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Auburn, WA 98002

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How natural disasters are covered in a home insurance policy.

Many consumers understand that a standard home insurance policy covers perils such as fire, windstorm damage, lightning, and hail damage. However, damage related to natural disasters can be somewhat confusing. At Alpine Ridge Insurance in Auburn, WA, we’re here to help clarify what is covered in your home policy regarding natural disasters.

What qualifies as a natural disaster?

The state of Washington is no stranger to natural disasters. If you have lived in the state for any length of time, you have likely experienced or seen weather reports of earthquakes, flooding, landslides, wildfires, volcanoes, droughts, heat waves, winter storms, and other severe storms. With climate change happening worldwide, the chances of these disasters occurring in Washington are expected to increase.

What natural disasters can be covered by a homeowners policy?

Now that we have explained what constitutes a natural disaster, let’s discuss which incidents are covered by a homeowner’s insurance policy.

  • Earthquakes: They are not covered by a standard home insurance policy, but you can add them to your standard policy for an additional cost. Washington experiences over a thousand earthquakes a year, so it may be a coverage you’d like to discuss with our licensed agents.
  • Floods: Another coverage not covered on a standard home insurance policy but has caused more damage in the state than any other natural disaster. However, it can be added to your policy for an additional fee. It can also be written to include flooding due to a tsunami.
  • Wildfires: Covered and treated as a fire on a standard policy.
  • Winter Storms: A standard home policy typically covers damage related to the weight of ice and snow on rooftops.
  • Landslides: Can be added as a rider on your home insurance policy.
  • Volcanoes: Mostly covered on a standard home insurance policy with a few exceptions. Talk to our licensed agent for a complete list of exclusions.

For more information about Home Insurance in Washington

We understand that you want to make sure your home is covered in case of a natural disaster. We are here to help. For more information about protecting your home from the unthinkable, call Alpine Ridge Insurance in Auburn, WA, at (253) 833-9501.

Does Home Insurance Cover Natural Disasters?

A natural disaster can damage a home’s structure and valuable personal belongings. Home insurance will cover the damage from some of these disasters but not all. Citizens of Auburn, WA should be aware of what a policy does and doesn’t include in order to procure sufficient coverage for their house and personal items.

Natural Disasters and Home Insurance Coverage

Generally speaking, home insurance covers damage caused by storms, tornadoes, explosions, fires, and extreme cold. Hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, on the other hand, aren’t covered under a typical home insurance policy. As Auburn, WA, is at high risk of earthquake damage and flooding is also a possibility, homeowners in the area will want to purchase coverage for these two natural disasters.

All forms of coverage will provide compensation for damage to the house and personal belongings. You may also be able to claim reimbursement for hotel bills if you can’t stay in your home while it’s being repaired. However, your insurance policies won’t cover exterior structures on your property, such as a detached garage, gazebo, pool, or fence, unless you’ve specifically purchased coverage for exterior structures. Insurance also won’t cover any vehicles on your property or personal belongings stored in the vehicles. You’ll need comprehensive auto insurance or an umbrella insurance policy for these.

Contact Alpine Ridge Insurance for Great Coverage Options

A home is a valuable asset that you’ll want to protect as much as possible. At Alpine Ridge Insurance, we offer the personalized advice and assistance you need to purchase the policies that offer maximum protection for your home and belongings. Get in touch with us to find out more about your options or to get a quote on the policy of your choice.

Paid Your Home Off? Learn Why Home Insurance Should Still Be a Must For Every Home Owner

The Importance of Home Insurance After Paying Off Your Home

Congratulations on reaching the milestone of fully paying off your home! This major achievement mirrors your financial soundness and dedication. Nevertheless, home insurance remains indispensable even without a mortgage. At Alpine Ridge Insurance, serving the greater Auburn, WA area, we emphasize the need for thorough home insurance coverage.

Guarding Against the Unexpected

Home insurance offers crucial protection against unforeseen calamities that can impose substantial financial strain. From natural disasters and accidents to crimes like burglary, unexpected events can inflict serious damage to your property. Having home insurance ensures you’re financially equipped to repair, rebuild, or replace your home and belongings if a covered loss occurs.

Liability Coverage for Peace of Mind

Alongside property protection, home insurance includes liability coverage, which safeguards you from potential liabilities. If someone gets injured on your property, you may have to foot their medical bills and legal costs. Home insurance helps alleviate these expenses, providing peace of mind and protection against potential lawsuits.

Safeguarding Your Personal Belongings

Your home is not just an edifice; it holds your treasured memories and valuable possessions. Home insurance extends protection to your belongings, including furniture, electronics, jewelry, and more. In cases of theft, vandalism, or damage following covered perils, your insurance policy aids in replacing or repairing your possessions, mitigating financial loss and disruption to your life.

We at Alpine Ridge Insurance, serving Auburn, WA, hold homeowners’ needs at heart. Our seasoned agents are ready to work closely with you to examine your insurance needs and customize a home insurance policy that delivers comprehensive coverage and peace of mind. Get in touch with us today to initiate this essential process.

Here’s How Home Insurance Can Protect Your Family

Home is where the heart is and where your family resides. If you own a house, you’ll want to make sure that it is covered by home insurance. In the event of a tragedy, such as a major storm damaging your house, insurance may help you recover. Keep in mind that the fine print is important and what is and isn’t covered can vary from policy to policy. If you’re looking for an insurance company that covers Auburn, WA, get in touch with Alpine Ridge Insurance.

Protecting Your Family and Wealth With Home Insurance

For many families, their home is their most valuable asset. Later in life, many homeowners will sell the home they raised their family in and then downsize, buying a smaller, cheaper home. This often nets the seller a profit, which can be used to help fund retirement. When someone passes away, their home may go to their children, who in turn can sell the property to pay for their children’s college education, their own retirement, or whatever else.

Unfortunately, many things can damage and destroy homes. Hurricanes and tornados are relatively common in some areas of the United States and can completely destroy houses and other properties. Electrical fires, earthquakes, lightning strikes, and many other things can damage or destroy homes. Criminal activities, such as break-ins, can also result in a lot of damage.

If a home is uninsured and damaged by a storm or other event, the homeowner will have to pay for all the repair and replacement costs him or herself. This means they could end up being out a lot of money, and they may have lost their most valuable asset, their house. If the home is insured, the family may receive compensation and assistance with rebuilding. This can safeguard your family’s property and wealth.

Schedule A Consultation Today

Looking for help with home insurance in or near Auburn, WA? Contact Alpine Ridge Insurance today.

What Every First-Time Buyer Needs to Know About Purchasing Home Insurance

Are you considering purchasing a home near or around the Auburn, WA area? The first time you buy a home can be an exhilarating yet nerve-wracking experience. It’s essential to protect one of life’s most significant investments. If you’re getting ready to become a first-time homeowner, this brief guide from Alpine Ridge Insurance will provide some good information to help make the process go smoothly.

Understand What Home Insurance Is

Even if you’ve owned several homes, you’re still not an expert on home insurance yet. It’s a package policy with different components that can be difficult to understand. It’s important to take time to ask an agent questions and know what each part covers. Every year you’ll review your homeowner’s insurance policy and make adjustments if necessary. Our experts help guide you through the process.

Home insurance is good financial protection should you have an unexpected loss from a natural disaster, vandalism, or other events out of your control. A home insurance policy does not include maintenance of appliances like an HVAC unit or roof.

Where You Live Matters

Your location in the country matters when making decisions about your home insurance policy. For instance, if you live in a coastal area, you’ll likely need to consider additional flood insurance. Anyone who lives in a part of the country where earthquakes are common should have earthquake insurance. These aspects are always carefully considered wherever you live. Auburn, WA can be prone to flooding, so you should plan accordingly.

Get An Estimate From Alpine Ridge Insurance

Is this your first time buying a home? We would love to guide you through the process. Get in touch with one of our experts today for professional help with home insurance.

How Home Insurance Protects You

Home insurance is an essential part of protecting your home and your finances. There are a lot of things that can happen to a home and what’s inside it, and this can result in very costly bills later as you try to get your home and possessions fixed or repaired. It’s important to always ensure that you have a home insurance policy on your home for your own protection. To find out more about these policies, call us at Alpine Ridge Insurance in Auburn, WA.

Protection for the Home

Your home is likely your largest investment, and it comes with a number of risks. There are many types of damaging incidents that can happen to a home that can leave it needing repairs. Those repairs can run in the 10s of thousands of dollars or more, and many people wouldn’t be able to come up with the amount needed to get their home back to normal. With home insurance, the policy would take care of those costs so that you can get your home back in order.

Protection for Your Possessions

When you have home insurance, it’s also helpful for getting your items replaced after you have had a damaging incident that ruins your possessions. These often represent your second-largest investment. Your possessions should be insured just like your home and vehicle are, and home insurance does this for you. It protects you against needing to replace a lot of items all at once because an event like a disaster ruins or destroys them.

It’s always smart to keep your home insurance policy in place to make sure you have this coverage. And, home insurance is required by virtually every mortgage lender. 

Reach Out To Us

When you want to know more about this important insurance, call us at Alpine Ridge Insurance in Auburn, WA.

Home Insurance 101: What’s Not Covered?

If you’re a homeowner in Auburn WA, you probably have home insurance. But what exactly does your home insurance cover? — what doesn’t it cover? Alpine Ridge Insurance has answers!

Home Insurance Exclusions

1. Pre-existing damage

Home insurance policies generally don’t cover damage that was present before you took out the policy. So, if your home already had some water damage in the basement before you bought your policy, don’t expect your insurer to foot the bill for repairs.

2. Maintenance and repair issues

Similarly, home insurance policies also typically exclude coverage for maintenance and repair issues. So, if a pipe bursts in your kitchen because you neglected to fix a leaky faucet, your home insurance policy probably won’t cover the resulting water damage.

3. Floods and earthquakes

Floods and earthquakes are two of the most common natural disasters in the United States—but they’re also two of the most excluded perils in home insurance policies. If you live in an area that’s susceptible to either one of these events, you’ll need to purchase a separate flood or earthquake insurance policy to be protected.

4. Termites and other pests

Termites and other pests are another common exclusion in home insurance policies. While some insurers offer limited coverage for termite damage, it’s typically only available as an add-on rider to your existing policy—and it generally comes with stringent limitations. As such, if you live in an area that’s prone to infestations, you may want to consider purchasing a separate pest control policy.

Contact Us Today

If you have any questions about what your Auburn, WA home insurance policy covers (or doesn’t cover), don’t hesitate to reach out to Alpine Ridge Insurance for clarification. If you need to make changes (like adding a rider or flood insurance), we are here for you.

How Often Should I Review My Home Insurance Policy?

At least once a year, you should assess all of your insurance needs. Contact your insurance agent or business representative if you undergo a significant life change since it may influence your insurance needs. 

You should also check your coverage after a large purchase or great life event, including getting married, purchasing a home, sending your child to college, or receiving an inheritance. Alpine Ridge Insurance in Auburn, WA is here for guidance. 

How Does Insurance Review Work? 

An insurance review is a comprehensive examination of your coverage, including the policies that protect your automobiles, home, family, and other possessions. Consider the help of an experienced agent to analyze your insurance coverages and benefit from their skills and knowledge. An agent knows many insurance products and may offer expert advice. They can guide on which coverages to apply for during a specific scenario. 

An insurance review may provide you peace of mind that your most valuable possessions (and family members) are sufficiently secured in a fire, theft, or severe weather disaster. If your agency determines that you are qualified for discounts or require less coverage than you had previously, a review might potentially decrease your insurance premiums. 

You Might Need an Insurance Review at Other Times

Aside from life events that may need an insurance review, there are occasions when you should contact your insurance agent to assess your coverage. Suppose you have expensive, high-value goods on your property or are making efforts to improve the safety of your home, such as installing an alarm system or updating your electrical system. In that case, your insurance coverage may need to be reviewed. If natural catastrophes (such as hurricanes) have become more common in your region, you may wish to update your policy to reflect these new risks. 

Should You Check Your Insurance Policy? 

Regularly reviewing your insurance coverage is vital to ensuring that your property, assets, and loved ones are effectively covered. If the conditions have changed or you’ve had a "qualifying event" or "life-changing event" as defined by insurance, you might wish to seek an insurance review. The events include having a child, getting married, and other significant life events.

Contact Us Today

For further information, see your insurance representative. Your solution in Auburn, WA is a call away at Alpine Ridge Insurance.

Should you get home insurance in Auburn?

Owning a home has continued to be a good way to build long-term wealth. Those that are interested in being property owners should consider buying in the Auburn, WA area. This region of the state has continued to be beneficial for property owners due to value appreciation and having a consistent place to live in the community. As you assess your housing options, you need to ensure you choose a quality insurance plan. Your home insurance should be considered a necessity for various reasons. 

Ensure You Protect Assets

While your home is a place you will live in, it is also going to be among the most valuable assets you will ever own. Because it is a major asset, insuring and protecting it as well as possible should be a top priority. A quality home insurance plan will give you ample coverage for your home and also any personal belongings that you keep under the roof up to the policy limits.

Liability Risk Mitigation

You also should consider a home insurance plan for the liability risk mitigation you can receive. Those that are property owners are going to regularly take on the risk that they could be held liable for certain accidents. If you get the right insurance protection, you can help to mitigate this risk as your home insurance plan will include a liability insurance provision.

If you are looking for home insurance in the Auburn, WA area, it would be wise for you to call Alpine Ridge Insurance. There are a lot of choices to make when choosing a home insurance plan and Alpine Ridge Insurance can help you evaluate all options. This can give the support you need to build a plan that will cover your assets and keep you in compliance with requirements. 

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