We asked four homeowners to seek lower insurance costs

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Are lower home insurance rates leading to cost reductions for Florida homeowners?

After insurance leaders in Florida spent the last year touting the revival of a healthy insurance market, the South Florida Sun Sentinel decided to find out whether policyholders have been affected in the only way most of us care about: Can we insure our homes for a lower price?

Insurers say the only way to find out is to shop your policy out on the open market.

So for this test, the Sun Sentinel recruited four homeowners — two each in south and central Florida — and four agents.

Each agent obtained quotes for two homeowners from insurance companies they are contracted to represent.

The results:

— Among 13 private-market insurers that provided quotes, only t