Warmer weather has arrived and with it come thoughts of vacations spent lying on the beach, hiking through the mountains, or visiting friends and relatives. No matter what you decide to do with your time off, it is important that homeowners make provisions to insure the security of their homes before they go.

Why Home Security Should be a Priority

According to FBI estimates, there are more than two million burglaries each year in the United States, and 65% of these are residential break-ins. It is no coincidence that these crimes occur at a 10% higher rate in July and August – the two most popular vacation months.

Having a fun-filled vacation can provide joyful memories for a lifetime, yet a disastrous homecoming can just as easily taint them.

Prepare for your vacation by taking a few home security precautions to insure that you are not added to these statistics.

Steps Homeowners Can Take for Increased Protection While Away

Homeowners insurance is your failsafe, but it's much better to avoid a breakin altogether. When faced with the subject of home security, many homeowners immediately think of a monitored home security system. With these systems, motion detectors and sensors send an alarm to a monitoring center during an intrusion. The center then reports the break-in to police. This is an effective method of deterring a home invasion while you are away. Keep in mind that installing the system can be expensive, and there is usually an ongoing monthly fee. Such systems can also lower your homeowners insurance premiums.

While it isn’t the most common method of securing your property, hiring or negotiating with a house sitter is another option.

There are other free or low-cost steps homeowners can take:

Make your house look inhabited:

Take some obvious measures inside your house:

Provide security on the outside:

• Criminals love hiding places, so trim any shrubbery that obscures windows and doors.
• Trim any branches that are close to the house and could provide direct entrance to the upper floors.
• Lock a detached garage and all outbuildings like tool sheds and workshops.
• Put timers or motion sensor lights in the driveway or walkway. They can surprise and deter a potential burglar.

Get a Homeowners Insurance Checkup for Your Peace of Mind

Protecting your property and possessions in your absence is essential, and the time and money that is invested will pay dividends in the form of peace of mind during your vacation and a return to a secure home after it’s over. Having the right homeowner's or renter's insurance is also important for your peace of mind because it provides important financial protection in the event of a breakin while you are away. Contact us or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. We're independent insurance agents who will help you find the best house insurance at the right price.

2013 was a good year for the real estate industry.  The price of homes increased by more than 20% in certain hotspots, and experts predict that home prices will continue to rise in 2014 – albeit, at a more moderate rate of 3-5%.  This is great news if you’re a realtor or if you’re trying to sell your home.  But you might be asking yourself, “Does this mean I need to reevaluate the insurance coverage on my home?  Does this mean I have to pay higher house insurance premiums?”

Market Value vs. Replacement Cost Value

Before we answer this question, you need to understand the difference between “market value” and “replacement cost value.”  Market value is how much you should be able to get for your home if you were to sell it.  This value is based on location, the value of the land, and other real estate trends. On the other hand, replacement cost is what it would cost to replace your home if it was completely destroyed – if you had to rebuild it from the ground up. 

Why Did You Purchase Homeowner’s Insurance?

Now think about why you purchased your homeowner’s insurance.  Wasn’t it to protect you and your family against unforeseen disasters?  If a storm rips the roof off your home, you want to be able to replace it.  If your house is completely destroyed by a fire, you need to have the resources to rebuild it, so you and your family have a place to live.  Plus, most disasters that can affect your home don’t affect the land itself.  If a tornado blows through your home or a tree lands on your roof, the value of the land your home rests on isn’t affected. 

Therefore, you should insure your home for what it would cost to repair or replace it, not what someone else would pay for it.  So, if the market value of your house increases because of the real estate market, there’s no need to re-evaluate your homeowner’s insurance.  Plus, most homeowner’s insurance policies have an inflation guard that automatically increases the value of the property by 3-5%.

When Considering Insurance on Your Home, Remember the Upgrades!

Now, if you make improvements to your home, such as an addition or a major renovation, it can affect both the market value and the replacement cost.  In that case you should contact your insurance agent, so you can make sure that your entire investment is protected in the event of a disaster. 

If you’d like to take a look at your homeowner’s insurance to be certain your home has sufficient protection, contact American Insuring Group at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. We'll help you get the right level of quality insurance at the right price, quoting several competing insurance providers in the process.

It's Not Just About the Midwest

Wind storms and hail are known for causing severe damage to private property throughout the U.S.  Although hail damage is more frequent throughout the Midwest and Great Plains states, the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions are also surprisingly susceptible.

$3.9 Billion for State Farm Alone

According to State Farm, its 2012 wind and hail damage insurance claims cost the company and those insured over $3.9 billion combined.  To view a series of photos showing examples of wind and hail damage for each of the states above, click here. 

Are You Covered for Wind and Hail Damage?

Is your homeowner’s or commercial property insurance properly protecting you from the risks of damage due to wind, hail, and other forces of nature? Contact us today for an insurance check up.

Chances are that your current homeowner’s insurance policy is weaker than you think in terms of the financial protection it offers. That’s because many insurers have been steadily changing their coverage to increase deductibles and to add new loopholes protecting the insurance company from excessive loss. To make matters worse, homeowner’s insurance rates have climbed 69% over the past 10 years and now average approximately $1,000 per year.

Why the Big Homeowner’s Insurance Cost Increases?

So why are insurers raising home insurance rates, cutting coverage, and increasing deductibles in Reading, Philadelphia, Allentown, Lancaster, and all across Pennsylvania and the US? Is it nothing more than unbridled greed? Hardly. Insurers are experiencing factors beyond their control that are driving up costs. The biggest factor alone, the weather, has resulted in a 58% increase in the number of catastrophic weather events in the past five years vs. the prior five, climbing from 602 to 953 according to insurance industry data. Of course, along with each disaster comes a series of insurance industry payouts to policy holders. 

Another factor driving these changes is that states have denied insurers’ requests to increase their rates to the full extent needed to capture the true increases in weather-related payouts. As a result, insurers have resorted to shifting a much larger percentage of the cost of homeowner’s claims to their customers in an effort to remain solvent, and this has been done by cutting coverage. Many homeowners are on the hook for far more of the cost of repairs than they were five years ago.  Homeowner’s insurance is among the least profitable forms of insurance, and, as they say, you can’t get blood from a rock, so something has to give, and that has been both the extent and cost of coverage.

Get Help: Homeowner’s Insurance Coverage Varies Widely

Because house insurance coverage varies widely among insurers, and given that the specifics of what is covered and what is not are often buried in the insurance policy fine print, it is wise to seek the advice of an independent insurance agent to help you make sense of the coverages, deductibles, and loopholes within policies offered by various insurance carriers. An independent agent is uniquely positioned to help you find the best policy for your needs and budget because he or she represents multiple competing carriers, rather than just one. Don’t rely solely on an insurance company’s reputation or marketing. Instead get the facts so you can make an informed purchase.

We Can Help

Are you and your family in a precarious position? Arrange for a homeowner’s insurance review with an independent agent. Why not make an appointment today? You’ll sleep better knowing you did the smart thing. Call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848, or click below to contact us.

Are You at Risk?

Even if you have good automobile and homeowner’s insurance, you may be liable for excessive damages resulting from a major lawsuit.  Consider what would happen if you were to injure a doctor, lawyer, or other highly paid professional in a car or other accident that prevented him from earning his regular income for the rest of his life. A court could easily award damages far exceeding the limits of your auto, watercraft, or homeowner’s insurance policy. Such damages could drastically alter your lifestyle for many years to come.

That’s where umbrella liability insurance comes in.  The right policy will provide the additional protection needed to withstand such an event. 

You May be at Higher Risk for a Lawsuit

Higher-income individuals who cause an accident have a far greater risk of being sued as lawyers seek out those with deep pockets. In such cases an umbrella policy may provide the protection that could be the difference between maintaining your lifestyle vs. paying punitive damages out of pocket for the rest of your life.

An Umbrella Liability Policy May be More Affordable Than You Think

Umbrella liability insurance tends to be more affordable than other types of insurance because it comes into play only after your other insurance has been exhausted.  For example, a $1,000,000 umbrella policy would cover up to an additional $600,000 of protection on a homeowner’s policy with $400,000 of coverage. The same principle applies to automobile and watercraft insurance. Increased savings may be found by purchasing your umbrella policy from the same insurance provider as for your home, car, commercial property, or watercraft.

Commercial Property and Umbrella Insurance

Are you a business owner or landlord? If so, you are at greater risk of incurring a lawsuit. Landlord insurance in the form of an umbrella liability policy can provide additional protection against lawsuits from tenants, as well as from being sued for slander or libel by disgruntled employees.

Do You Have an Adequate Umbrella Policy?

If you would like help in obtaining the right level of insurance protection then please click to contact us, or call us at 800-947-1270.

"Insurance deductibles could have added significant costs to Pennsylvanians already struggling to clean up and rebuild after Hurricane Sandy," Corbett said. "Insurance companies have deployed catastrophe teams to Pennsylvania and they have been advised that hurricane deductibles should not be applied to any homeowner's insurance claims.""

For the full article, click here. 

Fire Prevention Month

October is known as fire prevention month. Why? Because homeowners in cooler climates like those common to Reading, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Allentown, PA are beginning to fire up their heating systems, including space heaters. Not only that, but the holiday season is right around the corner, starting with lighting at Halloween, and then extensive kitchen use at Thanksgiving, and continuing through Christmas and New Year’s Eve. 

Candles Burning Brightly

Candles are beautiful when lit, but care should be taken avoid turning that beauty into an event resulting in a homeowners insurance claim.  Candles start over 15,000 fires in the U.S. annually. The top 5 days for candle fires are: Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day, Halloween, and December 23.  

Fire Safety - How Safe is Your Home?

How knowledgeable are you and your family about fire safety? The National Fire Prevention Association lists 28 things homeowners should know to help prevent home fires. We know you need homeowners insurance, but we hope you never have to use it. Therefore, please learn and follow our simple fire safety guidelines to avoid home fires. 

Homeowners: Get Your Valuable Free Fire Prevention Report

Our free report explains:

• 15 cooking and candle safety tips
• 9 Christmas decoration safety tips
• 4 general fire safety tips

To receive your free report, courtesy of PuroClean, click here.

Want the guaranteed lowest prices on high-quality, affordable homeowner’s insurance? We quote many competing home insurance companies and guarantee the best deal on homeowners insurance, as well as insurance for your car, life, health, or business.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote, or click for an > instant homeowner’s insurance quote.

New Technologies Lead to Faster Cleanup and Recovery

The bad news – you need to contact your Pennsylvania homeowners insurance agent because your home got hit by major water damage. The good news – today’s technology makes it possible to quickly restore damaged carpet, padding, drywall and more. That’s also good news in terms of costs for Pennsylvania homeowners insurance from Reading to Allentown, Harrisburg to Philadelphia, and Lancaster to Erie!

Dry it Quickly to Avoid Replacement Costs

When water damage occurs, your goal should be to dry your property and all contents as quickly as possible. In the past, restoration experts had few options, often resulting in removing and discarding damaged drywall, carpeting, and padding and replacing them at great expense. Since then, the science of drying has taken major leaps forward, so these items can often be completely restored quickly and at a much lower cost.

Homeowners: Get Your Valuable Free Report and Learn How to Recover Quickly from Water Damage

Our free report will explain:

• How damaged carpet, padding, and drywall can be completely restored
• The powerful water extraction techniques that can save you money and get you back into your home quickly

To receive your free report, courtesy of PuroClean, click here.

American Insuring Group offers the guaranteed lowest prices on high-quality, affordable homeowner’s insurance by quoting lots of competing home insurance companies. We guarantee the best deal on homeowners insurance, as well as insurance for your car, life, health, or business.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote, or click for an > instant homeowner’s insurance quote.