.9 billion in losses. State Farm had already decided in 2023 to stop offering any new home policies in California.
Last month, State Farm announced they are not renewing 72,000 California policies, including policies for 30,000 homes, 7,000 of which are in San Diego. In a recent state filing, State Farm revealed that of the 1,260 homes they currently insure in zip code 92067, they are not renewing 643. In 92091, of the 161 homes they insure, they are not renewing 70.
The non-renewals begin July 3 for homeowners, rental dwelling, residential community association and business owners policies and on August 20, for commercial apartment policies. This means if your policy’s renewal date occurs before those dates, your policy should be safe – for this renewal period at least.
Some of the factors contributing to insurers pulling out of California:
State Farm did cite mounting losses and the escalating costs of claims for its decision. However, State Farm’s non renewals are happening despite California approving the company’s requests to levy double-digit premium increases in 2023.
Another possible reason is California’s Proposition 103, enacted in 1988, which allows the state insurance commissioner to reject proposed rate increases and order refunds. And in 2022, California passed regulations to force insurers to give premium discounts for property owners who made improvements to reduce their fire risk. But the regulation also allowed insurers to drop homeowners’ insurance entirely if they deemed their property too risky. Could insurers be pulling out of the state as a response to these regulations or to gain leverage to pressure California to regulate them less?
How can you assess your risk to an insurer or contest their decision to drop your coverage?There is often no transparency about insurers decisions to non-renew, nor is there an opportunity to appeal. The insurer may not even have inspected your property in person; more commonly now, they use aerial imagery analyzed with AI to assess risk.
One risk assessment tool you can look at to assess your own risk is https://riskfactor.com/property. Enter an address to see fire, flood, wind, heat and other risk factors that may be taken into account by insurers. According to Risk Factor, there are 1,370 properties in Rancho Santa Fe that have some risk of being affected by wildfire over the next 30 years. This represents 88% of all properties in Rancho Santa Fe.
With home insurance being virtually impossible to obtain anymore, and any house with a mortgage being required by the lender to have this coverage, many California homeowners have had to turn to the higher cost California FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) Plan as a last resort. FAIR is an insurance program established to provide basic property insurance coverage to homeowners who are unable to obtain insurance through the private market due to high-risk factors such as location in areas prone to natural disasters like wildfires or earthquakes.
However, FAIR caps coverage at $3 million (as of 2020) combined for the dwelling and personal property. Thanks to RSF Post contributor RSFPoster for pointing out that the mix of dwelling and contents can be divided unevenly, i.e. $2M for dwelling and $1M for contents, so presumably FAIR can give up to $3M in dwelling coverage.
That $3M limit still will leave many residences in Rancho Santa Fe under-insured for fire. Considering the median listed and sold home prices in 92067 was quoted in February at $7.8 million and $4 million respectively, FAIR insurance is often inadequate protection for homeowners’ coverage. In addition, FAIR focuses on fire damage, so you’ll have to purchase a separate “wraparound” policy to get more complete coverage.
Insurance agents are recommending that you not wait for a non-renewal letter. Contact an insurance broker immediately to start shopping around for replacement insurance. If you are lucky enough to get offered new insurance, you best take it immediately, because it may not be available tomorrow.
Ellen Stiefler is a Covenant member.
Updated 4/17/24
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