Making claims on your home insurance policy in Colorado does not always mean that you can avoid making a police report. In some cases, a formal police report is a necessary part of the claims process because the insurer will not always be able to start the claim unless you have told the police about the situation.

Burglary and Theft

In the case of a break-in and theft, you must report the crime to the police and ask for a copy of the report before you turn to your insurance provider for assistance. The claim will not start until you have made a formal report because the insurer cannot guarantee that a crime took place unless you have talked to the police. The report is made after you have made your statement, any other statements are provided and the physical evidence is evaluated if there is any damage to the property.

Vandalism

Vandalism is similar to a burglary because the claim will not start until after you have contacted the police and made a report. Even though your personal belongings may not be stolen, the property can be damaged and may require repairs. The police will make a note of the damages in the report and you can send a copy to your insurer.

Arson

Even though a fire does not necessarily need a report from the police since you may have a report from the fire department, if you suspect arson then you may need to file a report.

Damages that are caused by a third party and are not related to an accident will usually require a police report or other formal documentation from authorities before you can make a claim. Contact us to speak to an agent to learn more about your options.

Your homeowners insurance on your home in Lakewood, Colorado, qualifies you for a credit and discount for installing a GSM alarm system. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) systems are becoming ever more popular for multiple reasons.

· Ease of installation. Since they use the same technology as your cell phone, these systems are wireless. This saves you considerable installation expense, since your home does not need to be wired for your alarm system.

· Insurance companies reward homeowners making efforts to reduce risk of loss. Offering credits and discounts are common for most insurance carriers for all risk-lowering devices and actions you take to protect your home.

· A GSM alarm system is cost-effective to use. Most cell phone network providers offer reasonably-priced monthly fees for remotely activating your protection features.

· Remote 24/7 monitoring is also affordable. Having your GSM alarm system monitored by a security center round-the-clock reduces the extent of most losses, even when they cannot prevent damage, as with fire or windstorm.

When thinking about installing a GSM alarm system, contact us, your Lakewood, Colorado independent agent. Our experience and ability to give you multiple homeowner’s insurance quotes help you maximize your credit level, while keeping your home well-protected.

Since we work for you, not a single insurance company, we will answer all of your questions and concerns with you in mind. Looking out for your best interests means we’ll give you the best advice for your situation. Insurance carriers may offer different amounts of credits for your alarm system. We’ll give you the right advice for the coverage you need at affordable costs.

You will enjoy greater piece of mind knowing your GSM alarm system will reduce your risk of major losses. The credit or discount you receive also reduces the budgetary impact of adding this protection to your property.

Nothing is more worrisome than finding out that you cannot live in your home and that you will need to pay additional expenses until appropriate repairs are made. When the cause of your displacement is a covered loss in Lakewood, Colorado, it is possible that you may be reimbursed by your homeowners insurance for the unexpected costs.

Review Your Coverage

Although some insurers may pay for the additional expenses associated with a covered loss until your home is repaired, every policy is different. You may or may not be covered based on the details of your policy and the specific type of coverage that you purchased. Review your policy and read through the details of your coverage before making any decisions. In some cases, a clause or exception may also prevent a reimbursement.

Make a Claim

If you discover that you are covered for those unexpected costs, then make a claim after you have moved back into your home. After the repairs are made and you can move back into your house, the total cost of additional expenses will be available.

Make a claim for the amount that you spent or to the limit, depending on how your policy is designed. Your insurer will want proof of the expense, so keep your receipts and any documents that prove that you paid those additional costs.

Damages to your home may or may not be covered under your insurance policy. When you are not able to live in your house due to damages that are covered, you may be able to make a claim for reimbursement to reduce the financial burden. Contact us to talk to an independent agent to learn more about your coverage.

It is quite common for your homeowners insurance to be paid by your mortgage payment. Most people who have a mortgage on their home in Lakewood, Colorado handle their insurance and tax payments by setting up an escrow account with their lender.

A mortgage payment consists of two parts. Part of your monthly payment is applied toward reducing the principal amount of your loan and the remainder is used to pay interest on the loan. In the early years of a mortgage, more of the mortgage payment is applied to interest rather than toward principal reduction.

Most people think about their monthly mortgage payment in terms of the total amount of the check they have to write. If your homeowners insurance (property taxes) is part of that monthly payment, your Colorado lender puts that aside (into escrow) so the money will be there when it comes time to pay your insurance bill. Usually, the lender makes one annual payment to your insurance company.

Your lender does not tell you when you should file a claim or if you should buy a policy that provides extra coverage for your personal property. They are concerned with your dwelling and the other structures that, if damaged and not repaired, could result in a reduction of the value of the home that they hold the title to until the mortgage is satisfied.

Your lender may specify in your mortgage agreement the amount of coverage that you need, but they can not tell you which home insurance company you have to use. You can usually get lower rates by shopping for a homeowner’s insurance policy on your own.

As your independent agent, we can help you get the lowest rate on the home insurance you need. Give us a call and an independent agent will be happy to get you the best quotes on homeowners insurance.

When you purchase a home in Lakewood, Colorado, you want to make sure you also purchase a home insurance policy that covers your dwelling and attached structures as well as the contents of your home and liability against any claims that may be filed against you.

Included in any standard home insurance policy in Lakewood, Colorado, is dwelling and attached structures coverage. The dwelling is your main home and attached structures are any additions such as a porch or screened in patio that are built on the same foundation as your dwelling.

If your home or the attached structures to your dwelling are damaged by a covered peril in your homeowners policy, you can file a claim and receive compensation for repairs or replacement.

As a homeowner, you should be aware of the limitations of your insurance coverage. You may have a deductible to first meet before you can receive any money for a claim. You may also be improperly insured if you do not have replacement cost coverage because, like almost everything else, your home depreciates in value and it costs more to repair and replace everything.

Another concern that you should address when reviewing your dwelling coverage is for other structures that are not attached to your house. Generally speaking, any structure that is not built on the same foundation as your main dwelling is considered to be a detached structure.

Most Lakewood Colorado home insurance policies will provide coverage for structures that are not attached in the amount of 10 percent of the coverage on the dwelling. For instance, if you have $100,000 of coverage on your dwelling, other structures like a detached garage, storage shed, or retaining wall, will have a combined coverage of $10,000.

As your independent agent, we would advise you to come in for a review of your home policy to see if you have the right amount of protection for your dwelling and all other structures on your property. If need be, you can pay a little extra to increase the amount of coverage for your separate structures.

We all remember the destructive fires that swept through Colorado and swallowed up everything in their path, including some very nice homes. While you may not have been personally affected in your Lakewood Colorado, there is always the threat of a fire or some other major destructive force, leveling your house to the ground.

While it is highly improbable that you will ever suffer a complete loss of your home and have to rebuild from the ground up, it is always good to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. As your independent agent, we suggest that you thoroughly review your home insurance policy, or if you feel more comfortable, you can call our office and have an independent agent review your policy for you.

One of the most important things to look for is whether or not you have a guaranteed replacement cost clause included in your home insurance policy. A guaranteed replacement cost clause is important because it will pay as much as necessary to rebuild your home, even if the amount is greater than what the market value was before the home was destroyed.

There are a few things to look out for, even if you have guaranteed replacement cost insurance. First, if your home was destroyed in a fire and you decide it is safer to build on another lot away from the forest, you may not get as much as you need to rebuild the home in another location. Some insurance companies will claim that they do not insure for the cost of the land and a similar house built in another neighborhood may wind up costing you a lot of money out-of-pocket.

The second thing to be aware of is that there may be new building codes that require better materials and more permits before construction can be started. This is another area where your insurance company might insist that you bear those additional costs.

Losing your home to a disaster is hard enough without having to fight with your insurance company. Remember, as your independent agent, we are always here to help you get through a tough time dealing with your insurance company.

Mold can be devastating. It often grows undetected by homeowners for long periods of time. Once it is found, it is hard to contain and clean up can be very expensive. Yet, for people in the Lakewood, Colorado area, there could be help available.

Is Your Homeowner’s Policy Going to Cover It?

There isn’t a clear answer as to whether or not your insurance policy will pay for mold in your home. Generally, this depends on what caused the mold in the first place. Generally, some policies provide coverage but only for those instances in which the mold is caused by a covered type of water damage.

Most policies do not cover any type of maintenance problem that could bring on the mold. For example, water leaking from a faucet is not likely covered. Most policies also exclude any mold that is the result of a flood, especially if you do not have flood insurance specifically.

On the other hand, mold that occurs as the result of a fire (and the water used to put it out by firefighters) this type of coverage may apply. The key here is to talk directly to your insurance carrier to determine if it is included in your policy. Even in some non-maintenance instances, mold damage may be specifically written as a non-covered event in your policy.

Not Sure If Your Policy Is Effective for Damages?

Let our independent agent help you to find out what is covered and what you may need additional protection from right now. You can use our comparative analysis tool to help find available policies for your needs. In many cases, you can get quotes from multiple providers, compare them to each other, and find the one that offers the best level of protection for your home.

If you have a frame house in Lakewood, Colorado, you’ll want to make sure it’s insured properly. Then you don’t have as many worries over losses caused by all kinds of problems that could occur. To cover your home the right way, you need to talk to an independent agent and get the proper insurance policy for your needs. That’s where we come in. Because we work with multiple companies, we can get you the best deal and find the policy that’s right for you.

One of the things you want to make sure your policy covers is termites. Especially with frame homes, termite damage can be a serious issue. Other wood destroying insects can also be a problem, so you’ll want to ask specifically about the types of insects and organisms you’re protected against, and under what circumstances. An independent agent like us can look for the differences between policies, so you’ll be able to choose the right one and make a knowledgeable decision.

Asking questions about the policies you’re considering provides you with a better understanding than you’d get if you purchased online without the benefit of an agent. While it’s easy to buy a policy on your own, you may find that you’ve gotten something that’s not right for you. The time to find that out isn’t when you’re trying to make a claim and being told that you’re not covered. Insurance is far too important to risk getting something that won’t fully protect your frame house from losses based on termites and other wood destroying creatures.

When your home in the Lakewood, Colorado area is damaged and is not longer habitable, then you may find that it is necessary to move to a temporary housing solution. The problem that you may worry about is whether you will be able to pay for those costs or if you have solutions to help pay for some of the expenses.

The Simple Answer

The easy answer is that many home insurance policies will provide some provisions to help pay for temporary arrangements if your home is uninhabitable. The key is that the damaged house must be determined unsafe for human habitation or for your family before you are able to make the most of the policy.

Although the insurance should provide some funds to keep you and your family for a short period of time, the amount of funds that you can expect and the method of providing those funds will vary.

Specific Details

Although most home insurance companies and policies will provide you with some funds for a hotel or rental space until your home is repaired, each policy will have different guidelines and specific requirements that you must look over to determine whether your home insurance policy applies to the situation.

Specific details, such as discovering that the damage was caused by poor maintenance, can mean that your home insurance company does not provide coverage for living costs when your house is being repaired. The situation can dictate the amount of funds or the options that you have available.

While your home insurance policy will have different guidelines and specific details, most situations will allow you to get a reimbursement or some funds for short-term hotel expenses or similar costs. For help finding the right home insurance policy for your needs, contact us to speak with an independent agent.

When you are in an accident in the Lakewood, Colorado area, you will want to know about the way your home insurance policy works. The problem that you might face is determining how much you are actually likely to obtain after the accident and processing of your claim. Although the exact process and method of determining the value will vary based on the policy and coverage on your home or car, you can calculate an estimate of the value you can expect.

Current Value of the Item

A key part of determining the replacement value or repair cost starts with evaluating the value of the item. A home insurance company will often use that determining factor to start evaluating how much you should receive in your claim.

Depreciation

In some cases, the home insurance company will consider the depreciation on the item before giving any funds. When a home insurance policy does not completely replace the full value of replacement costs or the exact repair expenses, it is likely that the company will consider giving the value minus the depreciation on the item.

Estimate Repairs or Medical Costs

Depending on the accident, the home insurance policy and the specifics of the situation, the worth of the claim might be determined by a medical professional or a repair professional. Professionals will be able to give an estimate to the insurance company, which is then used to establish the amount that the company owes to the insured individual after a deductible.

Every company will have a different method of calculating the actual worth of a claim, which can make it seem like a complicated process. Although the exact figures will vary, the details of coverage are provided in the paperwork. If you want to know more about your specific coverage or coverage you are considering, contact us today to talk to an independent agent.