My Town Insurance Quotes

After making sure your family is safe, many insurance companies suggest you take necessary actions to stop the damage from getting worse if safely possible. The company may even reimburse you for items you purchase to assist in protecting from further damage. The next step would be to contact your agent and/or claims department as quickly as possible. Normally at this point, most claims department will walk you through the rest. A helpful hint would be to keep a picture or written inventory of your contents in a fire proof box so that in the event of a claim it will assist you and the company.

It is a good idea to always notify your agent or insurance company if there is a potential for a claim. The last thing you and your insurance company wants is a law suit to be filed six months later and all the evidence is gone and witnesses are nowhere to be found or memory of the situation has faded. In order for your liability to pay out, you would have to be liable. Meaning you would have to have known the tree was dead and almost have been warned to take it down. This is almost impossible to prove, because there have been trees that were completely dead on the inside and green and undetectable from the outside. Basically, it would be very hard to prove you were liable or negligent. Believe it or not, your neighbor would have to file the claim on their homeowner’s policy. Same thing if their tree fell on your home or car, you would have to file a claim.

Homeowner’s can actually be over insured, however more times than not they are underinsured. In the event of a disaster, such as a total fire loss, would you rather be a little over insured or under insured? In many cases tens of thousands in homeowner’s coverage is only a few dollars a year different in premiums. Even so, your home, the equity, and the contents inside, are asset that should not be overlooked or underinsured. In most cases, you’re only paying hundreds of dollars a year for hundreds of thousands in coverage. With that being said, most agents will inspect your home and have software to help them properly evaluate the “rebuilding cost” of your home. Many people get confused between market value and replacement value when it comes to their home. You can have a home on the beach that is 1200 square feet with a market value of 3Million. However, to rebuild it may only cost 200/sq which would be 240K. Focus on your local rebuilding cost and review every year or two with your agent. The same home far inland may be worth 180K but still cost 240K to rebuild it. FYI, the cost of materials can fluxuate daily and monthly. This is another reason we say above, a little over insurance is much better than underinsurance.

YES... you should! Many companies stop insuring homes regardless of where it is located if there is a pool, trampoline, skate board ramp, etc. are unfenced. A good rule of thumb is if you have to ask, then chances are it should be fenced and locked. Understanding the chance of someone getting into your pool is probably less of a risk than let’s say the same home in the middle of a suburban neighborhood or golf course community, but that doesn’t mean it cannot happen. Think about if you had a big gathering at your home and everyone was busy entertaining or visiting and a small child were to fall into the pool because the access was not secure from inside your home? A risk or threat may not just come from an outside access or uninvited neighboring child. If you do not like the appeal of fencing or the community has restrictions, consider and electric hard cover. Check with your agent to make sure this is acceptable form of protection. There have been tremendous improvements in this technology and has become more affordable. It could save you thousands in home insurance premiums, protect your assets from law suits, and most importantly a child’s life.

One of the leading causes of home fires comes from cooking. So do your best not to leave the cook top unattended, especially if using oil. Keep several fire extinguishers throughout the house and have them recharged periodically. Smoke detectors are an inexpensive way to protect your home. Put them everywhere and replace the batteries monthly. Have family evacuation plans and practice the plan often. Be sure to establish a meeting place outside the home so that you don’t go back in a burning home when the child is safely out. Many deaths are caused from suffocation, so don’t try and fight the fire yourself. If you are using any flammable liquid on a rag, be sure to dispose of the used rag away from the home. If you smoke inside the home, have a system or pattern for smoking. Meaning, dispose of it in the same ash tray or water source every time, so that it becomes a habit of safety. Do not allow yourself to put it down until finished, do not smoke in bed, and if possible only smoke outside. Have electrician advise you on safety tips when they inspect your wiring, heating, and electronic units. For goodness sakes, if you fry a turkey don’t do it under the porch or garage and test the oil level by filling the pot with water first and submerge the turkey in the pot of water to see where the oil level should be remembering the oil will be boiling. We’ve had experience with this issue.

For wildfire protection keep yard clean and cut. Keep landscaping and trees small and away from the home due to many fires entering through the eves from landscaping. Believe it or not, your curtains can combust from the intense radiant heat through the window pain, so either take them down before evacuating or tie them up. You can search the internet easily for more tips.

Here are a few links that are very helpful:
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/wildfire/
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/