Do You Really Need a Home Inventory?

Whether you’re a homeowner or renter, you probably have valuable goods that need insurance protection. A home inventory will provide you with an accurate account of all your assets and their value to help you select the home insurance coverage you need. At All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School in Palm Coast, FL, we recommend that all Flagler County homeowners and renters create a home inventory of their possessions for insurance purposes. Here’s how a home inventory can benefit you. 

Proof of Ownership & Property Value

A home inventory that lists all the items you own and documents their value can be used as proof of ownership when making a claim. If you were to lose all your possessions in a major disaster, your home inventory would make it easier to recuperate your losses per your insurance coverage.

Accuracy in Insurance Protection

A home inventory will help you obtain proper insurance protection for your goods. Standard home insurance offers protection for personal property along with dwelling and liability coverage. The amount of property coverage you choose depends on the value of your goods. Having a complete list of your goods enables you to choose accurate coverage to meet your needs.

Facilitate Claims Process

Documenting your personal goods will make it much easier to make a claim when you need it. Your home inventory should include a description, photos, or videos of your goods, particularly high-end items. If these items are stolen, damaged, or lost in a covered peril, you’ll have the information you need on hand to expedite your claim. By maintaining an up-to-date home inventory, you can be prepared for any eventuality.

For help in making a home inventory or to learn more about home insurance coverage and costs, call or visit All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School in Palm Coast, FL.

First Time Homeowners: Planning Your New Home Purchase

Homeownership is one of the most celebrated of real estate achievements, and first-time homebuyers have good reasons to be pleased with their planning. Getting through the process can be simplified with a few planning steps including insurance. Paperwork for the real estate part of the process often includes a purchase contract along with the start of paperwork being processed at a title company. This also may be an excellent time to get additional information for home insurance. All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School is available to answer questions about home insurance and any other types of coverage options. Serving the Palm Coast, FL area, the trained staff from this agency is experienced working with homeowners and first-time buyers.

In addition to the paperwork that is needed for the real estate purchase, many first-time homebuyers understand that they can begin planning and coordinating for the moving process. This includes moving furniture, household items, and anything else that will be transported to the new property. Other planning steps can be more manageable with an estimated date for closing on the home and the best estimates for moving into the house. Having good contacts throughout this process is helpful.

All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School has a friendly staff waiting to help you with the planning for your new home purchase and the insurance part of the process. The opportunities for homeowners throughout Palm Coast, FL, and Flagler County are essential for many people, and experience is helpful in the process of acquiring your new home. You can visit our office or contact us with any questions you may have about the planning. Call our agency today for more information, and congratulations on planning your new home purchase.

 

Does your home insurance cover tornadoes and hurricanes?

You live in beautiful Palm Coast, FL and, as such, must prepare for the possibility of tornadoes and hurricanes. You can and should have a family plan in place to ensure that everyone is safe and ready to move forward together after a tornado or hurricane. What happens, though, when your home is destroyed by the natural disaster? Does your insurance plan cover tornadoes and hurricanes?

It certainly is bad timing to inquire about your assurance plan’s coverages when tragedy strikes. The agents at All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School can help you understand the basics of home insurance today so that you know for sure that you have the right protection when the unthinkable becomes your reality. Read on to learn about tornado and hurricane coverage for homeowners in Palm Coast, FL.

Does home insurance cover hurricanes and tornadoes?

Not all home insurance policies cover hurricanes and tornadoes. In fact, most standard policies leave out natural disasters because of the magnitude of the cost associated with such events. Some policies may compensate you for damages that a tornado causes to your home because of a stipulation in standard home insurance plans that make allowances for "wind damage" and "flood damage." It is important to note, though, that some assurance providers place limits on wind and flood damage, which means that you may not be able to claim significant damages on your policy under these terms. 

Additional Coverage

It is always a good idea to purchase additional coverage for hurricanes and tornadoes under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This program, which is supported by the federal government, ensures that those living in high-risk areas such as Florida receive compensation if their homes are destroyed by a hurricane or tornado. 

An agent at All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School can help you find the home insurance plan that best suits your situation. Call them today to get started with a quote!

Why you need flood insurance, even if your home is not in a flood zone

If you live or do business in a flood zone, carrying flood insurance is a necessity. Some mortgage companies will require you to carry insurance against the horrific damage that a flood can cause.

However, All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School, serving Palm Coast, FL would like to suggest that even if you do not live or have a business in a flood zone, you might well want to consider carrying flood insurance anyway.

Leaving aside that our community faces the Atlantic and is thus a prime target for hurricanes, recent weather events have shown that, given the right conditions, a lot of places that were never considered to be in a flood zone can and do flood. The recent storms that have caused torrential flooding down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are a case in point. Given sufficient rainfall over a sufficient period of time, any community that is near a major river or close to the ocean can find its streets turned into rivers and its front yards turned into lakes.

Nothing can be compared to what Tropical Storm Harvey did to the city of Houston and surrounding areas in August 2017. The storm parked itself over southeast Texas and rained for days. As a result, a great American city became a lake, with impassable roads and homes and businesses that have never flooded in living memory suddenly inundated. The cost of damage and lives disrupted was beyond calculation.

If you have any questions concerning flood insurance, contact All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School, serving Palm Coast, FL

How does home insurance help a homeowner?

If you own a property in the Palm Coast, FL area, you will need to make sure that your property is properly covered. One of the best ways to do this today is by having a full home insurance policy in place at all times. Having a full home insurance policy in place at all times can help a homeowner a number of different ways. 

Protects Your Asset and Investment

Your home is not only the place where you will live, but it is also a very valuable asset and investment. Because of this, you will want to make sure that it is properly covered by insurance. When you have a home insurance policy in place, you will receive coverage for the building and property plus your personal belongings. In the event of a fire or other significant issue, this could prove to be extremely valuable and necessary. 

Gives Valuable Liability Protection

Another advantage of having a home insurance policy is that it can provide you with very valuable liability protection. As a homeowner, you are going to take on risk if someone comes to your property. If there is an accident that causes any type of damage to a guest, you could be found liable. The home insurance policy will protect against this.

There are many advantages that come with having home insurance in place on your Palm Coast, FL home. When you are looking for a new home insurance policy, you should reach out to the team at All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School to learn more about your home insurance options. The insurance team at All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School can help you to pick a policy that will provide you with the right level of coverage. 

How the Location of Your Home and the Building Materials in It Affect Your Insurance Rate

If you’re like many people shopping for a new home, one of the main matters that get your attention is the neighborhood and the look of its exterior and interior. But when it comes to serving people in Florida, we at All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School want you to think about location and structural materials.

Location, Location, Location

Here’s why location and construction materials matter. Insurance costs more for homes near a body of water. Standard homeowners policies do not cover damage done by flood waters. You’ll have to buy this coverage from the federal government or an independent agent. Find out where emergency services are located near it, the natural disasters the area is prone to, and the building materials used in construction. 

Homes that are near a fire station with a year-round staff are less costly to insure, as are ones that are near a fire hydrant. A Class 1 fire department is the better to be near than a Class 10 one. Since Florida is susceptible to natural disasters like hurricanes that bring rain and wind, its insurance rates are high.

Now to the materials in your home. Does it support cement fiber siding, concrete stucco or stone, and brick veneer to better resist fire? Typical vinyl siding is not fire resistant. Another issue is that it and aluminum siding are easily damaged by wind. And manufactured homes are lighter than most traditional homes, which makes them prone to wind damage also. Fires also spread more quickly in them.

Now that you have some information about factors influencing insurance rates when you want a quote, contact All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School. We are ready to help Florida residents find a policy and get a quote.