Ok. Talked with an experienced insurance agent my family has worked with over the years. Apparently part of the problem I'm experiencing is that insurance corporations feel CA is limiting their profits too much so they're just pulling out of California entirely (as they have done with climate effects on risks for disaster/fire insurance). There's just a handful left writing new policies, according to this agent.
If you let your old policy lapse, the insurer often will not reinstate i t.