Your friends at The Owens Agency LLC , servicing the Waldron, AR area, remind you that your home is your most important asset. But what about the contents of your home? Perhaps you have an expensive jewelry collection with precious gems and family heirlooms that would be almost impossible to replace. Do you have insurance that covers these items?

Renters vs. Owners

Renters use renter insurance to cover the contents of their home. The homeowner of the rental property must carry homeowner’s insurance in order to protect the rental from damages or loss. But this insurance does not cover the contents of your home if you rent.

If you own your home, however, or if you are in the middle of paying off a mortgage to own your home, most homeowner’s insurance also covers the contents of your home. 

Arkansas State Requirements

In the state of Arkansas, you are not required to carry homeowners’ insurance. However, your mortgage company may require that you insure your property in order to lend money to you to purchase your home. This is because they have to protect the property you are purchasing from them while you are paying it out. 

Once you fully own your home, you are no longer required to carry this insurance, but The Owens Agency LLC in the Waldron AR area and others do strongly recommend that you keep it!

Acts of God

God gets blamed for a lot of things that he might not have had a hand in. One of them is natural disasters. Tornadoes, floods, fire, vandalism, and other natural occurrences can devastate a home in the span of only a few hours.

While no one likes to think of such things, it is imperative that you do if you want to protect your home in the event that bad luck comes your way.

Visit the folks at The Owens Agency LLC if you are in the Waldron, AR area and find out how to use home insurance to protect your investment. Today is the day to prepare for what tomorrow might bring!

With the home being a valued investment for homeowners, getting adequate coverage to protect it from disasters is crucial to keeping it secure throughout its lifespan. This brings in home insurance, a policy that allows you to safeguard your Waldron, AR property from losses, damages, and other emergencies. Apart from this, home insurance also offers other benefits, with The Owens Agency LLC taking you through the following advantages.

Protect Your Home Contents

While the main benefit of home insurance is protecting the external structure of your property, your home contents are also covered. This means that if perils such as fire, theft, or vandalism occur and damage your electronics, furniture, or clothing, home insurance will help you pay for their repairs or replacements.

Provides You With Temporary Living Expenses

If your house suffers extensive damage and becomes uninhabitable, you will be required to seek shelter elsewhere until your home is safe to live in. Home insurance offers additional living expenses when covered perils arise, helping you cater for accommodation costs, meals, and travel expenses.

Offers Peace of Mind

No matter how much financial security you have, getting your home secured offers you peace of mind during your everyday routine. Home insurance provides property owners a sense of safety, helping you get the proper compensation to get your life back on track again. Building a home from the ground up is no easy feat, with a home policy helping you take care of any damage you incur.

Protect Your Family

Home insurance also comes with the benefit of family coverage, offering protection for any injuries or property damage that covered members of your family cause to other parties. This is often accidental bodily injury caused during guest visits or property damage on 3rd party possessions. With such protection, your loved ones can cater to other parties’ medical bills, their legal fees, and damages when sued.

If you are looking for coverage that offers the above benefits of home insurance, consider giving The Owens Agency LLC a call today. Our Waldron, AR agents will take you through the various home policies suited to your needs.

If you have recently bought a home in Waldron, AR, it is necessary that you get a home insurance policy. As a first-time homebuyer, selecting the right approach is always a challenge, which means that you will need assistance from an expert. The Owens Agency LLC is dedicated to helping the first time home buyers purchase the best insurance policy they can get from the market by discussing some possible tips. 

Talk to an Expert

As a first-time homebuyer, talking to an expert about home insurance coverage is the best strategy you can always incorporate. Your independent agency will give you some detailed information about the types of home insurance policies available, the best option to choose, and some of the possible areas you can exploit to pay lower premiums.

Bundle Up

You might probably be looking for other possible insurance policies together with the home coverage. Buying all the policies from the same agency is essential when it comes to saving money. For many years, insurance agencies have been offering discounts to people who have been purchasing two or more policies through the process of bundling up. 

Fill in Coverage Gaps

As a new homeowner, you need to understand that insurance policies are always focused on gaining at the expense of the buyer, which means that they will deliberately leave some gaps. For example, damages to the sewer, flooding, and earthquake may not be covered by your primary coverage. It is upon you to make sure that you have a gap policy covering everything in your house. 

Owning a home in Waldron, AR is a dream come true for many people. However, as a new homeowner, you need to be responsible and take care of your new property by buying home insurance. The Owens Agency LLC will help you to get the best policy that will meet your preferences.

For those that are in the Waldron, AR area, owning a home can be a great housing option. If you are going to purchase a home here, you will want to cover yourself with insurance as well as possible. There are several reasons why someone in this area of Arkansas should get a home insurance policy for their property. 

Insurance Protects Most Valuable Asset

A home is the most valuable asset that a lot of people will ever own. Unlike other forms of assets, this asset can be fully protected and covered with insurance. If you get a full home insurance policy, you can receive the coverage needed to repair or replace your property if it is damaged or destroyed. You can also get coverage for your personal belongings, up to your policy limit. 

Insurance is Normally a Requirement

Additionally, you will want to get a home insurance policy because it will be a requirement for you. The majority of buyers in Arkansas are going to take out a home loan to purchase their vehicle. If you have taken out a mortgage, you will want to stay in good standing with your lender. Most of the time, this will mean carrying sufficient insurance that meets the standards and requirements set by your mortgage lender. 

Owning a home in the Waldron, AR area can be a dream for many people. As you are looking for a new policy to protect your asset, it would be a good idea to call The Owens Agency LLC. When you work with The Owens Agency LLC for your insurance needs you can learn a lot about how home insurance will protect you. The team will give the right guidance to help you pick the best policy for your personal situation. 

Home insurance needs to be reviewed regularly to ensure you have the protection you need for your property. If you renovated your Waldron, AR home over the last year or added costly goods to your inventory, you may need to increase your coverage to protect your investments. By discussing these changes with an agent from The Owens Agency LLC, we can help you determine if it’s necessary to update your home policy to retain the protection you need. Here are a few reasons why an update may be necessary.    

Increase in Home Value

Major home upgrades like bathroom or kitchen remodels can raise your home’s value. If your dwelling insurance doesn’t cover the new value of your Waldron, AR home, you’ll need to raise it in order to fully protect your structure. This requires an update to your policy. Otherwise, you could be caught short if your home suffers total loss in a disaster.

Home Insurance Discounts

Home upgrades that enhance the safety or security of your property such as new windows, installation of a security system, new plumbing, or electrical system may qualify you for a discount on your home insurance. To get that discount, you’ll need to update your policy.

Purchase of Costly Goods

If you purchased high-end goods or received costly gifts after obtaining your home insurance, you’ll need to update your policy to add these goods to your coverage so they can be protected with the rest of your items. You may need to increase your property coverage to cover the value of your new items. If the limits on your policy aren’t sufficient to fully protect your new gifts or goods, you may need to purchase an insurance rider to protect these valuables.

For more information on updating your home insurance policy, contact The Owens Agency LLC today.

Living in the safest neighborhood in Waldron, AR does not mean that you are entirely safe from burglaries. That is why The Owens Agency LLC, recommends buying a home insurance policy. However, many residents today are installing a home security system as an additional form of protection. While this may be your idea, it can directly affect your home insurance policy. Read on to understand how a home security system can affect your home insurance policy.

Your premiums can either reduce or increase.

How a security system affects your policy heavily depends on many factors that can either lower or raise it. Some of these factors include the type of system, your insurance limits, your address, and many more. Different insurance companies will give different deals, and if your premium is reduced, it may not offset the cost you incurred installing the system.

Remember, you will also need to cover the system in your coverage. Therefore, before installing your security system, it is critical that you first calculate the value it is bringing on the table. 

 How can I reduce insurance costs with a home security system

Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce your insurance costs and still make your home safer:

• Boost your home’s safety: If you live in an area with frequent break-ins, a home security system could add value to your home and ultimately reduce your home insurance premiums.
• Enquire about discounts for security features: Some insurance companies offer discounts up to 20% for security features. If you invest in a home security system, you are likely to reduce your home insurance premiums.
• You lower the risk of claims: When you install a security system, the chances of filing a burglary claim are low. It is even a better deal if, most of all, your immediate neighbors have installed the same. 

 For more information, quotes, or new policy discussions, contact The Owens Agency LLC or visit our Waldron AR offices, and our agents will be happy to assist you.

Home insurance comes in many shapes and sizes, but there is some basic information to help you get started. These are some of the most common forms and coverages of home insurance.

A basic home insurance policy typically covers the following four areas:

• Dwelling: This refers to the structure of the home, including things such as walls, floors, built-in items, and attached buildings, like garages.
• Contents of the home: This protects your furniture, clothing, and other personal belongings.
• Liability: If a guest is injured in your home or on your property, personal liability is intended to cover the costs.
• Additional living expenses: If your home is uninhabitable due to a covered event, this coverage will pay additional costs incurred from having to live away from home.

Optional Home Insurance Coverages

There are many additional coverage types that you can add to your basic policy depending on what you need. Some common additional coverages include the following:

Flood Insurance

Flood insurance is required in some areas, but not all. If you live in or near an area that floods often, you should seriously consider purchasing a flood insurance policy even if it is not required so that your house and belongings are covered. As some parts of Waldron, AR do experience flooding, purchasing flood insurance is a wise move.

Earthquake Insurance

Earthquake insurance covers your home in case of an earthquake. It requires a separate deductible.

Other Structures Insurance

This covers structures that are not attached to your homes, such as a shed or an unattached garage.

Medical Payments Coverage

If a guest is injured on your property, whether you are at fault or not, Medical Payments Coverage is intended to pay for the immediate medical treatments.

The Owens Agency LLC wants to help Waldron, AR residents protect their homes, families, and belongings. Our staff is standing by to help you find the coverage you need, so stop by or give The Owens Agency LLC a call today!

Homeowners purchase homeowners insurance to give them peace of mind that they will be covered in the event of a claim. However, being prepared to file a claim will help make the process less stressful and help ensure your claim is handled quickly. If you have questions about how to file a claim under your policy, reach out to an agent at The Owens Agency LLC today. 

Call you carrier right away 

It is imperative that you notify your insurance carrier of a claim right away. Place the contact information somewhere safe, so you do not have to search for it. Also, keep your policy number with the contact information, so you have it handy. Some policies have time limits in which you have to file a claim. 

Know your policy terms

Each year, when you go to renew your policy take some time to review the coverage terms. You will want to be sure to check your coverage limits, so you know the limit of any potential claim. 

Find a good contractor ahead of time 

Since you will want any repairs completed on the home by a reliable and reputable contractor, you will want to have their contact information handy in the event you need to file a claim. If you need to scramble at the last minute, you may not get the contractor you would prefer. Be sure the contractor works in the  Waldron, AR area, so they can get to you quickly. In the event, you need to file a claim, call your contractor and have them put together a detailed estimate for the work before the claim adjuster arriving. 

Take photos as soon as possible. 

Once you have called your carrier and your contractor, you will want to start documenting the damage. You should take photos and videos of all the damage. This is especially important if you need to make a change to the damaged area to protect the house before the adjuster arrives. 

If you would like to learn more about how you can best be prepared to file a claim, reach out to an agent at The Owens Agency LLC today. We proudly serve the Waldron, AR area.

Your home is probably the single biggest investment that you will ever make.  When you have a mortgage, your lender will likely require you to have a home insurance policy to protect their investment but what about when you don’t have a mortgage? Is it still a good idea to have home insurance?  At The Owens Agency LLC in Waldron, AR our experienced agents can help you to decide if coverage is right for you. 

Can you repair or replace your home

If your home is destroyed or damaged by high winds, fire or vandalism would you be able to afford to pay to bring it back to its original condition?  Would you be able to replace your furniture, appliances, clothing and personal items? If the answer is no then maybe you can’t live without home insurance. 

Can you afford to stay someplace else

If your home is damaged and is unliveable would you be able to afford to live somewhere else for what could turn out to be months? If the answer is no then maybe you need home insurance. 

If you get sued

If someone is injured while visiting your home or if your dog bites someone would you be able to pay for the litigation and judgment that might result? If the answer is no, you may need home insurance. 

Protecting your home from all the unfortunate things that can happen also safeguards your investment and your assets. Things happen, some of them are bad. Talking to the knowledgeable staff at The Owens Agency LLC in Waldron, AR can help you to guarantee if bad things happen to your home, you have the coverage you need to repair or replace the home you love. Give us a call or stop by our office for a no-obligation quote.

 

 

 

Tree damage is a constant concern for homeowners in and around Waldron, AR. It doesn’t help that different home insurance agencies deal with tree damage in different ways. However, The Owens Agency LLC wants people to know how tree damage and home insurance typically work.

Not All Tree Damage is the Same

Tree damage can occur in several different ways:

• Falling branches that damage structures
• Falling trees that damage structures
• Leaning trees that damage utility lines
• Trees growing into structures

In addition, many problems with trees can stem from other issues beyond your control. For example, if lightning strikes a tree, it can send branches falling onto your home. All of these can represent different types of incidents that an insurance company may or may not cover.

Not All Tree Damage Has the Same Coverage

Don’t guess or assume anything about tree damage and insurance. Make sure you go over your homeowner’s policy carefully. If in doubt, ask the insurance company directly what type of tree damage it will cover, and what it won’t cover.

Sometimes, you may have coverage but only if the damage comes about in a highly specific way. You don’t want to wait until the damage occurs to find out.

Not All Tree Damage is Unavoidable

Don’t wait for damage to occur before you try to make a claim with your insurance company. Do what you can to mitigate the possibility of damage from trees. Take care of trees on your property. Keep them trimmed and pruned. If they represent a clear hazard, have them removed.

Don’t let dead or diseased trees linger on the property. You can tell your insurance company about the trees on your property and what you need to do to mitigate their potential damage. In some cases, the insurance company may even help.

When looking for home insurance in Waldron, AR, make sure you ask about tree damage specifically. Contact the Owens Agency LLC today to discuss your options.