Home Insurance

Home Cleaning Tips To Help You In Cincinnati

Posted on by AgentInsure

Cleaning your home in Cincinnati doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. There are a variety of tips that can save you time and money. As you implement these into your daily chores, you will find that it is easier than ever before to clean your home.

Dusting
Dusting may seem like it’s never ending. When you are dusting fan blades, use an old pillowcase over each blade. The dust will be wiped backwards into the pillowcase so that it doesn’t fall on anything else. When dusting lampshades and various other items, use a lint roller.

Cleaning Hard to Get Stains
When there are greasy prints on your walls, color them with white chalk. Allow them to sit for a few minutes and then wipe off the chalk marks. The grease will go with the chalk. When you have hard water stains on your faucets, fill a sandwich bag with distilled white vinegar and rubber band it onto the faucet. Allow to sit for a few hours and then rinse it off.

Other Tips
You can find plenty of other tips to benefit from as well. Wipe down your flat surface cooktop with car wax so that it’s easier to get grease off in the future. Use shower gel on your bathroom tile to clean up the grout. Use vinegar on your carpets to get stains out, and mist your mattresses with a combination of diluted water and essential oils to sanitize and improve the smell.

Whenever you can use cleaning tips, it will make it easier to keep your home looking great all the time.

Call us at the Advantage Insurance Network today to learn about how to get homeowner’s insurance you can rely on. We’re happy to get you quotes, answer questions, and more.

 

Does Your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy Cover Equipment Breakdown?

Posted on by Lewis Smith

Homeownership can be tough. Sometimes our most important – and most expensive! – household items can breakdown with no warning. Safeco Insurance offers a unique endorsement you can add to your Ohio homeowner’s insurance policy that can help. “Equipment Breakdown” coverage through Safeco Insurance covers your essential home systems and personal property in the event of an unexpected mechanical or electrical breakdown NOT caused by normal wear and tear or corrosion.

Example: Jane Smith’s home has an air conditioning unit that is five years old. She turns it on and it works fine for the first few weeks of summer. All of a sudden, it stops working. Jane calls a technician who says the unit has a bad compressor and it is going to cost $3000 to replace. Under Safeco’s Equipment Breakdown endorsement, since this is a sudden event and not the result of normal wear and tear, Jane will get the cost of the new unit covered (minus her $500 deductible that comes with this endorsement.) This is not the same deductible as your all peril on your homeowner’s policy and a claim on this endorsement does not count towards your policy.

At about $2 a month, it is a convenient way to make sure your belongings and your budget are covered. Typical household items covered under Safeco’s Equipment Breakdown Coverage are:

Washers and dryers

Computer equipment

Dishwashers

Refrigerators and freezers

Ovens and microwaves

Garbage disposals

Heat pumps

Heating and A/C systems

Electrical service panels

Home security systems

Water heaters

Well water pumps

Sump pumps

Surround sound systems

Swimming pool equipment

Televisions/Plasma/LCD

If you think this is a coverage you need to add to your homeowner’s insurance, call Advantage Insurance Network LLC and get a homeowner’s insurance quote with Safeco today!

Check Your Ohio Homeowners Insurance Deductible

Posted on by Lewis Smith

As spring storms make way for the sunshine of summer, some Cincinnati homeowners are finding damage that these storms have left behind. High winds and hailstorm damage is being found on homes across the area. Some homeowners are surprised to find out they have a homeowner’s insurance deductible that is higher than it was when they signed up for their insurance policy. How could that be?

Over the past several years, some home insurers in the state of Ohio rolled something called a wind/hail percentage deductible on their policy renewals. This means that a policy’s deductible on a wind/hail claim is no longer the $1,000 deductible you signed up with two years ago, but now it is 1% of your Coverage A (Dwelling) amount. Some insurers will allow you to buy back your lower deductible, but oftentimes homeowners do not realize it has been changed until it is too late.

For example: Joe signed a policy with Nationwide five years ago. His house is insured at $275,000 and his deductible at the time he signed up was a flat $1,000. Two years ago, at renewal, his deductible was raised to 1% for wind/hail. His roof sustained damage from a storm that came through this Spring. His wind/hail deductible is now $2,750.

Even worse – the largest writer of homeowners insurance in the state – State Farm has implemented a percentage deductible for all perils to many of their policyholders. Customers that have had $500 or $1,000 deductibles for many years are now finding they have a 1% or even 2% deductible of their Coverage A dwelling amount for any loss sustained.

It is always a good practice to review your insurance documents carefully at each renewal. If you have any questions or would like help finding a policy with a flat deductible, give us a call at Advantage Insurance Network.

Is A Sinking Foundation Something That Could Happen In Cincinnati?

Posted on by AgentInsure

Cincinnati, Ohio is a bustling metropolitan with a lot to offer. Homes can be located within the city or on the outskirts. While some of the homes are older, there has been some new construction as well. Residents can look forward to the ballet, theatre, and a variety of other entertainment options throughout the city.

When you are ready to buy homeowners insurance, you have to know what kind of coverage to be on the lookout for. The standard insurance will protect you against the most common things, such as fire, flood, and burglary.

However, there is the possibility of a sinking foundation. This is when the land around your home gives too much and your foundation starts to collapse. This can affect your porch, the structure of your home, and even create cracks along the walls.

The reason that a sinking foundation occurs varies. Most common reasons include:

– Poor site preparation

– Too much moisture on the land

– Lack of good drainage

Whatever the reason, it is possible to experience such a problem with your home in Cincinnati. This is why it’s recommended that you look for this kind of coverage on a homeowner’s insurance policy. If something like this does happen, you can call the insurance company and file a claim. They will have someone come out to identify what’s going on and get to work on fixing it. All you have to pay is the deductible attached to your policy.

You have to prepare for the unexpected and that’s why homeowner’s insurance is a necessity. You have options and we have agents that will guide you through the process. All you have to do is place the call and we will work to find you the needed coverage in Cincinnati.

Will Homeowner’s Insurance Protect Against Roof Damage?

Posted on by AgentInsure

When you live in Ohio, you’re considered a buckeye. There are many sports teams out of the state, including NFL, NBA, and MLB teams. In addition to sports, there’s a lot of theater, dance, and other forms of entertainment. Fairs and festivals take place year round. With so much to do, it’s no surprise that residents often choose to stay in the state for life.

Having homeowners insurance is a must. You want to protect your home and insurance allows you to do that more effectively. It’s required if you have a mortgage, but even if you own your home free and clear, an insurance policy makes a lot of sense.

If you experience roof damage because of a storm, you’re going to turn to your homeowner’s insurance to pay the claim. The last thing you want to hear is that they are rejecting it because you don’t have that kind of coverage.

Just because you have insurance does not mean they are going to cover everything. Every insurance company is different in terms of what they cover. That means it is up to you to add the coverage that is needed to protect your home to the fullest.

The best thing to do is work with an agent. You want storm protection so that if there’s roof damage, the insurance company pays. We will work to get you that kind of coverage – and get quotes from the multiple insurance companies that work within Ohio.

With multiple quotes comes the ability to see all of your options in a plain and simple way. You can find out who has the best prices and who is going to provide you with the highest level of coverage.

Call us today and let us make sure you have the storm coverage need on your policy in Ohio.

Important Considerations for your Next Homeowners Policy

Posted on by Lewis Smith

Whether you live in Cincinnati, Florence, or Lawrenceburg, there are many to factors to consider when purchasing a homeowners policy.   You need to understand what is covered, what is excluded, what endorsements are available, and how claims will be settled. An independent insurance agent can help navigate all the choices. Here are some important factors:

Replacement Cost versus Actual Cash Value Loss Settlement – Replacement cost and Actual Cash Value are the two main loss settlement options for your home and personal property. It is important to identify which option is included in your policy. Replacement cost coverage is the best option for most homeowners. This option will pay the cost to replace your damaged home or personal property up to your policy limits. The other option is actual cash value. Actual cash value is defined as replacement cost less depreciation.   For example, if your roof was damaged in a hail storm and you had an ACV policy, if the roof cost $5,000 to replace but your roof was 15 years old, then you may only get $2,500 less your deductible.   However, on a replacement cost policy in the same example, you would be paid $5,000 less your deductible.

Common Exclusions that can be Covered by Endorsement – Most homeowners insurance policies have three common exclusions that can be covered by endorsement for an additional premium. These exclusions are: water backup, flood and earthquake. Even though these coverages are typically excluded from your base policy, coverage can be added. You should discuss these options with your insurance agent.

Important Optional Coverages – In addition to your base policy, many companies offer additional coverages that can be purchased. Here are some of the options:

  • Identity Theft Coverage – With all of the data breaches occurring today with major companies like Target and Home Depot, it is important to consider having coverage in place to offer additional protection. Many homeowners insurance companies offer some form of identity theft protection.
  • Schedule Jewelry Coverage or other valuables –Many homeowners insurance policies limit the amount of coverage for valuable items. The best way to cover your valuables, such as wedding rings, is by specifically scheduling them on your homeowners insurance policy. Scheduling the items provided the broadest form of coverage available.
  • Equipment Breakdown Coverage – Some insurance companies offer equipment breakdown coverage for mechanical breakdown of major household items such as furnaces, air conditioners, refrigerators, stoves, ranges, dish washers, and more. This is an affordable way to protect big ticket items in your home.

These factors should be discussed with your local insurance agent to be sure you have everything covered properly. The professional insurance agents at Advantage Insurance Network will ask you all of the relevant questions to help identify your needs and customize an insurance package to meet them.   Call us today to discuss your homeowners insurance or visit our website 24/7 at www.myadvantageinsurance.com.

Bundling Your Auto, Home, and Toys with Progressive Insurance Can Save You Money

Posted on by Lewis Smith

Advantage Insurance Network in Cincinnati, OH is a Snapshot Certified agent representing Progressive and their partner, Progressive Home Advantage (underwritten by ASI). By now, I’m sure you have seen a Progressive commercial with everyone’s favorite spokeswoman, Flo, talking about the perks of bundling your auto and home insurance. By having all of your policies with Progressive, it helps reduce the potential for gaps in coverage. But, most importantly, it saves you money. In fact, Progressive gives a discount based on the number of policies you have with them. Do you know all the different types of policies that Progressive can write?

  • Auto
  • Homeowners/Renters/Condo
  • Mobile Home
  • Motorcycle
  • Boat
  • Personal Watercraft
  • Recreational Vehicle
  • Snowmobile
  • Travel Trailer
  • ATV
  • Golf Cart
  • Segway
  • Classic Car
  • Umbrella
  • Commercial Auto

Bundling your Progressive policies with an independent agent like Advantage Insurance Network gives you the extra benefit of having someone local to help with questions and concerns. Call us today or visit our website 24×7 at www.myadvantageinsurance.com to get started on your Progressive auto and home insurance bundle with Advantage Insurance Network.

5 Ways to Save Money on Your Home Insurance

Posted on by Lewis Smith

Advantage Insurance Network in Cincinnati, OH is an independent insurance agency that works with homeowners to make sure they get the home insurance coverage they need at the best price possible. Below are the top five ways you can look at right now to save money on your home insurance.

  1. Multi-policy – Bundling your homeowners insurance with your auto insurance is a no brainer. With discounts averaging 20% on both policies, packaging your insurance needs is the easiest way to save money. It also allows your insurance agent to make sure you are avoiding any potential gaps in coverage.
  2. Call your agent when you update – So you got a new roof last year? Did you call your insurance agent? Discounts for updating things around your home like your roof, electric, plumbing and heating can top 15%. A two minute phone call to let your agent know about an update could save you hundreds.
  3. Consider taking a higher deductible – Most people know not to use their homeowners insurance as a maintenance policy. Filing a large number of claims can have a negative impact regardless of the size of the claim. It is important to have a deductible that is realistic should anything happen, but also to make sure you are not overpaying for a low deductible you do not need.
  4. Ask if your carrier offers a paperless discount – Most people today have an email address they check regularly. Heck, you probably checked it before you read this blog. Having policy documents delivered via email instead of through USPS can save on average 5%.
  5. Buy your policy from an Independent Agent who can shop around for you – Independent Agencies like Advantage Insurance Network can take the hassle out of shopping around for your homeowners insurance. With one phone call – or one visit to our website www.myadvantageinsurance.com – you can get dozens of quotes from nationally recognized, top rated carriers.

Questions on any of the above? Call us today at Advantage Insurance Network in Cincinnati OH to make sure your homeowner’s insurance policy is up to date and that you are getting the most out of your insurance. We can review your homeowners insurance with you and make sure you are taking advantage of all of your potential discounts.

Factors That Affect Homeowners Insurance Rates in Ohio

Posted on by AgentInsure

Your home in the Cincinnati, Ohio area has many factors that affect the rate you pay for homeowners insurance. Understanding these factors will go a long way to making sure you have the full coverage you need. Advantage Ins Network will even let you compare homeowners insurance rates online, so you can see the different variables that make up your quotes and get the best rates possible.

Major factors that influence your homeowners insurance rates include the size and value of your home. A home with a value of $200,000 will cost more to insure than a $65,000 home. The amount of your deductible also plays an important role. The higher your deductible, the lower your rate.

Common factors include:

  • Distance from a fire station or hydrant
  • Type of roof material and age of roof
  • Age of home
  • Age of plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems

Your personal factors also can increase your insurance costs. If you have a swimming pool, or a dog that is classified as aggressive, you will pay a higher insurance premium. If you have made numerous claims against your insurance, your rates will also be higher.

Unfortunately, if there are numerous abandoned homes in your area, you may pay a slightly higher insurance rate. You may be able to reduce the rate with the installation of fire and smoke alarms. Talk to us to find out what you can do for improvements.

Do remember that your Cincinnati home is not protected from floods under your regular homeowner’s policy. If your residence was built along low-lying banks of any river, talk to us about a flood insurance policy. Advantage Ins Network is your independent agency for the Cincinnati area, and we are available to help you with all your insurance needs.