insurance on closing?

[Bruce Ellerd]

Hello my BP friends, I am getting close to closing on my first MFU (fourplex) and receiving my CD statment to review and sign-off. On it they list paying 1 year of homeowner's insurance, plus the homowner's insurance in the monthly payment, thus keeping me paying the insurance one year in advance. As a former insurance agent I would like that, but being charged that I don't like the idea of being locked into what looks ok to me as a beginner. If I want to make changes to my insurance as I learn more, it seems that to cause a domino effect. 

Is this normal to pay a year in advance? I understand the insurance payment as part of my monthly mortgage and that makes perfect sense to me and even paying one or two months in advance as the mortgage funds makes sense to me. But I'm not happy about the 1 year in advance, so is this something that is the "norm," something that is negotiated, or a take it or leave it item? 

If you go through a conventional finance package what would your thoughts on this be? 

-Bruce