Don’t Let Thieves Steal your Holiday

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As the countdown to the holidays and NYE approaches, undoubtedly you’ve got some new gadgets, toys or jewelry around the house. Thieves know this. While you are off enjoying a holiday gathering, vacation or party, thieves could be helping themselves to your things. Taking a few extra precautions may help save you and your family the stress and anxiety of having to sort through your home for missing items and filing a homeowner’s insurance claim in Seattle, WA.

  • Be alarmed: An alarm system is a great way to deter criminals (as long as you remember to arm it) and to potentially get a discount on your homeowner’s insurance. If you do not want the added expense of installing and maintaining an alarm system, get “Protected by XYZ Alarm Company” sign for your front  yard. A little deceptive advertising could go a long way to keeping thieves away from your home.
  • Meet the neighbors: Get to know the people on your block; be friendly. Neighbors can see things that you might miss such as an open gate or garage door. Friendly neighbors can also look out for one another on nights out or when you’re out of town.
  • Keep it clear and lit: Keeping landscaping and shrubbery trimmed and low around potential points of entry like windows or side doors could help reduce the likelihood of an intruder trying to enter your home. Installing motion lights and leaving a television or radio on when you are away from home gives the illusion that someone is in the house can be a deterrent for thieves.
  • Stash the valuables: Just not in the bedroom! The bedroom is one of the first places that thieves will look for jewelry and other valuables. Having a built-in safe or a false tile in the bathroom floor to store your valuables may make it harder for thieves to make off with your goods.
  • Know your stuff: Keeping an inventory log of items that have a potentially high risk of being stolen can help you later in the claims process. Having readily available photos, serial numbers and receipts or appraisals can help your insurance agent determine a payout should these items go missing. Having a written record can also help the police search for your missing items at pawn shops or on Craigslist.
  • Specialty Insurance: While your homeowner’s insurance may cover a portion of the cost to replace stolen items, it will not cover everything. Adding a separate valuables policy may help you recoup more of your dollar loss. Valuables such as jewelry, art and electronics can be added to a separate valuables policy.

We know that keeping your home safe from thieves is a top priority for you, just like making sure your home is properly insured is a top priority for your local independent insurance agent. Secord Insurance Agency in Seattle, Washington can guide you through your homeowner’s insurance policy and add additional coverages like a separate valuables policy or personal umbrella policy. Their years of insurance experience can save you a bundle, and they live right in your area, so know first-hand what your insurance needs might be.  You can also visit their insurance website 24/7.

Earthquake Insurance in Seattle, WA – A Solid Foundation

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Unlike some natural disasters, earthquakes are extremely difficult to predict. There are several regions in the U.S. that are at higher risk than others for having the “big one” and we just happen to live in one of them. Depending on the depth, intensity and duration, an earthquake can do significant damage to a home or condo.

This type of damage is not typically covered on a basic homeowner’s or condo insurance policy and only about 10 percent of homeowners purchase earthquake coverage. In this instance an earthquake insurance policy in Seattle, WA may be a smart move.

Earthquakes and Washington:

Quaking ground: Earthquakes can be brought on by many factors. The movement of a tectonic plate in a subduction zone, the slipping of rock on a strike-slip fault line, a volcanic eruption or it can be triggered by an external factor, like drilling or mining. Generally the deeper the location of the earth’s movement, the stronger the earthquake, however, the shallower it is makes it more destructive. Earthquakes that occur along coast lines can be even more destructive as an earthquake can trigger a tsunami. Here in Seattle, Washington, we are close to the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The CSZ is lengthy fault that runs from Vancouver Island in Canada all the way into Northern California, separating the Juan de Fuca plate from the North American plate. This particular fault has produced some damaging earthquakes, most recently in February 2001 when the Nisqually earthquake shook the Puget Sound region, had a recorded magnitude of 6.8 and caused about $2 billion in damages.

Dwelling damage: Damage from an earthquake can range from a few easily repairable cracks in the drywall of a home, to a complete failure of the structural integrity of a home. A homeowner may need to higher inspectors, structural engineers, a contractor and the list goes on. Not to mention that a family whose home was damaged in an earthquake will need a safe place to stay until the home is repaired. If the family does not have an earthquake insurance policy, they may be responsible for paying all repair costs out of pocket. These costs can often be thousands of dollars.

Earthquake Insurance: An earthquake insurance policy helps cover damages and additional living expenses up to a certain dollar amount. The policy cost and the amount of the deductible may vary depending on a number of factors including, but not limited to: Age of the home, distance from a fault line, location of the home (hillside, soil type, etc.) and the type of policy either Standard or Comprehensive. The monthly cost for an earthquake insurance policy can range from a few hundred dollars a year to a few thousand dollars a year depending on your location. If you or the previous owners retrofitted the home for an earthquake by securing the home to the foundation with seismic bolts or reinforcing walls or chimneys, you may be entitled to a lower earthquake insurance policy cost.

Before purchasing a home or condo, it’s important to remember to talk to your licensed insurance agent in Seattle, WA to see if you might need an earthquake insurance policy. The experts Secord Insurance Agency in Seattle, Washington have years of insurance experience that can save you a bundle. Plus they live right in your area, so know first-hand if you may need additional insurance such as flood insurance.  You can also visit their insurance website 24/7 to learn more about the other insurance products Secord Insurance Agency offers.

Homeowner’s Insurance Seattle, WA – Don’t let your home be a house of horrors

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Time to break out the conical hats, black cat decorations and the pumpkin seeds; Halloween is on its way! Whether you intend to go all out and build a spooky scene in your front yard complete with a giant spider and web or if you plan to put up a few jack-o-lanterns you can take some extra steps to ensure that your Halloween spirit does not turn your home into a personal house of horrors.  To avoid a costly homeowner’s insurance claim in Seattle, WA such as a fire, property damage or a personal liability claim, make sure that your Halloween decorations and any area that party-goers or trick-or-treaters access is free of debris and tripping hazards.

Avoid a holiday homeowner’s insurance claim in Washington:

  • Décor: Many Halloween decorations are made of paper or wood products. Keep these decorations away from open flames and away from lights as the décor could spontaneously combust resulting in a fire. Lit jack-o-lanterns should be extinguished prior to going to bed or leaving the house for an extended period of time. A pumpkin that is too dry or a flame that is too close to a wooden porch could spark a blaze, which if not caught quickly could be quite destructive. To eliminate open flames altogether, try flameless LED candles.  Speaking of lighting, make sure that any lights hung are the appropriate type (indoor or outdoor) and that they are strung in such a way that no one could trip over or get tangled in.
  • Tripping Hazards: Little ones (and adults too!) can get over excited during a scare and could hurt themselves on décor that is not properly secured or in the way. Moving items like porch furniture or lawn décor could help prevent accidents outside. If you plan to throw a Halloween party indoors with little ones, make sure that sharp edges and corners are secured and tripping hazards such as side tables or ottomans are out of the way. Taking a few extra steps to ensure that your guests are safe could save you from a costly personal liability claim.
  • Treats and tricks: Another wonderful part about Halloween is the food! Candy corn, lollipops and caramel apples are delicious treats for young and old alike; however they do present a choking hazard for small children. Make sure that bite-size or chewy treats are kept out of reach of tiny hands.

Halloween can be a fun time for friends and family, not a time to worry about household accidents. If you have any questions about what your homeowner’s insurancepolicy covers in terms of fire, property damage or personal injury liability, your licensed insurance agent in Seattle, Washington can assist you.  The local, independent agents at Secord Insurance Agency can assist you with examining an existing policy or setting you up with a new policy. Their years of insurance experience can save you a bundle. You can also visit their insurance website 24/7 to learn more about auto insurance or the other insurance products they offer like personal umbrella insurance.