Homeowners Insurance

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Home insurance is very important since usually it is covering a person’s largest asset they own & we want to help you protect it. Homeowners Insurance is required by mortgage companies.  Many tend to request coverage to match the loan amount.  However, that may be too much or not enough insurance.  Your land will not burn.  We use a replacement cost estimator to determine how much coverage you need to rebuild your home with similar size & style finishes.  You may choose to insure your dwelling at that amount or go with an extra percentage above replacement amount (for cost overruns) or opt for a contract with guaranteed replacement.  The options are yours.

Each policy provides liability coverage to protect you if someone is injured on your property or if a neighbor has damage to their home from a loss that occurred at your home that you could be deemed liable for. Liability is your primary coverage when lawsuits arise from incidents.

Personal property coverage on a home policy covers all your belongings inside your residence. If you flipped your home upside down anything that would fall out is considered personal property. When a loss occurs it can be very overwhelming to say the least & you can forget items that you own. The best tip we can give- stand at the doorway of each room in your home, take pictures around the room & send them out to yourself in an email. Save those pictures in a separate email folder for safe keeping. If a loss occurs you have a picture to remind you what items you had in that room.

We can provide coverage for your home, rental home, mobile/manufactured home, seasonal/vacation home, renters or flood insurance in Virginia, and Maryland. 

• What causes homeowners insurance to go up?
  Each year the dwelling coverage on a home policy increases, this is an inflation guard that comes on a home insurance policy. Some companies also use a credit/risk score as an additional factor in their rates.  An individual’s past claim history has an impact on the rate as well as the rating factors with your companies losses they’ve had and the area you are located in.  Distance to a fire hydrant or fire department can impact pricing as well.
• My rate is going up, and I didn’t have any claims, why? Rates are comprised of more than just your individual history, they take into account, the claims in your zip code, your state & also the claims your provider has endured too.
• Why do companies periodically inspect homes?
  Usually, the companies are checking on the maintenance of the property.  If your roof is worn out; it needs to be replaced.  If you don’t replace it (normal maintenance), you’ll eventually have rain damage and try to claim it.  A company could turn the claim down.
• My dog has bitten someone, but I’m not getting rid of her, what do I do?
  Some companies will issue you a policy that excludes the liability for a dog bite.  A great number of claims have been paid for dog bites, and you assume the financial responsibility to pay for injuries, etc. caused by your dog. Companies may also cancel or non-renew a customer after a dog bite incident. If you obtain a new dog or get rid of a dog always make sure to update your policy information with your agent.
• I pay my insurance through the mortgage, what do I do when I change companies.
  You must notify your mortgage company & cancel the coverage at your prior carrier.  The prior insurance company will send you a refund check:  send that refund to your mortgage company as a payment to your escrow account only or your mortgage payments will go up.