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What every home buyer should know before buying a home

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What every home buyer should know before buying a home

There is always something exhilarating about owning a home in San Francisco, CA. You can drill small holes, take pictures, and modify it to your preference without worrying about the landlord suing you.  Above all, you have peace of mind that no one is coming for you due to rent arrears.

The location is quite essential

The location of your home determines many things, like whether it’s a valuable investment or not. If you have children, you will want to find a home with a school and a park nearby. You will also be looking forward to saving on fuel or transport costs when going to work. The neighborhood also determines whether you are at the right place or not.

Home insurance may be mandatory if you are buying through a mortgage

Home insurance is a critical coverage for protecting your San Francisco, CA home and family. If you are going to pay your home through a mortgage, your lender may require you to have home insurance and flood insurance if the house is located in a high-risk flood area. At Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc, we advise our clients to budget for home insurance as part of the home buying process.

Repairs and maintenance may cost you more than you think

Conduct a thorough inspection before settling on your home. Invite different people, contractors, real estate agents, or engineers to check for repairs and upgrades. They will advise you on what needs to be upgraded and what needs to be replaced. They can also help you calculate the costs. If you feel the costs are above your budget, you can always walk away before any paperwork is done

It’s every homeowner’s dream to find a place you can call your own, but it’s also essential to think about safety. You can trust Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. to guide you through the process. Be sure to drop by for more information and policy discussions.

What benefit comes with getting commercial insurance in San Francisco?

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The San Francisco, CA area is one of the most populated and vibrant parts of the country. With a large population base and consistent group of visitors, owning a business in San Francisco could prove to be a great investment and career plan. If you do want to own a business here, you need to get commercial insurance as it offers several benefits. 

Business Liability Protection

A benefit that you will receive when getting commercial insurance is business liability protection. As a business owner, you are going to take on liability risk on a regular basis. If there is ever a liability claim against your company, it could be very detrimental. Fortunately, this risk can be mitigated if you invest in a full commercial insurance plan. With this coverage, you will receive protection to help you offset the costs if you are found liable for an accident. 

Coverage to Protect Business Assets

A commercial insurance plan is also necessary for those that are in the San Francisco area because it is needed to protect business assets. Any business owner that chooses to start a company will have to invest their capital to acquire certain assets. By getting a commercial insurance plan, you can receive specific coverage that will help you repair or replace these assets if you incur certain types of loss.

When you need a new commercial insurance plan in the San Francisco, CA area, it would be a good idea to call Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. The team with Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. focuses on helping businesses understand their insurance needs. They can help you understand all of your coverage options and how they can mitigate risk. The team can then help you build a plan that provides ideal coverage. 

What are the benefits of having home insurance?

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San Francisco, CA has had one of the hottest real estate markets for a long time. Those that have bought homes here have enjoyed the long-term price appreciation while having a place to live in a great city. If you are going to purchase a home here, you also need to get insurance of it. Home insurance offers several benefits to property owners. 

Personal Liability Protection

One important benefit that comes when you get home insurance is that you can receive personal liability protection. People that own property will have personal liability risk at all times. While it may seem small, you could face serious liability claims if your property causes damage to another person’s property or a guest is injured while they are visiting you. By getting home insurance, you will get the personal liability coverage that is needed to mitigate this risk.

Coverage for Valuable Asset

You will also want to get home insurance as it can protect your most valuable asset. Your home is going to be the largest purchase that you will ever make. Along with this, you should always work hard to ensure that your home is covered as well as possible. With a home insurance policy, you are going to get the coverage you need to repair or even replace your property if it is seriously damaged.

Anyone that is in the San Francisco, CA area needs to get a proper home insurance policy. When you are going to get insurance here, you should call the team with Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. The insurance professionals with Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. understand the importance of getting proper home insurance coverage. They can then help you build a policy that offers the protection you and your home need to be covered and have peace of mind. 

Under what circumstances am I required to carry comprehensive auto insurance?

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California drivers are required to carry auto insurance that meets California’s state minimum requirements. Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. of San Francisco, CA is dedicated to helping motorists understand the law as well as their insurance options. Comprehensive auto insurance isn’t required by law. However, this doesn’t mean that there won’t be circumstances when you will have to carry full coverage or comprehensive insurance. As a motorist, you need to be aware of situations that may require you to carry full coverage, although it’s not required by law.

What is Comprehensive Coverage? 

Comprehensive coverage is full coverage insurance. What does this mean? This type of insurance will pay to repair or replace your car if it’s lost, stolen, or damaged. Comprehensive auto insurance covers damage to your vehicle, even if the damage isn’t caused by a collision. Comprehensive insurance includes damage caused by hail, fire, wind, flood, theft, and vandalism. This coverage also includes damage caused by hitting an animal and falling objects. Many people may wonder why they should carry comprehensive insurance because it’s not legally required. However, the answer isn’t hard to understand. Of course, if you haven’t fully paid for a car and have a car loan or lease, the lender will likely require you to carry comprehensive insurance or full insurance.

Is Comprehensive Insurance Worth It? 

However, there are other factors you should consider to help determine id comprehensive insurance is a good investment. These factors depend on your vehicle. As a general rule of thumb, if your annual premium is greater than the value of your car, it’s probably not a good idea to invest in comprehensive insurance. Not investing in comprehensive insurance is common sense for many reasons. If you sustain damage to your car and the cost of the damage exceeds your car’s value, your insurance company will deem your car a total loss. In this scenario, paying for full coverage isn’t a good investment. We understand that navigating car insurance can be confusing. There’s a lot to understand. However, we’re committed to educating you and answering your questions. Give us a call. We’re here to help. 

Are Comprehensive and Collision Coverage Required?

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You already know that you need to have liability coverage to stay legal on California roads. But, are you required to keep comprehensive and collision coverage on your auto insurance policy? Our Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. team has put together all the information you need.

Are You Legally Required to Carry Full Coverage?

The basic answer is no. The State of California doesn’t care about whether you have the ability to fix your own vehicle. They just want to ensure that you can help the other person fix their car, pay for medical bills, or replace personal property if you’re involved in an accident that is deemed your fault.

Your Bank Might Have Other Ideas

However, if you have a loan on your vehicle, your bank might have other ideas. Most have a clause in their contracts that states that you have to carry first-party coverage on your car insurance policy. This means that, even though you aren’t legally required to have it, you’ll need to purchase comprehensive and collision when you buy auto insurance. In the end, this protects their interest in your vehicle if it is ever repossessed.

Why Having Comprehensive and Collision is a Good Idea

Even if your vehicle is fully paid off, having full coverage on your vehicle is still a good idea. Think about it for a moment. If your car were stolen, damaged in an accident, or hit by an uninsured driver, would you be able to pay for repairs out of your own pocket? For most people, this would be difficult. Instead, it is much more economical to go ahead and purchase comprehensive and collision on your policy.

Let Us Help with Your California Auto Insurance Needs

At Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services inc, we’re dedicated to helping our customers with all of their auto insurance needs. For more information on how we can assist you, please contact our San Francisco, CA location today to schedule an appointment.

How Getting Your Home Ready For The Fall Can Impact Your Home Insurance

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Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. assists the San Francisco, CA community by offering residents multiple types of insurance coverage. We want to make sure that our clients find the policies they need to protect their assets. It’s important to us that our clients have the necessary coverage to help manage whatever the future holds.

Preparing Your Home For The Fall

As a San Francisco, CA homeowner, it’s important that you protect your investment. Home insurance gives you peace of mind that regardless of what happens in the future, your home will be covered. The policy covers your home in the event that it is damaged due to a severe storm or if it’s vandalized. In the event that someone breaks into your home and steals your belongings, your personal items are also covered. As the seasons’ change and Fall approaches, here are some things to consider.

Insulation

Make sure that you seal all of your doors and window panes. Fill in any noticeable cracks. Consider replacing parts that are visibly starting to erode.

Possible Water Damage

Water leaks may cause serious damage to your home. Observe the current condition of your pipes. If they are starting to deteriorate, you may need to make some repairs. Also, be sure to clean the gutters, valves, and drains. As the weather starts to get colder, that increases the risk that your property may suffer some damage.

Exterior Property

Consider having your roof inspected to check for any damage or possible gaps. Cracks in the exterior could lead to rodents or other types of insects entering your home and causing damage. Make sure that the lighting outside of your home is good. Proper outside lighting will prevent you from dealing with a potential liability issue if someone gets injured while visiting your home because they couldn’t see.

Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. Will Help You Assess Your Options

For more information on home insurance, visit our website today!  

Do I need commercial insurance for my home business?

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More and more people are opting for a home business. Working for yourself opens up a world of possibilities. It also can be a good reason to take a good look at your home and auto insurance and whether they offer you the coverage you need for your business. Not all home insurance is friendly to a business you run out of your home and the most likely scenario is you would be woefully underinsured. Commercial insurance is designed to be tailored to the needs of your business and at Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. in San Francisco, CA, we have more than 80 years of experience meeting the needs of our customers. 

Commercial property insurance offers protection for the machinery that you have for your business, all your office equipment, records, raw materials, and products. Your office itself would be covered by home insurance for things like the walls and flooring etc. 

Commercial liability insurance is important if you will be having customers or clients visiting your home. If someone is injured while visiting, this insurance will protect you from a judgment against you. It also covers for damage from the information you may have given or a service or product you sell. 

Commercial auto insurance is a must if you have even one vehicle owned by your business. Keeping your business and your personal finances separate is always a good idea. 

Business interruption insurance can make the difference between keeping your business viable and having to cease business if you are forced to close because of a loss that keeps the business from operating. 

If you have one or more employees, in California you are required to provide workers’ compensation insurance for them. 

Before you open your home business talk to Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. in San Francisco, CA about the right commercial insurance for you. Give us a call to make an appointment for a free quote. 

What First Time Renters Need to Know About Insurance

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Renting your home has a lot of perks. Someone else gets to worry about big home repairs, property taxes and insurance, right? Almost. Although your landlord will have a homeowner’s policy in place to cover their property, renters should still give some thought to insurance. Renters’ insurance is an important way to protect your self while you are renting your home. At Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. serving San Francisco, CA, we want to help better educate you about your insurance needs. Keep reading to learn more about renters’ insurance.

What is Renters’ Insurance?

Renters’ insurance is a type of insurance product designed to protect individuals who do not own their home, but rather are renting a house, apartment, or condo. Renters’ insurance is different from homeowner’s insurance because it does not cover the actual property. Rather, renters’ insurance is in place to protect you and your belongings. 

What Does Renters’ Insurance Cover?

Renters’ insurance can be customized to suit your particular needs, but in general, renters’ insurance will cover the following areas. 

Personal Property- Your personal property differs from the home’s property. Your personal property includes your possessions which are housed on the property. Should your personal property be damaged or lost due to fire, natural disaster, or burglary, the insurance policy will kick in to have those items repaired or replaced. Without this type of protection, you could be left financially vulnerable following a disaster or burglary. 

Liability- Some renters’ policies will also provide liability protection. This liability protection will kick in if someone is injured at your rental home because of your negligence. This is an important type of coverage to have in place so that you are not left with expensive medical bills or legal fees in the event of an accident in your rental home. 

If you would like to learn more about renters’ insurance, please contact our staff at Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. serving San Francisco, CA. 

Home Liability Coverage: A Must for California Homeowners

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San Francisco, CA is a beautiful and exciting place to call home. If you own a home in the city, you can protect your valuable property and lifestyle with home insurance. Liability coverage is particularly important to protect your assets against liability claims that can deplete your finances. Here’s why liability coverage from Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. is a must for California homeowners.      

Protection against Accidents

Accidents are common occurrences at home, even if you maintain a safe and secure environment. If a visitor is injured in an accident on your property, you could be held responsible. That means you’d have to pay his medical costs. Liability insurance protects you from accidents by paying the cost of accidental injuries or damages that occur on your property.

Serious accidents could deplete your financial assets if you had to cover these expenses on your own. Imagine having to pay thousands or tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of medical expenses, lost wages or disability due to someone having a serious accident in your San Francisco, CA home. You may have to tap into your savings, retirement funds, investment funds or future wages to cover these costs.

Protection against Lawsuits

If you’re found negligent for a serious accident in your home, you could be sued for damages. In addition to paying legal costs, you may have to pay a major settlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, if you lose the lawsuit. Liability insurance protects you against lawsuits by covering legal fees and settlement costs, up to the limits of your policy. Ideally, your liability coverage should be enough to protect your assets against the risk of lawsuits.

For more information about liability insurance or to purchase home liability coverage, see your Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. agent today.

Top 3 Reasons To Consider Renters’ Insurance

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There are so many perks to renting your home. It is a great feeling knowing that someone else can take care of big maintenance jobs, taxes, and homeowner’s insurance. If you rent your home, you should be aware that your landlord’s homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover many aspects of your rental property. At Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc. serving San Francisco, CA and surrounding areas, we love to take the time to educate our clients on these important insurance topics. Keep reading to learn the top 3 reasons you should consider renters’ insurance. 

Damaging Events 

If the property you are renting is damaged due to fire, storms, natural disasters, or other causes, only the physical property itself will be covered under the landlord’s homeowner’s policy. Anything you own in the home or on the property will be lost. The cost of repairing or replacing these items will come out of your pocket. This could leave you financially vulnerable and with no way to start over. 

Burglary

A landlord’s homeowner’s policy does not cover your personal belongings lost during a burglary. If your rental is broken into, you cannot regain the value of your lost items unless you have renters’ insurance in place. This is the number one reason most people consider purchasing renters’ insurance. 

Liability 

If someone is injured in your rental, the liability of their injuries could fall to you. A liability event can be devastating financially if it turns into a legal battle. The best way to protect yourself and your assets is to have a comprehensive renters’ insurance policy in place while you are renting your home. 

If you would like to learn more about renters’ insurance, please call our friendly staff today at Biddle-Shaw Insurance Services Inc serving San Francisco, CA. We would love to answer your insurance questions.