5 Insurance Tips For Your New Digs

Name: Alta Vista Insurance Agency
Address: 2585 Pio Pico Dr Suite 100, Carlsbad, CA, 92008
Telephone: 888-724-2124

Posted on June 26, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Your property insurance specialist, Raymond, has the answers to 5 key questions for those seeking to best protect their lifestyle by insuring their home.

(Psst…If you like the looks of Raymond and would rather watch the

video version of this article, click the button!)

Watch the Video!

1. Okay, Raymond, what is covered by a California Homeowner’s Policy?

Your standard homeowner’s insurance policy will cover you for catastrophic losses and sudden and accidental occurrences. Some examples would be wildfire, lightning, or if a pipe bursts in the home.

2. What is not covered?

Among other things, earthquakes and floods are not covered. These require a separate policy. Ask your insurance agent about getting coverage for these unusual circumstances today.

3. How much coverage do I need?

On your standard homeowner’s insurance policy, you are insured for the reconstruction cost of your home, not for the market value of the home or land. Need more coverage? Talk with your insurance agency today to discuss options.

4. What about my contents?

Contents are covered on a standard homeowner’s insurance policy but check with your agent to ensure you’re covered for the replacement cost of your dwelling and contents. Fortunately for the insured, no depreciation is considered in the replacement of contents. Let’s say you purchased a couch ten years ago. You will be insured for the replacement of a couch of the same original value without depreciation.

What about my high value items?

For high value items like jewelry, fur, art, etc. there are sub limits on the insurance policy. You will need to add Scheduled Personal Property to your policy. Scheduled personal property is an additional insurance policy for valuable items. Scheduling requires an appraisal. Schedule those to ensure the meaningful items in your home are fully protected.

5. In the event of legal trouble, am I covered?

…

Watch our video to learn more!

Some of the things you can learn in the video are:

How to get the absolute best insurance agent taking care of you and your home
The complete list of top insurance need-to-knows when buying a new home in California
- including answers to questions like: “In the event of legal trouble, am I covered?”

…and a few more insightful tips from our expert.

Click for clarity on one of the most important aspects of owning and taking care of a home.

Watch The Video!

Expert Advice on Life Insurance

Posted on June 12, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Life happens, and often at the most inconvenient time.

Most clients I speak with don’t know where to start when it comes to life insurance. They think it will be a difficult and scary process.

As someone very familiar with the matter, I can assure you, having a policy provides peace of mind and is easier than you might think.

There are two different types of policies:

Term Life Insurance (lasts 10, 20, or 30 years)
Universal (permanent) Life Insurance.

Most clients I speak to are interested in term life insurance because this is a policy which will typically get them to retirement or will cover them until the kids are out of the house and/or the mortgage is paid off.

When speaking to new clients about life insurance, here are a couple of things I ask them to think about:

Think about your mortgage, car payments, and bills, etc. What would it cost to keep your family just as they are now financially if something were to happen?
Do you want a plan you can put into place and not think about again? Or do you want a plan that offers things such as benefits for critical, chronic or terminal illness?

After getting a sense of what you want to protect we can then look at products and an application.

Putting a policy in place can protect your assets and loved ones. With a trusted insurance adviser to help you through the process, your life insurance fears can be dealt with, potentially providing a well-planned solution at a time when the unexpected happens and you can’t be there.

Call me today at 888.724.2124 or Get a Quote Here!

Get Started

Home Insurance when purchasing a property

Posted on June 11, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Before purchasing a home, consider these variables as you reach the insurance inquiry stage.

1) Compare multiple insurance companies

Compare coverage, price and financial stability. You are not required to buy from a particular insurance company, however you want an insurance company that is stable and responsive when handling claims. Shop for value, not price. Customer service and ease of doing business are key when selecting an insurance company that is right for you.

Shop for value, not price.

2) Set up your payment out of Escrow, and use an Impound Account

If you’re like most homeowners, you’ll tack monthly insurance payments onto your mortgage check. The lender will pay your insurance premiums (usually your property taxes, too) out of your escrow account. Lenders prefer this option because it lets them know your insurance premiums are being paid, and their investment is well protected. Most likely, you’ll need to pay for one year of insurance at closing. Bring information about the insurance policy you have chosen and the money to cover the first year’s premium. For all cash purchases you are not required to provide insurance for the closing but it’s a good idea to purchase home insurance for peace of mind.

Most likely, you’ll need to pay for one year of insurance at closing, as lenders prefer this option.

3) Look at Bundling and Saving

Consider buying your homeowners and auto coverage from the same company for as much as a 30% savings. Discounts are also available if you add more policies, like a motorcycle, watercraft, or personal umbrella. If you experience a significant loss, like a fire or storm, that is covered by your homeowner policy and have other policies that are affected, like an auto or motorcycle, the carrier may waive all deductibles after the home policy deductible is paid. Contact us and we can conduct a needs-based analysis to identify your possible exposures and ways you can maximize your insurance protection while reducing your out of pocket expenses.

We’re the key to making your real estate transactions run smoothly!

Posted on May 30, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Real estate agents have a lot of contacts.

Normally, they refer their clients to a preferred mortgage adviser. They also have a preferred escrow company representative they use for all of their transactions. Same goes for the home warranty company and the title insurance representative. One thing missing from a lot of real estate advisers’ business plan, however, is an insurance adviser.

By incorporating an independent insurance adviser into their business plan, real estate agents can close more transactions throughout the year.

Also, they can ensure those transactions run smoothly and efficiently so their clients are able to close escrow on time and have a pleasant experience through the buying process.

Real estate agents sell more than property; they sell lifestyles.

By incorporating home warranty, escrow, mortgage, and insurance into an integrated business plan, real estate agents can offer their clients the concierge-level service they expect.

At Alta Vista Insurance Agency, we specialize in real estate transactions. We’re focused on the actual transaction and understand the deadlines and the challenges that need to be overcome to help the client close escrow successfully. Along with the mortgage company and the escrow company, we all work together as a cohesive unit behind the scenes for the real estate agent to make sure their clients go through escrow smoothly and efficiently, and that they’re satisfied with the level of service they receive.

Go to our website today to get started in our real estate process where you and your client gain access to a FREE CLUE© report, and we ensure you’re getting the lowest rate and highest quality service.

Real Estate Agents, Click Here!

Do You Run a Business? Here’s a Bright Idea

Posted on May 25, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) – A Bright Idea

Commercial property insurance is designed to insure commercial property owners from a potential covered loss. Many business owners purchase commercial building coverage as part of their Business Owners Policy. The Business Owners Policy is a robust policy offering many coverages under one policy.

Depending on the terms of your policy, some of the coverage offered by a “BOP” are the following:

Fire coverage for the covered building and contents scheduled on the policy.
Water damage to the building and contents in case of a flood or broken pipe.
Lightning/storm which damages an outdoor sign
Inventory
Loss of business income due to a covered peril
Sounding good so far? There’s more!
…
Liability coverage in the event of a covered law suit
Data Breach coverage in the event confidential information is obtained by a hacker. Make sure to read the exclusions of this coverage as there can be limitations.
Employment Practice Liability coverage can be included to protect an employer from a claim made by employees alleging discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, etc.
Hired & Non-Owned coverage provides coverage to employees driving on the job. This coverage will pick up the additional cost that may be inquired after using the employees personal auto policy.

As a business owner, if you are unsure of what’s covered on your current policy reach out to your agent and review your coverage. There may be gaps that could cost you a fortune.

Fortunately, you’ve got us. At Alta Vista Insurance, we work to help your business reach new heights.

Call today at (888) 724-2124 to see whether you might be vulnerable to a loss or click to get a quote!

Click to Get a Quote!

Check out our partner spotlight in San Diego Real Producers Magazine!

Posted on May 9, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

In April our agency was featured in San Diego Real Producers Magazine as their partner spotlight. It was a lot of fun! The article gave us a chance to tell our story. We are so gracious for the opportunity to work with some of the top producers in the real estate industry helping them reach new heights with their businesses! Huge thanks to Jessie Wright, Zach Cohen, and Sterling Photo.

For those of you that didn’t get a chance to see our article in San Diego Real Producers Magazine, here is a link to the full article San Diego Real Producers Magazine Partner Spotlight.

“We’re taking a different approach when it comes to insurance… fully embedding ourselves in the real estate industry so we can help our partners.”

“Our marketing message to business partners is ‘let us show you ways that we as an agency can help grow your business and close your transactions. By adding us to your affiliate network, we’re going to be able to help you get more opportunities.”

“We’ve taken on a slogan, ‘Helping You Reach New Heights.’”

By shifting the focal point to how he can help our partners achieve their own business goals and build their customer relationships, Seth has helped Alta Vista Insurance build their referral network, leverage more consistent business relationships and continue to grow. As Seth explains,

“it’s not about us. It’s about how we can help you.”

Looking to find out how we can help you protect and grow your real estate business?

Learn how we can bring massive value to your brand.

Build Your Brand

What’s Under the Umbrella?

Posted on April 6, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

What’s Under the Umbrella? ☂

Of course, you don’t need to insure your umbrella.

But umbrella insurance will provide another protective layer over your personal assets. Not only that, it may even cover some things that car and homeowners insurance policies don’t protect you against. If you’ve got a lot to lose, this kind of coverage may be the most affordable way to protect yourself.

1. Extra Liability Insurance
  Liability limits on typical home and auto policies are fairly modest when compared to the value of new homes and cars. Clients can purchase umbrella insurance in increments for the right amount of extra protection at the right price.

1. Legal Defense
  You have a legal right to defend yourself against claims of injury or loss, but lawyers are expensive. Not only will umbrella insurance help you pay claims, it can help pay for legal defense.

Extra Coverage
Some umbrella insurance policies can get modified to cover more unusual risks that are not typically mentioned in an ordinary policy like personal injury or wrongful eviction.

What You Need to Know

When considering an umbrella, it’s important to understand how much coverage you currently have. In order to qualify for an umbrella policy, your auto insurance liability limits need to be a minimum of $250,000 per individual/$500,000 per occurrence. If you own or rent a property, your premises liability needs to be $500,000.

Investment properties, watercrafts, recreational vehicles and even a structure like a pool are all additional exposures If you have assets like these you should consider purchasing a personal liability umbrella.

Your house, retirement fund, and other assets could be vulnerable to a liability claim.

Get a Quote!

Have You Got Holes In Your Pockets?

Posted on March 27, 2018January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

How much money have you walked by in the last twenty years?

To answer that question, Brian Hershburg took on an unusual experiment: he spent 20 years saving each coin he found on the street.

The result?

$971.65 in coins and paper currency amassed in peripheral batches. (full article here)

Considering his method of passively saving, one might be convinced of the profitability of setting money aside, even just a very, very little at a time.

To further emphasize this, in 2014, TSA reported a forgotten coin count of $675,000, and in 2016, Coventa Holding Corp estimated that Americans accidentally dispose of $62 million in change.

These stories relate ONE striking takeaway: accumulation can be powerful.

If you don’t feel like scouting the avenues for spare change, there are other clever way to save poco a poco.

For example:

Automate your savings.
Find an independent insurance agency. They do not have loyalty to a single company and can find you the best insurance options for you. Find out why you want an independent insurance agency, like us (hey oh!), in this article by Dave Ramsey’s team.
Plan your meals BEFORE going to the grocery store. (Putting this one into effect in my own life to avoid overestimating my need for Oreos and onions)
Pack your lunch — buying a $7.50 lunch just twice a week costs you an unnecessary $800 a year.
Take full advantage of your company’s 401k match program. It is free money, folks!
Start investing in a ROTH IRA today for tax-free retirement
Opt for the matinee instead of the Friday night movie.
Pay for everything in cash. Save the change and fill a jar with all the coins you get back.

Are holes in your pockets costing you the chance to pursue opportunity and prepare for your future? Let us patch one hole in your pocket.

Alta Vista Insurance Agency helps people like you succeed in your favorite pursuits by providing you with the best valued insurance policies, tailored directly to your needs.

Take heed of the positive power of accumulation. Let us help you find where we could save you cash and coin today.

Call or email us now! 1-888-724-2124; sales@altavistainsurance.com

Commercial Property Insurance

Posted on September 4, 2017January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Commercial property insurance could well be one of the most important coverages you buy when it comes to protecting the future of your business. But to fully enjoy its benefits, you have to understand the parameters of the coverage. How does this differ from other business insurance solutions?

Commercial property insurance is designed to protect:

Your building or office
Your inventory
Any outdoor signage
Landscaping and fencing
Additional structures

Alta Vista Insurance stands ready to help you and your business thrive. To learn more about the details, rates, and exclusions of Commercial Property Insurance, feel free to speak to any of our knowledgeable agents today.

Apartment Building Insurance

Posted on September 3, 2017January 12, 2021 by Seth Arruda

Apartment buildings and rental units face unique risk exposures that have to be carefully weighed, especially in light of what kind of rental income they produce, and the kinds of tenants involved.

This is not the kind of coverage you can hope will be addressed by a cookie-cutter policy. In fact, there are a number of factors that should influence the kind of coverage you opt for, including: