IT'S HURRICANE SEASON. ARE YOU PREPARED?

It’s Hurricane Season. Are You Prepared?

Recent images of Hurricane Isaac’s rampage along the Gulf Coast are a reminder that measures taken to prepare for big storms can reduce the damage they cause.

Just a year ago, Hurricane Irene demonstrated that this region is hardly exempt from nature’s wrath.

To prepare for a storm, there are many topics and steps that must be kept in mind. An excellent source for information is http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes, created by the National Hurricane Center of the National Weather Service.

Are you covered? Severe storms have the potential to destroy your financial well-being, so knowing what you’re insured for is essential.

Check your homeowner’s insurance policy to determine your hurricane-coverage deductible. Many insurers require one, depending on the location of the insured property.

Hurricane deductibles are higher than those for other perils or causes of loss. They are calculated as a percentage of the dollar amount of coverage on a dwelling.

The “trigger,” or point at which these deductibles apply, varies among insurers, according to the Insurance Information Institute in New York. Triggers generally are effective only when the National Weather Service issues a hurricane watch or warning, and they remain in effect for a specified time after the storm has passed.

Hurricane intensity also may affect the trigger. If a policy has mandatory deductibles, that means the insurer will not sell homeowners coverage without a hurricane deductible.

Flood warning. Remember this if you remember nothing else: Standard homeowner’s policies DO NOT cover flooding.

Structures in high-risk flood areas that have mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA and VA) are required to carry flood insurance. According to the National Flood Insurance Program, such areas have a 1 percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year.

Homes and businesses in moderate- to low-risk areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are not usually required to have flood insurance.

Such coverage is recommended, however, because anyone can be financially vulnerable to floods, according to the flood-insurance program: People outside high-risk areas file more than one-fifth of claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance (typically loans that must be repaid with interest).

There are waiting periods for flood-insurance coverage. Details are available from FloodSmart.gov.

Walk around your house. Physical preparation for storms is important. Look around the yard and the perimeter of your property for weak points, such as trees with branches hanging over utility lines. Remove them before they cause trouble.

Experts have pinpointed four areas that should be checked for weakness before a hurricane strikes: the roof, the windows, the doors, and the garage door.

Roof reinforcement from the wind—hurricane straps, for example—require a professional, and if a storm is bearing down, there may not be time to do that work. But you can clean gutters and downspouts so water flows away from the foundation.

If you have a sump pump, make sure it works, and check the outflow pipe to be sure it’s free of debris.

If a big storm is imminent, protect windows and doors by installing plywood shutters or at least placing large strips of masking tape or adhesive tape on the glass, to reduce the risk of breakage and flying pieces.

Add bracing to shore up a weak garage door.

If authorities urge you to evacuate your home, do it. Know the routes well and be sure your family is well-versed in what to do in the event of an emergency.

Reshared by Michelle Cannon
Cannon Realty & Associates

PATIO SOLUTIONS YOU'LL FALL FOR

Patio Solutions You’ll Fall For

As the seasons change so must your backyard entertaining areas. When it gets warmer we prepare for more outdoor cooking and evenings spent outside for longer hours. Likewise as fall and winter draw nearer it’s important to prepare your patio or deck for the cooler weather.

Stoke The Fires

If your climate allows outdoor entertaining throughout the year you know that every season brings with it its own outdoor pleasures. In particularly the fall is a welcome cool down for most and the enthusiasm for being outdoors that wanes in the extreme heat of late summer is often renewed. Nothing makes a cool weather gathering like a nice fire. This is one improvement that you can bring to your patio or deck that requires only a small expense if done correctly, or you can opt for a more elaborate outdoor grill or fire pit that is a permanent addition and naturally necessitates a bit more cash. And because so many buyers are looking for a unique and outstanding outdoor entertaining space these days you can probably expect a good return on the investment. For outdoor grill or fire pit ideas visit HGTV.

Increase Your Lighting

As the temperature drops the days grow shorter. This means that some of your late evening dinners that were once basked in a cool sunset glow will not enjoy the benefit of natural lighting. So increasing your outdoor lighting will help you to continue enjoying your patio late into the evenings without struggling to see your guests. This can be accomplished by installing either a simple string of outdoor lights or you can truly accessorize your space with trendy outdoor lighting that mimics that styles you might expect to see indoors. For more lighting ideas visit HGTV.

Improving your outdoor spaces in ways that encourage entertaining is like adding square footage to your home. With these and other tips you can enjoy these extra areas well into the fall.

Reshared by Michelle Cannon
Cannon Realty & Associates

LANDLORDS: FIVE SIMPLE DO'S AND DON'TS FOR PEACE OF MIND

Landlords: Five Simple Do’s and Don’ts for Peace of Mind

As the demand for rental properties skyrockets, landlords can be bombarded with applicants, how can landlords be sure they find the right tenants?

A landlord’s worst nightmare is an irresponsible and negligent tenant. Fortunately, comprehensive tenant screening can greatly reduce the chances of signing a bad renter. Here are a few tips when screening a tenant:

- Do Conduct a Comprehensive Background Check. Running a comprehensive background check on a potential tenant is one of the most important steps in finding a credible renter. Always use a report that includes credit, criminal and eviction screening at a minimum. The best reports also include a decision recommendation, income to rent analytics and credit payment history in an easy-to-read format.

- Do Make the Applicant Pay for the Report. Use a service that enables the applicant to pay for the background check directly. If the potential renter is interested in a property, has nothing to hide and has the funds to rent, he or she should be comfortable paying for the report. Having the applicant pay for the report saves the landlord the inconvenience of fronting the screening costs for multiple applicants.

- Do Take the Time to Read Tenants’ Background Reports Carefully. Be sure to take careful note of any collections flags. Applicants with collections actions are much more prone to skip payments or require eviction. Also, be sure to take the income to rent ratio into account. Tenants that make less than two times the rent amount are more likely to pay late or skip or stop paying altogether. Tenants that make more than three times the rent amount are less likely to have payment issues. Also, be wary of tenants that only want to deal in cash. This can often be a sign of a much deeper problem.

- Don’t Waste Time on the Phone Call to Prior Landlords. Calling a tenant’s prior landlord is often ineffective because some landlords provide no information as a policy to avoid any chance of defamation. Even worse, others may lie about the history of the tenant to expedite a troubled tenant’s move out of their property and into yours. Avoid the hassle of calling previous landlords, and stick to the facts from the background check.

- Don’t Forget About Fair Housing. The Fair Housing Act protects the buyer or renter of a dwelling from seller or landlord discrimination. The act prohibits refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. To avoid potential issues, make sure to create objective standards for your decision and apply them to the data in the screening report.

Tenant screening doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Following these simple tips and taking the extra time to thoroughly screen applicants will be well worth signing honest, dependable tenants and will greatly reduce stress in the long run.

Reshared by Michelle Cannon