Your home is probably your most valuable asset, both as an investment and as your sanctuary in a hectic world. 

We can help you determine the coverage that best suits your particular needs and budget.

Homeowners insurance should be more than just coverage for the physical structure you call your home. Consideration should also be given to recreational units you own including boats, snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, as well as special personal items such as jewelry, collectibles and guns.

The standard homeowners policy may have limitations for these items if you don't specifically endorse the policy for them. With multiple insurance companies available within our office we can provide a policy that will meet nearly any particular situation, and we will work with you to determine which company we represent will best meet your needs. You can be assured that the insurance company we select will provide you with the best coverage available while offering a fair price and quality service.

Our homeowners insurance policies offer a variety of discounts, including:

• Multiple policy discounts for people who insure their vehicles with the same company
• Having a newer home
• Recent updates to roofing, electrical, or furnace
• Having a burglar alarm

Other advantages you could enjoy include:

• 24-Hour Claims Hotline
• Flexible billing - including coordinating with your mortgage company

Special coverage we would suggest:

• Replacement cost coverage for your contents
• Increased liability limits of at least $300,000, and at least $5,000 of medical payments coverage
• Additional coverage for other structures if you have multiple detached structures or a large detached structure such as an insulated garage
• Water and Sewer back-up coverage of at least $5,000
• Liability coverage extensions on boats and other recreational units
• Refrigerated food products coverage

FAQ - HOME

Coverage 'A' - (Dwelling)

The Coverage A limit is what will be paid to rebuild your home in case of a loss from a covered peril. How much insurance for the dwelling is enough? Replacement cost value for the dwelling is the cost to rebuild your home, and can be very different from the estimated market value, taxation value, or actual purchase price. In most cases, it costs more to rebuild the home you own than when you bought it. This is an important insight to why your Dwelling (Coverage A) limit is so important. To reduce the danger of being seriously underinsured, ask yourself these questions:

• Does your policy provides coverage for extra costs resulting from building code changes?
• Does it automatically increase coverage limits annually to keep pace with inflation?
• Have you kept your agent informed of additions or changes you have made to your house? (like building additional rooms or an attached garage, or making major interior updates)
• Have you made updates to your roof, heating, plumbing or electrical? These updates can provide additional discounts which reduce your final premium.

Coverage 'C' - (Contents)

The Coverage C limit is what will be paid to replace your possessions in the case of a loss from a covered peril. Contents can be covered under Replacement Cost, or Actual Cash Value (ACV). Replacement Cost Coverage for contents pays for losses to your possessions at the cost of brand new items (as long as you actually replace the item). Without this option, a covered loss to your personal possessions would be paid by the ACV and depreciated by their age and condition, reducing the size of your claim settlement.

• If you have an art collection, antique furniture, jewelry, guns, boats, ATVs or other valuable possessions, talk to us about Supplemental Coverage, such as fine arts or scheduled property endorsements, to adequately protect your investment in these items. The cost is modest for the extra protection, and often there is no deductible.
• Consider whether you should have more coverage for personal property (contents) than your policy provides. Personal property coverage is usually 70% of the coverage limit for the structure. Supplemental protection is available for an additional premium.
• Prepare an inventory of personal property items, update it periodically, and keep it in a safe place outside your home, such as a safe deposit box at your bank or on the cloud. It will save you hours of time trying to list everything damaged or destroyed if you need to make a claim. It will also help ensure you don't forget some items. We can advise you on ways to simplify the job of preparing a personal property inventory such as videotaping each room with descriptive information on the sound track.

Coverage 'F' or 'M' - (Medical Payments)

The medical payments coverage is an important and often overlooked portion of your Homeowners policy. If somebody is visiting your home and gets injured, the medical payments limit is what is paid for medical bills associated with the injury regardless of fault.

The standard minimum Medical Payments limit is only $1000. We recommend raising that to the maximum available, $5000. The $1000 limit just doesn't go very far during a trip to the doctor or ER in this day and age, and the cost to raise that limit is only a few dollars per year.

Coverage 'E' or 'L' (Liability)

Besides making sure you have enough protection to cover damage to your home and contents, you should also evaluate your exposure to liability risks. Liability risks include the possibility of damage to the property of another, or injury to a person who is not a member of your household, for which you are responsible. The potential for a liability loss increases as exposures such as pools, pets and trampolines become part of your residence.

In recent years it's become common for homeowners to be sued for injuries or damages to others, even when there is no evidence of negligence by the homeowner. The reality today is we are all exposed to the risk of being sued. Even if you ultimately prevail in court, your legal fees and the months or years of worry and uncertainty can be a terrible burden on you and your family.

The Personal Liability coverage provided by your Homeowners Policy usually provides a limit of at least $100,000 or $300,000. We strongly recommend a minimum of $300,000 as a base coverage level. We also suggest serious consideration be given to the purchase of a separate umbrella policy since the liability area is where you have the least control over the size of a potential loss. An Umbrella policy will not only increase your homeowners liability, but also your auto liability. Limits are available from $1 million to $10 million and beyond. The cost of this coverage is usually reasonable for the coverage gained.

Read your policy! Certain property such as jewelry, guns or recreational vehicles (snowmobiles, ATVs & boats) may be better insured by endorsements or by providing a separate policy for them. Most homeowners insurance policies will not provide coverage for licensed or DNR permitted units since they are not considered contents. Thus, units such as ATV's, motorcycles, snowmobiles, antique autos, parked autos, and boats should have separate insurance policies or be specifically listed on the homeowners policy. Certain perils, such as earthquake or flood, are not covered under most standard homeowners insurance policies and coverage for these items if desired may require a separate policy. Knowing what is covered and for how much will help you maximize the value of your insurance expenditures. If there is anything in your policy you don't understand, give us a call and we can discuss it with you.

At each annual renewal of your policy, you receive a new Policy Declarations page showing limits of coverage and optional coverage. Review this information carefully. If you do any significant remodeling or add a family room, extra bedroom or bathroom, etc., tell us about these changes so your coverage limits can be adjusted to cover the value of the improvement.

Review your policy coverage annually to ensure you have all the protection you need.