May 5, 2011
- Home Security, Basic Tips and Advice
Now that summer is just around the corner, we all need to start thinking about securing our home, especially when on vacation. Here are a few basic tips for helping you keep your home secure.
Always Lock Doors and Windows
It sounds simple, but it’s very easy to leave doors and windows unlocked, especially if you are [...]
April 9, 2011
- 4 Steps to Protect Your Home Against Disaster
Three-quarters of families are unprepared for natural disasters. Stow some water and non-perishable food, and protect your home from power outages and flooding with these 4 projects:
1. Add Emergency Power
A portable generator keeps essential electrical items running during blackouts: from your heat, refrigerator, and key lights to your Internet and cordless phones. It's a small [...]
March 31, 2011
- Earthquake Insurance: Should You Get It?
With the recent Japanese quake and subsequent stories about the vulnerability and possibilities of similar disasters striking here in the U.S., many homeowners are wondering about protecting their primary asset, their home, should a large earthquake hit their region.
Whether you should or should not have earthquake insurance is a conversation you should have with your [...]
March 27, 2011
- Homeowner's Insurance: You May Not Be Covered
The seventh largest quake ever occurred March 11th. The eighth largest quake occurred last year. The third largest quake occurred in 2004. Add to this hurricanes and floods, and it seems like natural disasters are on the rise.
Everyone should be well aware by now, earthquakes and tsunami's like Japan recently suffered are not normally things [...]
March 9, 2011
- Insurance Rates Tied to New Software
Homeowners insurance rates may be going up with new hurricane modeling software. The new software package from Risk Management Solutions, Inc. goes way beyond the criteria that other models project.
The factors include the size of the hurricane and how much of it is still over the water, how fast it is moving, and whether a [...]
February 27, 2011
- 5 Tips for Choosing Homeowners’ Insurance
Finding the right homeowner's insurance is a tough job. Here are some basic tips to make choosing homeowners’ insurance an easier task:
Get past the advertising fluff. When selling your home and buying a new one, your mailbox can fill with solicitations—and one of the front-line offenders are homeowners’ insurance companies. Our quick scan of the [...]
January 11, 2011
- Home Prices Are Down, So Why Not Insurance?
If you’re a homeowner, chances are your house is worth less than it was five years ago. But you could still be paying more to insure it.
Despite the deep housing bust of the last few years, the cost of rebuilding a damaged home — in other words, what you pay insurance for — has not [...]
November 29, 2010
- Foreclosure Mess Highlights Value of Title Insurance
When homebuyers and people refinancing their mortgages first see the itemized estimate for all the closing costs and fees, the largest number is often for title insurance.
This moment is often profoundly irritating, mysterious and rushed - just like so much of the homebuying process. Lenders require buyers to have title insurance, but buyers are often [...]
October 28, 2010
- House Insurance: Do You Have Proper Coverage?
Is your house insurance adequate? Many insurance policies have automatic escalator provisions that periodically boost the coverage.
Make sure the replacement value of your house meets industry standards, so you will not suffer a financial loss if your house is destroyed.
Some people purchase mortgage life insurance so that in the event of death, their mortgage would [...]
September 23, 2010
- Homeowners Insurance: 5 Things You Should Know
1. Loyalty is Overrated
Many insurers have been raising rates to make up for losses they suffered during the financial crisis. At the same time, insurers are competing hard for new customers, which means some of them are cutting better deals for new policy holders than for existing ones.
When your annual renewal statement arrives in the [...]
July 28, 2010
- House Approves Flood Insurance Reform
House Approves Flood Insurance Reform
The US House of Representatives have approved a flood insurance reform bill that would reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for five years.
The provision, which extends the program to Sept. 30, 2015, passed by a wide margin, 329 to 90, with support from both Democrats and Republicans.
It is strongly supported [...]
July 16, 2010
- Flood Insurance Program Extended
Flood Insurance Program Extended
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which had lapsed for a month, was extended to September 30th by the Senate.
Thousands of home sales in flood prone areas were held up because lenders will typically not fund mortgage loans for homes that are in a flood plain that do not have flood insurance. [...]
June 30, 2010
- Flood Insurance Getting Harder to Find
Flood Insurance Getting Harder to Find
From the Gulf oil spill and the floods in Arkansas and Oklahoma to the procession of hurricanes forecast for this year, the stage is set for major property damage in 2010.
Yet people looking to bolster their homeowners-insurance protection are likely to find that premiums are pricier, and extra coverage is [...]
May 19, 2010
- Prepare Your Homeowners Insurance for Storm Season
Prepare Your Homeowners Insurance for Storm Season
The 2010 hurricane season is just a few weeks away (starting June 1). Now is the perfect time to review your homeowner insurance coverage and what you can do to make sure your home is protected.
Homeowners frequently ask if they can reduce their homeowners coverage because the market value [...]
April 18, 2010
- Flood Insurance: You Might Be Surprised
Flood Insurance: You Might Be Surprised
You might be surprised to find out that your homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods.Questions or comments? Use the "Comment" link below. Your email address, although needed to post a comment or question, will never be published on our site!
March 27, 2010
- Is Your Home Ready for Spring?
Is Your Home Ready for Spring?
Spring is here and with the warmer temperatures comes melting snow and heavy rains. And while it's true that April showers bring May flowers, they also can also wreak havoc on a home through backed up sewers and drains, as well as sump pump overflows. Many homeowners don't realize until [...]
March 19, 2010
- Natural Disaster Planning for Homeowners
Natural Disaster Planning for Homeowners
Unless you've been living in a closet since the first of January and missed all the news around the world with all the earthquakes, then you are well aware of the fact that the threat of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, hail, mudslides and wildfires is a reality [...]
February 27, 2010
- Saving on Insurance
Saving on Insurance
Here are some simple tips to make sure you're saving as much as you possibly can on your insurance…Have questions or comments? Use the comment link below to sound off.
January 3, 2010
- Homeowner Insurance Warning
Homeowner Insurance Warning
It happens to everyone at some point: You have to make a claim on your auto or homeowners insurance. In most cases, that first claim should not have an affect on your rates. But one man recently learned the hazard of making more than one claim!
Bad Luck Strikes… Three Times
“We had the ice [...]
October 6, 2009
- Flood Insurance: Do You Really Need It?
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Flood Insurance: Do You Really Need It?Floods are obviously quite common in low lying areas that are surrounded by water. In these areas, not having flood insurance is like playing financial Russian Roulette in the event of a serious storm.
However, what about homes that are not situated right in front [...]
