In an effort to encourage the use of more energy-efficient buildings, equipment and appliances, the U.S. Government’s Environmental Protection Agency established the ENERGY STAR rebate program in 1992. This voluntary program identifies and promotes the labeling of products to designate them as energy efficient, to help the nation meet its goal to improve its energy security.

If you have a home in Coppell, Texas and are interested in saving money while also helping reduce pollution, you will want to look into the various rebate programs available to homeowners.

For example, if you are getting ready to purchase a new washing machine and drier, check for the ENERGY STAR sticker to see how much energy you will save by using that particular model, compared to models that are less efficient and lack ENERGY STAR labeling. Depending on funding availability, you may be eligible to receive a rebate when you purchase such an energy-efficient appliance. You will not only save money immediately from the rebate, but additional money over the years as you use the appliance.

If you are buying a new home, there are opportunities to save money and energy if the entire home is considered to be energy efficient according to ENERGY STAR standards. A third-party organization will need to verify the home’s energy efficiency before it can be awarded an ENERGY STAR label. You’ll then have the satisfaction of knowing that you are living in a building that is cutting down on pollution while also saving money on your fuel bills.

As your independent agent, we can help you learn more about the ENERGY STAR rebate program or answer any other insurance policy questions you may have about your home in DFW. Please give us a call in Coppell, Texas today so that we can give you specific details for your circumstances. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

On those hot summer days in Coppell, Texas, it is always nice to take a dip in your swimming pool. Your house can be a popular place if you have a cool pool. You can have pool parties and your kids can invite their friends over to partake in the fun.

All around Dallas, Fort Worth and Coppell, Texas there are homes with backyard pools. Many are in-ground pools and some are of the above-ground variety. If you own a swimming pool in Texas, you need to be concerned about liability issues as well as the actual maintenance and protection of the structure and equipment used around the pool.

Your standard home insurance policy will provide both liability and structural damage coverage within certain limitations. For instance, you are covered by the liability portion of your home policy if someone gets injured while swimming or playing around in your pool. You are not covered if the ground around your pool shifts and the pool develops a big, ugly crack.

While the size and depth of your pool in the DFW area does not usually affect the premium you pay on your home policy, other factors do. You may have a difficult time getting your home insurance carrier to cover your pool if you install a diving board or slide. Both of those items increase the likelihood of someone getting injured. You may have to agree to an exclusion for injuries directly related to diving board or slide accidents.

You can lower the risk of swimming pool accidents by installing a fence around your pool with a safety gate and by covering it with a tarp when it is not being used in the winter months. Having a swimming pool in the DFW area is very common and insurance companies are quite willing to provide coverage for homes with swimming pools.

We get a lot of question about how much coverage is needed if a person has a swimming pool. Give us a call and an independent agent can go over everything from safety and maintenance to the different insurance carriers who offer the most complete home policies for pool owners.

When you purchase a condominium in Coppell, Texas, you are purchasing a unit within a building, not an entire building. As a homeowner, you own the entire house and any other physical structures that are on your property. Condominium associations are responsible for insuring the physical property, and that includes most of the building(s.) Although you may not be paying the insurance on the physical condominium property, the monthly condo fees you pay (in addition to your mortgage,) will include your portion of the condominium association’s home insurance policy.

Insuring the Primary Dwelling

The primary dwelling typically refers to the physical structure that people live in. Condo associations will be responsible for insuring most of the physical structure, but there may be specifications that though typical of a condo policy, are vastly different from what you could expect to find in a home insurance policy. The condo association may insure the wall studs of your condo outward. This means that you’re responsible for everything from the wall studs all the way into the condominium.

Insuring Your Personal Property

As your independent agent in Coppell, Texas, we can help you find the appropriate home insurance policy for your condominium. You may be responsible for insuring everything from the wall studs to the inside of the unit. Most homeowner’s insurance policies include anything that is built into the house such as kitchen cabinets, built-in bookshelves, closet shelving, etc. Your condo policy will not include those things, so we would advise you to insure your personal property for a higher dollar amount.

In almost all other aspects, your condo insurance will have most of the same provisions that existed in your home insurance policy. You will have loss of use protection, and your condo insurance will pay medical payments to others who may be injured in your condo. Talk to your independent agent in Coppell, Texas to get more information about a home insurance policy to fit your specific needs.

There are still plenty of people in Coppell, Texas who do not want to sign up so they can make online payments with their insurance company. Instead, they prefer to pay their monthly or quarterly premiums the old-fashioned way by writing a check, putting it in an envelope and mailing it to the payment processing address.

Most people are comfortable with computers, cell phones and today’s modern technology and have no problem paying their mortgage, electric bill and other regularly recurring bills through online payments. Online payments are a convenient and safe way to pay your insurance premiums as well.

It only takes a few seconds to log into your account and make your payment. Most insurance companies also give you the option of making your payment with your smartphone or other electronic mobile devices. You are in control and money will not be transferred until you confirm that you want to make the payment.

It is very rare that anything will go wrong when you make an online payment towards the balance you owe on your annual insurance premium. The software used to accept payments are designed to be easy and user friendly. If you should make a mistake with the amount or accidentally press the wrong key, you are in no danger of emptying out your bank account.

On the rare occasion that you lose your internet connection or some other technical issue arises, you can always call us and an independent agent will be happy to address your problem. You can also call the insurance company directly and explain your problem. They will be sure to quickly resolve the issue so you can check your account and make your online payments without further delay.

You should not let the possibility of encountering a technical problem stop you from making your insurance payments online. If your computer blows up, or you change your mind, you can always go back to the old-fashioned way of paying your insurance premiums by mail.

You have homeowner’s coverage in Coppell, Texas and the only way your company can legally cancel your coverage is if, you fail to make your scheduled monthly payments or when you filled out your application, you committed fraud. We can help you. Contact us to speak with an independent agent and we will sort out all of your details.

However, you or your company can chose not to renew your homeowner’s coverage at the end of the policy period. Your company must give you notice and a reason why they are not going to renew your homeowner’s policy. You will need to contact your independent agent for details. When a company makes this decision, you can pursue this decision through your department of insurance in Texas. This non-renewal coverage on your home insurance can be something you did, such as turning in too many claims or possibly the area you live in had too many claims.

If you submit too many claims on your homeowner’s coverage, you stand a good chance of getting a black mark against your name and you could receive a non-renewal of your policy. It is not illegal if your insurance company decides not to renew your coverage.

You as a homeowner can run into any number of problems when your company did not renew your homeowner’s coverage. You do have the options of speaking with your agent, and your neighbors as to what company insures their home. You can call the Texas Department of Insurance for help in getting coverage through another company.

Many companies keep a permanent record on how you handled your coverage. When you mishandle your coverage a few times, it can put you on a watch list. This information is available to all companies.

When you file a homeowner’s claim, all the claim information is stored in a shared database, and the information sits as a history on your account. It is important that you give your independent agent in Coppell, Texas a call so that we can give you specific details for your circumstances.