Straight to the Source
When you have a question, it’s always good to go straight to the source, for example if you want to know who let the dogs out, it’s best to ask the Baha Men. For us at McCabe Construction, that means going to some of our valued agents to ask what would be the best advice a homeowner needs to know when it comes to insuring their home.
We are lucky to get to work with not only extremely talented and hard-working agents, but ones who take time out of their day to chat with us about their clients and how they think would help them in the process of insuring their home, as well as the mistakes that they may unintentionally make.
Firstly,
When choosing homeowners insurance, what should you look for?
“Be careful to understand the policy you are purchasing. They are NOT all alike. And no one wants to find out at claim time that they didn’t realize something wasn’t covered, or didn’t have enough coverage. Make sure to review your coverage’s often with your agent. Like once every year or every other! You get what you pay for and is not always about premium. It doesn’t matter until is matters!” – Alisha Dumas (State Farm, Germantown)
“It doesn’t matter until it matters!”- Alisha Dumas
What to expect in the event of a claim
“Contact your agent immediately and they will advise of what steps to take.”- Alisha Dumas
More often than not, we find that people who just call the 800 number on their policy and make a claim from the get-go, sometimes didn’t need to make a claim, from the damage cost being under or just above their deductible. It’s important that you remember why you have an agent in your town that can help look at what is going on and make suggestions to make the process run as smoothly as possible as well as keep an unnecessary claim off your record.
What to expect from the contractor, your agent, and what you are responsible for:
“As the homeowner make sure that you do any temporary repairs and any necessary actions to prevent further damages, and contact your agent immediately. Your agent will help you file the claim and answer any questions you may have.” -Alisha Dumas
“Having a local agent has its benefits, especially when it comes to handling claims. The input that is received from a trusted contractor and an agent can help the customer make a sound decision on whether to find a claim or not or help to determine if the situation is even claim worthy. I see far too many customers with unnecessary losses on their loss history reports because they called the 800 number with a question and it was listed as a loss even though they later decided not to file a claim. Also, no one wins when claims are filed that are below or close to the deductible”- Kevin White (State Farm, East Memphis)
Mr. White makes an excellent point, being that having a local agent is pointless if you don’t reach out to them when you need them. They are equipped to help you make the right steps in the event of a disaster, whether that means avoiding making an unnecessary claim, or helping you choose the right contractor for the job.
We may not know where Cotton- Eyed Joe came from, or where he went, but we were able to uncover some useful information in the world of homeowners insurance. Thank you so much to the agents that helped provide wisdom for this piece!