Green Valley is a pretty peaceful place to live, work, and play. Unfortunately, theft can occur even in neighborhoods where you wouldn’t expect it to happen. Our team at the Insurance Center of Green Valley has put together this quick guide with four ways to protect your home against theft.

#1: Add Lights Around Your Property

Ask any member of law enforcement and they’ll tell you that light is the enemy of crime. Protect yourself and your property by adding plenty of lights around your home and keeping your porch light on a timer.

#2: Always Lock Doors and Windows

Criminals often look for easy opportunities to break into a home. Reduce the chance of theft by always locking windows and doors. This includes when you are at home and when you are away.

#3: Keep Valuables Out of Sight

Another tip for protecting your Green Valley home against theft is to keep valuables out of sight. Always shut your garage door when you aren’t outside and never leave things like wallets, purses, or computer bags inside your vehicle. After holidays, dispose of boxes and packaging for pricey items at a local dumpster to reduce the chance of a criminal catching onto the idea that these goods are inside your residence.

#4: Have Adequate Homeowner’s Insurance

Having adequate homeowner’s insurance is another way to protect your Arizona home. If you’ve taken the above-mentioned steps to heart and a break-in still occurs, you’ll be able to replace missing items or repair damage thanks to your policy.

Are you looking to insure your home, auto, or business in Green Valley, AZ? The Insurance Center of Green Valley is here to help. Please contact us today to schedule an appointment or for a no-obligation rate quote.

In the days where every home in Green Valley, AZ had a detached garage, everyone recognized the need for the other structures section of a homeowners policy. While some homeowners ask if they can remove it from their policy, Insurance Center of Green Valley wants you to understand why you still need it.

The other structures section of a homeowner’s policy also provides coverage for sheds, cabanas, gazebos and pool houses, as well as other small buildings that do not directly attach to a home. It also pays for damage to your driveway, swimming pool or retaining wall. When you read the list of what it covers beside a detached garage, it makes sense why you need to keep it.

In addition to paying for necessary damages to the physical structures, the other structures section also covers your liability if someone gets hurt in or by your pool or in the shed.

Your liability coverage pays their medical costs and pain and suffering. If someone dies on the property, it can also pay for their funeral.

You also need to keep your other structures coverage if you decide to put in a guest house or a home office in a separate building. It covers your structure, its contents, and liability. Of course, if you hold business meetings in your home office in Green Valley, AZ, you may need to add to your liability coverage.

Other structures do not include a guaranteed or extended replacement clause which means it won’t cover any atypical structures on the property. If it is not common to a single-family dwelling, you will need to extend the limits of your homeowners policy.

Call or come by Insurance Center of Green Valley to discuss your homeowner’s insurance and learn more about what your other structures coverage helps you recover. Your policy may already provide things you did not know.

Like most dog caretakers, you consider your pet a member of your family. Your Green Valley, AZ home insurer, on the other hand, has to view your pet and the risks they may pose objectively. One of the most beloved pets, dogs can also pose some of the biggest risks for injury. In fact, 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year, and 900,000 of those require medical treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here’s what you need to know about dogs and your homeowner’s insurance from Insurance Center of Green Valley. 

Homeowners Insurance and Dogs 

Most homeowners insurance policies will cover dog bites and other dog-related incidents through your liability insurance. However, when you inform your insurer that you have a dog, the possible risks they may bring can result in higher premiums. Because even the best-trained dogs can be unpredictable, you may end up an increased rate, require more liability coverage, or depending on the insurer’s policies or local ordinances, be denied insurance altogether. 

Does My Dog’s Breed Matter? 

While a dog’s breed is not a definite indication of the risk they may present, when it comes to restricting homeowners insurance, the breed is a key factor for many insurers. Many refuse to cover large, muscular canines who could potentially inflict severe harm from a single bite. While many small dogs, such as Dachshunds, are aggressive, and many large dogs such as Rottweilers and Pit Bulls are calm and non-aggressive, it often comes down to the amount of possible injury the animal could cause.  

Curious About How Your Pet May Affect Your Insurance? 

The only way to know how your specific four-legged friend may affect your Green Valley, AZ homeowners insurance coverage is to talk with your insurer. Give us a call today at Insurance Center of Green Valley to find out more about your pet-related insurance needs. 

Whether you simply plan to spend the holidays with family in Phoenix or across the country, it’s important to make sure your home is protected while you are gone. While your home insurance covers such things as theft and fire, you surely don’t want to experience a disaster like these during the holidays. For that reason, here are some simple tips to follow to keep your home safe while you are away enjoying the holidays with friends and family.

1. Hire a House Sitter

When you hire a house sitter, your house will not be vacant while you are away. This is a great deterrent for would be thieves who may be roaming around Green Valley AZ neighborhoods looking for vacant houses to rob.

2. Install a Security Device

Another fool-proof option for protecting your home while you are away is to install a security device. In some cases, your insurance company may even reward you with a break on your premium if you have one of these installed. 

3. Ask a Neighbor to Check on Your Home

A friendly neighbor should be happy to help you out while your away. They can collect your mail and in general, just keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Even if you have a security device, having a neighbor keep an eye on your property while you are away is always a good idea. 

At Insurance Center of Green Valley, we specialize in helping Green Valley, AZ residents protect their homes by helping find the best home insurance policy for their property. Our team of experts will help guide you through the home insurance buying process by helping you compare quotes and choose the best policy. Call us today. 

When you’re shopping for a home insurance policy in Green Valley, AZ, it’s important to look at what is covered. A typical homeowner’s policy will cover you for property damage, personal liability, medical payments, and even additional living expenses. Since a detached garage is property damage, this is the area you will want to pay close attention to in the paperwork.

Property Damage Coverage

It’s important to identify what “property damage” is covered by your policy. In some instances, the coverage is only for the main structure of your home, which would exclude a detached garage. In other instances, any structure on the property would be covered. Even if your policy doesn’t initially cover a detached garage, there are riders that can be added so that you have the necessary coverage in place. Agents at Insurance Center of Green Valley can ensure that all aspects of your property are encompassed within a home insurance policy.

New Additions

If you bought a home insurance policy and then added a detached garage later on, you might not have the coverage. This is why it’s a good idea to review your policy every year. It gives you a chance to make updates based on any improvements that you have made across your property, including adding a detached garage. This way, if you do have to file a claim that includes damage to the detached garage, you will have the coverage in place.

At Insurance Center of Green Valley, agents have been helping residents throughout Green Valley, AZ four years. They understand the importance of ensuring that coverage includes everything on your property so that there are no issues when you go to file a claim. Plus, having a thorough policy will provide you with plenty of peace of mind throughout the year.

Living in Green Valley, AZ is usually a comfortable and relaxing life. However, fires may occur in this hot area, particularly if your home is getting old. When a fire does impact your life, you are going to wish that you had detailed fire coverage added to your homeowner’s policy. Contact us at Insurance Center of Green Valley if you want this type of coverage or read on to learn more about why it is so critical to your home.

Most Home Insurance Policies Protect Against Fire

Thankfully, homeowners insurance is designed to help protect your home from a variety of problems. One of these is fire. A typical policy will cover your dwellings, including the home and its attached structure. This also includes relocation costs while you are waiting to move into a new home, such as hotel and restaurant bills. Detached structures and certain types of belongings are also covered. However, this type of coverage won’t be available if you haven’t paid for it on your policy.

Specialized Coverage Improves Your Policy

While your homeowner’s insurance can help you cover a lot of elements, it isn’t perfect. Specialized fire insurance can help you cover items, such as home furnishings, electronic items, air conditioners, and family heirlooms. These aspects of your home are critical to ensuring because many of them cannot be replaced. And without specialized fire insurance on your homeowner’s policy, you might not be able to get compensation for them. That doesn’t mean your homeowner’s insurance isn’t worthwhile but that it might need some supplemental coverage.

Do You Need Fire Insurance?

While most people in Green Valley, AZ won’t need fire insurance, it can help against total destruction and provide you with extra help to recover. If you want a policy, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the Insurance Center of Green Valley to learn more. We will help you settle in and get the insurance you need to avoid serious loss.

Well for one unlike auto insurance, homeowners insurance is not required by the state you live in. However, if you are buying a home, chances are your mortgage lender has requested that you secure a policy in terms of your loan.  Even if you do not have a mortgage, look into homeowners insurance; you do not want to watch your investment go up in smoke with no way to replace it.  So what does homeowners insurance cover?  

One of the most common misunderstandings about homeowners insurance is that it covers anything that goes wrong in your house.  It is important to remember that insurance and home warranties are two very different products. For example, a home warranty may cover your air conditioner malfunctioning, while your insurance policy may cover it if it stops working due to lightning strike or theft.

When it comes to homeowners insurance, there are basic coverages that all companies will cover. Often the product name may be different based on the company, what they provide coverage for are the same.

An HO-1 is the most basic homeowners coverage you can get it. An HO-1 will cover the structure and depending on the policy your stuff inside from the following perils or cause of loss:

• Fire or smoke
• Explosions
• Lightning
• Hail and windstorms
• Theft
• Vandalism
• Damage from vehicles
• Damage from aircraft
• Riots and civil commotion
• Volcanic eruption

A step above the HO-1, the HO-2 will protect your home and belongings from these additional perils:

• Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam
• The weight of ice, sleet, or snow
• Sudden and accidental splitting apart, burning, cracking, or bulging of pipes and other household systems
• Falling objects
• Any damage that is sudden and accidental from an artificially generated electrical current
• Freezing of housing systems like AC or heating

Then the next level would be a more robust policy such as the HO-3 (this is the most common type of coverage), or the H0-5 will provide additional coverage plus what is listed above.

If you are buying a home in Green Valley, AZ, let the helpful agents at Insurance Center of Green Valley find you the right homeowners policy for your needs.

The majority of insurance agencies, including the Insurance Center of Green Valley serving Green Valley, AZ, agree that your home is safer when it is occupied than when it is left empty. As a result, hiring a house sitter is a smart move.

However, a question that both homeowners and the person taking care of the house may have is – what will the homeowner’s insurance policy cover?

Insurance and Your House Sitter

In the majority of situations, the personal belongings that your house sitter brings with them will not be covered by your homeowner’s policy. However, it is important to note, if you hire a professional house sitter, they will likely have a policy that covers their personal items and adds protection for themselves if their negligence results in damage to the property.

What Do Homeowner’s Insurance Policies Cover?

In most cases, your homeowner’s insurance policy will include a limited amount of coverage for things such as medical payments, if the house sitter is injured while performing their job.

As far as your own belongings, there should not be an issue. As long as your list of contents in your home is up-to-date and you have paid your premiums, then everything you have listed should still be covered (even if damage or theft occurs while the home is being housesat).

However, every insurance policy is different, which means that you need to check with your insurance provider to ensure that your belonging and home will be protected – even when you aren’t there.

Special Coverage Considerations  

Depending on how long you are going to be gone, and if your house sitter is part of your family, you may need to purchase a special policy. These are not always necessary, and it is best to discuss this with your insurance provider to determine if it is needed.

You can learn more about ensuring your home and belongings are covered while you are away by contacting the staff at Insurance Center of Green Valley serving Green Valley, AZ.

Your home is your castle. It’s your safe place where you can kick back and relax. It’s also possible the largest one-time investment you’ve ever made. Due to this, you need to protect your investment with right home insurance. However, there are different kinds of home insurance add-ons, which is why you need to educate yourself on what these differences are. Whether you live in or around Green Valley, AZ, Insurance Center of Green Valley is able to help.

Flood and/or Earthquake Insurance

These kinds of insurance are usually not included in your standard home insurance coverage. Earthquakes are not as common in Richardson TX as what you’d see out along the Pacific Coastline, but it is an option to consider. Likewise, flood insurance protects your home in the event of a major storm. You may also want to consider flood insurance depending on the location of your home if it’s at the base of a hill or is in a region more prone to flooding. 

Accidental Damage Insurance

Some people just seem to be a bit more prone to accidents than others. Maybe it’s tripping and spilling wine on the floor, or accidentally jumping and putting a fist through the ceiling. Whatever accident might occur, this kind of coverage is great for when those little accidents seem to come out of nowhere. 

Home Emergencies Coverage

This kind of coverage can cover when the HVAC system goes out and it needs emergency assistance (because those hot and humid Texas summers are no good without the AC). 

No matter the kind of home you own, how old it is or how long you’ve lived in it, it’s never too early (or too late) to evaluate the kinds of insurance options you have for your home. At Insurance Center of Green Valley, you’ll learn about the different options you can consider for your home and how each may improve the level of protection your home in and around Green Valley, AZ has. 

Having your own business can be a great thing, but it comes with a lot of responsibility. If you have a small business in Green Valley, AZ, you are facing different kinds of risks all the time. The agents at Insurance Center of Green Valley understand how losses can come from unexpected circumstances, so the only thing you can do is protect yourself ahead of time.

Commercial property or rental insurance will protect your property against loss. You can protect everything from the physical structure to equipment and furniture to on-site inventory. General liability insurance protects your business in case of lawsuits for bodily injury, property damage, medical expenses, and other issues like slander and libel.

Product liability insurance protects you if your defective product injures someone, and professional liability insurance covers you if you commit errors in judgment or if you commit malpractice or negligence. You can even purchase business interruption insurance which will cover you in the event that you are unable to stay open through no fault of your own.

Many small or home-based business owners choose a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). A BOP combines multiple kinds of insurance into one policy, making the policy easier to manage while saving money. Typically, the BOP provides protection for property and liability issues and can be tailored to suit the needs of the client.

If you have a small business in Green Valley, AZ, you hope that you will never have to deal with accidents, natural disasters or lawsuits. But if anything does happen, you can be protected. Call Insurance Center of Green Valley today to find out what commercial insurance policies will best protect your business.