Tag Archives: Homeowners

How To Get The Best Rates On Homeowner’s Insurance In Florida

June 26, 2024   Matt

How To Get The Best Rates On Homeowner’s Insurance In Florida

For most homeowners in Florida their home represents their biggest investment and their most valuable and prized asset. Therefore it’s only natural that they would want to do everything possible to protect their investment. One way to protect your home and its contents is to purchase homeowner’s insurance.

Even though everyone wants to protect their home in case of a disaster, everyone still wants to get the best rates on homeowner’s insurance in Florida that they possibly can.

The good news is there are several simple steps you can take that can help to reduce the cost of your homeowner’s policy.

Let start by reviewing how much insurance you need. You need enough insurance to rebuild your home from the foundation up and to replace the contents of your home. In other words, after a disaster you need enough money to put things back the way they were.

The one thing you do not want to pay for is homeowner’s insurance on the value of the land underneath your home. Your land doesn’t need to be insured.

Keep in mind that here in Florida most homeowner’s policies have a wind exclusion and no standard homeowner’s policy covers your home in case of flooding. You need to speak with your agent about ways to get insurance for wind and flood.

If your home is more than 10 years old ask your agent how much of a savings you would realize each month if you upgraded the plumbing and the electrical systems. Often the savings can really add up over the course of a year.

Make sure all brush and weeds are cleared at least ten feet away from any structure on your property. This reduces the risk of fire and could result in a monthly savings.

Make certain that every exterior door has a working deadbolt and that every window, regardless of what floor it is on, has a working lock. Let your agent know about any upgrades or improvements that you make to your home or your property. Even new landscaping, fixing cracked or broken walkways or replacing loose floorboards or hand railings on porches or decks can reduce your monthly homeowner’s insurance premium.

Adding motion-sensitive outdoor floodlighting can also reduce your monthly premium as can trimming back bushes away from windows (making it more difficult for burglars to ply their trade).

Inside your home make certain that you have installed the proper number of smoke and fire detectors for the size and layout of your home and make sure they all have fresh batteries at least twice each year. Many people make a habit of replacing the batteries in their smoke and fire detectors every time they switch their clocks forward or backward an hour.

Buy a kitchen-rated fire extinguisher for your kitchen and mount it in a convenient place.

Keep your credit rating clean. Believe it or not, your credit rating affects how much you pay for your homeowner’s insurance. The higher your credit score the lower your monthly homeowner’s insurance premium.

If you have multiple insurance policies, such as auto and health with the same insurance company you should qualify for a special Multi-Policy Discount.

If you’ve been with the same insurance company for at least 5 years talk to your agent about a Long-Term Policy Discount on your Homeowner’s insurance.

If you can afford to install a home security system that monitors your home 24/7 for fire and burglary you could save a considerable amount on your insurance premium each month, but be sure to consult your agent before purchasing any such system as some systems qualify for a much larger discount than other systems.

If anyone in your household is 55 or older and retired you could be due another discount on your premium.

How long has it been since you reviewed your deductible? If you can afford to increase your deductible then you can save a good deal each year on your premium payments.

O.K., that should be enough for you to put together a homeowner’s policy that saves you money month after month, year after year. All that’s left now is to get online and find at least 3 different websites that allow you to compare the cost of your super-policy between different insurance companies and you’ll be all set.

Take the extra time to make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites so you can be certain that you are seeing the prices of all the different insurance companies here in Florida. Once you’ve done that then you can rest easy at night in the knowledge that you have gotten the very best rates on homeowner’s insurance here in Florida.

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How To Get Cheap Homeowner’s Insurance Online In Iowa

June 21, 2024   Matt

How To Get Cheap Homeowner’s Insurance Online In Iowa

It would be easy to tell you to just jump online, find one of the many sites that allow you to make comparisons of the prices of homeowner’s insurance policies from a variety of different insurance companies and be done with it.

Unfortunately doing that will not necessarily get you the cheapest homeowner’s insurance that you can find online in Iowa.

The good news is, the steps you need to take before getting online to look for your cheap homeowner’s policy are all relatively easy to take.

Let’s start with smoking. If you smoke you are going to pay more for your homeowner’s insurance. It’s that simple. You need to stop smoking if you want to get the best possible rates. If you already have a homeowner’s insurance policy and you were a smoker at the time you took out the policy but you have since quit, you need to let your agent know as you will be in line for a rather nice reduction in your monthly premiums.

Do you have other insurance policies – auto insurance or health insurance for instance – with the same insurance company? If so you should be getting a multi-policy discount.

Similarly, if you have had your policy with the same company for 5 or 6 years you need to ask your agent if you qualify for a Long-Term Discount.

Keep your credit rating good. Many people are not aware that the monthly premium you pay for your homeowner’s insurance is based, in part, on your credit score. The better your credit score the less you will pay each month for your homeowner’s insurance.

If your home is more than 10 years old talk to your agent about the savings you could receive if you were to up-grade the plumbing or the electrical system.

Fire danger is a big part of the monthly premium you pay for your policy, so clearing all brush and weeds ten feet away from all structures on your property can often lower your premium.

If you can afford to install a sprinkler system or a monitored home protection system that reports fire and burglaries to the authorities 24/7 you could be entitled to as much as a 30% reduction in your monthly homeowner’s premium, but talk to your agent before installing such a system as not all systems receive the same discount.

Install motion-sensitive outdoor floodlights to discourage burglars, and trim bushes away from all windows to further discourage home break-ins.

Install deadbolt locks on all exterior doors and make certain that all windows, even those on upper stories, have a working lock.

Install the proper number of fire and smoke detectors for the size and layout of your home and make certain that all of them are in working order. Change batteries twice yearly at the same time that clocks are set forward or backward an hour.

Buy a fire extinguisher that is specially designed for kitchen fires and keep it handy in your kitchen.

When setting the value of your policy make certain that it is enough to rebuild your home from the foundation up and that it is sufficient to replace all of your belongings – but don’t make the mistake of insuring the land under your home.

Can you afford a bigger deductible on your policy? Consider this question carefully as you will be asked to come up with the cash to cover your deductible if you ever have a claim. Doubling your deductible from 0 to ,000 can greatly reduce your monthly premium payment.

O.K., now that you know what you are looking for in a policy – how you can structure a policy to save you the most money each month – it’s time for you to get online and start making comparisons on at least 3 of the websites that allow you to compare homeowner’s insurance policies and prices here in Iowa.

Be sure to take the extra time to make your comparisons on multiple sites (at least 3 different websites) if you really and truly want to get cheap homeowner’s insurance online here in Iowa, since no one website compares all of the different insurance companies operating in the state.

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How To Get Affordable Homeowner’s Insurance In Iowa

June 06, 2024   Matt

How To Get Affordable Homeowner’s Insurance In Iowa

Your home is probably your largest investment and your most priceless asset and because it is you probably have homeowner’s insurance to protect your pride and joy.

But whether you have homeowner’s insurance because you want to protect your home and its contents or whether it’s because your lender insists that you purchase insurance, the simple fact remains that you still want to get affordable homeowner’s insurance here in Iowa.

The good news is, you can – and the steps you need to take to lower your monthly payments are within reach of almost any homeowner.

Start with your credit score. If you want the best rates possible on your homeowner’s insurance you can start by keeping your credit in excellent shape. Surprisingly the size of your monthly premium payment is based in part on your credit score – the better your credit score the lower your homeowner’s insurance payment.

Don’t smoke. Smoker’s pay more for homeowner’s insurance than non-smokers. If you smoked when you first took out your homeowner’s policy but you have since quit, then you need to talk with your agent and see about getting your premium reduced.

A large part of your homeowner’s insurance premium is based upon the level of fire danger to your house. Cut weeds and brush back at least ten feet from any structure on your property to reduce the fire risk – and to reduce your monthly insurance premium.

Motion sensitive outdoor floodlights are a great way to make you home less appealing to burglars but more appealing to your homeowner’s insurance company. Along the same lines you need to trim all bushes away from windows to further discourage burglars.

If you can afford a sprinkler system and/or a home security system that is monitored 24/7 for both fire as well as burglary you may be in line for a reduction in your homeowner’s insurance premiums of as much as 20% to sometimes 30% — but be sure to tell your insurance agent which system you’re planning to install before you sign any contracts.

All exterior doors need a working deadbolt lock and all windows, regardless of which floor they are on, need a working lock – and you need to get in the habit of locking your home securely even if you are only going out for a “minute.”

Upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems in a home more than 10 years old can result in a substantial savings each month on your insurance premium. Be certain to let your agent know any time you make a repair or upgrade to your home.

Make sure that you have installed the required number of smoke and fire detectors for your size home and make certain each one of them is working properly. Don’t forget to change the batteries in your detectors at least twice each year.

Finally, purchase a fire extinguisher specially designed for kitchen fires and mount it where it can be easily reached in case of a fire.

You’ve now done most everything you can to reduce the size of your monthly homeowner’s insurance bill. Now it’s time to go online and find at least 3 different websites that let you quickly and easily compare homeowner’s insurance policies and prices side-by-side.

Be sure to take the time to make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites; that way you can be certain that you are seeing price quotes from every insurance company writing homeowner’s policies in Iowa and you can rest easy knowing that you have gotten the most affordable homeowner’s insurance that you could possibly find.

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How To Get Affordable Homeowner’s Insurance In Alabama

April 27, 2024   Matt

How To Get Affordable Homeowner’s Insurance In Alabama

If you have a mortgage on your home it will come as no surprise to you that your lender requires you to purchase homeowner’s insurance. But did you know that almost 90% of Alabama homeowner’s who own their homes free and clear still choose to purchase homeowner’s insurance?

The reason isn’t difficult to figure out. For most people their home is their biggest and most prized asset and they simply want to do whatever they can to protect that asset. And well they should.

On the other hand there’s no benefit to paying any more for homeowner’s insurance than necessary and so many people are looking for ways to get affordable homeowner’s insurance here in Alabama.

Remember, too, that while your lender has every right to insist that you purchase homeowner’s insurance, your mortgage company cannot legally force you to buy insurance from any particular company. And that is your key to finding affordable homeowner’s insurance.

There are several things you can do that will drive down the cost of your insurance each month.

For example, did you know that if you have a retired person living in your home that you may be entitled to a break on your insurance?

Did you know that your credit score affects how much you pay each month for your insurance? It does. So keep your credit good and your credit score high, because the better your credit score the less you pay for your insurance each month.

Did you know that the biggest reason for a homeowner’s insurance claim is not fire, but water damage? The biggest culprit is either a broken water pipe or a broken appliance connection that floods the house at night or when the home is empty during the day.

Ask your agent how much you could save if you made the one-time investment to upgrade your home’s plumbing and wiring. If the numbers make sense, then go ahead.

Install outdoor floodlights that are motion-controlled and also trim back all bushes away from windows to discourage burglars. Install deadbolt locks on all exterior doors and make certain that every single window has a working lock.

A 24/7 home security system that’s monitored off-site not only helps to protect you from both fire as well as burglary, it can also save you 20% or sometimes more on your homeowner’s insurance – but talk to your agent before installing a system as not all systems merit the full discount on your monthly premium.

Purchasing a kitchen-rated fire extinguisher for your kitchen and installing a full compliment of fire and smoke detectors will also help keep your monthly premium cost down.

Now, taking what you have learned in this article go to 3 different websites that allow you to compare the prices of homeowner’s insurance policies from different insurance companies. Input the same information onto 3 of these websites and then find the company that has the lowest price and which you feel confident will be around for at least another 30 years.

And you’re done. You have now gotten affordable homeowner’s insurance here in Alabama and you can feel confident that you will be saving money month after month and year after year.

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DIY Plumbing Repairs – You Have Homeowners Insurance, Use It!

October 23, 2021   Matt

DIY Plumbing Repairs – You Have Homeowners Insurance, Use It!

Since most home owners insurance policies don’t cover the cost of repairs few people think to check with them when plumbing problems occur. Although they may not cover the repair, they will usually cover the value of damaged property including cleaning up after the repair. The scope of this type of project is typically not a diy plumbing repair project so you will want to find any way you can to help pay for it.
A few years ago I had the misfortune of finding water seeping through a wall in my basement one spring. First this was blamed on a very wet season. Next, when dry weather came around and the leak was still there a basement waterproofing contractor was called in. It was no suprise when this contractor informed me that I had ground water and needed their expensive services. Since the company had a vested interest in me believing this they did not seem to feel the need to offer any other possible explanation. Based on the fact that the remaining 95% of the basement walls had no such problem a third opinion was in order.
Based on the proximity of the leak to the primary kitchen drain pipes a third contractor was called. After a short examination, the plumbing contractor was able to determine that the kitchen drain pipe was leaking (not where we could access it easily of course but behind a cinder block wall under a concrete slab).
The plumbing contractor then made an unexpected suggestion – call my insurance company before starting the repair. That was when he explained that the company would not pay for the repair, but they would pay for the cost of jack hammering up my living room, hall, and/or office floor to find the leak and cleaning up afterwards. He was also able to suggest an alternative solution that was cleaner and much less expensive and present it to the insurance company.
Two repair scenarios were proposed.
The first project would involved having the plumbing contractor find the leak under the living room slab, repair the drain pipe, and then replace the concrete and flooring to clean up after the project. As would be expected the estimate for this repair was on the high side (00+ by the time all the cleanup work would have been completed).
The second repair was considerably less intrusive – they would cap off the existing drain line (kitchen only) and re-route it through the joist’s in the basement and re-connect it to the main line outside the house. The only “heavy” work in this proposal was cutting a 6 inch hole in the exterior wall and digging a trench to run the new pipe to be reconnected. The remainder of the work amounted to a fairly simple plumbing repair. The net cost for this repair was about half the first proposal
With both of these proposals on hand, the insurance company had no problem in justifying payment for the FULL SECOND OPTION (less deductable of course). The insurance company saved money, the home owner saved money, and the repair was accomplished within 2 days with a minimum of cleanup required.
This entire project demonstrated the value of a good plumbing contractor. They were able to quickly identify the problem, propose multiple solutions, and help justify the payment by the insurance company.
This repair also demonstrated the value of a insurance company. The insurance company was willing to accept and pay for an alternative solution as well as inform the home owner of all the expenses that should be recorded for reimbursement.

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