Home-based businesses are growing in popularity. Half of all businesses in the US are home-based and if you count businesses that don’t have employees, it goes over 60%. This brings with it many new challenges for businesses and it is more important than ever that you understand how commercial insurance can protect your business and how inadequate non-commercial insurance is. At Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA, we understand business risk and how it can be mitigated with commercial insurance.
Property insurance
If your business is located in your home, you may think your home insurance offers you the coverage you need. It will supply some very basic coverage but not for anything that is particular to your business. While it might cover a computer, desk, and copier, it won’t cover any specialized tools or machinery relating to your specialized business. You also won’t have the coverage for the inventory and raw materials your business requires.
Commercial liability insurance
If you are meeting with clients or customers in your home and they are injured, your home insurance won’t cover them. If vendors come to your home, you also won’t be covered for any injury they sustain. Home liability insurance won’t cover any people who visit for business reasons, only personal reasons. An injury can lead to a legal suit and a judgment against you and it could be enough to torpedo your business for good without the right insurance.
Commercial auto insurance
If you are using your personal vehicle for business, you will not be covered if you have an accident where you are at fault. It is important to get commercial auto insurance for any vehicle you use for business purposes.
Contact Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA when you are ready to discuss your commercial insurance needs.
In this episode I talk with my good friend Alec about the basics of solar when it comes to homeownership. We talk about some important things to know when thinking about adding solar to a home and what to look for when purchasing a home with solar installed.
Alec also shares some great information about other home improvements that can reduce your power usage and out of pocket expenses.
We had a great conversation and I learned a lot about the benefits of solar and ways to be more efficient with our power usage when it comes to residential real estate.
Learn how to properly insure your solar! Setup an appointment and we can review your insurance and help you be financially protected. Looking for a better solution to insure your real estate property? Save money and get a quote today!
If you own properties, you know how much time and resources it has taken you to accumulate your assets. With this in mind, you may not want anything to happen to your valuables. As such, investing in property insurance from Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA, is the best decision you can make.
Do you have questions about property insurance? Worry not. We have put together a property insurance FAQs section to help you understand this coverage in detail.
What does property insurance cover?
This coverage protects your assets against loss or damage from perils like fire, theft, vandalism, and other risks included in your policy. Property insurance shields your buildings, equipment, inventories, and other assets from damages or losses that can inflict significant financial losses on your business.
Do you want peace of mind? Do you want to keep financial disturbances away from your assets? Investing in property insurance should be your number one priority. While property insurance doesn’t prevent risks from happening, it ensures you are not alone when catastrophes strike.
What does property insurance exclude?
Like other insurance coverages, property insurance doesn’t cover you against all risks — it has exceptions and exclusions. Typical property insurance doesn’t cover damage or loss from:
Floods and earthquakes
Employee theft
Intentional acts
Damage from neglect
Product defects due to manufacturing errors
Equipment breakdowns
Who needs property insurance?
Like general liability insurance, property insurance isn’t mandatory, but you must invest in it to protect your assets. Whether online or physical, all businesses should invest in property insurance to ensure they don’t start from scratch when the unthinkable strikes.
Invest in property insurance today!
Would you like to invest in property insurance in Vista, CA, and its environs? Look no further than Alta Vista Insurance Agency. Since we understand that the asset portfolio of one policyholder differs from the other, we provide personalized property insurance coverage to fit your individual needs.
When you are renting a home, you always need to keep renters’ insurance in order to protect yourself and your wallet. If you rent and don’t yet have renters’ insurance, give us a call now at Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA.
Coverage for Your Belongings
If you have a home full of items, you aren’t alone. We all like to have our things around us, and it can be upsetting not to. If there were an incident that harmed your belongings, ruining or destroying them, your renters’ insurance policy would help you to pay for replacements for everything lost. This can help you significantly by getting you back on your feet financially after a disaster or other incident.
Coverage for Your Liability
If you rent a home, you don’t own it, so there are certain things that you don’t have to insure, such as the dwelling itself. However, since you are living in it, you can be held liable for someone else’s injuries if they should have an accident in your home. This can be unlimited amounts of medical bills, even if the accident wasn’t that bad. With your renters’ insurance, these bills get paid by the policy up to the maximum amount on the policy.
Protection for Yourself
If something major like a disaster happened that caused serious damage to your rented home, you don’t have to live in it while it’s being fixed. A home that is uninhabitable may be your only option if you can’t afford to pay to live somewhere else while the repairs are being completed. However, your renters’ insurance policy will pay for you to do so.
Protect Your Home
If you rent and don’t have a renters’ policy yet, contact us right away at Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA to speak to an agent.
Umbrella insurance is a unique type of insurance that is helpful in a number of situations. To find out more about how it works, call us today at Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA and talk with an agent.
Home Insurance
If you already have a home insurance policy, you may know some of the coverage types it includes as well as some of the amounts. However, many people don’t pay much attention to the amount of liability coverage they have. The typical home insurance policy has a small amount of liability coverage, but it often isn’t enough to pay the bills if there were a serious accident that occurred for the third party inside your home. To get more of this coverage, you can get an umbrella policy. It adds more liability coverage to the coverage you already have through your home insurance policy.
Auto Insurance
Just as an umbrella policy adds to the liability of your home insurance, it also adds liability coverage to your auto policy. Serious auto accidents can cause enormous amounts in medical and property damage bills. If you don’t have much coverage, you are simply responsible for the overage. But with umbrella insurance, you get a higher amount of liability coverage.
An Umbrella Insurance Policy
Once an accident happens, your home or auto policy, depending on where the accident happens, will pay for the resulting bills that you are liable for. Once your home or auto policy is maxed out, the rest of the amount you owe is paid for by your umbrella insurance. This can save you financially after an accident that results in serious injuries.
Get Your Umbrella Coverage
If you already have an auto and home policy and need more liability coverage, consider getting an umbrella policy. Contact us at Alta Vista Insurance Agency in Vista, CA to find out more.
You might think that your home is safe from floods because you have never seen anything more than a puddle in your yard. Unfortunately, every home is at risk of floods. Floods are unpredictable and can happen near the coast and in dry areas. According to FEMA, about 99% of all American counties have been ravaged by floods since 1996!
And here is another problem. When floods strike in Vista, CA, your home insurance doesn’t protect your home. Unfortunately, no amount of sandbags can hold back flooding. For this reason, you need a stand-alone flood insurance policy from Alta Vista Insurance Agency for optimal protection.
Is flood insurance mandatory?
Although no law in Texas requires flood insurance, if your home or business is mortgage-financed, your lender may require you to purchase flood insurance if you live in a flood-risk zone. In contrast, persons living in low-risk areas may see flood insurance as an unnecessary expense, but flood insurance cushions you from dipping into your savings when floods strike.
What does flood insurance cover?
Whether it’s flash flooding or hurricane flooding, water causes extensive damage to your home. To put this in perspective, a one-inch rise in water levels results in repairs to the tune of $25,000 and above!
When you buy flood insurance, it protects the below:
Building: This covers electrical and plumbing systems, furnaces, carpets, detached garages, and other fixed appliances.
Contents: Covers personal items like furniture, electronics, curtains, ovens, and so forth.
Where to buy flood insurance
You can buy flood insurance from NFIP. This coverage has a 30-day waiting period and covers your building up to $250,000 and contents up to $100,000. Besides, you can purchase flood insurance from private carriers. And the beauty of private flood insurance is that it provides better coverage than NFIP.
Buy flood insurance today!
Are you in Vista, CA, looking for flood insurance? Please get in touch with Alta Vista Insurance Agency for an affordable quote.
In this episode our agent, Seth Arruda talks about some of the serious effects of inflation and construction costs on property insurance. The cost of building has risen and we’re seeing that reflected in new construction, but it can also effect the cost to rebuild, especially after a large catastrophic wildfire.
Update: lumber prices have come down recently but that doesn’t mean they will return to pre-pandemic prices. Also the with inflation and with the additional higher costs involved in building those costs are being passed down to the consumer.
So let’s dive into how the rising costs of building materials and inflation are effecting replacement cost and being properly insured to value.
Want to look at a plan for your personal or commercial insurance? Schedule an appointment!
If you are in the Vista, CA area, you will find that owning a home provides many advantages. This includes having a stable place to live and benefiting from long-term price appreciation. If you decide to purchase a home here, getting the right insurance is important. For condo owners, having a condo insurance plan is a good investment due to the valuable coverages it provides.
Coverage Protects Assets
A key reason that you will want to have a condo insurance plan is that it can protect your assets. If you are going to purchase a condo, you will be making a major investment that needs protection. With the insurance policy, you are going to have the right coverage in place to ensure you can repair your condo if there is damage or another incident that results in a loss.
Liability Coverage
You should also get condo insurance as it will give you liability protection. Condo owners could face liability claims if a leak or other mechanical flaw in their property causes damage to another unit or public parts of the property. Further, you face liability risk if a guest in your condo gets hurt. This risk can always be mitigated by getting a condo insurance plan for your property.
Condo owners in the Vista, CA area need to take their ownership and insurance needs seriously. As you are looking for a new condo insurance plan in this part of California, a great option is to work with Alta Vista Insurance Agency. You will have a lot of important choices to make when looking for condo insurance and Alta Vista Insurance Agency can be quite helpful. The team can address your questions and concerns while providing any support needed to choose an appropriate policy.
If you are in the Vista, CA area, there are many forms of insurance that you should consider obtaining. One of the most important forms of coverage to consider getting is health insurance. This coverage can help ensure that you have access to affordable healthcare. There are several situations when someone here should get a health insurance plan.
When Looking for Access to Care
The main situation when someone should get health insurance is when they are looking for access to affordable care. Seeing a doctor, getting prescription medication, and receiving more significant medical care when needed is important. If you have a health insurance plan, you will have access to affordable care when you need it. This can help to save you money and stay healthy.
When Looking to Comply with Law
While it is important to have health insurance to ensure you have access to care. You may also need coverage to comply with the law. For the past several years, all people have been required by law to carry health insurance. If you do not have evidence of coverage throughout the year, you could be penalized. These penalties are frequently applied at the end of the year when you file a tax return and need to provide evidence of coverage.
Having health insurance in the Vista, CA area is always critical. As you are looking for a health insurance plan, you will quickly find that there are many options to consider. If you are in the market for a new health insurance plan, calling Alta Vista Insurance Agency can be very helpful. The Alta Vista Insurance Agency team understands the value and importance of this coverage and can offer the support you need to choose a new policy.
Expertise.com scored 65 agencies in Vista, California and selected the top 8 for 2021!
Recognition as a subject matter expert in homeowners insurance in San Diego, California shows how dedicated we are to helping our clients protect their lifestyles and their most valuable assets, their homes. So, when Alta Vista Insurance was selected as one of the top 8 personal lines insurance agencies in Vista, California for homeowners insurance by expertise.com we were very excited to be recognized for the amazing service we provide to our San Diego community and throughout California.
Our goal is to be an expert in real estate asset protection in San Diego, California. Focusing on property insurance is one of the cornerstones of our clients’ asset portfolios and that’s where we shine. Providing the proper education about the importance of financial protection gives our clients a solid foundation to build wealth and achieve financial freedom. Partner that with a subject matter expert that specializes in personal insurance like homeowners insurance, auto insurance, landlord insurance, flood insurance and earthquake insurance along with commercial property insurance, general liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, workers compensation, and cyber liability insurance in California and you have a healthy ecosystem to protect your personal and commercial assets.
“We want to give our clients the personal guidance and advice, so they feel empowered to make educated choices about their insurance. Be the guide in their story. We want to guide our clients through their insurance protection and put a plan together that leads our customers to success, so they can reach new heights. We invite our clients into a story where they have peace of mind and all their assets are properly protected.”
This is another feather in our cap and award to put on our mantel. The last two years, 2019 and 2020 Alta Vista Insurance was selected as Agency For The Future with Safeco Insurance and Liberty Mutual!
“This group includes some of the most innovative agencies in the entire independent agent channel. While they are all unique – each with their own distinct value proposition, customer focus and company culture – what they have most in common is in just how prepared they were to tackle the challenges of 2020 head on. They quickly adapted to the changing market conditions brought about by the pandemic, fully embraced digital to ensure the customer experienced remained strong, and continued to cultivate great corporate cultures to keep their teams engaged.”
-Tyler Asher, President of independent agency distribution for Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance.
The “proof is in the pudding”. I could go on and on and tell you all about the great work we do for our clients but it’s better to hear their stories. Check out some our client testimonials on our Google Business Page.
As an independent agency here in Vista, California since 1978, we’re no stranger to the neighborhood. Ever since then we’ve focused on personal and commercial property in San Diego, California working with real estate investors, property owners, homeowners, and new home buyers to give them the right plan to protect their lifestyles. We also focus efforts on helping other strategic partners in San Diego, California grow their businesses through our expertise and knowledge as an insurance guide to help them reach new heights in their businesses and provide their clients with a personal risk manager. We form long lasting relationships throughout Vista, California and all of San Diego with real estate agents, commercial real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders, bankers, CPA’s and attorneys.
We work strategically with business partners, especially real estate agents, to help those individuals grow their businesses, save time, and save money. One of our main focuses is to help agents close their transactions smoothly and on time and provide their clients with the proper protection they need for their lifestyles so they can live their best life. Insurance is a relationship business. Our goal is to build long lasting relationships with our clients, business partners, and our community.”
Expertise.com based their selections on a number of different criteria. They also looked at our online presence and social proof. They even took the time to test our strengthens with their surprise “mystery shopper” calls to ensure their list of insurance agencies are of the highest quality. Let’s just say, we passed with flying colors! Our staff was friendly, accommodating and answered all questions about bundling personal insurance and available discounts. Their selection criteria consists of five major categories.
1. Availability
Consistently approachable and responsive, so customers never feel ignored.
2. Qualifications
Building customer confidence with licensing, accreditations, and awards.
3. Reputation
A history of delighted customers and outstanding service.
4. Experience
Masters of their craft, based on years of practical experience and education.
5. Professionalism
Providing service with honesty, reliability, and respect.
Recognition and awards tell a story that we’re doing things right and putting our clients in San Diego, California first and we’re just getting started. Leveraging technology and our systems to create a seamless positive customer experience is a big focus as we look at new ways to meet the needs of our customers in the 21st century. We’re using more video and social media to educate our clients throughout the customer journey. Text messaging alerts and automation to keep clients informed about policy notifications and upcoming renewals has been a great addition to our client experience. During COVID-19 we’re able to reach our customers through virtual meetings using Microsoft Teams and book appointments using our online virtual calendar. If you’re looking for a better insurance experience and a personal guide to keep you informed about how to protect your lifestyle, we’d like to welcome you to Alta Vista Insurance.
