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MAX Featured Agent: Tom Petti at InsureitOhio in Madison County, OH

We value our MAX Agency Partners and this month we would like to introduce you to one of them – Tom Petti at InsureitOhio in Madison County, Ohio. Phil Blount, our Regional Sales Manager, asked Tom some questions about his agency and why they choose MAX for many of their clients. Check it out:

Q: What do you like about MAX?

A: MAX is a great insurance company to place business with. There are enough coverage options and products available to suit most risk profiles, and do it at a competitive price. However, once you get passed the nuts and bolts of product and price, the people of MAX are what really make the company a joy to write for. Over the years I have had one good experience after another whether it be billing, claims, underwriting, or simply a customer service call.

Q: In what ways does your agency support your community?

A: Our agency believes that being involved in the local community is important. It really sets the local agent apart from the large direct writers. We participate in local Chambers of Commerce, COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises), and the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. I also attend many community events in a more unofficial capacity. Sometimes it’s nice to just be out and seen in the community without always having to be there for business attracting purposes. My wife and I go to local fairs, school sporting events, and are members of some local clubs.

Q: Why do you believe someone should use an Independent Agent?

A: Placing business through an independent agent is not for everyone. There is certainly a place for the large, impersonal direct writers and the customers they serve. However, if an individual sees value in having a local person to person relationship with an insurance professional that is actually motivated to provide a proper insurance package for them, the independent agent is the way to go.

Q: What are some coverage issues that you are seeing right now that you want your customers to be aware of?

A: One of our main jobs is to educate the customers we serve. Water back up is many times one of those optional coverages that people don’t know they need until something bad happens. Many times, after explaining what this coverage is for and why they really should have at least a modest amount, the customers are happy to add it to their policy. Auto liability limits are also an issue. For many agents, we’ve been writing 100/300 for a long time. This may have been adequate ten or fifteen years ago, but with the ever increasing costs of medical care, it does not go as far as it used to. We like to offer 250/500 along with an optional umbrella, at least for conversation and customer education.

Tiny Houses

By Mark Files, Regional Sales Manager

Tiny Houses….what are they? Why would you want one? What’s the big deal with this little living idea? Needless to say, I had a lot more questions than answers when I got asked about insuring Tiny Houses.

When I was 12 years old, I experienced what one could compare to the current Tiny House experience. My folks were building a new home and it wasn’t ready for us to move in by the time we moved out of our old house that had been sold. So for 60 glorious or torturous days my family of four lived in a 32 foot fifth wheel camper on my grandparent’s farm. Quarters were cramped, we were limited on the clothes we had access to, and needless to say there wasn’t much space to lounge around in the camper. (Did I mention this happened during the summer months of July/August/September?) We made it work but wow, I can remember how happy all four of us were glad to be in our new house. When I look back, it wasn’t that bad and could have been much worse. After laughing about this adventure with my Mom she let us know 60 days was supposed to have been two weeks…..

So let’s start from the beginning, what’s a Tiny House? Well there are three versions: Trailer, Foundation and Hybrid. Thanks to the Tiny House Blog and their book review “Tiny House Parking,” by Ethan Waldman, the book provides more detail about each type, benefits of each and also the pitfalls.

Here are some highlights from the book review:

A Trailer Tiny House will likely be deemed as a “temporary structure”, much like an RV. Local regulations may only allow you to live in your tiny house for a month at a time. Checking your local regulations not only about length of parking, but the size of it will be a must. If you like to travel, a tiny house on a trailer will give you that freedom.
A Foundation Tiny House means you will more than likely need to purchase land, which will increase your costs. You will also be tied to one place, but the upside is you will have more options when it comes to the shape and size of your tiny house compared to one built on a trailer.
A Hybrid Tiny House is built on a semi-permanent foundation that can be transported when necessary, much like a park-model mobile home. This flexibility is indeed a plus. Checking local regulations about how long you can live in the tiny house is a must.

Here’s my take of the Tiny House fad:

Tiny houses are a new version of Modular, Mobile Homes and RV’s. Though the mortgage process has relaxed somewhat, the industry has tried to capitalize on the restricted access to loanable dollars. It also plays to the dissatisfaction some Americans are expressing with the way the country is being run and the direction they believe it’s headed. Having a small mobile house makes it much easier to “stay below the radar” if the U.S. starts to waiver in their eyes.

Folks with an “environment first” mind set may see this housing option as a way to get in touch with nature and a way to do their part to reduce their environmental footprint.

The third group looking to utilize the Tiny Home model is the entrepreneur. This group has found a way to market tiny homes as “Granny Pods” aka Mother-in-law quarters, “Tiny Towns” aka over 55 maintenance provided communities and “Tailgate Party Zones” aka tiny homes located on designated property on Major University Campus to help improve and control the fan experience.

I think it’s safe to say the “Tiny House” phenomenon is here to stay and will play a part in the landscape of the U.S. for years to come. If you can handle the tight quarters and find a place to park, it may be the way of the future.

About Mark Files

Mark Files Married, Father of 2.5 kids: son, daughter and son-in-law, Independent Insurance Agency Recruiter, Insurance Agent

Mark has worked at MAX for 6 years and has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry as an agent and company representative. After business hours, Mark likes to work on his smoking, grilling and cooking techniques, spend time on the lake boating and fishing, but most of all he enjoys relaxing at home with his wife and dogs. He also volunteers with several youth organizations at his church and in the community helping out when and where he can.

Photo by joncallas

Star Wars and Service Line Coverage

By Kim Bronder, Sales & Service Center Manager

I must have missed something in the movie world because I just realized that a new Star Wars movie is being released December 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Needless to say, I am ecstatic to see the film when it comes out. However, I must practice Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi patience until then.

I saw the very first Star Wars film on opening day May 25, 1977. It was my sister’s birthday but I skipped out to stand in line for two hours with my best friend in order to get tickets and the best seats in the house. The marketing lead up to the film captivated anyone who loved sci-fi movies. We couldn’t wait! The film did not disappoint. Then in the summer of 2015 that same friend and I purchased online tickets (no waiting in line) to see the latest Star Wars: The Force Awakens and again it didn’t disappoint. I will purchase my online tickets for Rogue One as soon as I am able and I’ll be patient until that time.

So you ask, what does this have to do with Service Line Coverage? Or as Yoda would say, “Service Line Coverage, hmmm, what is?” Well, honestly, I’m ecstatic and have been patient for this coverage to be available on my home.

My homeowner policy renewal came out this week and I am thrilled because I’ve been waiting for this coverage for a long time! I have been a homeowner for 32 years and this year is the best renewal by far. I witnessed my neighbor who had their water line burst on their side of the street. The city/county didn’t cover the damage, their homeowner insurance didn’t cover the damage, my neighbors covered the damage by way of a second mortgage on their home to pay for the over $6000 cost to dig up the public street, install new pipes and repave the street. YUP! It was crazy expensive and I suspect they are still paying on that second mortgage.

Service Line Coverage provides protection from an unexpected loss caused by a service line failure which is not a covered loss under most insurance policies. This added coverage extends to damage of underground piping, wiring, valves or attached devices that connect a home to a public utility service provider or to a private system.

Star Wars and Service Line Coverage are both worth the wait. Being a sci-fi fan and an insurance agent can be fun at the same time as well as being a homeowner especially when your company offers new coverages. If your homeowner policy doesn’t have Service Line Coverage on it, contact us and we can give you a quote!!

About Kim

Avid traveler, Mom of three daughters, and Insurance Agent!
Direct Phone – 913-754-3807
kbronder@maxinsurance.com

Kim has been with MAX for 5 years and has over 12 years of experience in the insurance industry. When Kim is not at work, she loves to travel, cook and read. Kim and her husband of 32 years are involved with Retrouvaille, a ministry that helps married couples strengthen and heal their marriages. She has three grown daughters, one son in law and a precious granddaughter. Kim enjoys the spring and summer months where she can tend to her garden.

5 Things to Know About Home Insurance

by Anna Smith, Sales & Service Specialist

Are you confused by homeowners insurance? Maybe this will help – here are my Top 5 things to know about home insurance:

Get Down to the Nuts & Bolts of the Policy. Insurance is like a foreign language, but knowing how to interpret your policy will save you in the long run.Always talk with your agent when you are in doubt of what your policy actually covers. Most insurance companies have built-in exclusions with their policies, and when you contact your agent you may be able to add coverage that you don’t currently have. Ask your agent or company what your Replacement Cost is on your home (cost to rebuild the home from scratch if you had a total loss). You may also find out that you might not be insuring your home for what it should be, some companies are allowed to insure homes for only 80% of the Replacement Cost.
Dogs Aren’t Always a Person’s Best Friend.Looking to get a new pet for your home? Talk with your insurance agent or company first. Some companies have strict guidelines in place for dogs in the home and on premise due to a high increase of Liability losses that pertain to injuries sustained by your pet. This would also come into play even if you are only ‘dog-sitting’ for someone else. The company may also have a list of Ineligible Breeds that you may not be aware of, and could cause you to be non-renewed if a loss would arise. Ask to see if there is a list available from your insurance agent or company.
Are You a Flight Risk?Many times homes become vacant or unoccupied due to several reasons. Maybe you got married and moved into your spouse’s home, maybe you have a relative that has passed away leaving an empty home, or perhaps you have relocated due to a new job? Life happens every day, so be sure to contact your agent if you have a situation come up that would leave you with a vacant or unoccupied home. Some insurance companies can deny a claim if you have moved out of your home for over 60 days; and on that 61^st day you no longer have coverage in place. There are also some companies that will deny a claim if you are no longer occupying the home and another person now lives in it (evenanother family member).
Best Rates Don’t Always Mean Best Coverage.When you first get your home insurance policy you do a lot of shopping for good rates, or what you believe to be good rates. Fact is, insurance rates are based on more than just the home itself. Insurance companies file rates within each state’s Department of Insurance where they are licensed to provide coverage, and they have to receive approval to get the rates they ask for. Sometimes companies will increase their rates so that they can maintain a higher level of acceptable insured risk, due to extremely high losses paid out for fraudulent claims. These companies can sometimes be the better company even if their rates are higher than another’s. They may also be able to provide more coverage for your home than the one with the lower rates.
Discounts are Great Money Saving Items!Just because you pay a higher premium sometimes doesn’t mean you can’t get savings. Most companies will offer discounts for certain things, like having more than one policy with the same company, being a long-time customer, being a claims-free customer, or even paying the premium in full. Check with your insurance agent or company each year prior to renewing the policy, you never know what savings are available if you don’t ask. Who doesn’t love a good discount?

Homeowners Insurance is available through MAX in select US states. Contact us or your MAX agent today! We would be happy to help you find the proper coverage for your home.

Anna Smith

Anna Smith is a Sales & Service Specialist in MAX’s home office in Overland Park, Kansas where she works directly with members and Independent Agents.

When she’s not at work, she enjoys spending time with her daughters and pets. They keep her busy from morning until evening, but she loves their time together. Anna also enjoys cooking for friends and family, and shares many new recipe creations with her co-workers.

Farm Personal Property

One of the most often underinsured items on farmowners policies is farm personal property. Most farmers choose to insure this under blanket coverage rather than specified amounts for each category of personal property. Property that gets lumped into this category might include such things as livestock, hay and grains, farm machinery, tools and supplies and others.

When insuring on a blanket basis, it is important to remember that the policy will require an insured to keep at least 80% of the replacement value of such items (if insuring on a replacement cost basis) to meet the coinsurance requirement on the policy. That is, the insured value carried on the policy must be at or above 80% of the total value of all such property owned by the insured to be considered fully insured. If the amount insured falls below that level, the insured will not be fully covered in the case of loss to any of this property.

There are two major reasons this category of property is often underinsured:

Many times, farmers might forget to add up the total amount of all types of personal property they own and are surprised that the total value is as high as it is at the time of loss. Therefore it is really important to add up the totals of all types of farm personal property when selecting an insured amount to carry on the policy.
Farm personal property can vary by season, especially such things as livestock and crops/hay. It is important then that the farmer regularly review their farm personal property to insure that the amount carried appropriately reflects the needed coverage throughout the year.

We urge all of our farm members to be in touch with their MAX agent or our Sales & Service Center anytime we can help provide support to this incredibly important area of coverage. We are your partners in meeting your insurance needs.