Every Home Should Have at Least One Working Smoke Alarm.

Smoke alarms are inexpensive and available at any hardware or discount store. If you live in a multi-level dwelling, install a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Test it monthly, and replace the battery at least once a year. Smoke alarms themselves should be replaced after ten years of service, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

Tips to Prevent Electrical Fires

Never overload circuits or extension cords. Do not place cords and wires under rugs, over nails or in high traffic areas.

Alternate Heaters

Keep anything combustible at least three feet away from any source of heat.   Use fire screens in front of your fireplace to prevent sparks from jumping out, and have your chimney cleaned annually. The creosote buildup can ignite a chimney fire that could easily spread.  Kerosene heaters should be used only where approved by authorities. Never use a gasoline or camp-stove fuel inside your home.

Plan Your Escape

Develop and practice an escape plan from every room in the house. Stay low to the floor for better breathing and visibility and check doors to make sure they are cool before opening them. Never open doors that are hot. Pick a location where everyone can meet after leaving the house. Get out then call for help.

With a threat of a hurricane hitting our area within the next few days, you may also experience flooding in your community. Here are some tips on preparing for the coming storm and the best ways to safeguard lives and property.

Have a Family Plan

Keeping your family safe is your first priority, so develop a Family Disaster Plan.

• First, determine the safest place for your family to be if a hurricane strikes. It might be your home, but it might be with friends or a local shelter. Make sure everyone knows where to meet if you get separated.
• Find out about the established escape routes for your neighborhood. Many communities will block off streets, or change them into one-way avenues, so make sure you know what will happen to make evacuating faster and less stressful.
• Contact an out-of-state friend and ask them to be a point of contact. Many times cell phones won’t work, or will not be properly charged. An out-of-state friend can relay messages to loved ones faster and easier than you may be able to.
• Make plans for your pets. If you are keeping them with you, make sure they have a collar on with identifying information. Keep a photo of them with you so you can show it to others if you lose them. Be sure you have adequate food and water for them and a pet carrier in case you all must evacuate. If you are going to board the animal, make sure it is up to date on all vaccinations and leave important contact information with the facility.
• Be sure to keep a battery powered NOAA weather radio in your home, with extra batteries. This radio will keep you up to date on storm news and data.
• Keep a stocked first aid kit with you, along with a supply kit. Your supply kit should include enough supplies to last you 3-7 days:

Water

Food (nonperishable)

Blankets

Clothing (sturdy shoes and rain gear included)

Flashlight and batteries

Cash

Secure Your Home

After you’re sure you’ve done everything to keep your family safe, take measures to secure your home. Wind damage can be substantial if the wind is allowed to enter the house so take these precautions:

• If you have shutters, make sure that all are closed and securely locked. If you don’t have shutters, you may want to consider boarding up your windows.
• Close and lock all your doors, including your garage doors. You may want to consider installing head and foot bolts on the inactive door or double-entry doors. Make sure your doors have at least three hinges and a dead bolt security lock which has a minimum one inch bolt throw length.
• If you are evacuating, be sure to shut off all water, gas and electricity in the home to prevent damage from broken pipes, wires, etc.
• Park your cars in the garage, not in the driveway or on the street. They’ll be safer from flying debris or falling trees.

Make Sure You Have the Proper Insurance

Many homeowners policies contain exclusions for wind damage and flooding. Contact your agent to review your policy and ensure you’re properly protected!

When sending your college-age child off to school, he or she usually takes along a computer, television, stereo, DVD player, clothing, possibly furniture and other items. This leaves many parents questioning whether their homeowners insurance protection will cover the items while they are out of the home.

Relax! The good news is that most homeowner’s insurance policies will provide coverage for personal property located away from the principle residence, such as with a child at college. However, there are coverage limits that parents must consider.

These limitations include:

Does child meet the definition of “full-time student” as defined by the school?

If not the child may no longer meet the definition of “insured” under his or her parents’ homeowners insurance policy. It is important for your child to tell you when there are any changes to their enrollment status.

Is the child on the “seven-year plan?”

Many homeowners insurance policies extend coverage to a full-time student living away from home provided he or she is under a certain age. Once that age is eclipsed, the policy will no longer consider the student “an insured.” Check your policy to determine if there is an age limit restriction.

What about coverage limits?

There are coverage limits for property that is located away from the insured party’s principle residence. For example, a homeowner’s policy may provide $50,000 for personal property coverage but limit that coverage for property located away from the insured’s principle residence to only 10 percent of that amount.

Certain types of property such as electronics, collectibles, high-value jewelry and other valuable items may have separate coverage limits that are significantly lower than the normal personal property limits.

Having adequate insurance is the best defense against a loss that could otherwise taint your child’s college years, so call us to review your coverage today, before your son or daughter heads off to school.

However, there are some misconceptions we believe are important to clear up. We hear them over and over again, so let’s set the record straight!  Here are the nine most common myths we hear about auto insurance, and the truth behind them: 

1. No-fault insurance means it’s not my fault - No-fault insurance means your car insurance company will pay for medical expenses and lost wages due to a car accident regardless of who is at fault.

2. The color of my car affects my insurance rate - The color of the vehicle means nothing.

3. My friend borrowed my car, so he is responsible for damages - If you give someone permission to drive your car and they crash, it will be your insurance that covers the damages. However, if your auto insurance coverage is maxed out, your friend’s policy can be tapped for the remainder of damages.

4. My auto insurance company can cancel my policy at any time - State regulations prohibit insurance companies from dropping you in the middle of your policy term unless the insurer has adequate grounds to do so. Such grounds could be fraud or non-payment of premium.

5. A more expensive car costs more to insure - Car insurance companies look at the loss history of your vehicle-meaning how many claims they’ve paid on that model along with how much it might cost to repair. A $30,000 sports car could have costlier claims than a $50,000 SUV, so a sports car could cost more to insure.

6. I got a ticket, so my car insurance rates will skyrocket - A ticket doesn’t automatically mean an increase in rates. If the ticket was minor and your record is otherwise clean, your premium may not increase.

7. I don’t need comprehensive insurance (theft) because thieves don’t steal old cars - In reality many criminals are attracted to older trustworthy, popular vehicles such as a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Because of their popularity there is a huge demand for their parts.

8. The laptop in my car is covered by my auto insurance policy - Personal property isn’t covered under an auto policy.  However, if you have homeowners insurance these items will be covered under that policy, subject to your deductible.

9. Credit/claims do not affect my insurance rate - Credit plays a big part of determining your insurance rates along with claims frequency.  

 If you’d like more information about any of these “myths” or have questions about your auto insurance coverages, please feel free email me today at mdixon@seely-durland.com!

• Have a safety plan in place at your home. Be sure every one in your home knows the safe place to go in case of a storm warning.
• Put together an emergency supply kit with non-perishable food items, water, a flashlight and fresh batteries.
• Keep a battery-powered radio available in case of power outages in your area.
• Keep your cell/smart phone or other mobile devices fully charged.
• Remember the 30/30 Lightning Safety Rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder. 
• Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a thunderstorm hazard  
  • A thunderstorm watch means there is a possibility of a thunderstorm.
  • A thunderstorm warning means a thunderstorm is occurring or will likely occur soon. If you are advised to take shelter, do so immediately

• Working around the undamaged portion of the existing structures  and obstacles that were never there before.
• Follow the current building codes which will make the reconstruction more expensive.
• Incur the cost for demolition, permit fees, and increased cost for materials. 
• Locate or build special, customized areas and features

The benefit of having the correct reconstruction value of your home is to make sure that you are not over or under insured.   Having the correct value of your home will be beneficial at the time of a loss.

As the years go by, and the longer you live in your home, the more enhancements you tend to make. Many don’t realize that when enhancements are made they need to be reported to their insurance agent to keep there insurance value up to date.  If you have any questions on insurance home valuation please feel free to contact me!

One tool that we’ve found to be very helpful, and low cost, is a website called http://myfloodzone.com/flood-zone-determinations.htm.  It’s a great second opinion source and only costs $10.  Plus the firm guarantees the accuracy of their reports.

Turkey fryers are devices, resembling a large commercial coffee pot, that are filled with oil heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Turkeys are placed in this hot oil to fry the birds.  The big problem, though, is that people often fill the fryers too full of oil, and it overflows when the bird is placed inside. This cascading oil hits the heating flames below, causing an instant fire. In addition, the turkey fryers are often quite unstable and easy to tip over. Lastly, many of these fryers lack adequate thermostat controls. Thus, the units have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of combustion. For these reasons, UL does not certify any turkey fryers with its trusted UL mark.

UL and other safety organizations strongly urge people to discard their existing turkey fryers. But for those people who insist on using their turkey fryers, UL offers the following tips:

• Always use turkey fryers outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other burnable materials.
• Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in garages.
• Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce the chance of accidental tipping.
• Never leave the fryer unattended since most units lack proper thermostat controls. If people do not watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use. Even after use, never allow children or pets close to the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot for hours after use.
• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer. Test it beforehand with water.
• Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect eyes from oil splatter.
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby.