What to Expect When Filing a Home Insurance Claim

Many homeowners file a claim with their home insurance company when a covered disaster occurs. Filing a home insurance claim can be stressful if you’re not prepared.

Navigating the process requires organization and diligence. It helps to be familiar with what to expect. Your Avail Insurance Solutions LLC insurance agent, servicing California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona, can help. We provide services to help homeowners navigate their home insurance policy.

Starting a Home Insurance Claim: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you have a home insurance claim, start by assessing the damage to your home. Take pictures of your property, and if needed, file a police report. Your insurance company will have questions about the damage. Having pictures and a solid recounting of what happened will make this easier.

Next, contact your insurance agency. They will likely have forms they require you to submit or sign. If you have pictures of what happened, they may ask you for them.

If you incur expenses during the rebuilding process or if you’re staying off-site while your house is being repaired, your insurance company will need receipts to reimburse you. Keep all receipts to make this process easier.

Home Insurance Claim Tips

At Avail Insurance Solutions LLC, servicing California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona, we provide excellent customer service to help our customers get the most use out of their home insurance policy. If you’ve experienced a covered event and need to file a claim with your home insurance policy, we can help. Call Avail Insurance Solutions LLC to learn more about how you can file a claim.

What is a Home Insurance Deductible? Avail Insurance Solutions LLC

Home insurance is a fundamental shield, offering peace of mind against life’s unpredictable twists and turns. At Avail Insurance Solutions LLC, we can help you understand and secure vital protection for your home. We offer services in various locations across the country, including California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. Many of our clients ask about a deductible and how it works. Learn more about home insurance coverage and how we can support you.

What are Home Insurance Deductibles, and How Do They Work?

In insurance terms, deductibles are homeowners’ out-of-pocket expenses before coverage initiates. Essentially, they are your financial obligations before the insurer pays the rest. The deductible amount you choose can significantly impact your overall insurance costs—higher deductibles usually mean lower premiums but a higher financial burden upfront if you need to make a claim.

Navigating home insurance deductibles requires strategic thinking, as balancing affordability with financial security is critical. It is advisable to choose a deductible amount that aligns with your budget and risk tolerance. Understanding how your deductible works can help you make informed decisions about your policy and ensure you’re adequately protected without overpaying for coverage. At Avail Insurance Solutions LLC, we can work with your budget to determine your best options.

Contact Avail Insurance Solutions LLC for a Home Insurance Policy

Avail Insurance Solutions LLC is your choice for homeowners insurance in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. We understand the details of finding our clients’ best and most affordable insurance. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with an agent and learn more about your options.

Why Every Homeowner Must Have Home Insurance

For many people, having home insurance is a requirement. For others, it’s still an essential way to protect yourself. Going without home insurance opens you up to countless risks that could be financially devastating. Don’t go a day without this coverage. To get your policy, call us at Avail Insurance Solutions LLC if you’re in California, Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona. 

Mortgage Lenders

If you get a mortgage loan to buy your home, your lender will require you to have home insurance. This is because the lender is investing heavily in your home. The lender doesn’t want a damaging event to happen to the house that causes damage you aren’t able to pay for. To protect its investment, every lender will require you to have this insurance policy. 

Covenants and HOAs

If you move into an area with a homeowner’s association, or HOA, this organization will have a long list of rules you must follow. One of those will be to have and keep a home insurance policy. An HOA is concerned with the property values of everyone in the area, and this means ensuring and paying for repairs after a damaging event. Even if you don’t have an HOA, you will likely have covenants when you buy your home. These are often less restricting than the rules from an HOA, but they will also require that you have a home insurance policy. The idea is the same- to keep homes in the area from being in disrepair and bringing down property values around it. 

Get Your Home Insurance Policy

We can help when you’re buying a home or switching home policies. Call us at Avail Insurance Solutions LLC to find out more about getting home insurance in California, Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona. 

Will my homeowners’ insurance pay for the repair of my flooded car?

Homeowners insurance is property insurance designed to cover a wide variety of different areas. However, there are specific areas that aren’t covered by homeowners’ insurance. For example, certain natural disasters as well as damage that your home sustains as a result of natural wear and tear over time, aren’t covered by your homeowners’ policy.

At Avail Insurance Solutions LLC, our team is committed to helping California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona residents understand coverage as well as the benefits of homeowners’ insurance.

What is homeowners insurance?

Homeowners insurance is property insurance with many bundled benefits designed to cover your home’s exterior and interior, foundation, other structures on your property, and assets. It’s also designed to provide liability protection for homeowners as well. However, the terms of coverage should be thoroughly understood because there are circumstances and some forms of damage that aren’t usually covered by a typical homeowners’ policy. An insurance agent can outline what’s covered by your homeowners’ policy as well as what the terms and conditions are. 

Will my homeowners’ insurance pay for the repair of my flooded car?

No. Homeowners insurance doesn’t pay for damage to your home, car, or property that results from flooding. However, if flooding indirectly causes damage, your homeowners’ policy may cover some repairs if they are in compliance with your insurance terms and conditions. However, typically, your automobile insurance will cover the repair of your flood-damaged car. Of course, auto liability insurance will not cover your car’s repairs, you will need to have the appropriate form of auto insurance to receive flood coverage.

Schedule A Consultation Today

If you have questions regarding what’s covered by homeowners’ insurance, call us at Avail Insurance Solutions LLC.  We serve the residents of California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. We’d be happy to answer all of your questions and help you explore your options and benefits. 

Why Do Lenders Typically Require Burrows to Carry Home Insurance?

If you buy a home and take out a loan, such as a mortgage, your lender will likely require that you take out homeowner’s insurance. Some new homeowners are surprised by this requirement. However, as we’ll see below, insuring your home is important for both the owner and lender. If you’d like to explore home insurance policy options and want to speak with an agent serving California, Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona, get in touch with Avail Insurance Solutions LLC.

With Home Insurance Lenders Want to Protect Themselves

When you take out a mortgage or similar loan, that loan is tied to your home or property. This greatly reduces risks for lenders. If someone should fall behind on their payments, the lender can take control of the property and then sell it to recoup their losses. Since this greatly reduces risks, the lender can charge borrowers lower interest rates.

If a home were to be destroyed by a fire, storm, or other event, however, it would greatly reduce the value of the collateral. For the lender, this would greatly increase risks. Further, if someone took out a mortgage but their home ended up destroyed, they might stop making their mortgage payments. From the borrower’s point of view, since they no longer have a home, they may not want to make house payments.

The bank could take control of the land and sell it. However, the land and damaged property may not fetch enough money to cover the outstanding debt tied to the mortgage. For this reason, lenders typically require that borrowers take out homeowner’s insurance. This insurance will in some cases cover the costs of repairing and replacing damaged and destroyed properties. Ultimately, this protects both the lender and the borrower.

Schedule A Consultation Today

Considering home insurance options in California, Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona? Contact Avail Insurance Solutions LLC today.

Do You Need All-perils Coverage?

Homeowners, when you shop at Avail Insurance Solutions LLC for home insurance for your residence in California, Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona, consider all perils insurance. The insurance industry offers eight forms of home insurance, five for owners of single-family homes. Each of these forms of homeowners insurance offers a different level of peril coverage.

What Is Perils Coverage?

Every home insurance policy offers various facets, including liability coverage and structural damage coverage. Each of the various forms of homeowners insurance offers its own perils coverage, which applies to structural damage and personal property damage when the policy covers it.

The term peril refers to a hazard, whether man-made or natural. Examples of perils include tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. The only common peril that no homeowners’ policy covers, flood, receives coverage under a flood policy. An HO-1 and HO-8 policy cover the fewest number of perils, ten. Other forms of homeowners insurance cover 15 perils, such as HO-3 insurance or all-perils coverage.

Why Choose All-perils Coverage?

As the name implies, all-perils coverage offers the most comprehensive coverage for your home. It typically covers any and all natural hazards, including meteors falling from the sky and wind damage. All-perils policies also cover man-made hazards, such as vandalism and riots.

Although most people take the attitude of “It can’t happen to me”, home damage eventually happens to every homeowner. By purchasing a policy with all-perils coverage, you obtain an insurance policy that covers any eventuality.

What Perils Coverage Means to You

We at Avail Insurance Solutions LLC want to clarify some of those commercials on television that make home insurance seem like it ensures that damage can’t occur. Instead, home policies ensure that you won’t need to pay out of pocket to repair your home in California, Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona when a peril that’s covered in your home policy. Contact us today to upgrade your home policy to cover your home fully.

What Does a Home Insurance Policy Not Cover?

There are numerous reasons why you would want to purchase home insurance. Perhaps you’ve recently purchased your first house, or you own an investment property. Perhaps you are concerned about your family and/or possessions’ safety. Whatever your motivation for purchasing a policy, it is critical that you realize what a conventional house insurance policy does not cover.

Avail Insurance Solutions LLC provides the following guide to help homeowners in and around California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona.

What Doesn’t a Homeowners Policy Cover?

1. Flooding

This is one of the most common risks in many parts of the country, but it is usually not covered by regular homeowner policy. If you reside in a high-risk location or have been informed by your mortgage lender that your home is in a flood zone, you must get flood insurance separately.

2. Artwork

If you’re an ardent collector of valuable art, your regular coverage is unlikely to cover the cost of replacing or restoring any damaged or missing pieces. For high-value things like this, you’ll need to acquire additional coverage.

3. Identity Theft 

Suppose someone takes your personal information and uses it to open credit cards in your name, for example. In that case, your house insurance coverage will not assist you in recovering the stolen funds. To cover this type of loss, you’ll need to obtain a second policy.

4. Earthquakes

Standard homeowner’s insurance coverage does not cover earthquake damage. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, you must purchase earthquake insurance separately.

5. War

Your regular homeowner’s policy will not cover the cost of repairs or replacement if your home is damaged or destroyed during a conflict. To protect yourself from this type of loss, you’ll need to obtain a second policy.

Contact Us Today

As you can see, ordinary homeowners’ policies do not cover a wide range of issues. It’s critical to be aware of these factors before purchasing insurance to ensure you obtain the coverage you require. Speak with an insurance representative at Avail Insurance Solutions LLC to learn more about the coverage options available to you. We are proudly serving homeowners in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona and are ready to create a quote for you today!

What Is Not Covered By Standard Home Insurance

As a responsible homeowner, you know how important it is to have home insurance that protects your property and personal belongings. However, you should also know that standard home insurance does not cover everything, and there are some limits. 

What Is Not Covered By Home Insurance?

Here are the things that standard home insurance usually does not cover:

  • Floods and earthquakes. If you live in a flood- or earthquake-prone area and you want to protect your property, you will have to purchase separate policies for that because standard home insurance does not cover damage caused by earthquakes and floods. 
  • Regular wear and tear. The older your home is, the more repairs it needs. Unfortunately, home insurance will not cover things related to regular wear and tear, such as worn roofs, cracked window seals, and rotten boards. 
  • Expensive jewelry and other highly valuable belongings. Like any other type of insurance, home insurance has certain limits and does not cover things over a certain amount. It covers your personal belongings, but expensive stuff may require additional coverage. 
  • Insects or rodent damage. If rodents or insects, including termites, invade and damage your house, insurance will not cover repairs. 
  • Fallen or dead trees on your property. Standard home insurance does not cover removing fallen or dead trees in your backyard. There are some policies though that will pay for tree removal if they have fallen due to a storm or damaged your house. 

Avail Insurance Solutions LLC – A Trustworthy Insurance Agency Serving Clients in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona

Are you a lucky homeowner from California, Oregon, Arizona, or Nevada, and are you shopping for home insurance to protect your precious investment? Avail Insurance Solutions LLC is here to help. We specialize in different types of insurance, including home insurance as well. If you have any questions or want to know more about the insurance options we offer, please visit our website or reach out to us via phone. 

Tips for making your home a safer place

Having a safe home gives homeowners peace of mind. You want your home to be safe inside and out. One of the things that provides safety is having the right home insurance. With Avail Insurance Solutions LLC  residents of California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona can all get the home insurance that is right for them from a member of our experienced team. 

Tips for making your home a safer place

Clear the walkways

Clear walkways are important both outside and inside your home. Outside your home, if your walkway is obstructed, you could cause someone to slip and fall. This leaves you open to being sued and having to pay for injuries. Inside your home, having clutter in your hallways or on your stairs is also a fall hazard for members of your family. 

Have working smoke detectors

Smoke detectors in your home are vital for your safety. The early warning they provide could save your life. Make sure that you change the batteries every six months to make sure, even if they are hard-wired, you will have the battery backup. 

Add a home security system

Home security has never been less expensive or easier to install than it is today. All the components can be installed in just an hour or so, and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist. You can choose a camera doorbell or spotlights and cameras. Many can be operated with your smartphone from anywhere. 

Use door and window locks

Door and window locks are the basics of home safety. Every home has them, and if you use them, it helps to keep people out of your home. Nothing is foolproof, but this is the least you should do. 

Contact Us Today

If you live in California, Oregon, Nevada, or  Arizona, you can count on Avail Insurance Solutions LLC for your home insurance needs. 

Things that home insurance won’t cover

Protecting your home with the right home insurance is essential to maintaining your financial security. Home policies do have limits and exclusions and it is important that you familiarize yourself with what they are. At Avail Insurance Solutions LLC, we service customers in California, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada. As independent insurance agents, we are able to offer our customers more choices. 

Home Insurance  Exclusions

Floods

The average yearly amount of damage caused by flooding is more than $800 million. Sadly, home insurance doesn’t cover any of it. But all is not lost. The National Flood Insurance Program offers two flood insurance types; property and content. If you live in an area in danger of flooding, you can get one of these policies. If your flooding is the result of burst pipes in your home, this is covered by home insurance. 

Earth movement

Earth movement includes earthquakes, mudslides, landslides, and sinkholes. If the earth is moving, chances are your home insurance won’t cover any resulting damage. As with flood insurance, you can add separate coverage to protect you from the damage caused by earth movement. 

Owner neglect

As a homeowner, you have a responsibility to maintain your home. Maintenance means making sure that if termites are a potential danger where you live, and that includes much of the US, you need to get your home treated and get a termite bond. Your home insurance won’t cover the damage. You also need to replace your roof when it gets old and if it wears out and leaks, the damage won’t be covered. 

Sewer backup

Is anything more disgusting than a sewer backup? Not much and even worse than that, it won’t be covered by your home insurance policy unless you have a special rider to cover it. 

Get Home Insurance Today

Help us find you the right policy for the coverage home insurance does provide. Contact Avail Insurance Solutions LLC for your home insurance needs in California, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada.