I had an interesting question last week from a prospective client. I was explaining personal property coverage on the home insurance quote I’d prepared for them when they asked, “If my house burned down, the insurance company will write me a check for $X to replace all my personal property?”
Do you have enough coverage in your home insurance policy to cover a total loss? Do you have the right coverage? The answer to these two questions may never be known until you experience a situation like over 100 homeowners did after Christmas when tornadoes rumbled through Red Oak, Garland, and Rowlett. Over 1,200 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by 11 tornadoes which ransacked parts of north Texas on December 26th.
Sheri and I headed to join friends over the New Year’s holiday after checking in with all our clients located in and around where the tornadoes struck Garland, Rowlett, and the surrounding areas last week. We drove out I-30 toward where the twister struck near where the George Bush tollway and I-30 intersect. The damage sustained by the apartment buildings on the south side of the freeway was incredible; starting with rubble and progressing along the buildings to lost roofs and major damage.
This past Saturday was a warm day, shorts and t-shirt weather for most of the day. The weather report called for a cool front to move in that afternoon and evening. It did and the collision of the cool front with the warm air moving up from the Gulf set off a chain of thunderstorms and up to 9 reported tornadoes that ranged from Waxahachie, through Garland, Rowlett, and past Lake Lavon in Collin County. The extent of damage wasn’t known until Sunday.
The countdown to Christmas is in full swing. In case you’re wondering, there are 17 more shopping days till Christmas, although it would be hard to not know that based on the advertisements on TV, radio, and everywhere else. Even on Monday night football, ESPN has its Zales Extraordinary Moments and there’s ever present “diamond kind of love.”
While most of us celebrate, there are those who look to take advantage of others during this season. Break-ins occur during this time of year, and it’s not just cars. Thieves break in to homes too. Here are 6 steps you can take to prevent a home break in during a time of year we should be celebrating.
The Dallas / Fort Worth area had the first hint of winter this weekend with temperatures dipping into the 30’s Saturday night. Winter is coming and it’s a great time to get your home ready for it. You’ll save money on energy and maybe even avoid a home insurance claim!
The Dallas Fire Department arrived at a home in east Dallas about 10 days ago. The home was on fire, yet they were able to put the fire out within 30 minutes. The good news is no one was hurt as the family wasn’t home when it started. It turns out the fire started in the attic. Some overloaded older wiring shorted, sparked and started the fire. What overloaded the wiring raises an interesting question about whether or not the home insurance will cover this fire claim.
Most people don’t think about insurance fraud, yet it does exists and is a problem for insurance companies, as well as you and me. Last week, I introduced this topic by looking at car insurance fraud (see https://wiseinsurancegroup.com/car-insurance-fraud/) using two examples that were in the news. Here, I continue the theme by examining it by looking at fraudulent home insurance claims.
Last Sunday, the Dallas Morning News published an article about Kristen and Wade Lair. The article related the issues the Lair’s have faced working with city hall on a home they bought to rehab in east Dallas. Their story outlines some of the issues homeowners face when buying a home in a historic district. It also provides an excellent backdrop on home insurance for homes in historic districts.
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