Have a Sinkng Feeling Check Your Foundation

Mountains, rolling hills and 300 miles of beaches makes North Carolina an intriguing state to live in or visit. Some favorite attractions are the BlueRidge Parkway that winds for 432 miles from the Great Smokey Mountains to National Park to North Carolina Shenandoah National Park. Kure Beach Sea Turtle Patrol teaches ways to protect the endangered sea turtles. Blowing Rock Winterfest which has ice carving contests, food, WinterPaws dog show, and other winter themed events shows the festive side of winter. Across the state plenty scenic beauty and events exist to please most anyone in your family or friends.

Because of the geologic formations below the soil sometimes an instability happens. If you have ever been on a porch and had a sinking feeling before dismissing it go check your foundation. Whether buying a house or updating a policy, standard policies cover sinkhole coverage to a point. Coverage depends on how the sinkhole happened. Earthquakes take an additional endorsement for covering their damage on a home. As your local area agent I know my territory and can tell you where sinkholes are more likely to happen. Many times I even know how recently they have occurred in an area. When buying homeowners insurance it is important to cover all the bases above ground as well as below ground. Many times combining auto insurance with your homeowner policy results in a discount. Various options exist that can be added to a policy to customize it to your needs.

Before a sink hole happens stop by the office for a chat. Let’s take a look at what the possibilities are and see what is needed.

 

 

 

What Homeowners Insurance Options Are Available in NC?

As a resident of North Carolina, your homeowners insurance options are quite wide because you have the option of selecting any amount of coverage, and virtually any type of coverage, that you want and need. Every home is different, so the options that you want might be different from your neighbor’s choices. However, most homeowners in the state generally select options like these.

Insurance for the House: The home should be protected from all types of loss, and this is the insurance type that does that. You will be able to choose a policy max based upon how much you feel you would need to rebuild if disaster struck and you lost everything.

Other Building Coverage: If you have other structures on your property, those should also be covered by insurance. Some homeowners policies automatically include this coverage along with the house insurance, but always check with your agent as a policy addition may be needed to cover extra buildings. This would apply to greenhouses, tool sheds, and any other freestanding buildings on the property.

Contents Coverage: The contents of your home are significantly valuable to you and your family, whether the monetary value is high or not. If you want to be sure to have enough money to replace these home contents in a disaster, be sure to get this type of coverage. You can choose the amount of coverage you’re most comfortable with, but make sure that you estimate the current replacement cost of everything in the home to get a good figure for the policy.

Liability Insurance: Every homeowner should protect themselves from legal actions that could arise due to injuries that may happen on their property. If your friend, or in fact any property visitor, were to get hurt while anywhere on your property you could be held financially responsible for all their damages. This is one of the most important homeowners insurance options since judgments against you for injury could be so financially devastating, and this coverage prevents you from suffering those losses.

Don’t get caught without enough homeowners coverage. You can very easily compare policies on the Internet with Cross Creek Insurance Agency in minutes. Use our free quote comparison tool to get policy info from multiple major carriers, all in one convenient spot!

Eastover, NC Home Insurance Options

After buying a home in Eastover, NC home insurance is a necessary part of protecting your property. In many cases, your mortgage lender will require that you purchase some coverage for the house, but the exact requirements that your lender sets and the options that are available can vary.

Standard Plans

The basic policy for a house will usually cover against common problems that may arise. It will pay for damages to the interior or the exterior of the house. In most cases, you can also replace personal belongings and even make a claim for the hotel expenses when you cannot stay in your house due to the damages.

Although you can purchase additional coverage for specific needs, the basic policy is usually enough to handle most of your concerns. You should be careful to read the plan before determining that it is appropriate, since policies can vary and the best option can depend on your concerns.

Replacement of Personal Belongings

Using the value of your house as a basic detail, you can usually claim a percentage of that value or the total policy amount to replace personal belongings that are lost in a covered situation.

Depending on the plan, the amount that you can expect will vary. An actual cash value plan will usually only pay for the item after calculating the depreciation rates, so the amount that you are provided is usually less than the cost of replacing the item. Replacement value plans will pay for the total cost of replacing a particular item.

There are options available to protect your house from common risks, but most homes will need a standard plan to protect against potential concerns. To learn more about protecting your property and assets, contact us to talk to an agent today.

What is the liability to a neighbor of a home day care business if a day care child is injured on the neighbor’s property?

When a child is injured in Hope Mills, NC, it can be a problem for every individual involved in the situation. Even though a child may be staying in a day care facility, the liability of an accident may or may not be applied to the child care program.

Permission from Parents

Children who are staying in a home day care may not have the same treatment as children who stay in a child care facility. The day care provider may ask parents if it is appropriate for their children to play with the neighbor’s children or the neighborhood children.

If parents have given their permission for their child to play with local children and visit their homes while they are under the care of a home day care program, then the liability of an injury may fall to the neighbor’s home insurance policy.

Day Care Responsibility

Even though the injuries may be handled by the insurer of the homeowner, a day care is responsible for the children. That means that parents may decide to sue the facility. If the parents of a child decide to sue the day care, then the insurance policy will usually help pay for any settlement, fees and associated costs of the injury. In some cases, the liability plan may cover any additional costs associated with the injury if the neighbor’s plan has a limited amount of coverage.

Nobody wants to discover that their child or children were injured at day care, but the situation can determine the responsible individual and the policy that will pay for the medical bills. Contact us to talk to an agent for more details about protecting your home business.

Can a homeowners insurance policy drop the policy if no one is living in home and it is on the market to be sold?

Insurance companies can drop your insurance coverage, at any time. In most cases, you will be provided with a reason, but this is not required. Companies often drop coverage in areas that have become high risk or when the policyholder has made a large number of claims. An unoccupied property presents a valid reason for a company to drop your policy.

The insurance company’s reasoning

Each company will determine a definition of a vacant home. Most companies do have a grace period and insurers often use a 60 to 90 status to determine occupancy. Unoccupied properties present a considerable amount of risk to an insurance company.

Vacant homes are more subject to vandalism and other damages. If a fire of flood were to occur, it may take longer for the problem to be noticed, increasing the amount of damage. When a property is for dale, liability risks can also increase. People will be touring your home and any injuries will be your responsibility.

What you need to do

You do need to maintain homeowners insurance while your home is on the market. If your hold a mortgage, this is required. Even without a mortgage, you could risk losing all of your equity. Your current company may offer you a different policy, but it will likely be more expensive.

You may need to change insurance providers and you should get comparative quotes to ensure you are getting the best rate. If the rates are extremely high, you might be able to raise your deductible to lower the premium.

Keep in mind that a home can be considered vacant if it is unoccupied for over the 60 to 90 mark. If you only use the property seasonally, you should have a specific policy to cover your property. Get in touch with us so we can help you compare quotes from several insurance providers.

Will homeowners insurance cover damage to an in-ground swimming pool caused by excess ground water?

Standard home insurance policies may or may not cover wind, hurricane damage, fire or other damages that may occur during a disaster. Swimming pools are a completely different situation. While liability and personal injury claims may be covered, in-ground swimming pool damage may or may not be covered by excess ground water damage. It is best to consult with an independent insurance agent to find out exactly what would be covered, as policy restrictions vary from state-to-state.

Being able to find out what is generally covered in a home insurance policy and obtain quotes to compare online will make the process easy and will help you find a policy within your budget. You do not want to be caught without sufficient coverage to protect your home. An independent agent will be able to help you figure out what you need, any additional coverage options that may apply, and the laws that may or may not affect your policy in your state.

The most important part of securing a home insurance policy is to guarantee the safety of your home and family. When disaster strikes, you want to be ready. Taking a few minutes to assess your options will be time well spent. Swimming pool coverage may not be standard in your town, so knowing how a policy can apply to your individual situation is key. Cross Creek Insurance can help you navigate through the online quotes and get you properly situated. It’s no fun not being properly covered, as things do happen. Protect your home and family today with a great policy that will work for you!

Does homeowners insurance cover water damage from a cracked chimney?

A cracked chimney may cause a variety of problems when water begins to leak into your home. The problem is that your home insurance in Hope Hills, NC may or may not offer protection against the possible problems that might arise. Since the situation will dictate the options that are available, you may discover that you need additional protection on your home.

Slow Damages

Any time the damages build up over time and can be seen before it gets out of control, it is unlikely that your insurer will pay for the damages. A cracked chimney that has a slow leak that you have ignored is not the same as a sudden leak that springs up unexpectedly. Many insurers will not cover the situation because you could have prevented the damage from getting out of control. A home insurance policy is designed to address sudden and unforeseen problems.

Sudden Damages

Whenever your chimney develops a sudden leak and causes damage to your house, it may be covered under your basic policy.

Most insurers will pay for any damages that spring up suddenly because the cause of the problem is usually related to a covered situation. In some cases, insurers may not provide all of the funds you might need to make changes, so you will want to read your policy to identify any potential factors that might limit the claim. The amount that you can claim will vary based on your insurer and the policy that you purchased.

Every situation is different, so you may be covered for damages from a leaking chimney in some situations and may not be covered at other times. Contact us to speak to an agent to learn more about your options and the coverage that is available.

What Should I do if my Home Insurance Records are Lost Due to a Fire Accident in Hope Mills,NC?

When a homeowner in Hope Mills, NC has a major loss from a fire there is always a question of, "what to do next." A fire can cause a lot of damage and unlike other sources of damage it destroys everything. If you have had a fire and ended up losing your home insurance records, then here are some things that you can do in order to get the records back.

How to Reclaim Your Home Insurance Records

  • You will want to contact your insurance company to file a claim. The company that you insure with will begin the process of getting the home repaired. They will need certain pieces of information from you before the process can be completed.
  • While on the phone with the insurance company explain to the them that the home documents were destroyed in the fire. They will send out a new copy of the home insurance policy to you.
  • Once you have received the policy go ahead and put it in another safe place. It might not be a bad idea to have a copy at your office in case there is another need to file a claim.

An accident can happen at any time. A fire can start and it can consume everything in its path. If you have concerns about your home insurance policy, then you will want to contact your independent agent today. As your agent we will can help get you the documents that you may have lost in the fire or through some other means. If you have questions about the process of getting your documents back, then we can help answer those questions and put your mind at ease when it comes to your home insurance.

Can I get Pest Infestation covered on my Home Insurance Policy in Hope Mills, NC?

There are a lot of things that can cause damage to your home. It can sustain damage from fire, a thunderstorm, hail, wind, and even vandalism. While these external threats are important to be mindful of, one of the most damanging threats in the Hope Mills area can come from inside your home, via a pest infestation. Here are some things that you will want to know:

  • Pest infestation is another thing that is not usually covered on home insurance. Termites and other pest that can invade and damage your home will have to be paid for out of your own pocket.
  • If you find that termites have eaten through the supports of your home and the floor caves in you might find that your policy will cover the floor damage but not the termite damage.
  • If for some reason your home is damaged by a covered peril and some pests move and cause damage, you will then find that the damage from the covered peril is paid for but any damage caused by the pests will not be covered.

As an independent agent in Hope Mills, NC, we can help answer any questions that you may have regarding what is covered on your policy. If you have any questions, then you will want to contact us right away. We can give you the information that you need in order to make the best decisions regarding your home insurance needs.

What are the Important Factors to be Looked Upon in Hope Mills, NC, Before Buying a Home Insurance Policy?

Buying home insurance in Hope Mills, NC can seem complicated when it is your first home or you are new to the area. You may worry about what is important, what is extra and what can help you reach your financial goals. Although your specific concerns may vary, certain factors are an important part of any home policy.

Liability Coverage

A key consideration for any homeowner is liability. If a guest is injured due to a fall, an accident or even your pet, then you need protection to help pay for his or her medical bills.

Depending on the risks in your home, the amount of liability protection that you need may vary. For example, a home with a pool will need more protection than a home without a swimming pool. Evaluate the risks and obtain liability protection based on the potential for accidents to occur.

Repair Protection

Protection to repair your home is also important. You want enough coverage to pay for any potential damages, even if you are required to rebuild the entire house due to a fire or similar situation.

Flood Coverage

Flood coverage is not always included in your basic home insurance policy, so you may need to purchase additional protection against flooding. The amount of flood coverage that you need will depend on your location and the risk of facing a flood.

Insurance for your home is an important part of protecting your assets and your finances. It is expensive to repair a house, replace personal belongings and pay for medical bills after an accident. By obtaining insurance that pays for those situations, it is possible to protect your house and personal assets. To learn about your insurance options, contact us to talk to an independent agent.