Arizona Home Insurance - Arizona Insurance Blog

If you lived in the Phoenix metro area during October 2010 you should remember a very fierce storm that raged through the valley.

The storm was so strong I could barely see my neighbors home across the street. The winds were racing through sideways. Large hail pounded many parts of the valley.

That storm was a major boon to roofing companies and other home repair businesses.

The loser - Arizona homeowners, who now face higher insurance premiums due to the massive number of claims filed and roofs replaced.

If your homeowner insurance premium goes up do not wonder why. Insurance carriers are not going to replace thousands of roofs without passing those higher claims costs on to consumers.

THE GOOD NEWS: As an independent insurance agent and broker we can shop around on your behalf to find good rates with "A" rated homeowner insurance carriers.

Homeowner expert, Rosie Romero, has some advice on things NOT to do if you want to trim your high utlility costs.

1) Do not shut vents. He says that shutting vents only causes your A/C to work harder. If you want, close them partially but not completely.

2) Do not over insulate your attic. Only 10% of the cost of your utility bill is a result of your attic.

3) Do not install a radiant barrier - a waste of money in his opinion.

4) Do not put portable fans in your attic. More than anything it will only suck the A/C out of your home.

5) Get off the equalizer payment plan to get an idea of exactly what your bills are to determine if you are making progress in saving money when you do implement ideas.

6) His one big suggestion - have an energy audit completely on your home. This will tell you exactly where you are losing money. Often, these can be completed by contacting your utility company and may cost about $100.

To learn more ways to save, go to www.rosieonthehouse.com.


Call us for a quote today!!!
Thanks!!!
Gary Brown, Agent/Owner
(480) 659-0229

According to AARP, more than 600,000 seniors are delinquent in their mortgage or already in foreclosure. One of the problems facing many seniors are bad loans (and the bad decisions preceding those loans) and adjustable rate mortgages.


If you own a home, please consider contacting for Arizona home insurance. We may be able to save you money on your homeowner insurance premiums, which could potential lower your monthly mortgage payment.

Federal Help

A federal plan designed to help homeowners stay out of foreclosure has been saddled with administration issues, causing headaches for many who entered the program hoping to get help. The gaffes may end up causing some to become disqualified due to a pending government deadline.

More than 900,000 homeowners have begun the mortgage modification program but only 7% or so have received permanent changes.

Borrowers must make three payments and provide a hardship affidavit, along with other paperwork, to change their mortgage.

According to President Obama or his administration the program was believed to have the potential to help up to 4 million homeowners. While the program has not been a huge success thus far the pace of completed modifications has picked up steam of late.

Washington is considering other ideas to help those unemployed resist foreclosure, and to help those who have lost jobs reduce their principle amount. Approximately 13.5% of homeowners were delinquent or in foreclosure as of November, a record.

Those who complete the modification program from start to finish could see their mortgage drop from an average of $1,419 to $830 per month.

Plummeting Home Values

With home values plummeting, seniors are not able to take full advantage of products like reverse mortgages, where seniors are able to receiving additional monies to supplement their retirement.

Seniors, like just about every other age group, face owning homes that are worth much less than what is owed. Yet, they are not able to sell it either.

2011 Among Worst for Claims

According to reports 2011 was one the most expensive years in global history, including the United States. Weather related incidents caused around $35 Billion in insured damages last year in the United States.

From 2010, a major storm hurled through Arizona on October 5, 2010 causing massive damages.

Several big insurance carriers are expecting to raise rates, like Allstate, Travelers and State Farm - some carriers as high as 10%.

These are all reasons why you should consider an INDEPENDENT INSURANCE BROKER for ALL of your insurance. We shop and compare Arizona homeowner insurance with several top rated and top ranked insurance companies.

Many insurance agents can only give you ONE quote. Not us. We shop and compare rates with numerous companies to help you save money.

Unacceptible Dogs for Homeowner Insurance

A young lady asked for a homeowner insurance quote. During the question/answer session she revealed that she owned a pitbull dog. Unfortunately, I told her none of our insurance companies accepted that breed of dog.

None too happy, she insured with another carrier to my knowledge.

Some time later she came back and asked for homeowners insurance once again. I reminded her about the pitbull dog.

She revealed that the dog had bitten someone and was put down.

While some dog owners will defend their dogs (and I do understand an owners love of their pet) the statistics readily show that whenever there is a dog bite it is often from a pitbull or rottweiler type breed. Every pitbull owner I have ever met staunchly defended their animal as non-threatening. And more than likely their family pet is not a threat. But the over stats show enough are simply the cause of too many dog bite claims.

Weak Results in Insurance Industry

Thanks to an easy hurricane season it is expected that most insurance companies will return to profitability. This is good news for consumers because higher profits usually means that insurers relax their insurance rates in response.

Yet, there is a potential problem lurking in the shadows.

Insurance companies generally derive income from two sources: premiums and investments. Investment income fell a reported 50% in 2008 and also fell in 2009.

Due to continued low interest rates insurance companies are not expecting to earn much money with their investments. With the fluctuating stock market insurers are preferring to stay in safe investments that pay a guaranteed interest, even if those instruments are paying next to nothing. At least they are safe.

But this means that insurers will need to remain cautious with claims and ensure that they are making a profit through proper premium and pricing policies. If they find themselves losing money on claims vs premiums received they may be forced to raise rates.


Call our office today (480) 659-0229 for an Arizona homeowner insurance quote.

Arizona Home Insurance

Before the real estate crash, we occasionally would receive phone calls from clients questioning whether their home was under-insured. The reason? They had purchased it for a much higher amount than what it was being insured for. They figured it should at least be insured for the purchase price.

Now, several years into the recession and amid a severe housing slump, clients are calling asking if we are insuring their home for too much. Are we over-insuring their home, they want to know. The reason? Home prices have fallen dramatically up to 40% or more in some areas and read about slumping home values.

When considering your home insurance, be sure to not confuse how much a home is bought or sold for versus what it takes to rebuild a home from scratch in an emergency situation (such as a total fire loss).

Typically our carriers provide very decent coverage on homes, often much more than what a client has paid for it and higher than many other carriers we encounter. While clients may wonder if we are providing too much coverage, the bigger issue is what happens if you are under-insured.

And no doubt we occasionally run into carriers who are willing to insure homes for substantially less than what we do. Can they really rebuild a home for much less coverage than our carriers? Or are they low-balling the coverage to obtain the business? Who is right?

According to a March 15, 2011 article in the Wall Street Journal (online), Marshall - Swift believes that upwards of 2/3 of all homes are UNDER-insured. Marshall -Swift is the company responsible for determining how much a home should be insured for. Their service is used by many insurance companies.

According to Xactware, a company that tracks trends in the property insurance and construction business, the cost of building materials rose sharply in 2008. Now with gas prices up to nearly $4 a gallon in many parts of the country, the cost to deliver building materials is rising as well.

If you believe your home is under-insured or over-insured feel free to speak with your agent. But the bigger issue is whether or not your home is under-insured. In the event of a claim a home that is insured for less than what it takes to rebuild will leave you very dissatistified.

Over-Insuring Homes?

I received an email from a client who was looking at buying a single family dwelling for a rental property. We ran the quote and emailed it. The client emailed back wondering whether we were over-insuring the home.

It is a question that probably every insurance agent has received.

Before the real estate crash there were clients who thought we were under-insuring homes. If they were paying $325,000 but we were insuring for $275,000 they believed we were not adequatly insuring the dwelling. Now that they are paying $150,000 and we are insuring for $275,000 they believe we are placing waaay too much coverage on the dwelling.

It is easy to confuse the two points, perhaps. However, whatever you buy or sell a home for has little to do with the cost of rebuilding that home.

PLUS, there are coverage on a home that have nothing to do with the dwelling itself. A home policy covers your personal property. The home policy pays to clean debris away. It protects you against claims made for liability or medical reasons. It provides money for you to live elsewhere if that home is unliveable. Or, reimburses you if a tenant moves out and you need reimbursed for lost rents.

While no one wants to overpay for their insurance, the fact is everyone wants their home put back like new if it is damaged or destroyed. To that end, you are welcome to ask questions and even question the coverage being placed on your home. However, the end result is that you AND your insurance company wants to see you made whole again if the worst happens with your home.

If you want a quote on Arizona Home Insurance, please contact us today!

Filing Homeowner Insurance Claims

When we buy insurance of any kind there is a premium/cost to us as consumers. All we really ask in return is that the company providing the coverage do their part when there is a claim. And for the most part insurance carriers do a pretty good job handling claims (in my opinion) overall.

But what is often not understood is the repercussion of filing multiple homeowner claims.

In Arizona, insurance carriers commonly non-renew Arizona home insurance policies that have two (2) or more claims within a 5 year period.

One simple piece of advice can save you alot of grief.

Carry a high deductible on your home insurance policy and avoid the temptation of filing a small claim. One person reportedly had a water claim a few years back. Then, a couple years later believed they had been the victim of a theft and called the insurance carrier only to discover the item missing was not missing afterall.

Even though this person tried to cancel their "theft" claim it was too late. The insurance carrier already had reported it to the claims loss underwriting exchange. Now for the world to see they had two claims on their record.

The result? The client was non-renewed for having two claims within a 5 year period. When they shop for new home insurance the rate will likely be substantially more due to their claims history.

Be careful filing small claims. And be especially careful filing two home insurance claims within a 5 year period.

Arizona Homeowner Insurance


Thanks!!
Gary Brown, Agent/Owner
(480 659-0229

An article recently stated that Canadians buy more vacation homes in Arizona than anyone else living outside AZ. In the past, most of our homes purchased for vacation reasons were California residents.

Not any longer.

Our good friends up north are buying a lot of homes in Arizona. And who can blame them? With incredible prices for homes throughout Arizona now is the best time to buy a home - whether you live in AZ or not.

If you are a Canadian resident and you are searching for Arizona Insurance for Canadians, let us help. We have many clients from all over Canada and we help them find LOW rates on Arizona Home Insurance.

Some of the homeowner policies that we have found for our Canadian clients are as low as $300 per year.

We shop Arizona insurance with top ranked and top rated insurance carriers. Give us a call and get a free quote.

Are you already a homeowner who wants to shop around for new insurance? Or, are you buying a home and need home insurance in Arizona?

Let us help.

We offer great rates on Home Insurance in Arizona by shopping and comparing rates with leading and top rated insurance carriers. There is no obligation and the quotes are free and easy.

We can help if you are an Arizona resident who needs Home Insurance in Arizona. Or we can help if you live outside Arizona (Canada or California for example) and you are buying a home in Arizona.

We have many clients who live in Canada, California or elsewhere but they own homes in Arizona.

Need to insure your primary home? Rental Property? Vacation/Seasonal Home?

Let us handle your Home Insurance in Arizona and you will find our rates to be extremely competitive.

If you buy home insurance in Maricopa or any other town outside a major city, be sure to check into the fire department coverage available. Some smaller communities in Arizona do not have a fully staffed fire department. Instead, they often rely on private service from companies like Rural Metro Fire Dept.

Playing around with your fire protection service is dangerous. If your town has no official fire dept and you choose not to subscribe to a service like Rural Metro, you could be potentially on the hook for major costs should your home catch on fire.

In areas where Rural Metro is the available service it is my understanding that they will still reply to your call for help. However, if you are a non-subscriber they will bill you a ton of money per hour their services are used. And these costs are not covered by your insurance policy.

If you want a quote for your primary home, vacation-seasonal home, or rental property please contact me. We offer rates through a variety of top ranked and top rated insurance carriers.

Our goal is to save you money while providing Home Insurance in Maricopa with a top insurance provider.
It's been amazing watching the number of our northern neighbors buy homes in Arizona. And who can blame them? Arizona home prices are probably half price of what they sold for just a few years ago.

According to the National Association of Realtors Canadian residents were the # 1 foreign buyers of U.S. properties in 2009. And my hunch is they will again lead the pack in 2010.

What do I have to say about that, you might ask. Welcome to Arizona, Mr. and Mrs. Canadian resident. We welcome you!!

It's not uncommon for Canadians to pay 3x or 4x the price in their own country, so why wouldn't they invest in a home that will likely appreciate in the future and offers them a great place to vacation.

IF YOU ARE A CANADIAN AND NEED HOME INSURANCE - please contact us for a quote. We shop Arizona Home Insurance with a number of leading and top rated insurance carriers to find great rates.

As an independent insurance agent and broker, I am pretty lucky. My job allows me to contract with various insurance carriers and offer insurance to clients through many different insurance companies.

Which brings me to the subject of offering vacation home insurance in Arizona.

Some people call for a quote but live out of state. Not every insurance company wants to insure a home when the owner lives far away. Yet, there are insurance companies that are ok with that risk.

If you are buying a vacation or 2nd home and need Arizona vacation home insurance, please contact us for a quote. We can insure single family dwellings, condo's and townhomes.
Over the past two years we have received quite a few calls and emails from Canadian residents buying a home in Arizona. Usually the home being purchased will be used as a vacation home or 2nd home.

We are very grateful that so many of our neighbors to the north are buying homes here. It helps our economy tremendously. And knowing they own homes in Arizona will virtually ensure they spend time and money here. So welcome to all you Canadian citizens who are buying your Arizona vacation home and Arizona 2nd home.

We also help with those buying homes in Arizona for investment purposes as rental properties.

If you live outside of Arizona, even in Canada, and are buying a home in Arizona please contact us for a great rate on Arizona home insurance.


Thanks!!!
Gary Brown, Owner
(480) 659-0229

This is a house fire that occured in the state of Washington. According to the comments the fire began in the garage, originating from the vehicle.

About six years ago on an early Saturday morning we were shocked to see our neighbor's house ablaze. She had taken her vehicle to a repair shop and something the mechanic did with the wiring caused it to smolder overnight until finally the vehicle ignited in the early morning hours. Her house was almost a total loss.

While we usually are careful when it comes to things or situations inside the home we often neglect to consider the dangers from our garage. If you suspect your vehicle has a smell or something is not right leave it parked in the driveway until you are certain there is no danger to you or your home.





About six years ago at 7 am on a Saturday morning my neighbors home directly across the street caught fire. She had returned home the prior evening from a mechanic's shop, where they had allegedly mis-wired engine components. The wires smoldered under the hood throughout the night and finally ignited bright and early.

The street was filled with fire trucks, firemen and police as those fire fighters struggled to extinguish my neighbors home. It was engulfed in flames and ended up a total loss.

Strange and unexpected things happen in life.

We don't like paying for Arizona Home Insurance but by golly when things happen we are happy to have it. One item in particular needs careful attention when it comes to your homeowner insurance.

If you have valuables - jewelry, art, firearms, collectibles or anything you may wonder whether it may be covered as "regular" personal property or not, contact your insurance agent and find out.

Do not wait until a claim before you ask the question - are my valuables covered on my homeowners policy?


Arizona Home Insurance
When you buy Arizona Home Insurance use an Arizona Independent Home Insurance Agent and Broker to save up to 35% on your Arizona Home Insurance.
This is a true story but not a client of mine.

A person in the East Valley added square footage to their home and then watched it destroyed in an accidental fire a few months later. I believe it was about 1,000 square feet that was added. It's not an uncommon event. Even my neighbor made a complete renovation to their home a few years back. They entirely gutted and remodeled the inside and added two new room additions.

The East Valley person filed a claim and it was processed - but not for the new square footage. This person forgot or neglected to inform their insurance agent or company that their home had been enlarged. Their insurance policy was covering the smaller dwelling amount based on the original dimensions, and that is what the insurance policy covered and paid. They were not paid by the insurance company for their new additions because they never notified anyone and their policy was never updated.

If you renovate your home or add square footage, please contact your agent immediately and have your Arizona home insurance policy updated to reflect the change. This will ensure your changes or additions are covered in the event of a loss.


We provide LOW rates on Arizona Home Insurance. Click this link or call me for a quote at (480) 659-0229.
Thanks!!
Gary Brown, Agent/Owner

We are an independent insurance agency and broker. Meaning, we shop Arizona home insurance with a variety of top rated and top ranked insurance carriers.

Most insurance agents and many insurance companies only offer ONE home insurance rate - their own.

When you contact Choice Insurance of Arizona for Arizona Home Insurance we actually can shop your insurance with a large variety of great insurance companies to try and find the lowest rate we can.

Every single one of our Arizona Home Insurance carriers is "A" rated by AMBest. So when you get a quote and purchase insurance through us you know you are getting coverage from a company that is financially solid.

Ask us for an Arizona home insurance quote today if you: own a home and live in it as your primary residence, own a rental property, or own a vacation home in Arizona.

We look forward to helping with your Arizona Home Insurance. Call us today!!

We have noticed an uptick in the number of homes being bought. Anytime someone requests home insurance we know the market has been at work, and lately it's been at work a little more than over the past two years.

One area that has been really booming is the number of homes being bought by out of state or Canadian clients for vacation home purchases. These people know a bargain when they see it. With home prices about half of what they were a few years ago opportunistic buyers outside Arizona are snatching up homes in the valley.

If you need to insure your primary home, contact us for a LOW quote on Arizona Home Insurance.

If you are buying a home as a vacation home or rental property, please let us give you a quote. We can shop around and find good rates on just about any type of Arizona home, condo, duplex, or 4 plex.

Call Your Independent Insurance Agent

We are an independent insurance agency and broker. Which means, we shop around with a variety of different insurance companies to find you the best rate we can.

More and more consumers are realizing the fact that an independent insurance agent can often find you a much better Arizona Home Insurance rate. And it's very often true.

Whenever we have a potential client call for an Arizona Home Insurance quote we are amazed whenever we do not save them money. We have alot of companies we shop insurance with and it gives us a sizeable advantage over our competitors.

We like to tell clients that we are on their side. You may think every agent is on your side but that may not be the case. If you get a quote from an agent who only represents one carrier they actually represent their insurance carrier. It is their job to try and sell you the one policy they have in their arsenal - not shop around and find a lower rate.

An independent insurance agent, on the other hand, will shop around with a multitude of Arizona Home Insurance companies to find the lowest rate they can.
The number of homes nationwide listed for sale in December 2009 declined. While not great news it also could simply be that people were waiting until after the holidays to list their home.

Supply of Homes in Valley Market

The supply of homes for sale in 27 major metro areas decreased nearly 5%. A year earlier, the December inventory of homes was down 26%.

An estimated 7 million homeowners are behind on their house payments or are in the foreclosure process. The above numbers will change once a part of those homes hit the market.

Remember, you can still qualify for a first-time home buyer tax credit if you sign a purchase contract by the end of April and complete the transaction before June ends. The tax credit is $8000 for first time home buyers. There are certain limitations or restrictions so be sure to discuss these with your realtor.

Huge Master Development in Mesa

An area once used as General Motors Proving Grounds in east Mesa is being dubbed EastMark and developers anticipate building up to 15,000 homes. Between every 60-100 homes will be a park area that will include a fireplace or water feature for use as a gathering area.

Eventually, EastMark development will include houses, industry, resorts and 20 million sq ft of commercial space. It will include 9 districts with bold monuments to each area with unique street signs and lighting.

A community center will exist along with a park that will feature splash pad and event lawn that could host thousands of people, such as you see at locations like Tempe Town Lake.

Loan Modification Program

There have been approximately 2 million homeowners seek help through President Obama's Loan Modification program. Yet only about 66,000 loans have actually been modified. Out of that sixty six thousand only about 3,400 are from Maricopa County.

Over 40,000 homes were foreclosed on in Maricopa County in 2009, topping the record set in 2008.

The success of the loan modification program is actually occurring outside the federal program. Wells Fargo Mortgage, for example, claims they have modified around 350,000 loans for homeowners. The goal, according to Wells Fargo, is to make the mortgage payment no more than 31% of the owners income. The first step is to reduce the interest rate and, if needed, stretch the loan over forty years versus thirty years.

The complaint most often heard with the federal program is how difficult the process is - complicated and daunting are two words used to describe the federal program (and why they should not control health care).

As often happens in America, the private sector found a way to make the situation happen better and quicker. That is not to say the feds did not have a hand. Just the fact they put a spotlight on the program likely helped the private sector take greater action. Still, the private sector is making it happen whereas the federal program muddles along.

If you are seeking low cost insurance in Phoenix click this link to visit our website. We can help with low cost phoenix auto, home or life insurance.


Click here for a low cost quote on Arizona Home Insurance or call me for a quote.
Thanks!!

Sincerely,
Gary Brown, Agent
(480) 659-0229

Inventories of homes for sale are lower across much of the United States, as low as a four month supply. Typically a six month supply is considered optimum. This has caused a return of bidding wars, particularly on the lower-end of the housing market.

Mortgage default rates in cities like Houston, Dallas, Raleigh and Washington DC are lower than the national average. Yet, some parts of the country are still on wobbly legs, such as the Phoenix metro market, Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa. That sort of rounds out three of the most suffering states - Arizona, Nevada and Florida. These states have the highest default rates among 28 markets surveyed by a national firm.

Yet, it is believed that in other parts of the country the mortgage market has stabilized or is in the process of stabilizing. However, these other states were not as reliant on the housing industry for growth the past twenty or so years, as was the case with Arizona, Nevada and Florida.

One item spurring the housing market is the $8000 tax credit if a person applies for a home loan by April 30th. Mortgage experts predict that mortgage rates will rise later in the year.

More than 7 million households are behind on mortgage payments or are in foreclosure. These are homes that may hit the market in the near future. Unless the job market also improves it will be harder to find buyers in several of the hardest hit markets for all the homes. There are approximately 2.5 million homes over 90 days late on payments. The foreclosure process often can take a year or more

We read a publication recently that said Sahuarita, Arizona is one of the few towns that is actually growing. Due to the economy some Arizona towns have seen their populations decrease or stagnate.

We are Choice Insurance of Arizona. If you already live in Sahuarita and want a homeowner quote, let us know. If you are buying a home in the area please let us know. We would love to find you a LOW rate on your Sahuarita insurance.

We help Arizona clients and even those clients who live outside Arizona (including Canada) find good rates on their insurance in Arizona.

Our Independent Insurance Agency can help you find LOW rates on Sahuarita Home Insurance. Simply contact us today for a quote on your auto or homeowner insurance.

We work with some of the BEST insurance companies in the USA - Hartford, MetLife, Progressive, Travelers, Unitrin and many more!

The Chief Economist for the National Association of Home Builders expects new construction on single family homes to be around 610,000 in 2010. However, a representative for the another trade group lowered his expectations to around 512,000 new home builds.

The main culprit to slow housing construction is simply - jobs. That and a steady flow of foreclosures and continuing tight lending practices as well.

Back in 2005, there were 1.7 million new single family housing starts.

In Las Vegas the typical new housing start cost around $400,000 or more. Today they are seeing homes priced in the $170,000 range. One reason is the new home builds have to compete for foreclosures where home costs are significantly off their prices from just a couple years ago.

Don't forget that Choice Insurance of Arizona offers excellent Arizona Home Insurance rates.




If you want to lower your Arizona Home Insurance premium, please contact us for a quote.