Homeowners vs Flood Insurance

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage – federal flood insurance does. Flood insurance also covers damage from mud flow, dirt and debris resulting from moving water.  A homeowners insurance policy provides coverage for many types of water damage including damage from broken pipes, heavy rains and storms due to exterior damage to the home, but it usually does not provide coverage for damage from flood.  Flood insurance is available in all 50 states, as long as your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and your home is not in a Coastal Barrier Resource System Area. Don’t wait for an imminent flood to obtain flood insurance. Most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.   There is no waiting period if you are in the flood zone and the policy is being mandated by your mortgage company.  You don’t need to live by water to be at risk. Anywhere it rains, it can flood. Over 20% of all flood claims occur in low- to moderate-risk areas.  A home in a high-risk flood area has a 26% chance of being damaged by flood during the course of a 30-year mortgage. That same home only has a 9% chance of a fire.  Some insurance companies offer a coverage called water backup of sewer and drain or sump pump over flow endorsement.  This coverage applies if the water backs up from the sewer due to a sump failure or deluge that the city drainage cannot handle.  A typical limit is $5000 with a $1000 deductible.

Dont Let the Bed Bugs Come Home

Here are some tips to avoid bed bugs while traveling:

Know what to look for. If you’ve never seen them, check out bedbugger.com for some detailed (and gross!) pictures of what bed bugs look like and what to look for.

Pack like a pro. Seal items and clothing in plastic bags before traveling. Remember to bring extra bags for dirty laundry. Also bring a large bag to seal up your suitcase when you get to your destination. The bag will ensure bed bugs can’t take residence in your luggage while you’re away.

Research before you go. On websites like bedbugregistry.com, you can enter a hotel name and location and the site will search through a user-submitted database to see if there are any bedbug reports on file for that hotel.

Inspect your room. Before you get too comfy where you are staying, check the bed, pull back the linens, and inspect the mattresses, box springs and in cracks of the headboard. If you spot any bed bugs, or signs of bed bugs, like dots of blood or brown dots, change rooms far from the room you found them in, or change establishments.

Be meticulous when you unpack. Unpack your belongings and sort them before you go in your home. Take all your clothing and/or bedding and immediately wash and dry them. The heat from the dryer, for 20 minutes or more, will get rid of any bed bugs that may have hitched a ride on your clothes. Thoroughly check and wipe down your luggage carrier, toiletries, shoes and other belongings before bringing them into your house.