Not only do I recommend them, I always have a Home Warranty on my own homes... and they've paid off big in replacing air conditioners, expensive appliances, etc. They've also paid off big with a low deductible for quick fixes.

FRED: They are more powerful in thought than in action & for $600, a great closing point plus piece of mind for all involved. Some companies are better than others, so a little homework is required...good one Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate 

I recommend them, but the companies we have keep becoming more and more like insurance, and do not want to cover things, while their premium keeps increasing.

Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate 

I give my sellers the option to offer or not. I helped a buyer sometime back buy a house with the pool. The sellers were offering a Home Warranty and it sure came on handy a few days after closing. The typical cost is as low as $450 and up.

It is typical here for a seller to provide a home warranty for the buyer. It protects both parties. Cost and coverage may vary. We suggest that our sellers also include Seller's Coverage. During property prep, marketing period, through escrow and until closing we have taken advantage of Seller's Coverage to replace failed water heaters and appliances. Saved the sellers substantial money. Sellers also benefit from protection from buyers who accuse sellers of covering up the imminent failure of some system or other. Turn the problem over to the home warranty company. The warranties usually provide a limited rekeying feature that is good for the new owners.

Do you have a story to share? 

Haha! When do I NOT! 

So I am currently part of a class action suit against Choice Home Warranty, the AZ AG is after them bad, their pattern of screwing customers literally hit me at home. I had FULL coverage, and always advise clients if you're gonna get a HW buy the MAXIMUM coverage they offer - and walk my own talk which 99% of the time works. I've NEVER been REQUIRED to come out of pocket for a repair/replacement till this past year. Fidelity would give me the choice of their 'standard DW replacement' or go through Sears and get a discount, they give you the dollar and you pay the difference which is perfect. 

Choice said oh, we've approved your WH replacement, we need 533 from you. WHAT? WH is a covered item, your contract specifically says ULTIMATE policy holders are excluded from any exceptions. 

No response. No response. No response. 

Fine. CANCEL MY POLICY which is also in the contract. I paid ahead a year and unused $$ was enough to replace and install the WH.

Then I get a 'handler' who 'wants to talk to me' F that Irisha, I'm sure you're lovely but process my cancellation please.

NO RESPONSE NO RESPONSE NO RESPONSE.

My atty sent a demand letter, they DID NOT RESPOND.

So I'm part of the class.

I will be waiting a long time for my YEAR + 4 MONTHS back, but local contractor replaced with install for just a tad over what THEY wanted me to contribute.

We had been suggesting CHW because the metric is "No clients complain to us about them" WELL I'M COMPLAINING and they are dead to me, AZ can take care of them. 

I have more! But the bottom line is, read their coverage contract CAREFULLY before you decide. Doing 99.9999999 commercial, I don't usually have occasion to discuss with buyers as they will maintain their own stuff and have the financial resources. 

But to a residential buyer, if the coverage and company are legit . . . there's a reason that my E/O carrier asks every year the percentage of closings involve a HW as it is a risk reduction tool . . .

Having personally had BAD experiences with both Old Republic (I think they are no more in CA) and AHS Home Warranties in the past - I'll never buy one again. I invest in my tradesmen instead. American Home Shield went from being the best to the worst in CA in my experience.

I make every buyer & seller aware of Home Warranties, average cost $550.00-$750.00 and explain the pros & cons for each side. They decide, to each their own. Since I work with First American Title these days - I recommend their Home Warranty to the interested and write in their NHD on all offers.

Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate the funny thing is that I always recommended them but I myself have never had one. 😕

Like Nina Hollander, Broker, I carry an AHS Home Warranty on my own home. I have used it a couple of times with no hassle.  Mainly, though, I keep it because my central air conditioning is original to the house (37 years), and I know it's going to die one of these days. I don't even want to think about how much that would cost without a warranty.

Are they worth it?  Depends on the company and the sales rep.  There are a few companies (Select being one of them) that I would NOT recommend.

Out here a home warranty is part of the purchase contract and is usually a seller paid "insurance policy" against anything that breaks in the first year.

Costs typically max out around $650 for the top plans, but if you have a pool that's another add-on.  The max I've seen was around $1,200 but that house was over 4,000sf (extra cost), had a pool, and a pool house.  Those were all add-ons.

I do recommend it to young people buying older homes. American Home Shield is the company we typically use.

Home warranties have saved my clients thousands of dollars. 

My E&O insurance highly recommends sellers offer a home warranty.  In most cases, sellers to provide a home warranty.

Cost: varies depending on if a condo, square footage, additional items added to cover. 

I recommend for young people buying a primary home.  I rarely recommend it to second home buyers who have the funds to repair things.

Some are ok, but do research. One that use to provide a 12 month warranty, kept the price about the same, but then reduced coverage to 6 months. I hear stories about the workman that do the warranty work don't get paid for months, and the warranty companies also try  to pay them less than what their agreement was. With people that are'nt sure they want a warranty, I suggest they just set $50.00 to $100.00 a week into a home maintenance fund to use for unexpected repairs.

There is a reason why insurance companies make so much money.  Of course they are not worth it.

As with any gamble, the dealer always wins.

I use to recommend them all the time till one warranty screw my client and said they would not replace a water heater because it was to old.

Yes, I recommend a home warranty to all buyers. One buyer declined getting one and 2 weeks after closing, his air conditioner went out. The warranty would have put a dent in the replacement cost.

We have one on our home and it has paid off in big ways. We had a washing machine motor and a water heater replaced for $60 each. 

I just don't deal with them anymore. Causes me too much stress.

Their biggest shortcoming is their bad choice of contractors and vendors. The cheapest contractor with no business is who you get - Melvin. The very bottom of the barrel. Hello down there? Hear the echo? echo... echo... echo...

Most respectable contractor will not deal with them because they get screwed.

Mostly all bad ones, may be a very few just Ok. Think about it, after years of paying your home warranty, you would have been better off paying for the repairs or replacement yourself, you would have saved money.

But I digress....

I always try to get a Home Warranty for my Buyers and demand that the Seller pay for one to protect themselves from liability after the clossing of the sale.  The problem for the Buyer is they fail to utilize it for repairs much of the time.

Not all Warranty Companies are the same or have the same coverage. If you read the averages carefully chances are good you will find the company most beneficial to you. I have never had coverage on my personal residences and have made out quite well. Have a close friend who has all kinds of warranty coverage and he also has made out quite well. The real question is do you want to roll the dice?