Deals rarely collapse purely over insurance, but insurance costs now belong in your buying decision from day one. Cautious buyers get an insurance quote before writing an offer, so they know the true monthly cost up front instead of getting blindsided during escrow. In high fire-risk areas, that quote can be a deal-breaker: a similar home might insure for a modest amount closer to a city and several times that in a remote, high-risk zone, and some buyers simply rule those areas out. On prices, insurance cost alone is unlikely to drag values down broadly, because it is one line in a much bigger affordability picture. It can slow price growth in high-risk areas specifically, as fewer buyers are willing to take on the premium and the uncertainty. Nobody can promise how any market moves, so build your plan around the part you control. The practical move is the same whatever the market is doing: price insurance early, factor it into your real monthly payment, and weigh location-based risk before you fall in love with a house. When you want that all-in monthly number nailed down, that is what we work through on a free Roadmap call.