Needing guarantee of home warranty

Q: I need information on (companies providing) home warranty insurance. As my home is now over 10 years old, my warranties for central air and my furnace have expired. Some companies I was referred to didn't cover these and others did. Several people have said they had trouble with their (warranties) and others have none. Where do I obtain information on up-front costs, trade service calls and reliability of the company? -- Patricia D., Las Vegas

A: For ethical and business reasons, the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors is not allowed to recommend a specific home warranty company. We can tell you which home warranty companies are affiliate members of the association.

To find out which companies are affiliated with the GLVAR, simply visit lasvegasrealtor.com/site/links. You should see at least a few companies listed.

Joan Katsuda, an executive with a local home warranty company that is an affiliate member of the GLVAR, suggested visiting homeservicecontract.org/faq.html. She also advised stopping by the GLVAR office at 1750 E. Sahara Ave. to pick up the various brochures in the lobby and to visit the Web sites of our affiliates to find out more about their home warranty policies and prices.

"The next step would be to contact each home warranty company with the same questions - mainly concerning coverage, exclusions and limits of liabilities," Katsuda said.

The cost of coverage varies from company to company. It's best to contact several for competing price quotes. Coverage costs also vary depending on the service, size and type of home. Prices may start at a few hundred dollars per year for a basic home warranty policy for a single-family detached home in Las Vegas.

Whatever company you contact, ask for a sample copy of the company's contract so you know exactly what is covered, what co-pay costs are involved and what you're buying. No matter what, read the contract carefully.

Also ask family, friends, co-workers and your Realtor for their thoughts and recommendations.

Patty Kelley is the president of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors and has worked in the real estate industry for more than 30 years. GLVAR has nearly 15,000 members. To ask Kelley a question, e-mail her at ask@glvar.org. For more information, visit www.lasvegasrealtor.com.