Quality Claims Management Warns San Diego Homeowners to Do A Fire Season Insurance Check Up

Sept 6, 2011 - San Diego, CA - Quality Claims Management (http://www.qualityclaims.com) says this is a good time to call their insurance agent to make sure they are correctly insured.
 
“The October Fire Season is rapidly approaching,” warns Ronald Reitz, President of San Diego’s Quality Claims Management and FVP of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (www.napia.com).  “As there has not been a big wildfire in the San Diego area since 2007, there is a lot of overgrown brush on our hills that is ready to burn. Over the last year or so, we received more rain than normal which in turn has caused the local brush to explode with growth. Now that summer is ending, the back country is very dry and presents a huge fire hazard.”
 
This is a good time for homeowners to review their insurance policies to make sure all recent property upgrades and renovations are included.
 
Quality Claims recommends homeowners contact their insurance agent and request that they actually visit the insured property to create an accurate insurance estimate.  Letting them assess what needs to be covered will reduce the threat of underinsurance. 
 
A good insurance agent needs to be familiar with local building codes and restoration costs to provide an accurate estimate of how much it will really cost to rebuild your home to comply with all local building codes and regulations.
 
Make sure that your insurance provides what is known as “guaranteed” or “extended replacement cost". In other words, if your home is destroyed, the insurance will pay for all expenses to bring it back to its current condition, regardless of cost. 
 
Condominium and townhome owners will need to review the association’s master insurance policy to see what it covers. In addition to the association policy that covers the outside of the condo and the common areas, condo owners may also need an additional policy that covers their possessions within the condo as well as any and all improvements the owner has made to the interior of unit 
 
Another very important fire season preparation is to update your home inventory list.  This inventory is one of the most valuable documents required after a disastrous fire.  After a fire, the homeowner will expect to be reimbursed for whatever is lost. Trying to remember all of the possessions, big and small, is extremely difficult, especially after the trauma of a disaster. It makes a lot more sense for the homeowner and their family to plan ahead and create and regularly update their home inventory. It can be as simple as walking around the home and videotaping all the possessions to using a more sophisticated homeowner inventory system.  
 
Easy to use spreadsheets can be downloaded for free from the Quality Claims web site at http://www.qualityclaims.com/homeowner.aspx?sect=_homeforms. Quality Claims also recommends the DocuHome online inventory system which can be found at:  www.docuhome.com
 
A webinar on how to conduct your own home inventory can be found at http://www.qualityclaims.com/instruction.aspx
 
San Diego is going to burn again. It may be this October, or it may not be for several years. When it does, make sure you are ready!



About Quality Claims Management Corporation
 
Quality Claims provides hazard claim recovery services to investors, mortgage servicers, homeowners and businesses nationwide. Quality Claims is nationally licensed as Public Insurance Adjusters or Insurance Consultants and complies with Department of Insurance Regulations. Contact Quality Claims Management at (866) 450-1183 or http://www.qualityclaims.com.

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