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I-76, A Traffic Jam and The First Time Homeowner!

By July 8, 2011January 30th, 2023No Comments

We hit a traffic jam driving home from the Jersey Shore last week. UGH! The navigator said there was a 75-minute delay on I- 76 with more delays ahead on the turnpike. So, I asked the navigator to find an alternate route around the congestion. What a clever idea, right?! Well, that’s what I was thinking as we headed off  I-76…and straight into another traffic jam! Only this time, we wound bumper-to-bumper through a bunch of little towns as the navigator directed us right over to the PA Turnpike!
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t such a bright idea. But, as we slowly drove through one town after another, I noticed something similar about all those little towns – it was the same thing I’d been noticing here at home in the Poconos, and had also noticed while at the Shore. Everywhere I looked were houses with “For Sale” signs in their front yards. Then I began to think – with lower interest rates, purchase incentives, and a flooded housing market, the argument could be made that now is a good time for the first-time home buyer.

If you are purchasing a home for the first time, the last thing you should need to worry about is if you are getting the correct homeowners insurance coverage for your new home. So, I asked Kim Byrd of Yutz Merkle Insurance for some advice to help alleviate those worries. Kim has been an agent with YMI for 3 years; she is currently working on her CISR designation. She recommended a few questions to pose to your agent before buying insurance for your home:

1. Does this policy include replacement cost?
2. How do you determine the replacement cost of my home?
3. Are my personal items covered? Does it include replacement values?
4. If I install a burglar alarm, will my premium go down? If so, How much?
5. If I raise my deductable, will my premium go down? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
6. Do you offer a multi-policy discount if I also have my car insurance through your agency?
Thanks, Kim! Even though purchasing a new home can be daunting, making certain you have the best coverage at the best price shouldn’t have to be. Call your agent and ask all the important questions Kim recommended…or better yet, call us at YMI!

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