Southern California winds and fires...

It's that time of year again, high Santa Ana winds are back.  Wind damage is the second most common claim on a mobile home here in California.  Check your awnings and your roof to make sure you are prepared for mother nature.  Your homeowners policy should provide coverage for damage to your home or awning by wind.  It's a good idea to check your policy and deductible to make sure you are covered against wind or perhaps even a fire that these hot winds can promote.  We are always happy to assist at the Weibel Insurance agency, just visit our site or call for more information on homeowners insurance for mobile homes. 1(800)653-5565

The In-n-out of homeowner’s insurance

Every year around the same time I get a terrific little bill for Homeowners insurance in the mail.  With one eye open I take a peak at the premium for this coming year.  Shortly after that it’s time to locate the amount of coverage on my home.  I’m willing to bet my reaction is the same as yours ... “The value of my home has gone down and the insurance company wants more money” and boy am I excited to write them another check!

Now is a good time to contact your insurance agent to get the in-n-out on your mobile home policy.   Look for a comprehensive policy that will do the job at an affordable price.  Insurance policies are not all created equal and need to reviewed by you and your agent for maximum value.

First on our short list of things to look at on your homeowners policy should be the amount of coverage and the type of coverage you have.  As a rule replacement coverage means “new for old” and in the event of a total loss the goal is to buy you a brand new home and have it installed in your existing location.  Actual cash value (ACV) is subject to depreciation and other conditions at the time of loss, meaning you can’t be entirely sure of what you will get when you need it most.   The problem you can run into is not having enough coverage to pay the cost of the new home and being short of 80% of that cost at the time of loss.  If you are not within 80% of the actual replacement cost at the time of loss your coverage will fall to “ACV” or what used home around you are selling for and as we all know that can be a low number.   Hopefully you have replacement coverage instead of actual cash value (ACV) and enough coverage to do the job.  Your agent should do a “cost estimator” to be sure your coverage level is correct.

Next let’s focus on all of your “stuff”, that is to say all the things you have in your home.  We again need to look at replacement vs. ACV.  Without adding a replacement endorsement to your personal property all of your “stuff” is subject to depreciation.  Make sure the limit for personal property is enough, make sure you have replacement, and let your agent know about any unique items you want specific coverage on.  It’s a great idea to take a Sunday afternoon to catalog most of your stuff and take pictures.  If your home ever burns down you will be very glad you took the time to do this.   

We live in California and we’ve all heard how the big one is coming so let’s go over earthquake coverage.  The first consideration is obviously price.  A good agent will find you the best deal and try to combine your earthquake and homeowners insurance.   After the premium shock we need to understand what the limits are and what we can expect from the company.  You will find that your deductible will either be 10% or 15%.  This deductible applies to your home and your personal property and is a percentage of the amount of coverage.  Standard earthquake coverage will also reduce your personal property and loss of use to $5,000 and $1,500 respectively.  

The list of optional endorsements and coverage’s is long and I can’t possibly address them all this time.  Each company builds their homeowners policy slightly different and can requiring changes by your agent to make them worth their salt.  A good insurance term to remember is “HO-3” which essentially means a comprehensive form. 

The important thing is to have an agent that knows mobile homes and that will go the extra mile to stretch your hard earned dollars while not compromising the coverage you may depend on should that rainy day happen.  Call your agent and remember we are here to look out for you and to guide you to quality coverage at an affordable price.    

http://camobilehomeinsurance.com

Scott Wilson lic#oc53493

Weibel Insurance Agency Inc.

1(800) 653-5565

Sewer backup coverage?

Most homeowners insurance policies do NOT cover sewer back up and that's pretty stinky.  Make sure you take advantage of any optional endorsement available to you through your company.  If you find that this coverage is not offered, give us a call to get the options.

Weibel Insurance Agency
1(800) 653-5565

Fire or Earthquake?

Question: If we have an earthquake that causes damage to your mobile home, breaking a gas line creating a fire that burns down your mobile home, are you covered if you don't have earthquake coverage?

Answer: Yes, the proximate cause of the total loss would be fire, You would be covered for this loss even though you did not have earthquake coverage.

Insuring your mobile & Auto together!

Finally, we can combine excellent comprehensive homeowners on a mobile home with automobile coverage.  The discount is BIG and the coverage is provided by an A rated company right here in California.  Give us a call, we can get you real savings in under 10 minutes of your time.

1(800) 653-5565

Vacancy control saves your equity

Vacancy control means when you sell your mobile home in a park the buyer's increase in rent is capped at 10% above your current rent.  Park owners do not want any vacancy control to limit the amount of  profit they can charge the buyer of your mobile home.  According to Mobilehome magazine (March/April 2012): Your equity decreases $1000 for every $10 your rent increases.

Protect your home and your investment by knowing what is happening in your area and your park.

Scott Wilson
Weibelinsurance.com
1(800)653-5565

Retire with friends

It's no secret that retirement is better spent in a stress free environment amongst friends.  As I travel around California visiting senior mobile home parks it's easy to recognize the benefits of living in a well kept park with others of similar age and interests.  I don't think there is a better situation for those of us moving on in years than living in our own homes with close by neighbors that are also good friends.  I am proud to be insuring folks living the good life in mobile home parks around California.  If you know of a park like this, please let me know so I can drop by to say hello.

Scott Wilson
Weibel Insurance Agency Inc.
Weibelinsurance.com