Almost every year, the escrow amount on your home mortgage changes. It usually goes up because either your taxes increased or your homeowners insurance premium increased. There is not too much you can do when the local government in Laurel, Maryland or Washington (District of Columbia) decides to increase property taxes, but, there are things you can do to lower your home insurance premium.

Insurance companies like it when you take good care of your home and do regular maintenance. Everything from keeping your lawn cut and trimming your trees to adding a new paint of coat can enhance the value of your home. While a little tender loving care is always good, insurance companies will usually not reward you unless what you do will reduce the chances that they will have to pay out a claim.

One of the ways you can get the cost of your home premium to go down is to get a new roof. If your roof is twenty years old, it may only have a few more years of useful life before it begins to fail. The chance of your insurance company having to pay out a claim because of a faulty roof will be lessened if you install a brand new roof. You may get a five or even ten percent break on your premium when you replace your old roof.

Another of the ways that homeowners save money on their home policies is to install safety equipment such as smoke detectors and burglar alarms. You could also lower your premiums by installing storm windows and doing certain upgrades such as adding a new furnace.

If you would like to know more ways you can lower your homeowners insurance cost in Maryland or the District of Columbia, please give us a call. An independent agent will be happy to offer some suggestions and get you some quotes for your home.

Individuals with Laurel, Maryland, Washington, including the District of Columbia have numerous options when it comes to affordable, quality insurance policies. Individuals who wish to switch policies can easily work with an independent agent to determine which new policy or provider is ideal for their specific needs. Then, he or she can make arrangements to switch plans with the escrow provider.

In many situations, escrow is established by your lending agent. Most home loans require full coverage on your own. To help protect the lender, it will often require or provide an escrow service. In this service, the consumer pays a bit more than his or her monthly loan payment to the lender each month. The funds collect in an escrow account and then are paid out to the insurance provider when the bill is due.

To make changes to your insured home policy to the other company, the first step is to find the new insurance policy for your home. It must meet all requirements established by your lender. Once you have the new policy, contact your escrow company or mortgage lender and inform them of the change. In some cases, when you are currently paid up to date, you may need to switch the policy with the original insurance company as well (simply by informing that company that you are switching to a new one.)

The escrow company will then begin collecting, holding, and paying the new company when the debt comes due. It is advisable not to make this change in the days or week leading up to a payment if at all possible. In that case, you may need to request a refund for any insurance paid in advance to the previous lender. Again, the insurance companies and your escrow company can help you with this process.

A busy schedule in Laurel, Maryland can prevent you from having the time to meet with an independent agent personally. If you cannot come to the office to meet with your agent, then it may be possible to obtain your personal home insurance policy over the phone or online, depending on your situation and the options that are available for your goals.

Over the Phone

When you contact us to talk to an agent over the phone, we can answer your questions and verify any details about a policy that you may be considering. An agent can help you find the right policy and then apply it to your account without wasting your time or requiring that you come into the office.

Depending on the policy and your situation, it may be necessary to answer a few security questions before any policy is applied to your account.

Over the Internet

If you do not have time to talk to an agent over the phone, then using Internet services may help. The online tools are designed to address your concerns regarding insurance coverage without bringing you into the office. You can look at the different policy options, select a policy that is appropriate for your needs and request the policy. The quote that you are offered is an estimate, so it is best to provide as many details as possible when you request an online quote to get the most accurate figures.

It is not necessary to come to the office to obtain an insurance policy. Contact us to talk to an independent agent to find out more details about the policy options that are available.

As your independent agent in Washington, DC, we do not just have answers about insurance. We know that sometimes you need to get a replacement title for your vehicle because your one was lost or stolen. One big question you are asking is will there be a charge for this replacement?

Sadly, the answer is Yes, but the cost applied is a reasonable one – only $26. Any DMV service location would be able to assist you with obtaining this replacement title, as long as you have the following information:

• A signed Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title. This must be signed by all owners.

• Vehicle Identification. This can be any one of the following that can be used to identify the correct tag/title:

  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

  • Title Number

  • Tag (license plate) Number

  • Registration Card

  • Registration Renewal Notice

• Personal Identification: For each owner, a valid and unexpired District of Columbia driver’s license, learner’s permit or ID card must be shown.

• And of course, the payment – $26

  • As well as cash and money orders, some credit cards can be used for payment.

    • VISA

    • MasterCard

    • Discover

  • American Express is NOT accepted.

If for some reason you are unable to get to a local DMV service location, the materials above (with copies of your ID, rather than the originals), can be mailed to:

D.C. DMV

PO Box 90120

Washington, D.C. 20090

For further information, you can give one of our independent agents a call so we can give you the specific details you need for your situation.

When you are thinking about buying home insurance for your Laurel, Maryland home, there are a number of different ways you can approach the task. Home insurance is offered through several different channels. You can buy it from captive agents, through an independent agent, or through a direct seller.

The best way to buy a home insurance for one person may not always be the best way to buy home insurance for another person. When you buy from direct sellers, you may realize some savings because there is no middleman or agent that needs to be paid. The disadvantage is that you may not have the same level of customer service as you would have with an independent agent or a captive agent.

Captive agents are those that only represent one insurance company. An example would be your local Laurel Maryland State Farm office. Captive agents can sell a variety of different types of insurance like auto, home and life, but you are buying from the same insurance company. Sometimes that is good if you buy several different policies because you may qualify for a multi-policy discount. Also, captive agents provide good customer service and have the backing of a large and financially stable insurance company.

An independent agent offers many benefits that may make it your best choice for your home and other insurance needs. An independent agent represents a number of different home insurers and can shop around, get quotes, and find you the lowest premium. An independent agent can also switch you from one insurer to another if one insurance company suddenly offers a lower rate than another.

When you are looking for a home policy, you should approach the selection process methodically. Consider what is most important to you. Do you only want to deal with a big-name insurer? Is price your only concern? Would you rather have an independent agent who will give you the best customer service and work hard to get you the best rates and coverage, year in and year out? It is your choice.

Most homeowners policies cover a lot of things, but the appliances in the home are often excluded. That’s largely because these appliances aren’t a fixed part of the home. In order to determine whether your Washington, DC insurance policy covers the breakdown of an electrical appliance, it’s important to be clear about what your policy really offers. Too many homeowners aren’t sure what their insurance documents actually say, so they don’t really know the coverage provided by the company. By talking to an independent agent like us, you can avoid all of that.

For example, there are different companies with many different types of policies. Independent agents like us work with a lot of these companies, so we can help you find a policy that works for you. You’ll have more choices for coverage and cost, and that’s always a good thing. We can find you insurance that will protect the things that matter most to you, and if you want to have your appliances covered we can look for companies that provide that type of coverage. If it’s not standard in the policies, you may be able to get a rider that will give you that coverage.

Often, adding something else onto a policy does not cost that much in premiums, unless the value of the added items is extremely high. Even top of the line appliances aren’t incredibly expensive when compared to how much your home costs, so the additional premiums wouldn’t be that much. Still, you want the best deal you can get. Come in and talk to us, and let us find you the right company, coverage, and price for your needs.

If you renovate or upgrade your house in Washington, DC, your insurance should also be upgraded. By talking to an independent agent like us, you can find out how the renovations you’ve made have changed the replacement value of your home. The money you’ve put into your house is important, and you want to make sure you can get that money back if your home becomes severely damaged and has to be reconstructed. Because of that, you’ll want to make adjustments to your insurance policy in order to make sure you’re covered for the right amount.

The value of your home can vary based on the changes you made, and the cost of your insurance premiums may also be affected. Anytime you raise the value, or replacement cost, for the home, your premiums will also be higher. However, you can’t put a price on the peace of mind you’ll have when you know your home is properly insured no matter what happens to it. You can’t always predict when something might go wrong, but you can make sure you’re financially prepared for it when it does. Insurance is the best way to do that, but it won’t really help you if you don’t have enough of it.

Keep in mind that some upgrades can actually lower your insurance cost, overall. That doesn’t mean that updating your house will make your replacement cost go down, but it can make your premiums lower based on discounts you’ll receive. Come in and talk to us about your options before you renovate, so you can be sure what will really benefit you the most from an insurance standpoint. Then you can work on your renovations with all the knowledge you need to make the right choices.

Your Washington D.C. home insurance policy provides coverage for your dwelling, the physical contents within your house, and for any liability you may incur for injuries or damage to other people or their property while on your property. It is not like life insurance that protects your spouse and your loved ones. It is not like auto insurance that protects you, your car and other people who may be involved in an accident. When your insurance company writes a policy, they do not care if you are married, single or divorced.

It is a bit of a stretch to say that your marital status will play any significant role in deciding what type of home insurance you might want to buy for your Washington D.C. home. You may need to buy more insurance if you get married and your spouse brings in a case full of diamond rings and other valuable jewelry.

Normally, the content coverage of your standard home insurance policy is equal to one half of the value of the dwelling, but if you have unusually high-valued items, you can buy additional coverage to protect those items if damaged, lost or stolen.

If you decide to get married and move out of your home into another, you will have to get a new home policy, but that is not really based on the fact that you have a spouse, but rather, on the value of the new home and the risk of loss that it presents to your insurer.

Your marital status can play a personal role in deciding what insurance policy you ultimately choose to buy. As your independent agent, we are here to make sure you get the right home insurance coverage you need no matter what your marital status or personal living situation is in your home. Give us a call and we will help make sure that your policy meets your needs.

If you are relocating from your Laurel, Maryland home to a larger new home in Gaithersburg, Maryland, you will probably hire a moving company to transport your furniture and other contents of your old home to your new place. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly during the process and your household goods will arrive safely and undamaged. However, if the movers drop your television or tear a gash in the upholstery of your living room couch, someone should have to pay to fix the damage or replace the item.

You can always file a loss and damage claim with the moving company, but, that can be a long and arduous process. If they dispute the incident or want to investigate further, it might take you three months to get a settlement check.

On the other hand, your home insurance contents coverage will usually pay for the damage that is caused in your house, while in transit, or while unloading your personal contents at your new house. Coverage is limited to only items shown or not excluded on your home insurance policy. For instance, if you have an antique Tiffany lamp worth $50,000, most standard Maryland home insurance policies will not pay for damage or theft of that item.

However, if you purchased a rider or additional coverage for your original and very old Tiffany lamp, your home insurance policy will cover any damages up to the limit of your coverage. As your independent agent, we would advise you to first seek recovery from the mover if they were the cause of the damage. I, on the other hand, you rented a truck and made the move yourself, then you should file a claim with your home insurance provider.

This subject can get a little confusing. Why not give us a call and talk to an independent agent who can help you decide the best way to pursue a claim for damage to your furniture or other personal items when you are relocating.

When you file a claim with your home insurance company in Washington D.C., you hope that your claim will get immediate attention and that it will be approved quickly. You probably will be even happier if the amount of the settlement is an amount that you think is very generous or at least enough to take care of the damage to your home. Once your claim is approved, the only other thing that can hold up the start of repairs is waiting to receive the funds from your home insurance company.

Every state, plus Washington D.C., has laws that help protect consumers when they file a claim with their insurance company. These laws may go by a variety of names like the Unfair Insurance Practices Act or the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act. Essentially they are there to make sure that your insurance company treats you fairly and pays your approved claims promptly. Claims must be paid in a reasonable time.

It really would be quite unfair if you have coverage through your home insurance policy, file a claim, get it approved, and then have to wait six months to get the insurance company to cut you a check. Upon approval, payment should be almost immediate. It may take a few days for you to receive a settlement check, or, if you have the money electronically wired into your bank account, you can have it available to use by the next business day.

If your money is not released to you within more than a day or two, you have every right to call your insurer and demand that your funds are released without further delay. It is not like a big insurance company would have a problem coming up with the cash. As your independent agent, we can help make sure that you receive the funds you need to start fixing up your house or replacing personal property that was lost or damaged. If you have any concerns over the time it is taking to receive your funds, call us and an independent agent can step in and help.