When it comes to having repairs done around the house these days, there can be both a shortage of materials as well as tradesmen that know how to make the repairs. With this circumstance, I have seen many cases where tradesmen with experience have taken on jobs referred to them by friends. This is fine, but often these become side jobs and the tradesman might not have a contractor’s license nor insurance to cover his work or helpers they employ.

If you choose to take this route, you should be aware of 2 potential problems.

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1. If they job is not done correctly you might have little recourse against the tradesman to make things right.
2. If someone working on this job gets hurt, they might come after you for their medical bills or lost wages.

To protect yourself, it is best to hire State licensed contractors. Once you agree on the scope of work and a price, you should request a Certificate of Insurance which will show they have coverage.

Occasionally you might have someone come and clean your house once or do some landscaping work, and you don’t think to ask them about insurance. For these type of circumstances, you should have Personal Injury Endorsed onto your Homeowner’s policy. It is an inexpensive coverage but someday might save you from a big headache.
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For more answers to your questions, call me at (805)985-5488 or email me at joliver@farmersagent.com

A recent trend is people selling their home and moving into an RV of some kind, then taking their lives on the road. This is an exciting adventure, but there are several coverages on an RV policy that require your attention if you abandon your home or apartment as your place of abode. The first is covering your stuff, like computers, other electronic devices, and clothing. The standard RV policy might have minimal coverage for these items so if you want it all to be covered in the event it is stolen, damaged in an accident, or other mishap, you will need to make certain you have enough Personal Property coverage.

You also need to make clear to your agent that you plan to live in the RV rather than using it occasionally for a vacation. This is a little different exposure and you don’t want a claim denied based on a misrepresentation of the RV’s use. By rating the RV as a live in, this opens up the availability of Personal Liability and Medical Payments coverage which are common coverage on a Homeowners or Renters policy. There are events which can happen when the RV is stationary that you could be liable for, so these coverages would protect you financially.
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So, if you’re taking your life on the road and have questions about protecting yourself, call me, (805)985-5488 or shoot me an email, joliver@farmersagent.com

This past year has opened the door for more people to work from their homes. And while there may be some benefits, ie, less miles driven on your car, less money on a professional wardrobe, this has created some potential GAPS in your insurance coverage.

One is regarding your Homeowner’s or Renter’s insurance. In the event of a liability or property damage loss from your home office, you won’t necessarily have coverage. You need to have this activity endorsed onto your policy, and the good news is, in some cases it won’t cost you more than you are currently paying.

If you have found yourself working from your home these days and have questions about your individual circumstances, give me a call at (805)985-5488 or shoot me an email at joliver@farmersagent.com
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                                                  Jim

Over this past year many of my clients have undertaken remodeling or upgrades to their homes. Some are do it yourselfers and others have hired contractors to do the work. Either way, there may be some changes you will want to look at making on your homeowner’s policy.

If you were freshening up your place with paint, perhaps new carpeting or other flooring, roof, etc, unless your policy pays for any damages on an Actual Cash Value (ACV) basis, you are ok with your current coverage. If you do have an ACV policy, you should notify your carrier that you have replaced these items and of course keep the receipts. If your policy has Replacement Cost coverage you are fine, although I would still save copies of the receipts.

If you did upgrades to your home such as a new kitchen or bath with upgraded cabinets and counters, you should talk with your agent to make certain you have your home’s Replacement Cost estimated correctly to cover the value of rebuilding in the event of a catastrophic loss.
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For more information, call me at (805)985-5488

In these crazy times most everyone is looking to save some money, and generally most of us are doing less driving. Since the State of California determined some years ago that auto insurance rates could not be based on your zip code, annual miles driven is one of the major factors in determining auto rates.

​If you think you are currently driving less these days give me a call, 805-985-5488, or send me an email, joliver@farmersagent.com, so we can look at the numbers.

Maybe you will save some money!

Do you recall the last time your insurance rates went down? Now I’m not talking about after your 3 speeding citations fell off your record but an honest rate reduction. I deal with this every day and I can’t recall either, other than to say it has been a while. My only claim in the past 25 years was due to hail damage to a rental car while in Oklahoma for my daughter’s college graduation in 2013! So why do my rates go up?

The cars of today are engineered with a lot of safety features which save a lot of lives when crashes occur. If you want to see how far safety engineering has come, watch Ryan Newman’s crash at the Daytona 500 this year.  He walked out of the hospital 2 days later! But all this safety equipment costs money when damaged in an accident. Cameras in the bumpers. All those airbags. Windshields with sensors and heads-up displays. Sensors in the rear view mirrors. 15 years ago my agency would have 2 to 3 total losses every year but today 30% of the accidents result in total losses. Accident frequency is also up mostly due to distracted driving. More accidents = higher premiums for us all.

What can you do to offset this? 1st you can drive and live safely which will help keep your premiums down. 2nd if you can afford it, you can accept more of the risk yourself by having a larger deductible. If you would like to discuss this please send me an email or call me at (805)985-5488

Starting and running a small business is an exciting adventure. After getting everything set up you then have to work on getting the phone to ring or people to come in the door so you can make a sale. Cash flow is your business’ life blood and to help protect it, you need to be certain you have the proper insurance coverage. Most Landlords will require you to have General Liability per your lease agreement. But what about loss of inventory due to a fire or water pipe burst that starts in another part of the building? Or what about being out of business while repairs are made to the building? Coverage for inventory, business equipment or tools, and business interruption are only a few of the things to consider when insuring your business.
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If uncertain about what exact coverage you have, get your policy out and have a look. If you have any questions with the “insurance speak”, feel free to give me a call. (805)985-5488

It’s already February, and it’s half gone, which means spring is just around the corner. It’s time to get the RV ready for  summer. This means not just making certain the batteries are good so the engine and generator, (if equipped) will start, but also reviewing your insurance to make certain you have the coverage you want. This shouldn’t take but a few minutes so pull out that policy and look it over. You might think it is written in a foreign language, unless you have a JD degree, so if this is the case, feel free to give me a call. (805)985-5488.

For those of you who are like me where your RV consists of a tent and an awning that doesn’t just pop up, which requires a ME degree, you are all set unless you intend to camp along the California coast. If this is you, you had better work on reserving a camp site.

And remember that RV’s also include off road motorcycles, quads, and boats.

Of course we have heard this before and then sometimes it shows up and sometimes it doesn’t. But there are a few things I do every fall in case this year the rains do show up.

1. I check the rain gutters that catch the rain as it comes off the roof. I make certain they are firmly attached to the eve and not filled with leaves so that the rain water can drain properly.
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2. Some of the rain will be absorbed into your garden but most of it will make its way to the street as it runs off. Make certain there isn’t anything blocking its path like old lumber, fire wood, patio furniture, or kid’s toys.
With this done you can enjoy the sounds of the rain as it hits your roof and it splashes as the cars drive by. And, you can be happy that we are receiving the rain we so badly need.