California Homeowner's Insurance

California Homeowner's Insurance - 7 Tips for Ensuring Proper Residential Coverage PLUS Understandi

Owning and maintaining a home is one of the largest financial responsibilities you will ever have. If it has been awhile since you have looked at your homeowner's insurance policy, it is time to examine your coverage to be sure you are prepared in the event of disaster. Consider the following tips to be sure you're not in a mess the next time you file a homeowner's insurance claim.

1) Request written guidelines from your adjuster regarding how claims will be adjusted.

2) File away copies of all correspondence between you and your insurer.

3) Be sure you call the California Department of Insurance if you consider hiring a public adjuster. You want to ensure s/he is properly licensed.

4) Keep all receipts of your living expenses and any other documents that pertain to your insurance or property. Keep those documents in one location, chronologically ordered, so they are easily accessed.

5) Log all phone calls between you and your adjuster.

6) Never speculate about what has been damaged or lost. Always stick to business and share only factual information.

7) Understand the Unfair Practices Act and Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations published by the California Department of Insurance. You can retrieve copies from the web site (www.insurance.ca.gov) or by phoning 1.800.937.HELP.

Now that we've covered tips things to keep in mind when you file a homeowner's insurance claim, let's do a quick overview of the homeowner's insurance coverage available to you. Remember that these policies can fall into several categories.

Replacement cost coverage - Pays the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home or replacing your possessions without a deduction for depreciation.

Guaranteed/extended replacement cost coverage - This is the highest level of protection. Guaranteed replacement pays the cost to rebuild your home as it was before the disaster - even if that cost exceeds the policy limit. This policy will protect you against increases in homebuilding costs or other unexpected situations. In most cases this coverage will not compensate for home upgrades to comply with building codes. If your home is older, this policy may not be available to you. Extended policies pay a percentage over the policy limit to rebuild your home. Usually an extended policy will pay 20 to 25 percent more than the limit of the policy. Be sure to see what coverages your state offers. Not all states offer the same coverages.

Actual cash value - This coverage pays to replace your home/possessions minus a deduction for depreciation.

Other homeowner's coverage:

Structures other than the dwelling - Includes structures on the residential premises that are not attached to the dwelling - sidewalks, driveways, permanently installed yard fixtures and private or decorative fences. The average limits on coverage are 10 percent of the value of the dwelling.

Loss of use - Reimburses for expenses beyond replacing property if a home cannot be lived in because of fire. This coverage usually pays for the living expenses incurred maintaining a normal lifestyle.

Mobile homes - Offered by a few companies. This coverage is considered residential if the mobile home is established as a permanent residence.

Building code upgrade - reimburses for building code upgrades that may be required during the repair/rebuilding process.

To learn more about what should be in your homeowner's insurance policy, be sure to consult the California State Department of Insurance or your local insurance agent. Never take a gamble with your homeowner's insurance - be sure it's up-to-date and make sure you are covered for potential disasters.
By: Sofie Iida

Article Source: insurancearticle.com

Home Insurance: To Keep Your Dream Home a Reality

A Home Insurance cover though cannot prevent disaster, but it can prepare a person for the damage and destruction caused in situations like floods, fire, cyclone, etc. These days, policies that cover damage to homes have diversified and even include clauses that cover things like robbery. This is because a home is not just limited to four walls and a roof. Its definition also includes all things that fill it up from inside. When a person builds a dream house, he not only invests in the physical frame of the home, but also puts in time, effort and money to decorate the interiors. Each item that decorates a house from inside gives it a distinct character and is equally dear to the owner.

One of the corners that you can readily access, while saving time as well is the Internet. Here you have websites of many insurers who having newly arrived into the market, but with sufficient expertise to back them up, can give you what you want. Income protection is one among the essential insurance policies available with them.

Owning a home is every individual's dream and sometimes it takes a lifetime to realise it. Every individual basically works towards achieving three things in life: food, clothing and shelter. The first two necessities are relatively easy to acquire and they are required by humans on a daily basis. But a home is a one-time investment, and owning one is a life's dream for some. Hence, it is imperative to ensure that your dream house is protected against any disaster or calamity. Home insurance is the easiest and the most popular way to protect your most cherished asset, your home, from any untoward incident.

Nature is becoming unpredictable with each passing day, with natural calamities and disasters striking unexpectedly, anywhere. No country has been spared the fury of Mother Nature. In the wake of her destruction, she leaves behind a trail of loss. Loss of life unfortunately cannot be compensated, but people can mitigate loss of property and dwelling by resorting to measures like home insurance.

The exteriors and interiors together make a complete home. A home insurance policy, though it cannot protect it from damage, will provide the owner enough resources and financial support to rebuild what is destroyed and regain what is lost easily.

It is essential to protect your future, because the uncertainties of the future makes it risky and this risk can, in fact, turn out to be too big a threat to ignore in the present. No matter how old you are, you can think wisely and protect your future. Many people face incapacitation and have to be away from work, resulting in loss of income and herein lies the importance of income protection.
By: Mary Grace

Article Source: insurancearticle.com

Tips and Advice on Insuring Your Home

California Homeowners Insurance

If you're a California homeowner, or renter and are looking for homeowners insurance, the first place you should visit is the California Department of Insurance. Their website has pretty much all of the information you need to become an informed insurance purchaser.

On their site they offer the California homeowner a series of informative articles that will take you through each aspect of purchasing homeowners insurance. Your home may be the largest single investment you make, take the time to insure it properly. The series of articles are not passive. They will cause you to stop, think and take stock of what you have. You will have to seriously consider what you are purchasing and why you are purchasing it.

Very appropriately, their first article in the series is about taking a home inventory. The 38-page document takes you step by step through your home and assists you in taking an inventory of your belongings. This is a very important and most often overlooked step by homeowners.

Here are a few of the other articles available on their site:

* Residential Insurance: Homeowners and Renters - This is a tutorial on California homeowners and renters insurance. It gives information about what is usually covered and what is not. It offers advice on how to set policy limits and how to get discounts.
* Residential property Claims Guide - This document takes you through the claims process, from what to do after a loss to how to report it to your insurance company.
* There are several documents on earthquake insurance. Unfortunately California homeowners are faced with this very real exposure. Their articles give tips and advice on how to purchase coverage, mediation programs and earthquake preparedness information.
* Important Residential Insurance - related legislation: A user-friendly guide to up to date information on legislation that will affect the California homeowner or renter.
* Mold & Your Homeowner's Policy: Very applicable information for finding out what mold is, how to prevent it from forming, what to do if you have mold in your home, how to get rid of it and much more.
* Don't Get Burned After a Disaster: Tips on how not to be scammed after a disaster. Unfortunately, unethical scammers tend to take advantage of people when they are most vulnerable. The California Department of Insurance offers tips on how to avoid being scammed.

After reviewing the various articles available on the site (the article above are just a few, there are many informative documents not outlined here), take their interactive 2007-2008 Homeowners Survey.

The interactive survey provides California homeowners with the ability to enter information such as location, the type of coverage, amount of coverage and age of your home. Upon clicking the 'Get Premiums' button, you will be presented with a listing of the insurance companies, and their estimated annual cost to insure your home (of course this is subject to each company receiving and reviewing your underwriting information).

This nifty little tool will allow you to get insurance quotes on homeowners, renters, condo, and mobile homes in addition to quotes for earthquake coverage. Each listed insurance company contains an 'info' link. Upon clicking the link you will be given insurance company information such as company profile, lines of business the company is authorized to write in the state of California, company complaint information (a very useful tool), and the ability to find a representative in your area.

For those California homeowners who are unsure about how to go about getting insurance, the California Department of Insurance has made it easier to be informed.
By: Felicia A. Williams

Mobile Home Insurance Quotes

Did you just buy a house on wheels and want to insure it? Or do you already own a mobile home and want a renewal of your insurance policy? Don’t hesitate to shop around till you find what is just right for you – one that covers home protection, property protection, theft coverage and family liability. And if you can also add to these emergency removal coverage and loss of residence premises, I think you will have the perfect insurance policy in your hands.

Mobile home owners have a lot of advantages in getting an insurance quote for their homes. But many insurance companies, while providing for home insurances and auto insurances, don’t have policies to cover mobile homes. Which means getting a quote will take a little longer while you find out which agencies in your area cover your type of home. And even when you find some that cover mobile homes, you will find their quotes so varied that you will need to do a lot of shopping around and some serious consideration before you finally decide which policy you are going to sign up for.

While approaching for a quote, the ideal thing would be to ask for the rates on 250 dollar deductibles first and then 500 dollar deductibles to ensure that you pay the first amount on a claim and the second on an insurance claim and the company pays for the rest replacement or repair expenses.

You can also get online insurance quotes for your mobile homes the same way as you would get a quote for any other insurance policy. There are some good websites and insurance agencies which give you comparative quotes based on the information you provide online. This will include, apart from your personal information, the details of your house on wheels. The advantage of such quotes is that you will be looking at not just low premiums, but the right kind of premiums that will get you the best claims.
By: Ken Marlborough

Make Moving Easier

The excitement of finding a new home is often followed by a feeling of dread, anticipating the hard work that is needed to actually move into the new space. You have to pack up everything you own, move it across the town, county, state or even country, and set it all up again.

And, of course, if you're moving to a new state, you'll need to change your car insurance. We can help with that part. As for the rest, here are some useful tips and suggestions that might make moving easier!

Professional Movers - some thoughts
Are you going to move yourself (with the help of friends and family), or are you going to use a professional moving company? It`s a big decision, and it might be a moot point if you have a lot of belongings and furniture to move, or if it`s a long-distance move.

Research various moving companies, and talk to people you know - get opinions. Make sure that the company has a good reputation, and try to negotiate a fixed, set fee for the entire move. Such a ‘binding estimate` will often require the company to visit both your current and new home in order to come up with a realistic price.

Many companies offer a range of services, all the way from packing everything, moving it and unpacking it again to more basic options such as just loading, just unloading or only driving the truck. You can even hire a moving company to move a single item, such as a piano or a particularly unwieldy piece of furniture. Expect extra charges if your move crosses county or state lines, and if multiple flights of stairs are involved.

Many moving companies offer insurance on your belongings, with different coverage options. Most will require an extensive home inventory, outlining particularly expensive or valuable belongings. Putting together an inventory like is always a good idea anyway, and moving is a good opportunity to do so.

Prepare
Start collecting package boxes as early as you can. It's better to have more than you need. Talk to local stores, and ask them to keep some boxes aside for you. The best kinds of boxes to use are ones that once transported fragile pre-packaged items, such as glass bottles. Make sure that all the boxes are clean and sturdy - you can reinforce them with duct or packing tape.

Talk to your auto insurance company - check to see if you'll have coverage if you're in a new state, and give them your new address. This is a good time to compare your current rates against those offered by other companies. Changing locations could affect your rates. This is equally true of your home or renters insurance.

Each packed box should get a number, written clearly on each side of the box, along with a note saying which room it should end up in, and a rough indication of what's inside it. Keep a list, and check off each box as you deliver it to its destination room.

Clothing can be transported in leaf or trash bags. Just make sure they are clearly labeled so they don`t get tossed! Use clear bags if you can, or white ones, to differentiate between trash and clothes you want to keep. You can also transport clothing in suitcases, which is a great way to use all available containers.

Typically, you'll need to update the following utilities - electric, gas, water, newspapers & magazines, telephone and cable companies. Make sure to have this all ready to go before you move. You can provide the date of your move to the companies, and they should be ready for you.

Let your bank and credit card companies know about your move as far in advance as possible - they will switch your mailing address on day that you specify. You`ll need to get new checks with your new address, too.

Don`t forget to tell your employer that you`re moving. Update your address and contact details with your human resources department as soon as possible. This is especially important for pay and 401(k) information. If you have investments or 401(k)`s from other companies, contact these financial organizations too.

Get pre-printed address labels for your new house as soon as you know the address, and use them liberally - on boxes, notes, anything of importance. Mail a few to friends and family to remind them of your new address, and make sure to give them your new telephone number.

Before you even start packing, measure your furniture and check the doorways and tight corners at your new house. You might find that some items will have to be dismantled to get them into your new home - or even to get them out of your old one!

If you have children, bear in mind that this is probably both an exciting and scary experience for them too. They will be giving up friends and familiar places and things for the unknown, and however intimidating that might be for you, it`s probably going to be worse for your children. Keep them involved during the preparations, and on the day of the move. Give them something to do that keeps them occupied, yet out of harms way. Have plenty of distractions for them, and plenty of patience too.

Day of the move
Make sure the new house is child and pet-proofed before you even start moving boxes in. When dealing with young children, make sure that any safety gates for stairs or outlet protectors are in place before you bring your child into the new house.

You should transport anything irreplaceable or expensive in your car, if you can. This could include fragile items, or personal records, your computer, television, etc. Check that items are secured, and that your field of vision won't be impaired when driving.

Remember that your tire pressure should be checked ahead of time, if you intend to load your car up with more weight than usual.

If you are driving a rental van, remember that it might handle differently from what you're used to. Give yourself more room to maneuver turns and a few extra seconds of braking time. And remember that the truck may well be higher than usual, so watch your overhead clearance.

Move on a weekday - importance services such as banks, government offices and utility companies will be open, just in case you need them. Check that the utilities you need will be in service at your new house if you need them straightaway.

Packing can be just as traumatic for your pet as the move itself. Keep pets out of the boxes and the packing materials. Get a blanket or piece of clothing with your scent on it, and keep it with the pet in the weeks leading up to the move. It may offer your pet some comfort in the new house.

Pack a special box with some kitchen and bathroom items that you might need straight away at your new house. A change of clothes, and some clean sheets might also be good things to put in this box. Keep this in your car, or make sure it's easy to get to once your long day is over.

Don`t pack flammable or heat-sensitive items that could sit for a while in unpredictable temperatures. If you`re not sure, pack them into the backseat of your car, and don`t leave them sitting around for any length of time. Certain items (such as medications) might need to be packed in a cooler, while others might need to be kept warm in the winter. Carefully consider how you`ll need to treat such items during your move.

Unpacking
Make sure everything arrived! Use your checklist and make sure each box is accounted for, and is in the right room. Unpack what you need for the rest of the day, and don`t feel under pressure to unpack everything right away. Rest, and enjoy your new home!
Article Source: insurance.com

Home Insurance - 10 easy tips to pay less

Whether you live in Arizona, or any other state, home insurance is an important subject. While it is imperative that you have home insurance, you also want to be sure that you are getting a great deal on your insurance as well. Saving money is important, so here are ten good tips that will help you save on home insurance.

Tip #1 - Compare Multiple Quotes -

One of the best things you can do if you want to save on home insurance is to compare rates of various companies. The easiest and fastest way to compare multiple quotes is to do it online with only one form. Be sure you compare the coverage as well as the price.

Tip #2 - Choose a Higher Deductible -

Something as simple as just choosing a higher deductible can also help you to save. If you think that you can afford a higher deductible if something happens to your home, then a higher deductible can definitely lower insurance premium.

Tip #3 - Insure Your Home and Not the Land You Own -

Many people insure both their home and the land the home is on. Instead of insuring both your home and the land it is on, insure only your home if you want to save.

Tip #4 - Buy Multiple Insurance Policies from One Company -

Purchasing various policies from the same company will help you save money. Usually if you purchase more insurance policies with one company, you will be eligible for a discount on all policies you hold with the company.

Tip #5 - Take Inventory of Your Possessions and the Amount of Coverage You Have -

Each year you need to take inventory of your possessions and how much coverage you have. You may find that you have more coverage than you really need. Lowering the amount of coverage when you don't need it will save you money.

Tip #6 - Consider the Cost of Insurance before Purchasing Your Home -

If you are planning on purchasing a home in the near future, one thing to keep in mind is the cost of home insurance. You may want to choose a home that will not break your budget.

Tip #7 - Protect Your Home against Disasters -

If you check with your home insurance company, more than likely they will be able to give you some tips on protecting your home against disasters to save money. Some of the things you may be able to do to protect your home include using better roofing materials, adding storm shutters to your home, or reinforcing it against earthquakes.

Tip #8 - Add more Security Features to Your Home -

Security is important to the safety of your home and your family. By adding burglar alarms, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and other types of home security, you can save money and provide more safety for you and your family.

Tip #9 - Keep Your Credit Looking Great -

Believe it or not, if you have bad credit, you are going to end up paying more for home insurance. Work on improving your credit by paying all of your bills on time.

Tip #10 - If You Smoke - QUIT! -

There are some home insurance companies that may charge you a surcharge if you smoke, so just taking the initiative to stop smoking can help you save.
By: Lindsay Isabella

Article Source: insurancearticle.com