Archive for category: Blog

We all know the importance of having a smoke detector in our home, but what about a carbon monoxide detector?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be lethal. Carbon monoxide can build up in your home whenever you burn fuel from a stove, grill, furnace, fire place or from your vehicles in the garage. Obviously, we need to use these appliances every day, as well as drive a vehicle, so how can we keep safe?

Simple tips to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning

1.) Install a carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home. Check the batteries every 6 months, however, it should alert you with a beep with batteries are low.

2.) Ensure you get your fuel burning appliances checked every year by a qualified technician. You should get in the habit of looking for rust on vents or loose/disconnected pipes on appliances like your water heater, heating system or any other gas, oil or wood/coal burning appliance.

3.) Use portable gas stoves or burn charcoal outside only.

4.) Keep generators outside and away from open windows only. Using them in a garage or carport can be dangerous.

5.) Don’t attempt to heat your house temporarily by turning on your oven or gas stove.

6.) Get your chimney checked every year. Debris can block your chimney and cause carbon monoxide to build up in your home. You can check your chimney yourself for any cracks.

7.) Never leave your car running while it sits in the garage.

Did you know they make a battery operated combination detector for both a smoke and carbon monoxide? Combination detectors can save space and batteries in addition to lives.

Even a single carbon monoxide detector in your home could save lives. If you rent a home or apartment that does not currently have a carbon monoxide detector, ask your landlord to provide one. Many states require that homes have them installed. Review your state laws here.

If you have questions about your home or renters insurance, contact our agency. We can go over your current coverage or provide you with an insurance quote.

Renters insurance is a great thing to have if you’re not a homeowner. We’ll answer the top questions we get about renters insurance below.

How Much Is Renters Insurance Per Month?

The cost of renters insurance can vary depending on what your coverage limits are and what you want covered. It can also vary because of your credit score or previous loss history. In general, a policy with average limits with clean credit and no loss history will run you about $15-25 a month.

What Is The Best Renters Insurance Policy?

The best renters insurance policy is a policy that provides you the best coverage at a price that you’re comfortable with.

Should I Get Renters Insurance?

Everyone should carry renters insurance if they rent a home or apartment. Renters insurance covers more than just your things. It provides you with a liability insurance policy to protect your assets. Renters insurance will protect you with coverage from theft and fires too.

Is Renters Insurance Worth It?

If you’re a renter, getting a renters insurance policy is always worth it. At less than a dollar a day, it is an affordable insurance policy that protects you and your assets.

What Does Renters Insurance Cover?

Renters insurance covers a variety of things from your personal items like your computer and couch to your clothes. It also provides you with liability protection in the event you are found liable for injuries to others you’re found liable for as well as provides you with temporary living expenses if your home becomes uninhabitable for periods of time.

Can a Landlord Require Renters Insurance?

Yes, landlords can require you to carry a renters insurance policy. Many renters assume their landlord’s insurance policy will cover their personal items in the event of a loss, but that is not true.

Can I Use My Roommate’s Renter’s Insurance Policy?

No, roommates are specifically excluded from renters insurance policies unless they are listed on the policy by name. Roommates are excluded from coverage for personal property, loss of use and liability coverage.

We always recommend a renters insurance policy. If you have questions about your renters insurance or would like to get a renters insurance quote, please contact us.

When it comes to insurance, most people think of how they can save money first. We get it, insurance can be expensive! You want good coverage, but at an affordable cost. Being a local insurance agency, we provide many choices since we represent many top insurance carriers. Here are some tips when it comes to saving money on your car insurance.

Shopping for a new car? Consider shopping insurance first.

If you have a few cars in mind when shopping for a new vehicle, consider reaching out to your insurance agent to compare possible insurance cost between the vehicles. The rough estimate of insurance cost every year could sway which car you decide on.

Save when you bundle.

Insurance carriers tend to give great discounts when you bundle your auto insurance with your home/renters/other lines of insurance. Need to insure several vehicles? Multi-policy discounts could earn you some substantial savings. Ask your agent!

Don’t drive much? Seek a low mileage discount.

If you drive less than 10,000 miles a year, ask your agent if you qualify for a discount.

Choose a higher deductible.

If your finances allow you to pay a higher deductible in the event you have a claim, you could save money by making this switch.

Ask your agent about other discounts. Do you qualify for any?

• Paying your insurance coverage in full
• Paperless option
• Safe driver (accident free)
• Electric or hybrid vehicle owner
• Great credit score
• Good student
• Higher education
• Advance quote

Did you experience a higher premium at renewal?

Reach out to your agent and ask to get a re-quoted on your policy. Since we can quote many top-rated insurance carriers, you can likely get same or similar coverage with a new carrier to save money. Life changes, so can your insurance company – but you don’t need to change your agent.

We do like to note that sometimes loyalty to the same company for 3+ years can be beneficial too. Over time, you could earn yourself a discount for every loyalty milestone you hit. Typically these rewards not only include a discount on the cost of your policy, they can sometimes include accident forgiveness!

If you have questions about your auto insurance, reach out to AJ Morales Insurance Agency. Our goal is to ensure you have the proper coverage.

Whether you are a snow bird who flocks to warm weather in the winter or you’re taking a vacation, you should always protect your home while you’re away. The last thing you want to hear while vacationing is that a pipe burst or your home was burglarized. Follow these simple steps to ensure your home is safe while you’re away.

Protect from Theft

• Alert the post office to hold your mail until you return. If you are staying at your vacation home for a long period of time, perhaps forward your mail to that mailing address.
• Stage your home as if you are still there. Use an automatic timer to turn on and off your lights. You can set them up in different rooms to make it look like you’re moving around the house. To keep it efficient, use LED bulbs in your lamps you intend to leave running throughout the night.
• Set an alarm. There are countless great, affordable video surveillance options that sends you a text when there is motion detected at your home, both inside and out. You can then pull it up and watch a live video stream allowing you to record the activity as well as call police. Additionally, if you see a package is delivered you could ask a neighbor to pick it up off the doorstep until you return.
• Place small valuables in a hidden place or safe. If you own jewelry, guns or cash, or have social security cards, memory cards or other valuable items, put them into a safe. Safes are typically extremely heavy and unable to be moved by one person even if not bolted to the floor.
• Hire someone or notify your neighbor to do the simple things. For example, if you are gone for the weekend and the trash gets picked up on Fridays, ask your neighbor to pull your waste bin in for you.

Protect Your Home From Damage

• Always turn off your water. You would hate to have a pipe burst or refrigerator leak while you’re away. If you live in a cold weather environment, drain all your pipes of water. Laundry supply lines are bigger, so be sure to turn those off at the junction box if you decide not to turn off all water.
• Set your thermostat. Keeping your thermostat on will stop pipes from freezing in your ceiling or walls. It doesn’t take much, say 60 degrees or so.
• Clean out your gutters. If you’re planning to be away for a while, cleaning your gutters can ensure any heavy rains won’t overflow the gutters and flood your home or damage the roof.

Going away for a while can be exciting. You shouldn’t have to worry about your home while you’re away so completing some simple tasks beforehand can ease your concern.

For questions about your insurance, contact AJ Morales Insurance in Houston, TX. We specialize in finding great rates for trucking insurance, contractor insurance and personal lines insurance coverage.

Nobody wants to experience a home disaster & it’s not like you can predict when one will happen. If you were to experience a fire, flood, earthquake or other home disaster, would you be able to name every single valuable in your home? If not, you need to create a home inventory list of all your valuables.

Preparing a home inventory can be a large task, but taking the time to do so can make a difference of thousands of dollars when it comes to your claims settlement as well as simple ease of processing your claim.

For many of us, where we live symbolizes us and what is in that house symbolizes our lives. Our belongings represent our memories, personal style and even investments that hold significant value such as art.  When you add up how much all of your personal items are worth, it can be a substantial figure into the many 10’s of thousands of dollars or more.

Home insurance claims from disasters such as flood or fire are traumatic. A home inventory checklist can help you remember quickly what items you had. Would you recall exactly how many pairs of jeans you had and what brand they were? Would you recall how many pairs of shoes you had or what brands they were? What about art? Could you recall the name of the artist and how much you paid for it?

The Easiest Way to Create Your List

Taking the time to inventory your home can be useful in the event of theft or damage to the contents of your home.

1. Take pictures of every room in your home. Then, take pictures of each valuable in the room.
2. Take a video of every room in your home.

Note: be sure to store these pictures or video in the cloud as a backup so you don’t lose it in the fire or flood too!

If you were to experience a home disaster, having this list will significantly cut down on how much time and stress you deal with when it comes to your claim settlement.

What Valuables in Your Home Need a Separate Endorsement?

Remember, valuables like art, furs, comic books, antiques and jewelry need an endorsement on your current home, condo or renters insurance policy.

The good news is your insurance agent likely gave you sufficient coverage for your personal property. If you feel like you need more, be sure to tell your agent. Home, renters and condo insurance policies typically come standard with this coverage but you might need more.