Since 2003 InsureMyHouse.com has provided agents with a great way to grow their business with targeted leads.  They allow for only one agent per zip code.  So when someone is shopping for homeowners insurance and selects the zip code(s) you registered, you are the only result.  Provided to the homeowner is a unique profile page displaying your name, address, phone, fax, email and web address giving them easy access to contact YOU directly.  Agents are also optimized for the search engines like Google and Yahoo.  What occurs is when visitors search for homeowners insurance in their city, state and/or zip code, your profile page is populated and picked up by the search engines. In addition they provide a Learn the Basics section for the sites visitors giving them helpful and informative articles pertaining to homeowners insurance and their home.  (more…)

Having flood damage in your home or business is a catastrophe that most people are lucky enough to avoid. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone at anytime.

A burst pipe, a leaky roof or appliance, a hurricane or strong storm. All of these scenarios are seen everyday around the world. If you think that it can never happen to you, you could be in for a horrible surprise.

Many homes don’t carry flood insurance. After all, they don’t live in a flood plain and aren’t required to… so why spend the extra money? Many times flooding happens in areas that aren’t used to seeing it. Just take a look at the last year and you will see several heartbreaking examples of this.

Homes that have been high and dry for decades, even centuries, are being inundated with water. Rivers swell, drainage fails… it is possible anywhere. Most homeowners mistakenly believe they are covered for a flood with their homeowners policy. (more…)

What is the importance of taking the time to go online and comparison shop for home contents insurance? For starters, it gives you peace of mind to know that everything you cherish is protected. Computers, jewelry, clothes, and electronics are just a few things that can be protected with this coverage.

Never assume that bad things like floods, robberies, fires, and accidents will not happen to you. As sad as it is, these things happen to people just like you. While you cannot prevent them totally you can protect the things that are valuable to you against them. Having a good contents insurance policy means that if a disaster does strike, you will get money to replace the things that are lost. (more…)

Have you ever taken the time to sit down are read through your homeowners insurance policy? Some of you have, some of you haven’t. For most of us, page after page of legal-ese is better reserved for lawyers and accountants! Regardless, knowing what is (and is not) considered to be a part of your home insurance coverage is very, very important if you’re going to stay three steps ahead of disaster-and keep your money in the bank where it belongs.

Do You Know What Your Home Insurance Policy Covers?

If someone asked you exactly what your home insurance policy covered, what would you tell them? Probably that it’s there to pay for the damages if your house gets ruined by forces beyond your control, right? The truth is, there are plenty of things that a home insurance policy will cover:

· Fire

· Hurricane

· Hail

· Lightening

· Vehicle Crash (for when a car comes rolling out of the parking lot and into your kitchen)

· Explosion (more…)

To everyone health insurance is necessary since it can help lessen costly medical fees. For instance, if a family member is admitted to a hospital, you not only pay for the medicine, but you also shoulder doctors fee and other services that the hospital provides. Without an insurance, you would end up losing your savings due to hefty bills. With the right insurance, these medical fees become affordable.

There is an affordable way of applying for health insurance.

It is a fact that not everyone has employers who can help pay for their insurance; but, this does not mean that you cannot get better offers if you apply individually. What you have to do is search for the right insurer. There are many companies with different insurance quotes. (more…)

There is a tide in the affairs of man which, taken at the flood…” once said a famous writer from Stratford-upon-Avon. Given Stratford’s capability for flooding – a problem which regularly hits British national headlines – it’s likely Shakespeare was more than familiar with the perils of flooding.

Of course, Stratford-upon-Avon isn’t the only place that’s prone to flooding; the problem is a nationwide one, in the UK at least.

Moreover, most experts agree that – over the next few years – due to global warming, unless defences are vastly improved flooding problems are likely to increase throughout the UK. (more…)

After the Hurricane Katrina devastated several parts of the United States, it was realized that the adverse impacts of a natural disaster are more pronounced after the community starts rebuilding life. Although, the personal loss can never be compensated by financial aid, a lot can be done to make sure that the house remains protected after a natural calamity hits the house. Americans have been quick to understand the importance of having a home insurance cover in place to protect their house in wake of a calamity. As a result, of this growing awareness popularity and demand for house insurance policies has also gone up. Many insurance companies are thus seen offering specialized home insurance covers to attract more buyers. These companies also taking several steps to retain their existing clientele by modifying existing policies.

Thanks to the Internet, procuring all relevant information with regards to the home insurance leads is no longer a daunting task. Instead of waiting for the brochures of the various insurance companies and queuing up at the service centers to seek details, a growing number of home owners are found taking the internet’s help to gain an insight on the leads. (more…)

As a Texas insurance agent I found that many people had questions about how to file a claim with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) after hurricane IKE.

I hope that you never have to make a claim for damages. In case you do need to report a TWIA claim here are some suggestions:

* When you get a TWIA policy review your coverage and options before a disaster happens. Things to discuss with your agent include; do you have a high enough limit, are you happy with your deductable selection, is your personal property (contents) covered, have you selected the wind driven rain option, and have you selected the replacement cost valuation option. Also your TWIA policy will not cover flood damages, do you have a separate policy for that? (more…)

Whether you’re leaving your home for a week or for a year, leaving your house on it’s own leaves it susceptible to being broken in to. This is obviously a highly unpleasant experience and can result in the theft of items and the damage of property. While you may have home insurance and contents insurance to cover these things, it’s still going to be a highly disturbing event that leaves you feeling unsafe in your own home and it will still be stressful to repair as well as increasing the rate on your home insurance. Furthermore, some things that get stolen are completely un-replaceable; hard drives containing old photos or your life’s work, or sentimental jewelery etc. It’s important then if you’re going away to make sure that no one will be able to break into your house, and to leave deterrents that will hopefully mean they don’t try and move on to easier targets.

The first line of defense when leaving your house is to make sure that you don’t leave anything open or leave any keys in sight. Many people hide a set of keys under a doormat or plant pot that they use in case they manage to forget them or lock themselves out. While this might seem like a good idea for those reasons, it can also help a burglar to get in if they manage to find them, and it normally doesn’t take long to do a sweep of the perimeter. Similarly some people leave windows open to ‘air’ the house or again to help themselves get in should they leave keys. This again though makes it very easy for someone to climb in should they notice the window, or even to reach in in order to open a smaller window. Even if the ones you leave open are high up, bare in mind that it’s not unlikely for thieves to come prepared and bring a ladder. (more…)

As a consultant to business clients I get involved in their matters concerning home and auto insurance. Recently I have been tearing my hair out dealing with insurance agents and trying to get my clients the best deal on their home insurance. I have been tearing my hair out because agents consistently want to over insure my clients’ homes.

• First, most of my clients seem to be over insured. This occurs because they have been with the same insurance company for years and with an inflation guard added to their home insurance the replacement cost has been going up each year even though building costs have been going back and forth – these inflation guards only go up. First item on the agenda is get at the real cost to rebuild the home. I have finally found a site that I think is pretty accurate if done correctly. See the site listed at the bottom of this article — this site has a free cost estimator and the best part is that it is not sponsored by an insurance company and it’s free.

• Second, many people believe they have a beautiful home — I know, I do. But, that does not mean that it was built with gold in many cases. Most homes are built about the same in tract homes and a bit nicer in some custom areas. Many of the semi-custom homes have the extras in the bath, kitchen and flooring but not in the drywall, frame, air conditioning. You may see some extras in the wiring (pre-wired for sounds systems, alarms etc.) So don’t inflate what you think your home will cost to rebuild. If you truly have a custom unique home then add this to the cost estimator – but think imported marble, elevators, glass walls, etc. Keep this in mind, insurance companies in most states DO NOT pay out the face amount of the policy, they pay to have the home rebuilt like it was before the loss. It is up to you to make sure it is not being over insured or under insured. If you over insure your home you will be paying premium for something you will never receive. (more…)