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.

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Going On Vacation? 10 Tips To Prepare & Protect Your Home

Posted on May 8, 2018January 12, 2021 by admin

The season for a sunny vacation is on the way! If you plan on leaving your home unattended for more than 24 hours, consider these tips.

1) Turn off your water

This one only applies if you are not hiring a house sitter. We have heard many stories of our insureds coming home to two weeks of water build-up and months of rebuilding they need to start.

2) Stop newspaper delivery

A pile of yellowing newspapers on the doorstep is a movie cliché for a home that’s unoccupied. Stopping the newspaper when you leave town for a while is an easy detail to forget and one that will make you a sure target. If you’re still reading newsprint, make sure you stop service when you leave on vacation.

3) Keep eyes on your property

Even if you stop newspaper delivery and mail service, there are still some gotchas that can make it obvious that you’re not around. How about those fliers that peddlers leave on your doorknob, or those periodic yellow page book deliveries? Because you can’t plan for every contingency, have someone in the area check your house periodically. Whether it’s a neighbor or relative, nothing beats having a person check the premises every day or two while you’re gone. Hey, while they’re there, they can water the petunias.

4) Make your home look lived in

An occupied home looks lived in. Lights go on and off, and cars come and go. When you’re away, everything stops. To help create the illusion that the residence is still occupied, invest in timers that turn on the interior lights for a few hours every evening. If you can get a neighbor to take out your garbage and put the cans back after the garbage pickup, it’s another way to send the message that everything is proceeding normally at your house.

5) Keep landscape trimmed

If you’re a diligent homeowner who mows his lawn every week, and things start to look overgrown and neglected, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that you’re not around. If you plan on being away for an extended period of time, hire someone to take care of the landscaping chores in your absence.

6) Hire a house sitter

The best way to make sure your house is safe while you’re gone is to have someone you trust still living in it. You may be lucky enough to have a tidy and conscientious relative who’ll move in temporarily and water the plants, feed the pets and pick up the newspapers. If not, there are services you can use for house-sitting and pet-sitting while you’re away. This can be a pricey option, but it’s a solution that touches all the bases.

7) Don’t project your moves

Show some caution when you talk about your trip. Your blog isn’t the best place to announce that you’ll be away from home for a month. Being aware of who’s around when you discuss your trip in restaurants and even at work isn’t a great idea either. Make sure your children are discrete , too. No one is saying that you should be suspicious of everyone you meet, but even a chance remark has the potential to lead to unintended and unfortunate consequences. The less information you put out there, the less likely it is to reach the wrong ears and eyes.

8) Pull the plug on electronics

Disconnecting the power to some of your electronics, like your desktop computer, coffee pot and television can save you money while you’re gone and eliminate the worry that you’ve accidentally left them on by mistake. Turning off your garage door is also an effective way to keep thieves from opening it with a universal remote. Oh, and don’t leave a portable GPS in your car when you use long-term parking at the airport. It’ll alert thieves that you’re not home and give them a convenient map to your house.

9) Hold your mail

When you’re leaving for more than a couple of days, call your local post office to stop mail delivery until you get back. They can hold mail from three to 30 days. In many locations, you can even submit a stop mail request online. Just enter your address and stop and start dates. This is a free feature courtesy of your friendly United States Postal Service. #murica

10) Install added security features

Installing a home security system or even just exterior lights that run on timers is a good way to ramp up security around the old homestead and make your house safer whether you’re around or not. One of the nice things about these features is that they’re working when you’re awake, asleep, on vacation or hosting an outdoor barbecue. They fade into the background as far as you’re concerned, but still make your property less attractive to opportunistic thieves.

Do You Want To Save Time or Money? Pick Both!

Posted on April 17, 2018January 12, 2021 by admin

We live in a new world where everything is online. We can go to WebMD and self diagnose ourselves before we go to the doctor and get her professional opinion. How often are we convinced that we have some unthinkable disease thanks to our own research, only to find out it’s not as bad as we thought? Or when shopping for a new car, we read every online review study the stats before we finally go test drive the car. And we know more about the car than the salesman!

The same is true when shopping for a health insurance plan. The truth is, you know what is most important to you. Low monthly premium, low max out of pocket, brand name prescription drug coverage, generally everyone has a specific issue that is most important to them when shopping. When we are shopping we may log in to several sites, see the rates, compare to several other sites, try to get free ObamaCare online, (Which doesn’t exist for most of us) Finally we call an agent. And we may either know what we want, or at least know what questions we want answered. Sometimes though, just like when you were sure you had West Nile Virus, and it turned out to be the common cold or when you thought we wanted that sports car until youdrove it. You may be pleasantly surprised when you finally do speak to a knowledgeable insurance professional about our insurance. The truth is, there are hundreds of plans in multiple competitive markets. There are ways to get coverage even after open enrollment periods have closed. And the price, although high, is more affordable than a hospital stay without insurance. So save yourself some time, and call us to discuss your health insurance needs, wants, and budget. We offer on exchange plans as well as off exchange plans. Individual and Family based plans, as well as Small Business Group Plans. We look forward to saving you time and money.

Why not choose both?

Click Here To Save Time AND Money

How Clean Is Your Pool?

Posted on April 17, 2018January 12, 2021 by admin

No, I’m not talking about your swimming pool.

I’m talking about your insurance pool. Insurance has become increasingly complicated. Many people do not understand why there are different rates on insurance. How can one insurance company offer substantially lower rates with better coverage than another? The answer can be found in how insurance pricing works. Insurance basically works by pooling risk. The pool you want to get in is the one where there have been the fewest claims, therefore allowing the company to offer lower prices, better coverage, and make a profit. On the surface it makes sense. But in practice it becomes somewhat difficult to accomplish. Do you call seven or eight companies that collectively spend billions of dollars on advertising? No great shock, the rates they offer are all about the same, they are competing for the same customers. The ones that respond to tireless advertising. But there are other pools, that are a little more private and particular about who they let in. It sounds like discrimination, and it is, but the insurance companies call it underwriting – so it’s legal. Many people ask why the insurance company wants so much information to offer a quote? Can’t the insurance company just look at my house and figure out how likely it is that I may file a claim? The answer is no! Surprisingly to many people, claims severity and frequency are more often a factor of the owner than the property. If you have a history of filing claims, you are more likely to file more claims in the future. If you have not, or do not file a claim, that too is also likely to continue. The same is true to credit scores and payments. People with better credit tend to pay their bills on time and file fewer claims than people with poor credit. Often times it is because when something needs repair, they repair it or replace it before it breaks and leaks and causes property damage. Likewise, they are more likely to have the trees trimmed, and therefore avoid having them fall on the house. Also by showing they are responsible and have good credit, it is likely that they are responsible in other areas and aspects of their lives. They probably remember to turn off the stove, lock the front door, have the chimney cleaned, and other risk avoidance behaviors that go hand in hand with being responsible. In other words, they keep their pool clean! Both the pool in the back yard, and the insurance company pool they put their risk in. And everybody enjoys a clean pool. If you are responsible, and you think you might like to save money on your home or auto insurance. I invite you to dip your toe in our pool, and see if you like the water better. We are an independent California Insurance agency, offering personal lines auto and home insurance to our clients. We specialize in finding the right fit for our customer, and making a good match to protect your assets from risk at an affordable price.

Buying a home in SoCal? Is your insurance agency dragging its feet?

Posted on April 17, 2018January 12, 2021 by admin

When you buy a home, so many services are needed: home inspection, pest control, escrow, and on and on. Sometimes home owner’s insurance gets pushed to the back of your mind, but it’s necessary in order to mortgage a home. Here in Southern California, home owner’s insurance has become especially tricky; the San Diego wildfires of 2008 have prompted some insurance companies to dramatically increased the premium and even consider some areas uninsurable. Some of the bigger agencies such as State Farm and Allstate are not issuing new policies in certain zip codes. And when you’re on a tight deadline, any delay in getting insurance can be extra costly. But some qualified, well-rated, albeit smaller insurance companies are willing to work in these areas. Alta Vista Insurance Agency has built relationships with mortgage companies, escrow services, and real estate brokers here in our community to help home buyers achieve a successful close of escrow. If you’ve discovered that your insurance provider won’t produce a certificate of insurance in a timely manner, call us–we will get it done. When the timeline is tight and you’re looking to close, we do what it takes to get you what you need. Learn more »

Contents Insurance

Posted on April 17, 2018January 12, 2021 by admin

Many homeowners wonder if their homeowners insurance covers contents. Our answer is yes! As a part of your homeowners insurance, your policy provides protection for all of your personal property and contents. Your Kemper policy also has replacement cost on your contents, which is very important. This insures all of your belongings for full replacement value than the depreciated value of the items. If you have any target items such as jewelry, artwork, antiques, etc. these particular items should be added as scheduled personal property. We can always add coverage to the policy. Contact us if you have any questions!

Offering a variety of solutions for Southern California’s diverse needs

Posted on April 17, 2018January 12, 2021 by admin

At Morgan Hege Insurance, we know Southern California real estate. One of the major concerns here is fire hazards. Most of the regions in the Southern California are in a high or high brush area, and that poses several challenges when it comes to insurance, especially since insurance has recently become a more important part of the real estate transaction than it used to be. Recent changes have made the insurability of a property one of the most important things when it comes to ownership. Agents and insurers must be aware of brush hazards and certain additional hazards in low-lying areas. Morgan Hege Insurance assists agents by providing them with not only our knowledge and expertise in regard to doing specific underwriting—we will work with agents and their clients to provide them with the proper policy they need for the property. We are a full service, independent brokerage. We work with most of the top companies here in Southern California, so we can provide clients with the best coverage and also find them the best rate for their premium dollar. We also have the ability to find the carrier that has the proper coverage to fit areas with very specific challenges, like high brush or mountain hazards. We can accommodate luxury homes and elegant homes, and we also have other specialty markets for properties in farm areas or with prior loss history. Working with Morgan Hege Insurance gives you the advantage of our expertise in real estate transactions. We have the available markets to offer clients a variety of solutions for to cover all types of risks and lifestyles found in Southern California.

Health Insurance Reform and You

Posted on April 17, 2018January 12, 2021 by admin

http://youtu.be/o1iMkH-E4NY

Shopping for health insurance has gotten complicated lately. With the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, there are more plans and more choices than ever. There are many things to consider. 1) How much Tax Credit Do I qualify for?

2) What is the Individual mandate?

3) and what are the tax penalties for opting out?

Besides the concerns above, you should also consider whether you should buy a plan through a State Exchange (Covered California)? How do you know what plan is the best plan for you? And biggest of all, how much is health insurance going to cost? Making an informed decision for you and your family’s has never been more important.

I invite you to Download my free special report Health insurance reform and You. “7 secrets to get the most out of Obama Care” You’ll be glad you did.

4 Common Misconceptions about Flood Insurance from Homeowners

Posted on April 13, 2018January 12, 2021 by Morgan Hege

4 Common Misconceptions about Flood Insurance from Homeowners

According to an article from Property Casualty 360, the amount of rain or snow falling from the top 1% of intense storms has increased in every region. Add to that the problem of antiquated infrastructures and sewer systems plus overbuilding and dwindling wet spaces, and the threat of flooding can affect anyone, anywhere. From 2008 to 2012, the average residential flood claim amounted to more than $38,000, according to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Yet most consumers don’t know what they can do to protect their homes and belongings against a flood event. Top misconceptions about Flood insurance

“I don’t have to worry about flooding because I don’t live near a body of water.”

Haven’t you been watching in the news about random flooding in places like Arizona and Nevada? Standard NFIP policies cover damage from overflow of inland or tidal water, unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source, and mid flow.

“I don’t qualify for government flood insurance because my property isn’t located in a flood plain.”

NFIP can provide coverage available to any homeowner, regardless of their location, through two separate client segments: standard and preferred (B, C and X zones), and high-risk locations (A and V zones). Carmody estimates that 25% of all flood claims come from preferred or standard locations.

“I can’t afford flood insurance.”

In NFIP’s standard and preferred areas, annual premiums can start as low as $415 a year for $250,000/$100,000 in coverage.

“I already have homeowners’ insurance, so I’m covered if my house floods.”

In the deluge of claims following Super-storm Sandy, many policyholders did not know that their homeowners’ coverage did not include flood. Let Alta Vista Insurance Agency walk you through the process of how a flood policy works. Although the standard homeowners’ policy does not cover overflow of inland or tidal waters, it does include coverage for damage from cracked pipes or other internal systems failure, he says. Additionally, sewer backup coverage is available by endorsement. See? There aren’t any more excuses to avoid flood insurance. Call us (888)724-2124 and we can work up a quote in minutes.