Homeowners Liability: Protecting Your Most Valuable Asset

Homeowners liability insurance covers any accidents that occur on your property, whether you’re there or not. Since this policy protects your most valuable asset, it’s important to understand all of the coverages and exclusions that come along with it before purchasing a policy from your insurance company. To help you out, here are some explanations to help you make an informed decision on what kind of protection your home needs.

What Is a Homeowner’s Policy

A homeowner’s policy is a comprehensive insurance policy for your home.

A homeowner’s policy is a comprehensive insurance policy for your home. It includes liability coverage for any accidents that happen in or around the house, as well as loss of use coverage if you are unable to live in your home because of an incident covered by the policy. Other benefits may include loss assessment coverage and additional living expense coverage while damage is being repaired. Liability insurance is one of the most important components of homeowners insurance because it can help protect your assets and yourself in a worst-case scenario. 

  1. Liability coverage provides protection for bodily injury or property damage caused by you, your family members, or anyone on the premises with your permission. This includes injuries to someone who visits your home, such as a babysitter, delivery person, or contractor. If they are injured while they are in your house or on your property, liability coverage may provide compensation if they sue you.
  2. Liability coverage can also cover legal expenses if you are sued. If this happens, liability coverage will pay for attorneys’ fees and court costs so that you don’t have to use up other resources.
  3. In some cases, liability insurance can help cover an out-of-pocket settlement that could be costly otherwise.

How Much Coverage Do I Need

The first step in determining your coverage needs is to calculate the replacement value of your home. In general, you should purchase liability insurance for a sum equal to or greater than the amount required by the mortgage company. For example, if your mortgage company requires $250,000 in property damage liability coverage and you have a $350,000 home equity line of credit (HELOC) against your property, then you would need at least $500,000 in liability protection.

Top Tips to Avoid Halloween Property Insurance Claims

Halloween can be a lot of fun for everyone. If you’re young, you can dress up and go door to door for candy. If you’re a parent, you get to take your child around and watch them have a blast, and if you’re in between, there’s a lot of fun to be had at parties. That doesn’t mean it’s without its dangers, though. Halloween can be very hazardous, with people walking around in awkward costumes and the dark and decorations creating plenty of opportunities for falls or slips. If you’re a business or homeowner, you need to do what you can to Halloween-proof your business or home and avoid any insurance claims you might face otherwise. You want to avoid any property insurance claims that might eat into the revenue that you would otherwise earn around this holiday. 

Easy Fixes

home construction general liability
Avoid paying for property repairs.

If you’re looking for some easy ways to help prevent property insurance claims during this event, then look no further. Make sure that you’re not using too much mood lighting. Dark lighting can lend a spooky atmosphere to your business, but it also can lend itself to accidents and subsequent property insurance claims. While it’s great to decorate for the holiday, you don’t want to go too far and end up creating hazards that people are going to hurt themselves on. You need to find a happy medium between embracing the holiday spirit and keeping people as safe as you can. This is the best way to keep your customers happy, while also avoiding any property insurance claims on your premises. 

Who Do I Call

Contact Prince Insurance to make sure you’re covered for any Halloween insurance claims that may happen on your property. Visit our website to learn more about our offers, and contact us to get a quote for your business or home. 

The Dangers of Underinsuring Your Home

You borrowed or saved and bought a home; that’s a great achievement. But one thing you must understand is that owning a home comes with other responsibilities, one of which is homeowners insurance. Though not mandatory, having homeowners insurance is for your benefit. For example, it is required for a mortgage and can also protect you against financial loss if your home gets damaged or broken into. To benefit fully from home insurance, you need to ensure all the items in your home because underinsuring a home can have adverse consequences.

Avoid Cheap Insurance Policies

There is great danger in choosing cheap insurance policies over your home value.

While choosing cheap insurance policies is tempting, there is great danger in choosing price over your home value. This is because a home insurance policy has what’s known as a coinsurance clause which allows your insurance provider to apply a penalty on the uninsured items. The coinsurance clause ensures you insure your property at its appropriate value and that the insurer gets a fair premium for the risks you’ve insured against. That explains why you need to disclose everything to your insurance agent.

Other Consequences of Underinsuring Home

As already mentioned, cheap insurance policies aren’t adequate. You may enjoy paying a lower premium now, but you’ll have to bear much of the repair costs when a calamity strikes because your insurance company will only take care of the items you disclosed to the agent. Furthermore, if the damages are extensive, you may lose your home if you can’t afford the repair costs. So, before going for home insurance, have your home evaluated to provide the insurance company with the correct information. And if you make any updates or changes to your home, let your insurance broker know about them.

Getting your home insured at its correct value will give you peace of mind because should anything happen, the insurance company will bear the cost. Contact Prince Insurance if you aren’t sure about anything concerning underinsuring your home.

Why You Need Commercial Landlord Insurance

If you’re a commercial landlord, then you need to seriously consider your options when it comes to insurance. Commercial landlord insurance is a must have when it comes to keeping your investment safe. You’ve spent a long time and a lot of money building your assets up to where they are; you can’t afford to have an unexpected accident undo all of that hard work now. Take the time to read this article, and you’ll see why this is so important. 

Why Commercial Landlords Need Insurance for Their Building

Downtown Denver
You need to insure your building.

As a commercial landlord, you know how much effort it takes to maintain your investment. You spend a lot of time and money making sure that your property is well taken care of. Some things are out of your control though, so you need to make sure you have commercial landlord insurance. You can’t afford to have an unfortunate fire or electrical issue undo all of your hard work. You also want to make sure that your tenants are well taken care of. Your investment in insurance is one that will pay large dividends.

What Is Covered With This Kind of Insurance?

When you invest in this kind of insurance, you’ll be making sure that your investment is safe. You’ll be covered for the building itself. You’ll be covered for any exterior items such as a fence or satellite dish. You’ll also be covered for any important documents you have in the building. This type of insurance is quite comprehensive for what you may encounter as a landlord and is an investment you won’t regret.

With any luck, you now understand what you need to invest in as a commercial landlord. This kind of insurance is a must have for your industry. Check out our website to learn more and get a quote today. With Prince Insurance, you can get some peace of mind.

Why Renters Need Their Own Insurance Policy

Insurance Broker

When you’re renting a home, you have to cover all bases, including your personal belongings and damages following a fire or other disaster. Also called tenant insurance, renters insurance affords you protection against theft and loss.

This type of insurance prevents you from having to rely on your landlord to bail you out when something goes awry. Here are the reasons you should consider getting renters insurance before something happens to your residence. 

Landlord Policies May Not Cover You 

Depending on the event, your landlord’s insurance policy won’t protect you, especially if someone is injured in your home. 

Worse than that, your landlord’s insurance provider can file a lawsuit against you if you’re deemed liable for any building damages. This could lead to you forking out repair costs or costs for rebuilding the property. A renters insurance policy prevents you from those potential headaches and ensures you get proper coverage against a wide range of risks. 

What Does Renters Insurance Pay For?

Renters or tenant insurance covers the costs of replacing your belongings whenever they’ve been stolen, destroyed in a fire, or vandalized by unscrupulous people. 

Furthermore, a good renters insurance policy covers the cost of temporary residence in the event of any damage that renders your property inhabitable. 

The Actual Cash Value (ACV)

Renters insurance factors in the actual cash value (ACV) of your belongings. ACV replaces items at the value they were worth when they were damaged or destroyed. Depreciation factors into the actual cash value when payments are being calculated. 

The policy can also include replacement costs. This cost replaces stolen, damaged, or destroyed items with new, similar items. However, the catch with replacement cost is that the premiums for it are higher than premiums for ACV policies.

Have a look at the details of our renters insurance and, if you like what you see, get a free quote right away.

When to Update a Home Insurance Policy

As exciting as securing ownership of a home is, securing your space with a quality home insurance policy gives you the relief that allows you to maximize your home experience. Home insurance policies are very useful tools that give you optimal coverage at the right cost. 

However, things happen, and certain situations necessitate a change in your policy to accommodate new developments in your life. When is it time to update a home insurance policy? Here are scenarios that should push you to contact your insurance provider. 

Pandemic Remodeling

If you’ve made some important renovations to your home during the global health crisis, you should talk to your insurance agent about updating your policy. 

Renovations add value to a home, and your policy should cover its value now that it’s worth more money instead of what it was worth when you just bought it. Certain renovations, like getting a new roof, can lower the value of your insurance policy. It’s an opportunity to get some additional homeowner benefits. 

When You Retire 

Once you’ve called it a day and worked your last paycheck, it’s time to update a home insurance policy. When you’re retired, you spend more time at home and also have more opportunities to maintain your home.

Some insurance companies offer cheaper insurance rates to retired people and senior citizens. When you’re at home regularly, you’re likelier to spot potential damages and less susceptible to burglary. Because of this, insurance companies may deem you more trustworthy and offer discounts. 

New Security System 

Adding a security system makes your home easier to insure and saves you money on insurance premiums each year.

Acquiring/Getting Rid of Expensive Items

Each time you buy expensive items like art, collectibles, and other pricey valuables, you should find out if your insurance policy covers those items. If not, you should update your policy to include them.

Also, if you’ve acquired or gotten rid of family heirlooms, you could get a break on your insurance. 

Prince Insurance gives homeowners the royal treatment when it comes to their policies. Check out our home insurance policy options and get a free quote now.

Why Every Homeowner Needs Insurance

No homeowner wants to think about the possibility of facing a disaster, but the fact is the unexpected occurs in even the most well-maintained homes.

Regardless of whether you’re a new homeowner or have lived in your current house for years, you’re probably aware that your house is likely to suffer from typical wear-and-tear or unforeseen circumstances. Even if you’re not currently in the market to buy insurance, you should at least be aware of the benefits that home insurance can provide.

Protect Your Home

If you want to get the best home insurance rates you can, it’s important to know exactly what your policy covers. Home insurance protects the structure that houses your belongings and protects you and your family from any damage or destruction that comes to your home. This is done by a combination of providing coverage for you and your home and providing coverage to your belongings if an accident does occur.

Can you pay cash for your home? Some people might be able to. However, what happens when you need to protect this investment? Do you have the money to pay for major damage to that home? Do you have the funds to replace all the possessions inside it? This is why you need home insurance — it’s one thing to be able to buy your home. It’s quite another to have to replace it and all your belongings, or to protect the people in your home.

Your home is your most important asset. Keep it insured with the right home insurance.

Protect Your Family

Home insurance protects against fire, smoke, wind, theft, flood, and other disasters that can occur in and around your home. It also covers your liability for injuries that occur on your property. But what most people don’t realize is that your home insurance policy also protects everyone living in the home (your family) and all of your visiting friends and family. If someone is hurt on your property, you are liable for their medical bills and compensation for their lost wages. Protect yourself and your home by taking the time to compare home insurance plans available in your area with your insurance agent.

Contact Prince Insurance to speak with an insurance agent about home insurance and to receive a quote.

Why You Need Individual Condo Insurance

We always recommend that people get their own insurance, even if a condo association offers insurance. Why? Because it’s better to be safe than sorry. You never know what kind of gaps in coverage the association might have. Instead of risking it, get your own policy to protect yourself and your belongings. If something goes wrong, you’ll be protected with your own policies in addition to whatever the condo offers. Here’s an explanation.

Difference Between Home and Condo Insurance

Home insurance is an umbrella term that covers the type of policy for personal dwellings. But there are major differences between single-family home policies and condo policies. With condo insurance, you’ll pay less than you would for a single-family home policy. That’s because you’re only paying to protect your portion of the building and not the entire thing. Living in a condo means that you have access to common areas. Typically, the association will have coverage for those areas (like a slip and fall near the pool). But if people get injured in your apartment, you will be liable. Condo insurance is a great way to protect yourself from these types of situations. You also need coverage for your personal possessions. If you have a storage locker outside of your unit, make sure to tell your insurance agent to include it in the coverage.

Protect your condo with condo insurance—you need coverage to complement the association’s policies.

Individual Condo Insurance vs. Condo Association Insurance

You need extra insurance for your specific unit to cover your personal belongings. The association’s coverage doesn’t include personal items. It probably only covers common areas, as mentioned, as well as protection against liability for accidents that happen on common property. If an accident happens in your condo, you could still be liable. This means personal injuries as well as damage to belongings, theft, vandalism, flood, or fire. To craft a great policy for you and your condo, you should contact your condo association to learn more about what they cover. Then, pick up the phone and speak with our team at Prince Insurance so we can help you fill in the gaps. We recommend people always have their own coverage to complement existing general coverage.

Get a quote today and enjoy peace of mind in your condo tomorrow.

When to Get Flood Insurance

If you live in an area that is susceptible to flooding, flood insurance isn’t an option, it’s a must. It’s also important to consult an updated map to see exactly where the flood zones are. Weather patterns are changing and you might discover that your home is at greater risk now than it was ten years ago. People with basements or other below-ground rooms should definitely explore flood insurance options. Remember, it’s better to get insurance now before you’re wading through water and wishing you had checked that item off your list.

Flood-Prone Areas

Low-lying areas are at particular risk for natural flooding. This can happen when the water table rises due to rain. It puts your building at risk for a few months out of the year, when water levels are higher than normal. Many states across the country experience flooding every year, resulting in millions of dollars’ worth of damage to property. However, it’s also possible that a freak storm or other incident inside your home will cause flooding. A forgetful person may leave the faucet on, or a water heater could burst. Flood insurance covers you in the event of flooding, so that you have the financial support you need to rebuild.

Floods can be scary. Get the protection you deserve with flood insurance.

Popular Options for Flood Insurance

You have some options for coverage. Generally speaking, your flood insurance will cover your dwelling and losses incurred by water damage due to flooding. You can get flood insurance for commercial and residential properties alike. It’s important to note that general home liability coverage may not include flood protection. There are lots of additional types of coverage you can get to protect your home from top to bottom. If you’re in a zone that’s susceptible to flooding, you’ll need to add flood insurance to your policy to be 100% protected.

Ready to sleep through heavy rain without blinking an eye? Flood insurance can help protect you and your home from water damage. Reach out to Prince Insurance and discover what it means to feel protected.

Best Home Builder Insurance Packages

Homeowners Associations (HOA) Insurance

Construction projects are fraught with risk, no matter how careful you are. Even if you choose the best contractors in the world, there is always a chance that something could go wrong. That’s why you need home builder insurance. The best packages will offer coverage for you, your team, and your equipment. Accidents happen, and the right coverage will help protect you and attract cautious clients. Ready to find the right insurance for a home builder?

The Best Insurance for a Home Builder

First, let’s understand the coverage. Construction and home building include a variety of complex tasks. After all, the home needs to be durable and livable. You need coverage to protect you while you install electrical, plumbing, woodwork, plastering, roofing, and more. On-site, workers are often required to use power tools or climb scaffolds. If something falls on a car parked at your construction site, would it be covered? While you’re in the process of building someone’s home, you need insurance that covers everyone and everything. This should include broad liability protection, workers compensation, materials coverage, and vehicular protection. Not only is this good for your business, but it’s a great way to gain the trust of your clients.

Man sliding a piece of wood across a table saw.
Make sure your home builder insurance covers everyone and everything on site.

The Importance of Home Builder Insurance

Protection can’t be underestimated in risky businesses like construction. Your reputation is at stake. If you don’t have insurance, and one of your workers gets injured, you might struggle to hire great contractors in the future. Insurance for a home builder is critical from a client’s perspective, too. Your potential customers will want to know that you have robust coverage in case of an emergency.

The right coverage could help you get more business. Ready to explore your policy options as a home builder? Get in touch with Prince Insurance, and we’ll find an option that gives you the coverage you need.