Elzey Insurance

Believe it or not, some of the most devastating disasters are not covered by the standard homeowners insurance policy. Damage from a flood or earthquake is not covered unless paid for with an extra premium.  Most people think of rising streams, rivers, lakes and oceans when they think of flood. But 67% of all flood claims are caused by a large amount of rainfall in a short time period that causes standing groundwater to infiltrate your house.  Did you know that an inch of water can cause property damage, and that two feet can whisk your car away?

Unfortunately, in the last few years too many people have learned the value of flood insurance. Think that you don’t need it?  Recall the insane bout of rain that we had just two weeks ago, and the flooding caused by hurricane Ike!  If you are a new homeowner, you can be sure that flood insurance is a wise investment.

Texas and Louisiana have some strange quirks about flood insurance.  Depending on where you live, there may be other factors that impact which type of flood insurance you can obtain:

• If your property is located in a Texas coastal county or parts of Harris County, you may only be able to obtain windstorm coverage from a special insurance pool called the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.
• If your property is located in a Louisiana coastal parish or other inland parishes, you may only be able to obtain windstorm coverage from a special insurance pool called the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
• Certain Gulf Coast residents may have to buy flood insurance before they are even eligible for a Texas Windstorm Insurance Association policy or a Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Policy.
• Certain structures may have to be inspected by a Texas Department of Insurance approved engineer or by a Louisiana Citizens Property approved inspector.

As you see, there are some quirks in the insurance performance and availability regarding flood insurance requirements for where you live.  Elzey Insurance has been family owned and Texas-based for over 25 years.  You can get a free quote from us by visiting our Flood Insurance page.   We know and understand the area, especially the flood insurance requirements.  That’s why we will personally contact you after we produce your quote!  Fill out the free quote form, or give us a call at 281-998-2500 if you have any questions!

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The changes between different policies can between different agents within a company.  Insurance agents are under intense pressure to make sales. One way an agent can keep the price down is aim low in valuing houses. The goal, they say, is to keep premiums down to keep customers from going to competitors, and sometimes even a few dollars can make a difference.

Sadly, many agents are just plain lazy! Too lazy to gather all the necessary information to accurately determine the cost to rebuild a home. Here are a few shortcut’s that they take:

Performing a “Quick Quote”
A “quick quote” is exactly what it sounds like.  An agent will look up the industry average of your home to determine the replacement cost.  This isn’t all bad,and is probably a good starting point.  However, there isn’t anything “quick” about unique home improvements such as landscaping the backyard or redesigning the bathroom. These things raise the value of your house, and a good insurance agent knows it takes time to include all of the small things contributing to an accurate home value.

Using Incorrect Square Footage
The square footage in a home is the single most important part in determining the cost to rebuild. The square footage is based on outside measurements. Many agents will obtain this figure from real estate listings that use inside measurements.  If this is how your insurance agent gets your square footage, be sure to inform them that the actual numbers are incorrect.

Using the Purchase Price or Mortgage Amount
Mortgage lenders often require insurance coverage based on the purchase price. But, the cost of rebuilding a home often differs significantly from the purchase price or market value as discussed in Part 2 of the Under-Insured blogs.

These are 3 tricks that you are now aware of about insurance agents. If you think that your insurance company has used any of these when determining your homeowners premium, call an Elzey Insurance agent at 281-998-2500 to see if your home is properly covered, or if you can save money on your current coverage.

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Generally, insurance agents complete a replacement cost estimator to determine how much money rebuilding your home would cost. However, the calculations have been done incorrectly!  Most insurance companies were estimating the cost of building a new home. However, due to the current nature of home construction, home building costs could vary dramatically from rebuilding a home after an insured loss.

When a new subdivision is being built, the developer realizes some economies of scale. Contractors can work their way down the street working on one house after another. If one house isn’t ready, they can move on to the one next door. When an insurance company is rebuilding a home, it is similar to building a custom home. Construction delays are routine while one contractor waits for another to complete his job. These delays could come out of YOUR pocket, so be sure to ask questions about the replacement cost of your home, and don’t just accept the initial building cost.

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So here’s a question to consider. Suppose your home is suddenly destroyed by a disaster, like a wildfire, hurricane, tornado,  flood, windstorm, lightning, explosion or any other type disaster!  How confident are you that your home would be rebuilt, your belongings would be replaced, and the ONLY EXPENSE you would have is your deductible?

Most insurance companies insist YOU take responsibility for purchasing adequate coverage!  The insurance gap has been worsened by the nationwide housing boom that has rapidly driven up the cost of lumber, bricks, cement and other construction materials.  And locally, rebuilding costs have soared even higher due to the recent wildfires and Hurricanes Ike and Katrina.  What if your home is one of many which will be more expensive to replace?

Throughout the remainder of January, we will visit a series of reasons why YOUR home may be ‘under-insured’.  These will be individual observations, which together could culminate in a substantial deficiency in your homeowner’s insurance.  This deficiency will come out of YOUR pocket if you have to file a claim!  Do not let a natural disaster catch you by surprise.  Be prepared!  Call Elzey Insurance at 281-998-2500 to make sure that YOUR home is completely insured!

Insure with us today, be sure of tomorrow!

In light of the drought we have had recently, it is good to finally see some rain hitting the Houston area.   The dust is being washed away, cars are getting clean, trees get a nice drink, and the grass just might be green again!  While this deluge is welcome, the flash floods accompanying it are not.  Here are some flood safety tips to make this splurge of rain as painless as possible:

Do Not Walk Through Flowing Water
Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths. Most drowning occur during flash floods. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. Use a pole or stick to make sure that the ground is still there before you go through an area where the water is not flowing.

Do Not Drive Through a Flooded Area
Most people drown in their cars than anywhere else. Don’t drive around road barriers; the road or bridge may be washed out.

Stay Away From Power Lines and Electrical Wires
Electrocution is also a major killer in floods. Electrical current can travel through water. Report downed power lines to your utility company or local emergency manager.

Turn Off Your Electricity When You Return Home
Some appliances, such as television sets, can shock you even after they have been unplugged. Don’t use appliances or motors that have gotten wet unless they have been taken apart, cleaned, and dried.

Watch for Animals, Especially Snakes
Small animals that have been flooded out of their homes may seek shelter in yours. Use a pole or stick to poke and turn items over and scare away small animals.

Look Before You Step
After a flood, the ground and floors are covered with debris including broken bottles and nails. Floors and stairs that have been covered with mud can be very slippery.

Be Alert for Gas Leaks
Use a flashlight to inspect for damage. Don’t smoke or use candles, lanterns, or open flames unless you are sure that the gas has been turned off and the area has been aired out.

Carbon Monoxide Exhaust Kills
Use a generator or other gasoline-powered machine outdoors. The same goes for camping stoves. Fumes from charcoal are especially deadly — cook with charcoal only outdoors.

Clean Everything That Gets Wet
Floodwaters have picked up sewage and chemicals from roads, farms, factories, and storage buildings. Spoiled food and flooded cosmetics and medicines are health hazards. When in doubt, throw them out.

Take Good Care of Yourself
Recovering from a flood is a big job. It is tough on both the body and the spirit. And the effects a disaster has on you and your family may last a long time. Learn how to recognize and care for anxiety, stress, and fatigue.

Make Sure You Have Adequate Flood Insurance
Most homeowner’s insurance policies do NOT offer protection against flood losses. To find out if your homowner’s insurance policy covers this, call your insurance agent or Elzey Insurance to check or upgrade your current policy.

Now that you’ve taken the necessary precautions, why not grab some hot chocolate, a good book and settle down beside the window to enjoy the cozy afternoon?

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Wouldn’t it be nice if we could eliminate the need to worry about fire in the home?  To have fire-proof walls and floors would be great!  But in order to completely eliminate the risk, you would have to make most of your furniture out of steel, rock and glass.  Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants probably has the most fire-proof house in the world!  However, for you people who don’t live under a rock, go ahead and take some time to prepare your home in case of a fire.

If you have a two story house, consider the danger of a fire in the staircase leaving your loved ones trapped upstairs.  Now, the teenagers would probably be happy to jump off the roof into a big trampoline, but somehow the woman of the house probably wouldn’t enjoy that.  Just to be safe, purchase a fire ladder and store it in an easily accessible place.  The back of the garage behind a bunch of stuff does not count.

If a fire does happen, you need to know about it as quickly as possible.  The first step to this is to install fire alarms in all of the main rooms (bedrooms, kitchen, living room) and hallways.  If you purchased your alarms more than 10 years ago, you should probably replace them.  Hopefully, this alarm will allow you to find and smother any fire before it becomes too large.  It is also wise to place at least 1 carbon monoxide detector on your home, preferably close to the bedrooms. This will pick up any fumes from the furnace, vehicles or any other appliance which may endanger your home.

If snuffing the fire out is not an option, a fire extinguisher would come in handy.  BUT THINK BEFORE YOU BUY!  Don’t get a fire extinguisher unless you plan to take the time to use it, regularly replace it, and understand that you always need to call 911 BEFORE trying to be a hero.  And if you must be a hero, only use the extinguisher to take small fires.  Don’t go after a grizzly bear with a bow and arrow.  Bad things will happen.

Make a simple fire escape plan for your home.  Be sure to go over it with your children, especially the part about staying OUT of the house once you get out, and learning how to stop, drop and roll.

Last, but certainly not least, check your homeowners insurance to ensure that your fire coverage is adequate.  Losing your valuables to a fire is devastating, and finding out that you don’t have sufficient coverage to replace everything is even worse.

If you have any questions or concerns about your current coverage, Elzey Insurance is ready to answer them.  Whether you are insured with us or not, we want to make sure that you have the insurance that is right for you at the lowest possible price!  To request a free quote, call us at 281-998-2500 or fill out our Request A Quote form on our Facebook page!

Happy new year, and stay fire free!

Insure with us today, be sure of tomorrow!

The presents are unwrapped, the decorations are being boxed up, and the Christmas tree is bare.  Rather than just throw the tree away or let it wither in the backyard, why not go green and allow your community to recycle your tree for you? Your local community already has a recycling program in place.  Many neighborhoods with automated garbage collection will recycle your tree on a designated “tree waste” pickup day,  and will remove your flock and artificial trees on a “junk” pickup day.  Local boy scout troops will often pick up your tree and dispose of it for you as well.

Aside from these, each county in the Houston area has a recycling program in place for live Christmas trees.   Each county has a different program that they use, with different drop-off locations and pickup options.  See below to find out how to dispose of your tree to help out your county!

Harris County
The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department has teamed up with Living Earth Techonologies to recycle Christmas trees into mulch.  There are many different drop-off locations throughout the Houston area.  Visit the Houston Christmas Tree Recycling site for complete drop-off locations, dates and hours.

Galveston County
Galveston county encourages its residents to compost their trees in the form of mulch.  The mulch will be used for spring landscaping around the county, and they could use a lot more!  To donate your tree to this cause,  you may drop it off at the City Recycling Center, 702 61st St. or the open-top Dumpster at the base of the UTMB water tower at Holiday and Harborside drives. The center will be closed January 1. For center drop-off information, contact Keith Ware at 409-789-1378. For UTMB drop-off information, contact Steblein at 409-747-2959. If you would prefer to have your tree picked up at your curb, contact Kevin Matthews at 409-741-6046.

Brazoria County
Brazoria county is fighting sand dune damage caused by hurricane Ike.  Every year, thousands of Christmas trees are staked in the sand to aid in the restoration of the sand dunes.  To donate your tree to this cause, you may drop your tree off at the Stella Roberts Recycling Center at 5800 Magnolia Street.  They will be accepting trees from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Trees must be delivered by Jan. 7.  Trees can also be left at the main entrance of Surfside Beach or at any county precinct barn.

Montgomery County
Trees can be dropped at Montgomery County Recycling and Reuse Facility at 1122 Pruitt Road in Spring from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The facility is closed Saturday through Monday.  The Woodlands Waste Management Services will recycle undecorated live trees left on the curb on scheduled garbage collection days. For flock and artificial trees, pick up can be scheduled by calling 800-800-5804.

Fort Bend County
Curbside tree collection in Fort Bend County will occur on the regularly scheduled “green waste” day for those with automated garbage collection. Only undecorated live trees accepted (no flock or artificial trees).

No matter where you are, there is a place that you can take your tree to help out your community.  Don’t let your Christmas tree get thrown away!

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Christmas is almost here!  With the shopping winding down, take a look at the new things your family acquired this season.  Was it a new TV?  Perhaps a new washer and dryer for mom?  Or did you go all out and get that ‘someday’ gift that you’ve been wanting for years?  Regardless of the present, it is easy to forget that our new valuables are at risk.  December and January are the most popular months for homes to be broken into.  Even a home in a very safe neighborhood can become the target of a desperate thief.  If you are the victim of a burglary, will your new gifts by covered by your Personal Property Coverage?

Personal Property Coverage (or Contents Coverage) is a portion of your Homeowners insurance policy protecting your possessions within your home, such as electronics, appliances and furniture.  If disaster strikes and you are not covered, you may as well kiss your belongings goodbye.  Not all homeowners policies are created equal, so you may need to update your policy to protect your new valuables.  Elzey Insurance is here to help you figure out what works best for you, at the lowest possible price.   So why wait?  Call Elzey Insurance now for a FREE quote at 281-998-2500!

Make sure your presents are covered by more than just wrapping paper this holiday season!

Merry Christmas from Elzey Insurance!

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Christmas is only 5 days away and the shopping malls are more crowded than ever!  Did you know that the average American spends over $900 on Christmas each year?  This includes gifts, decor, festivities and food, but it is still a lot of money!  Giving gifts and spreading cheer brings so much joy, but it might not be worth it when you look at your credit card bill next month.  Here are a few simple tricks to minimize spending for your holiday season:

1. Make it yourself.  Everyone has some talent or gift which they can use to make gifts.  Whether it is painting, jewelry making, baking, carpentry or computer repair, you have an ability which other people appreciate.  Use this to make cheaper, more personal gifts than anything the store has to offer.  NOTE: If you have a talent that cannot be wrapped (like computer repair), give a certificate or note saying that the person may have this gift whenever they wish.
2. Do online research.  If you know exactly what someone wants, do not just zip to the store and buy it.  Take a few minutes to look it up online and see which store has the best deal.  You can often purchase that same item cheaper online and save time, gasoline and money.
3. Only bring as much money as you want to spend.  Leave the credit and debit cards at home.  Bring an envelope containing the exact amount you are willing to spend in cash.  You cannot possibly overspend and you will automatically shop more economically.
4. Search through the clearance section first.  If you walk into a store without a good idea of what you are looking for, head straight for the clearance section.  Every store has one!  The things in it are just as nice as the rest of the store.  Often, you can find everything you need by visiting this section in several different stores (and save up to 70% in the process).
5. Do not buy anything for yourself.  Keep in mind the names of the people you are shopping for.  After-Christmas sales start next week, and everything that you want for yourself will probably still be there.  Wait until the pressure is off and you know whether or not you can afford it.

Regardless of whether you are shopping for this coming Christmas or have already begun your shopping for next year, some of these techniques are sure to come in handy.  Spend well!

Merry Christmas from Elzey Insurance!

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A live Christmas tree is a joy to have in the home.  It is beautiful, pre-assembled, and it smells wonderful!   However, these innocent trees are a potential fire hazard in the home.  Did you know that live Christmas trees are responsible for 13 million dollars of property damage each year? If a live tree comes into contact with a spark, it can be fully engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds!  Don’t believe me?  Check out the Incredible Speed of a Live Christmas Tree Fire published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Here are a few safety tips to avoid this disaster in your home:

1.  Purchase the freshest tree possible.  The needles should be bright green and difficult to pluck.  If it is already shedding easily, it is not a good choice.
2.  Before putting the tree in the stand, cut off about 1/2 an inch from the bottom of the tree so that it can absorb water easily.
3.  Put the tree in a location far away from heat sources such as fireplaces, space heaters, candles, heat vents and even high-wattage lights.
4.  Use Christmas lights that have been testing for safety.  If you have any damaged or questionable light strands, throw them away.  Better to spend $10 on new lights than $10,000 on home repair.
5.  Keep it well watered!  Dry wood burns faster and hotter than wet wood, so make sure that your tree is never thirsty.
6.  Turn the Christmas tree lights off when you leave the house or go to bed.  In the unlikely event that your lights to cause a fire, you want to be there to minimize the damage.