Bettina Settles, your Indiana Connection

I received this morning this invitaion from one of our local builders. Beazer Homes is hosting for one day the organizing expert Monica Ricci.

She has been part of the HGTV's Mission: Organization for a while now and she is coming to one of the Bezer communites in Indy. She is from Atlanta GA and that is where her company Catalyst Organizing Solutions, LLC is based.

Monica Ricci will show you how to organize your home and with this you can save time (and money)

She will be at the South Avalon Estates - Woodlands Edition 12541 Bellingham Blvd. Fishers, IN 46037 on Wednesday June the 10th between 3 and 5 pm.

Here we go again...Thunderstorms, hail as large as baseballs, over several inches of rain and that was just the beginning.

When you have been hit by a Storm the first thing you should do is mace certain if possible to minimize more damage to the property. Broken windows , board them up. Leaky roof get some tarp and cover it for right now.

When you have damaged siding, see if that can be covered so that there is no additional damage.

Keep an eye out for the Storm Chasers, who will saturate an area after large Storms. There are legitimate contactor out there who will do great work, but make certain that when you have anyone walking up to your door offering to repair things for you, to check them out.

Nothing worst after a Storm having to find and fight a ruthless contractor who took your money.

In 2008 I had posted another Blog about Cleaning up after a Storm and I had covered some of that information as well.

1. Shop around

Take your time before get your home owners insurance. Get referrals from people you know and do your research. The National association of Insurance Commissioners www.naic.org will have great information for you.

2. Keep your deductible high

The higher you're deductible is the better your premium will be. When you can afford a $1000 deductible you can safe up to 25% on your premium, most insurance companies asking for a $500 deducible.

3. Don't include the land in your insurance

The price you paid for your home includes the land it stands on (in most states) and it is not in risk of being stolen or fire. It will always be there.....so don't include it.

4. Keep all your policies with one company

When you keep all of your policies wit one insurance company like the house and your auto you can safe with a multi policy discount. Pending in the insurance company it can vary between 5-15%

5. Disaster proof your home for your area.

You may be able to safe on your premium when you retrofit your home to make it more resistant to windstorms and older homes may get a break when they are being modernized with new heating, plumbing and electric. You need to contact your insurance agent for further assistant on this.

6. Add to your home security

Adding a smoke detector, fire extinguisher, deadbolt locks and a monitored security system could give you a possible insurance discount of 5%. Before you do any modifications like this contact your insurance agent for recommendations.

7. Look for other discounts

Not smoking will get you discount with some insurance companies, also when you are 55 and older and retired and you stay at home you could qualify for another discount.

8. Credit Score

Keep a good credit score, the better your credit the better will be your insurance premium. Make sure you check your credit on an annually basis.

9. Don't move from insurance company to insurance company

Some insurance company give special discounts for long term policy holders, the longer you stay the higher the discount will be. You could be eligible for discounts from 5-10%.

10. Annual policy review

Did you add a floater for the high end computer you no longer owned or grandma's jewelry you have sold at auction? Check and see if you had something included in your policy that you no longer own and you have covered and when you don't cancel it and pocket the difference.

11. Private insurance VS. Government plan

Government plans are higher then private insurance plans, and in some high risk areas that is only what you could find. Still check and see if there are possible private insurance carriers who might insure homes in a high risk area. A high risk area is for instance along the coast and areas of high crime.

12. Shop for insurance before you buy

Call your insurance company before you buy and they will let you know what type of home will be more reasonable with the insurance premium. Some things the insurance company will take in to account are the age of the home, the age of all of the systems (plumbing, heating) age of the roof, and possible the type of siding.

13. Check the CLUE Report

Even for homes now you can find a report where you can see the insurance claims history of the home you want to buy. With this could judge what potential problems the property might be able to have.

14. Other insurance

Don't forget that when your future house is in a flood plain you have to get flood insurance. That could add in an average annually about $400 to your insurance cost.

When your house is in an earthquake prone area you also need to buy a separate earthquake policy. Earthquake is not covered under a standard policy.

Disclaimer: I am not an insurance agent or an attorney. For legal advice or any advice regarding this topic contact your agent or legal counsel.

This blog was prompted by a fax I received from a Mortgage Company located in CA. Anytime I have a unsolicited fax from any mortgage lender, asking me to do business with them, I am checking their name with the Indiana securities Division list of Indiana licensed mortgage brokers and bankers.

Indiana has a new law. Since July 1^st 2007 every mortgage broker who doing business in the State of Indiana has to be licensed in Indiana.

With the Internet, it is very easy to find lenders to give money to buyers, but how many of them who are being contacted for a mortgage being checked against the States Securities Division to make certain that they are licensed to do business in that specific State?

The company, who contacted me for business, is NOT licensed in my State to write mortgages for buyers/homeowners. ..........

For Indiana you can check if your mortgage broker/banker or company is licensed to do business at this web address.

This links you directly to the Indiana Securities Division.

http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/securities/sos_securities

For any other State just go online and search for the State Specific Division.

Written by Bettina Settles 06/01/2009 ©

We all know any home even an apartment requires routine maintenance to keep things running smooth. Any time a small problem can turn into a larger issue when it is not addressed in a timely manner.

Here is a list of potential signs of trouble.

1.) For no apparent reason your toilet or drain in any part of the house are not working properly and maybe backing up.

Possible Reason:

This could be the first sign of a clog and signs of trouble that one or all part of the system is not working properly. When the clog is not being treated you might end up with a smelly mess inside or outside of your home.

2.) Sand and small pieces of tiny rocks around downspouts

Possible Reason:

It could be a sign of possible the roof is at the possible end of its life span. You might be able to see bear spots or curling edges.

3.) Your dryer runs to hot or your cloths come out still damp or even wet.

Possible Reason

You might need to check your dryer vent to see if is clogged. A clogged dryer vent can cause home fires.

4.) Water bill is all of a sudden to high for no apparent reason?

Possible Reason

Check first to find out if all of the exterior water faucets are turned off and have not been left open and running for a few days. Walk the grounds where you know the waterline suppose to come though your yard into the house and see if you happen to find an unusual wet spot in the yard. When you can not find the spot, have someone keep an eye on the main water meter. Turn off all of the faucets in the home. When the water meter still runs you might have a leak.

5.) Have breakers tripping frequently, electric boxes and switches are hot to the touch?

Possible Reason

This could be a sign that your electric system might needs to be upgraded. When you turn on any appliance in the house and you find that the lights are dimming, or you have constantly to replace or reset fuses you might have to upgrade your system.

6.) You have no water leak but you have dark stains and rusty nails in/on the wall

Possible Reason

Water damage con also come from not well ventilated homes and when not addressed can possible lead to health issues.

7.) Are you or your family constantly have the sniffles

Possible Reason

When you don't circulate the air in your home and the filters of your heating and air conditioning are dirty, and the air ducts have never been cleaned, getting the sniffles all the time could be a sign. All of the household chemicals and odors from furnishings and flooring can accumulate and will not be filtered out anymore.