Welcome to hurricane season which runs from June 1 to November 30th. It’s a great time for Texas homeowners to take a few minutes to review their home insurance keeping in mind a hurricane or named storm can impact north Texas residents as easily as it does our coastal neighbors. Let’s address two key areas of your home insurance policy to review along with two other related policies.
I reviewed Sheri’s and my home insurance in March. It had gone up again and we’d been with the same company for several years, so it was time. I was very pleased with the rates I found with a couple of my other carriers and decided to call the underwriter to discuss our home since it was built in the mid 1950’s. She told me it would require an interior inspection, in addition to the exterior inspection. I was curious what they’d review and the criteria they’d use to determine whether to write my home insurance or cancel it. What I found out caused me to go to the next option on my list!
I am working with a prospective client on their car insurance. I realized he’d never had a good explanation on car insurance once we began to review the quote together. I suggested we start over so I could explain each coverage and answer his questions. Unfortunately, I’ve found most people have never received a good explanation on car insurance, what it covers, and options worth considering, so I thought I’d write about that in this post.
A client called me Monday morning after receiving the estimate to replace his roof from the March hail storm which struck north Texas. Before calling, he’d emailed me a copy of the claim estimate to help guide our conversation. He had a couple of questions about the estimate and payment structure, however, his biggest concern centered on one issue. If his home insurance policy is a replacement cost policy, why does the repair estimate refer to the depreciated value of his roof.
A friend of mine sent me an email asking if I’d review her car insurance. After replying I’d be honored to, she asked me a question which comes up once or twice a year. Her question was, “Do I charge for my services?” This question is usually asked by people who’ve never worked with an independent agent before talking with me. Other people, have asked this, as well as, a follow up question, “Will I still be their agent, once I write their policy?” Let’s look at the two categories of insurance agents, how we are alike, how we are different, and the answers to both questions.
I’ve had several conversations with clients and home buyers about roofs and home insurance since the March 26th hail storm which struck north Texas. Hail, ranging in size from golf ball to softball, fell on Justin eastward to McKinney. Thousands of roofs were damaged or destroyed by the hail resulting in the roofing industry spinning into high gear. Let’s examine some of the questions I’ve addressed in the past week pertaining to replacing roofs and its impact on home insurance.
Hail season arrived in north Texas early this year with a storm which swept across north Texas from Justin to McKinney. The hail was from softball to golf ball size with the larger hail occurring around the Denton area and becoming smaller as it traveled toward McKinney. Initial estimates will be forthcoming in a few days, but I expect the insurance claims to be significant given the size of the hail and how widespread the storm was. I received several calls, text and email messages from clients affected by Sunday night’s storm. Let’s review what to do in handling an insurance claim after such a storm.
Rising home prices in the Dallas / Fort Worth area mean larger mortgages in most cases which raises an interesting question, “How much home insurance is needed when you buy a home?” Stated another way, should the amount of home insurance be equal to the purchase price, the loan value, or some other number?
The 2017 Texas Legislature is well underway with over 8,000 bills introduced for consideration. The hot topics are the bathroom bill, immigration enforcement, equal parenting, medical cannabis, educational savings accounts, abortion, handguns, and parole of certain inmates. Sounds like a typical Texas Legislative session! There are two insurance related bills I want to address in this post – texting while driving and restrictions on lawsuits against insurance companies.
2015 ended with a bang as tornados swept across north Texas damaging or destroying over 1,000 homes and damaging vehicles and commercial properties. Spring of 2016 was not to be outdone either. Last March and April, north Texas was struck by 3 hail storms and San Antonio suffered the worst hail storm in Texas history. The four hail storms combined claims totaled about $1.3 billion in damages to cars, homes, and businesses. Let’s examine how home insurance is being impacted this year.
Subscribe to my newsletter by filling the form below.
A confirmation email will be sent to your mailbox: please read the instructions to complete the subscription.
