Annapolis, MD Home Insurance Services

Home insurance is a staple for feeling the confidence we all enjoy in our homes. As first time home owners, it can be mind boggling to read all the papers associated with a home sale, signing here, signing there, and wondering what was that I just signed? Perhaps you’re wondering, do I even need home owners insurance, on top of everything else? The answer is yes. Home insurance coverage lends peace of mind for those incidents that we certainly don’t plan, like a house fire, burglary, or an accident on our property. The costs of these losses can ruin a family’s financial fortune and cause untold emotional suffering as well. What makes a difference in facing these situations is having experienced professional guidance provided by The Insurance Center of Green Valley. Serving the Green Valley, AZ area, The Insurance Center of Green Valley provides the facts home owners need for choosing affordable home insurance coverage, offering options for every budget and housing need.

Experienced home owners will testify to the need for home owners insurance coverage. They’ve been in situations they never expected, and had the opportunity to call their insurance agent for assistance. The agent had the damage assessed, provided information on coverage, and helped the owners receive the repairs or replacement that their coverage provided for. The Insurance Center of Green Valley will help first time home owners and experienced home owners determine their best insurance coverage as well as the most affordable rates available for them. Home is a special place for our families in heart as well as in financial investment. Protect your home with home owners insurance coverage that works for you with The Insurance Center of Green Valley.

 

Why You Can’t Afford to Skip Purchasing House Insurance

When you buy a home, it’s natural to watch your budget tightly. With all the added expenses, you want to make sure you can handle all the extra debt. One new expense that you should add is the cost of home insurance. Home insurance protects you and your family from uncertainties associated with owning a home.

Home Insurance Protects You from Severe Weather

Heavy rains, strong winds, and sand storms can damage your home in Green Valley, AZ. From damage to the fascia of your home to flooding, you may find that you have to make repairs following a storm in the area. Home repairs can be a significant expense if you have to foot the bill alone. Fortunately, with home insurance, you may not be alone. Your insurance company could help you cover the cost of repairing your home depending on the terms of your home insurance policy.

Home Insurance Helps Protect Your Personal Belongings

Another benefit of maintaining home insurance that isn’t obvious is protection for your personal belongings. Although home break-ins are decreasing, becoming the victim of a home invasion is still a possibility. Thieves can enter your home and take your electronics, family heirlooms, and other valuable items. In instances of home invasions, it’s expensive to replace these goods on your own. However, armed with a home insurance policy, you may find that you have the coverage you need for your insurance company to cover the bill.

Protect Yourself from Liabilities with Home Insurance

In general, home insurance policies cover liabilities that you are responsible for on your premises. Of course, the level of coverage offered for legal issues concerning liabilities will depend on the type of coverage you have with your insurance company. However, with coverage for liabilities, you don’t have to worry about taking out a loan or dipping into your savings to cover the cost of a lawsuit.

At Insurance Center of Green Valley, we understand the value of home insurance. With the potential to sustain significant losses on any given day, it’s nice to have an insurance company as your financial partner. If you need more information about home insurance, please visit our website to learn more.

 

Yes, you can recycle that!

Recycling has reached a point where it is possible to reuse just about anything. However, it can be tricky to know what to do with it or if you’ll simply be turned away. At Insurance Center of Green Valley, we want to make sure you know what you can recycle that you might not be currently. Whether you live in Green Valley, AZ or somewhere else in the state, here are a handful of objects you can recycle.

Carpet

Yes, after you go through a home renovation it is possible to recycle the carpeting. Instead of tossing it out, you can check out Carpet America Recovery Effort. The organization will take your carpet and recycle it for you. Most of the fabric is made from plastic and can be reused in other forms.

Crayons

Nobody really uses all of a crayon. Typically, it is used down to a nub and discarded. However, instead of tossing the waxy object into the trash, you can send these objects out to Crazy Crayons, where the wax is recycled to create new crayons.

Bras

Have a box full of old bras you have no use for? You’d probably be surprised as to what you can do with the undergarment. If you haven’t been able to sell the bras through garage sales, you can head over to the Bra Recyclers website. This organization takes gently used bras and distributes the clothing to women around the world who might not normally be able to afford them. As long as it is gently used, they will take your bras, ranging from dress to sport bras. 

Christmas Tree

Alright, this is something you’ll only be able to recycle once, at most, per year, but in Arizona especially it is easy to do. There are nearby locations that will pick up your tree and then strip it down and turn it into firewood. 

How Home Insurance Can Protect You And Your Family

When you live in Green Valley, it is important to look at home insurance as a way of protecting both you and your family. While it is not required by the state, it may be required by your lender if you have a mortgage out on your home.

There are various options available when you choose home insurance. You will be able to have protection against break-ins, fire, floods, and various natural disasters. If something happens, you have the ability to file a claim with the insurance company as opposed to having to pay for all of the damages out of pocket.

Various add-ons can be included in your policy as well. This includes storm damage, additional flood insurance, and more. Essentially, it provides more protection for you and your family so that you don’t have to worry about extensive repairs in the event that something happens to your home.

Generally, the insurance is going to cover the property as well as the belongings. You may want to establish a cash value policy based upon the list of belongings that you have in the home. If you have art, jewelry, and other luxury items, it is important to obtain the additional coverage so that you are protected in the event that these items are stolen or become damaged.

You may also want to look at expenses associated with various living expenses in the event that you lose use of your home due to some kind of accident, such as a flood or fire. This can prevent you from spending your entire life savings.

Call us at the Insurance Center of Green Valley today. It’s important to explore home insurance options and we can obtain rates from some of the top insurance companies in Arizona to help with the comparison process.

 

 

House Sitting? Three Ways You Can Protect Yourself

If you have been chosen to be a house sitter, then your friend, neighbor, or family member trusts you with one of their biggest investments. Although it seems like a fun endeavor, it can be a big responsibility. In addition to ensuring that their home remains intact once the family returns, you have to make sure you are safe during the process. The following are three safety tips you should use to protect both you and the home.

Safety Tip #1. Make sure the home is secure at all times.

Intruders are bold. They may try to break into the home while you are gone or while you are there. In order to reduce the chances of an intruder breaking in, you have to ensure that the alarm is armed at all times. With the alarm on, if an intruder is able to break a window or open a door, you’ll be notified immediately.

Safety Tip #2. Have a disaster readiness kit readily available.

There are many weather-related disasters that can happen while you are house sitting. The best way to increase your chances of surviving is to have an emergency readiness kit available. You should include extra batteries, battery-operated lights, blankets, and other emergency accessories inside your kit.

Safety Tip #3. Make sure you know what to do in any emergency situation.

Whether you are faced with an intruder or another type of disaster, what you do in the first few minutes can determine how safe you are. If you need to take a self-defense class before you start house sitting, do so to increase your chances of being better equipped in an emergency situation.

At Insurance Center of Green Valley, we want you to take every precaution necessary to make your house sitting uneventful. From traveling to your friend’s home to ensuring your home, we have you covered. You can take a look at our website to see what coverage options we offer your family.

Dealing With Your Insurance Company

Catalina Foothills, Arizona is a mild area that has lots of scenery for residents to enjoy. Take a day and hike through the surrounding landscape to enjoy nature in its fullest beauty. With so much to do you may feel that there is no time to care for your home and any insurance issues that you may be facing. Whether you have a broken window or some other claim to file, you will have to deal with your insurance company. And how you respond through the process can make a world of difference.

Dealing With Your Insurance Company

  • Before filing a claim on your homeowners insurance policy, think through of whether or not it needs to be filed. If the repair is easy enough, then it might be able to be fixed though other means.
  • Return all the paperwork in a timely manner. If your agent has to ask repeatedly for things to be returned, then payment and closure of the claim can take a long time to complete.
  • Be flexible if your insurance company wants to inspect the property before the claim can be filed. The company will want to make sure that the damaged area is repaired the right way.
  • If you have broken windows that need replacement, be willing to open your home so the repairs can be completed.

Dealing with your insurance company does not have to be a painful experience. By being flexible and easy to work with, you can save yourself a lot of delays. If you have any questions about the process of insurance, then contact your local agent today. We can help get you a policy that meets your needs and answer any questions that you have.

3 Ways to Light Up Your Home This Halloween

On October 31, kids will swarm neighborhoods throughout Green Valley, AZ in search of candy. If you have a home in the area, get ready for them to run up your driveway, down your driveway and across your yard in every direction. In addition to buying plenty of candy to hand out, you should also prepare by making sure your home will be well illuminated this Halloween.

Light Up Your Home

Simply making sure there is lighting around your front yard and doorway will help reduce the risk of someone getting hurt. While kids may still not look where they’re running, making sure everywhere they go will help them avoid obstacles on your property. It will also help deter any unscrupulous individuals who would steal something from your home on Halloween night.

To light up your home for Halloween, simply:

  • turn on your home’s porch light and garage light
  • set up jack-o-lanterns so they illuminate walkways
  • string themes lights on trees in your yard

Insure Your Home

Along with lighting up your home, you should also make sure it’s fully insured. After all, lights will only reduce the risk of an accident and deter thieves. They won’t guarantee no one gets hurt and nothing gets stolen.

There are two coverages in particular that you should ask your insurance agent to check. Liability coverage may provide you with protection if someone is injured on your property, and personal property coverage may protect you if something is stolen.

If you don’t have an agent who can help you assess your home insurance policy’s coverages, contact us at the Insurance Center of Green Valley. You can easily reach us through our website, and our independent insurance agents can help you no matter what company your policy’s carrier is.

 

Homeowners: Reduce Your Premiums by Increasing Your Deductibles

For homeowners, there’s an easy way to lower homeowners insurance premiums that you can use whether you live in Green Valley, Arizona or Boston, Massachusetts: increase your deductibles. If you’re a homeowner, you might be able to save a lot of money on your premiums by increasing your policy’s deductibles.

In most cases, deductibles and premiums have an inverse relationship. As one is increased, the other is decreased. In many cases the difference is significant between premiums when a deductible is raised is significant. Increasing your deductible to $1,000 could lower your premiums by up to 25 percent.

Of course, the exact savings will differ depending on the insurer, specific policy, and initial deductible. Someone who raised their deductible from $100 to $1,000 will probably save more than a person who increased it from $500 to $1,000 (assuming all other factors are equal).

If you’d like to see how much you might save by increasing your homeowner’s deductibles, call us at the Insurance Center of Green Valley. We’re an independent agency, so we can explore how different insurance companies might react to a higher deductible. Often, some insurers give greater discounts than others. We’ll make sure you end up with the insurer that will give you the biggest break for adjusting your deductibles. We are also happy to answer any questions about how this strategy impacts your coverage.

We’ve helped many homeowners in Arizona find policies that provide the coverage they want at the lowest possible prices. Call us today so we can help you too.

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How Arizona Homeowners’ Credit Scores Affect Their Insurance Premiums

Insurance companies that offer homeowners in Green Valley, AZ consider many factors when determining policy premiums, including how frequently natural disasters occur in Arizona, the crime rates in Green Valley and the price of the home being insured. Did you know that most insurers also consider your credit score when calculating your homeowners insurance premium? This is both legal and common in the insurance industry.

Your Credit-Based Insurance Score

Your credit-based insurance score is a numerical value that is largely based on your credit score. The higher your credit score is, the higher your credit-based insurance score is and more likely you are to be given the lowest rates on homeowners insurance. If your score is too low, an insurance company may penalize you by raising your premiums.

To improve your credit score, you can:

  • pay your bills on time
  • reduce outstanding debts
  • monitor your credit record for incorrect information

Shopping for Insurance with Good or Bad Credit

Whether you have a good or bad credit score, at the Insurance Center of Green Valley we can help you find an affordable homeowners policy. Most insurance companies consider your credit when calculating premiums, but they all use it differently.

As an independent insurance agency, we’ll compare all the policies available for you and see which ones have the lowest rates. If you have good credit, we’ll look for a policy that rewards that. If your credit record is tarnished, we’ll compare policies that don’t weigh your credit as much. Either way, we can help you find a policy with a low price. Contact us today to see what we can do for you.

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5 Reasons To Get Quotes On Home Insurance

Green Valley, AZ is known as one of the largest active adult communities in the country. While the population isn’t significant, it is when looking at the percentage of seniors. There are still families that live in the area as well and plenty of things are available to keep people busy, including golf, tennis, shopping, and more.

 

When you’re in the Green Valley 85614 area, it’s important to get quotes on home insurance. You may think that your Realtor or homebuilder has your best interests when they make recommendations, but it’s always a good idea to take matters into your own hands.

 

Learn the Options

 

There are various options that exist for home insurance. You will want to look at what a company offers and how coverage can vary from one company to another.

 

Find the Coverage

 

Coverage can vary on your home in the 85614 area. You may want coverage for collectibles in your home, additional personal injury coverage, and more.

 

Discover the Different Companies

 

You may only know about one or two companies. We can get quotes that include an array of different companies. This will allow you to look at their reputation and find out such things as who pays claims the fastest and who is known for providing the best rates.

 

Make Comparisons

 

Comparisons are a good idea not only for price but to see how much coverage you can obtain on your home so you’re always covered.

 

Get a Good Price

 

You should never pay more for home insurance in AZ than what is absolutely necessary. By getting several quotes, you can see who is offering the best price on the coverage you need.

 

Call our agency today where we can get you quotes for your home in 85614.