homeowners insurance

12 Jun

Posted at 18:03h in homeowners insurance
0 Likes

Summer means boats. It means the cool relief of sea spray on your skin and the particular taste and smell of saltwater in the air.

At least, that’s what it means for those of us in the Northeast.

And just as you’d never think of heading out onto the water without a lifejacket, you should never set sail without the proper coverage for your watercraft.

Unfortunately, many boat owners assume their sailboats, motorboats and jet skis are covered under their homeowner’s insurance policies.

This is a mistake.

Many homeowners’ insurance policies have a watercraft exclusion, depending on the size of the boat, and whether or not it has a motor. Boaters should absolutely consult their policies to understand what is covered – and what isn’t.

Supplemental boaters’ insurance coverage is available. Townsend Insurance Group can help.  Call us at 978.720.8005

12 Jun

Posted at 18:01h in homeowners insurance, pool insurance
1 Like

A quick dip in your backyard pool can take the edge off a summer heat wave as fast as you can say, “cannonball!”

But just as quickly, your summer dreams can turn into nightmares when one of your guests gets injured poolside. Unfortunately, on average, 45,000 people are injured in pool related incidents every year. Worse, 300 fatalities occur annually due to drowning.

If you’re like many homeowners, you might think you’re already covered for such circumstances. But in fact, your homeowners’ policy might only provide partial coverage. For instance, the typical insurance policy pays out $100,000 for a civil claim.

But you can increase your coverage for very little extra out of pocket. A stand-alone umbrella policy for homeowners with pools can offer around one million dollars in payout damages in the event claims are made against you and your family.

Why take the risk?

Make sure you and your family is insured against unforeseen and unfortunate pool related accidents, so that you can spend your summers worry-free, exactly as they’re meant to be.

978.720.8005

26 Mar

Posted at 22:26h in homeowners insurance
0 Likes

Immediately after we posted the first Blog Post concerning flood I received a question from Cathy in Peabody. Cathy asked.

“I had huge ice dams’ form on my roof this winter and I have damages to my kitchen wall and my family room from the water that came in. Is this flooding?”

The quick answer is, “No it is not flooding, it is water damage”.

But, more importantly let’s talk about how your homeowners policy might respond. Let me start by defining Water Damage as it appears in most homeowners’ policies. I realize that when someone talks flood or water damage both terms sound very much alike.

Flood is defines as a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow. Flood is excluded and you must buy a separate policy.

Water Damage is defined as sudden and accidental water damage. Water damage insurance does not cover damage resulting from homeowner’s negligence or failure to maintain home repairs.

What the heck does the mean? Spontaneous exploding appliances, like a water heater or broken pipes or hoses in a washing machine or a dish washer.  Broken pipes as a result of freezing as long as the house is occupied.  A heavy rain soaks through the roof, or freezing and thawing creates ice dams just like this winter, allowing water to drip through your attic or ceiling. Cathy your homeowners’ policy will respond to the water damages in your home.

So if a pipe bursts and results in water escaping ruining the sheetrock in the room below it is covered. If you have a slow leak that you should have fixed but did not get around to it. That is maintenance and the damage is not covered.

One important issue to consider is that water damage can cause the growth of mold which often times does more damage than the leak itself. These claims need to be dealt with rapidly so that no health risks to your family result.

Townsend Insurance are here to help you understand and make informed choices. Call our office to speak to a Personal Insurance Advisor. 978-720-8005

Follow our guidance, Experience our care.

26 Mar

Posted at 22:26h in homeowners insurance
0 Likes

I’m sitting here on the front porch, in the sun. Oh finally a glorious day that brings hope that we have made it through the long snowy winter.

But it gets me contemplating, “what’s next?”

The massive amounts of snow may lead to flooding, add to that spring rains and we could be in for real some major flooding problems this spring. The worst part is most likely your homeowners’ policy excludes Floods. So we need to be aware, understand the potential damages and plan accordingly.

So I ask the obvious question what is a flood. I turned to Google for the answer.

What is a Flood?

OK at first this may seem like one of those “Duh?” questions, however the National Flood Insurance Program has established a legal definition for a flood as follows:

A flood is a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow.

Most of us think that we need to live next to the ocean or a river to experience a flood but the important point is, anywhere it rains it can flood.

The National Flood Insurance Program is the source for the great majority of flood insurance. Call our office and we will gladly explain the coverage, costs and we’ll help you get into the program.  978-720-8005

Follow our Guidance, Experience our Care.