ServPro of North Vista/San Marcos To The Rescue!

Name: Alta Vista Insurance Agency
Address: 2585 Pio Pico Dr Suite 100, Carlsbad, CA, 92008
Telephone: 888-724-2124

Posted on August 29, 2022September 13, 2022 by Seth Arruda

We wanted to give a big shout out to Servpro of North Vista/San Marcos for helping out one of our local elementary schools right here in Vista, CA.

Over the weekend there was a shed that was broken into and vandalized at T.H.E Leadership Academy, AKA Temple Heights Elementary. Luckily nothing was stolen but there was damage to the shed. The school was having a hard time trying to get the repairs completed so, we called up one of our clients, Servpro of North Vista/San Marcos to help out! They sent a team over to Temple Heights Elementary School and they repaired the shed at no cost to the school.

We love these types of success stories especially when our clients make a large impact in our community right here in Vista, CA. The students, teachers, and staff are so grateful for lending a hand. Thank you ServPro!

How Umbrella Insurance Works

Posted on August 29, 2022September 13, 2022 by admin

Umbrella insurance is a unique type of coverage that works along with other types of insurance to boost those policies. When you already have home and auto insurance, it’s helpful to also have an umbrella policy to make those policies stronger when it comes to liability insurance. When you want to be well-covered by your home and auto insurance, it’s smart to get an umbrella policy to increase your coverage.

When you are interested in getting an umbrella insurance policy, give us a call at Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA.

Boost Your Liability Coverage

Once you already have home and auto insurance, you may not have as much liability coverage as you think. Often, these policies come with little liability protection, and that’s where umbrella policies come in. Adding more liability coverage to both your home and auto policies can be highly expensive. It can prohibit many people from getting the coverage they need. But with umbrella insurance, you can do the same thing at a much lower cost. This insurance adds more liability coverage that you need to pay for expensive medical bills after an accident.

Paying the Overage

When an accident happens that you are liable for, your auto or home policy will step in to pay as much as it can toward the medical bills and other expenses that you owe for the other person’s injuries. However, it will meet its limit and stop paying. If it stops paying while there are still more bills to pay, you will be responsible for that overage. When you have umbrella insurance, it will pay that overage to protect you financially.

Get Your Umbrella Policy

If you want to be better protected against liability, talk to an agent about umbrella insurance. Call us at 1-888-724-2124 for a quote from Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA.

Brunch with The Hartford at Beach Break Café

Posted on July 22, 2022September 27, 2022 by Morgan Hege

Lisa and Sandi at Beach Break Cafe — Lisa and Sandi don’t think Morgan is that funny

Tandy Owen, Holly Bishop, George Francis order from the menu — Lisa and Sandi don’t think Morgan is that funny

We were excited to take a little trip to Beach Break Cafe Where we had lunch with Sandi Grigg, our carrier partner representative from The Hartford Insurance. We met to break bread and discuss business!

The food is really good at Beach Break Cafe. The coffee cake is home made, and really a special treat, I highly recommend it with any breakfast or lunch menu item, or just with a good cup of coffee. The portions are too big, even for me. I’m 6’5″ and 280 pounds!

For breakfast, if you like mexican food, I like the Huevos Rancheros with corn tortillias or the Chili Verde burrito (with extra verde sauce on the side!) and you won’t be disappointed with true Cali-mex style San Diego beach food.

The Hartford insures restaurants like Beach Break, and has competitive rates for workers compensation, general liability (slip and fall), and commercial property for your businesses building.

Gary and Zell started Beach Break Cafe as a great local go to spot after surfing, fire fighting, or just a great place to meet with your friends and family down by the beach. The Beach Break is now in the 2nd generation of family ownership!

Back in the day…

Posted on July 14, 2022July 14, 2022 by Morgan Hege

Back in the day, while taking an auto insurance application by phone, I asked a client if his wife was employed? He said no, and she said, ” YES I AM!” (this is dating myself, it was back when Roseanne Barr was doing her stand up.) The wife says, “I’m a DOMESTIC GODDESS!” We all laughed, and then she said. “Put that on the application.” So I did, marked her as employed, and moved on. I really didn’t think twice about it.

A few days later, an underwriting associate at the firm I was with came over to my section, and with their boss, and my boss, and my bosses boss and they kept looking at me while I was on another sales call. Finally my boss came over, and said to not take another call. Needless to say, I finished the call sweating bullets, wondering what could have happened that 1/2 the management team was in my section waiting for me?!

Turns out “Domestic Goddess” is not a job, and cannot go onto an auto insurance application. Who knew?

EDIT: This was decades before Roseanne Barr was cancelled from ABC for being a racist.

Why You Need Flood Insurance

Posted on July 11, 2022July 11, 2022 by admin

Flood insurance is an important type of coverage that everyone should have. It’s a unique type of insurance that many people don’t think about getting. However, it’s a vital type of protection that you should have for your home. If you don’t have flood insurance, call us today at Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA.

Home Insurance and Floods

Floods can be caused by a number of different things, and many of these types of floods are not covered by home insurance. If you don’t have flood insurance, that means that you will pay for all of the damage that is done by the flooding. This can be an extreme amount of damage that may be prohibitively expensive to pay for. Flood insurance can pay for that damage as well as any rebuilding that needs to happen after a flood.

Why Everyone Needs Flood Insurance

It’s common for people to not be interested in getting flood insurance if they don’t live in an area that is a high-risk flood area. These areas are generally near water and have a history of flooding. The problem is that among flood claims, about 20% are from areas that aren’t one of these high-risk areas. Without flood insurance, those homeowners would have to pay for all of the damage by themselves. The National Flood Insurance Program has recommended that everyone should have flood insurance.

Pricing for Flood Insurance

Flood insurance is sponsored by the government through the National Flood Insurance Program. The program backs these policies and sets the pricing. That means that no matter where you get your flood insurance, the cost is always the same. This is helpful to people who don’t want to have to shop around for the best price on a flood policy.

Get Your Home Covered Against Floods

When you need flood insurance, call us at Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA.

Will Renter’s Insurance Replace Your Baseball Card Collection?

Posted on June 27, 2022June 27, 2022 by admin

Alta Vista Insurance Agency has helped many Vista, CA home or apartment renters find great renter’s insurance policies for their needs. For example, we have helped people with extensive baseball card collections protect this investment from various serious dangers.

What Renter’s Insurance Covers

Renter’s insurance covers a handful of unique elements: liability, personal property, medical expenses, and loss of use. The most important coverage option for your baseball card collection is personal property. If you have a high-value collection in your rented home or apartment, your policy may protect you.

It is important to get an estimate of your collection’s overall value and to get that estimate in writing. Store this information somewhere protected, such as in a deposit box or a safe. A standard renter’s insurance policy should have enough protection to pay for your replacement.

Your Policy May Cover Many Issues

What exactly will your policy protect your collection from experiencing? Your renter’s insurance may cover the replacement cost if your cards are destroyed or stolen, up to your policy limit. That’s why it is important to get coverage that is broad enough to pay for your baseball cards.

Note that your policy may cap off at a specific percentage if your items are stolen from your vehicle. This limit means that you may want to store your baseball cards in your home, rather than in your car when buying renter’s insurance. Doing so can minimize your risk of loss.

Do You Need a Policy?

If you need a renter’s insurance policy, please contact us at Alta Vista Insurance Agency. Our team will work with you to find a Vista, CA renter’s policy that will cover your baseball card collection. In this way, they are safe for that day when you finally sell them and make big bucks.

Alta Vista Agency Community Service Project – Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank

Posted on June 24, 2022September 27, 2022 by Morgan Hege

Hi Clients, Friends and Family!

I wanted to share with you the great group of people I am blessed to work with. Did you know the San Diego Food Bank also has a North County location? The North County location serves over 10,000 families facing hunger in Vista, Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, Carlsbad and through out San Diego in need monthly with quality meals. We were excited to help our community!

North County Food Bank volunteers Raymond Lowder, Mark Lamb, Beth Walls, Morgan Hege, Tandy Owen, George Francis, from Alta Vista with Nancy Trejo from Safeco/Liberty Mutual *Thanks to Jim Owen too, not shown he was taking this picture!*

Our agency had a great time and a lot of fun on our recent community service project! We were happy to volunteer over 32 hours of our time today to help a great cause here in our community. During that time we moved over a thousand pounds of plums into five pound bags for distribution to those in need.

Raymond Lowder, Morgan Hege, George Francis waiting to get to work!

If you haven’t volunteered with the North County Food Bank before, I highly recommend it. We excited to help the North County Food Bank by sorting fresh plums into five pound bags for distribution to the community in Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido and throughout San Diego. Here is a great video about the people in our community benefiting from this program.

In addition to that, the North County location also servers as the Diaper bank for San Diego. Many young working moms are in need of diapers to send with their kids to day care to be able to get back into the workforce to make a difference. We at Alta Vista were excited to donate dozens of diapers, as well as our time this week! With 3 kids of my own (thankfully all out of diapers!) I know how expensive it can be to have kids in day care and keep them fed and in diapers. Here is the link if you would like to donate to this valuable community resource.

Don’t Skip These Summer Safety Steps Around Your Home

Posted on May 31, 2022June 9, 2022 by admin

The summer months in California are beautiful. From clear skies to radiant sunshine, there’s nothing better than spending a day poolside with friends and family in Vista, CA. Whether you’re hosting people at your home, or just spending time with the kids, summer safety should be a priority.

Accidents can happen at any time. It’s important for homeowners to ensure their property is safe and comfortable for everyone. Alta Vista Insurance Agency provides you with this guide on important safety steps to take at your home.

Summer Safety Steps Around Your Home

Monitor Pool Activity

Swimming pools are a popular pastime but they can also be dangerous. In addition to rules for everyone to follow, you should monitor activity happening in and around your pool 24/7. It only takes a moment for disasters to occur.

Consider Fire Hazards

Summer is the height of grilling season, fireworks displays, and bonfires. Open flames can travel quickly and spread. You should never leave grills unattended or use them close to the home . Improper use of fireworks or risky behaviors around a bonfire can also lead to fire-related injuries. To put fires out quickly and reduce the chances of spread, keep a fire extinguisher close by.

Bug & Pesticide Safety

From bees to mosquitos, it’s important to protect yourself from stings and harm caused by bites. Wear loose clothing, don’t hang around areas with sitting water, and use protection on our skin. With any pesticides and chemicals, be vigilant about their use and storage to avoid improper exposure.

At Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA, we understand that having a fun and relaxing summer is the goal for most households. Gain peace of mind knowing you’re protected at all times. Contact our team to discuss your coverage needs and get more information.

What to do after an auto accident

Posted on April 29, 2022May 12, 2022 by admin

Being involved in an accident is scary and stressful, but you’ll want to remain calm and focused to ensure that you, your loved ones, and any other involved parties are safe. If you are involved in an accident, remember to breathe and then follow these important steps. And remember, Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA is here to help.

What to do after an auto accident

1. Focus on Safety

If the accident is minor and your vehicle is drivable, move it from traffic and to the side of the road or highway. Turn on your hazards and utilize cones or warning triangles if you have any to alert other vehicles to the accident. Once done, check for injuries on yourself before moving to any passengers in your vehicle and finally, other vehicles that are involved in the accident. If you have even the slightest doubt that someone is injured, err on the side of caution and call 9-1-1.

2. Information Gathering

It is always best to contact the police and ask that an officer be sent to the scene to produce a police report that is invaluable in the insurance claim process to determine who is at fault. If the police are not called or unavailable for a significant time, you should gather key information yourself to include the following for all parties involved:

Names and contact information
Vehicle descriptions
Driver’s license numbers
Insurance companies and policy numbers
Names and contact information for any eyewitnesses

3. File a Claim

You should contact your insurance company as soon as possible after an accident to start the claims process. Many insurance providers will let you start a claim from their mobile app to save time and hassle.

If you are shopping for car insurance, Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA is here to help. Give us a call today to schedule a no-obligation consultation to learn more about our insurance products.