Owning a home safe in Hawaii and what to store in it

Owning a Home Safe & What to Store in It

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Owning a home safe in Hawaii and what to store in itIf you don’t own a home safe, it might be time to make the purchase. Not only can they help with theft of valuables or family heirlooms, but they can also protect special documents. A home safe is priceless when the unexpected occurs. Documents and valuables can be kept out of harm should you ever experience a home fire or burglary. These reasons alone should be a good motive to invest in a home safe.

Where to place your home safe

When shopping for a home safe, make sure it’s heavy enough so a burglar couldn’t walk away with it. If you can, bolt it to the floor or install it into a wall. An additional thought is to store it in a unique place in your home unless you’re using it daily such as in an office. You don’t want to simply not use it because it isn’t convenient. Some additional things to consider is the size of the safe. Safes that are heavy and require a hand truck to move should be placed on the ground floor. Safes that can be moved with a couple of people are okay to have on the second floor. If your main concern is fire, you should try to place your safe on a cement slab.

Twelve items to store in your home safe

  • Passports, original birth certificates, marriage/divorce papers, social security cards
  • Cash
  • Wills or other important legal documents
  • Valuable watches or jewelry
  • SD cards, important computer back up discs or other electronics that are important, but you may not use on a weekly basis
  • Annual tax returns
  • Small firearms
  • Spare car keys and titles to all vehicles
  • Important papers regarding bank accounts, retirement or other investments

Investing in a safe today could prevent an unfortunate headache in the future. While owning a safe is important, having the right home insurance policy is just as valuable. For all insurance questions, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency. We have years of experience and will help you find the best coverage for your needs.

Hazardous Household Waste Disposal in Waipahu, HI

Do You Know How to Dispose of Hazardous Household Items?

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Hazardous Household Waste Disposal in Waipahu, HIWhether you’re purchasing a new home or have lived in the same house for years, chances are there is old paint and other household items that require special disposal in your crawlspace or garage.

Batteries:  The average American household goes through over a dozen standard batteries a year. There are several types of batteries. Alkaline batteries come in sizes like AA, AAA, C, D and 9V and can simply be disposed of in your standard garbage can. Alkaline batteries no longer contain dangerous substances like mercury (eliminated around 1993). However, it’s important not to throw away a large number of alkaline batteries together. Also, if you use rechargeable batteries like AAs or AAAs, you should recycle them.

Car batteries and small tractor batteries contain lead and sulfuric acid. These batteries should be taken to a recycling center. Many auto parts stores will actually pay you to recycle the battery at their location. Auto Zone is one of these many stores currently offering a $5 store credit for recycling your battery there.

Paint: Latex paint is considered non-hazardous by all states except California. If you have a home in California, visit this site for recommended disposal. For all other states, it is recommended to dry out the leftover paint with cat litter or a latex paint hardener specifically made for drying out leftover paint such as this product from Home Depot. You can then dispose of the paint in your curb-side garbage collection.

CFL and Fluorescent Light bulbs: These energy efficient bulbs contain mercury. They should be recycled at a local recycler. Many states including California, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington require the bulbs be recycled and not disposed of in your common household trash.  Some major home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes have recycling centers available. Look towards their returns desk for a drop-off.

Keep your eye out for local recycling programs in your community. These are often sponsored by the city you live in and makes disposing of household waste simple.

If you have questions about your insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.

How to Avoid a Spooky Insurance Claim on Halloween

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How to avoid an insurance claim on Halloween in HawaiiHalloween can be some people’s favorite holiday. Whether it’s fun sized candy, making your own costume, setting up spooky decorations inside or outside your home or carving pumpkins, Halloween brings many of us joy. However, this holiday can increase your risk for an expensive liability claim if you’re not careful. Follow these five tips to ensure your holiday is fun and safe.

Prep Your Home for Trick-or-Treaters. Even if you don’t decorate the outside of your home, be sure your sidewalks, driveway and the entrance leading up to your front door is clear. You are liable if a child or adult trips on a broken branch, garden house or electrical cord on your property.

Keep Your Pets Indoors. Sometimes animals can be frightened by strangers or unusual noises. To avoid a dog bite claim, keep your animals inside in a separate room. The door bell ringing several times an hour can get your animal too excited or scared. Be sure they get a treat too.

Use LED candles. This can help prevent any trick-or-treater from knocking over lit candles close to your home. For your carved pumpkin, LED candles are much easier to use and can prevent any unwanted burns compared to lighting a candle.

Drive Slowly. If you find yourself driving home in the dark on Halloween night, be extra cautious of children and adults walking around your neighborhood who may not be using proper lighting. Be aware of your speed and don’t be a distracted driver.

Carry the right tools. If you plan to go out for trick-or-treating, be sure you have a flash light and a fully charged cell phone in the case you need to make an emergency call. Stay on the sidewalks and avoid walking through yards.

Happy Halloween!

If you have questions about your home, auto or renters insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.

Umbrella Insurance in Hawaii

8 Scenarios That Would Warrant an Umbrella Insurance Policy

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Umbrella Insurance in HawaiiThere are many scenarios that would warrant the need for an umbrella insurance policy. We outline a few of them here.

Example #1: Your teenage daughter is babysitting the neighbor kids and leaves the house for a moment to run to the store. When she returns, one of the children is badly injured and requires surgery. The child’s medical bills exceed $300,000. The parents of the children sue you to cover the medical bills.

Example #2: Your son dislikes his gym class as well as the teacher. He goes on social media and writes some very reproachful comments about the teacher that leave him in a bad light. The teacher sues and is awarded $500,000.

Example #3: Your 17 year old child decides to pick up some friends and go “cruising” in your car. He loses control of the vehicle while showing off how fast the minivan is. Each child is critically injured. Your umbrella policy helps cover the medical bills.

Example #4: You invite friends over to your home to celebrate the 4th of July. You provide all the entertainment, food and refreshments, including alcohol. One friend who is known for drinking too much, does just that, gets in his car and drives home getting in a terrible car accident that kills one person. The family sues you and you’re found to be liable for serving the friend too much alcohol.

Example #5: Your rental property’s deck is rotted and your tenant falls through it badly injuring their leg and requiring reconstructive surgery. A jury awards the tenant $750,000 for damages.

Example #6: You host a wedding on your property and rent a bouncy house. The house is not staked down and blows away in the wind with children inside of it. The kids are fine, but you’re sued for negligence. The families of the children are awarded $100,000 each for mental and post-traumatic stress.

Example #7: Your dog gets out viciously attacks the neighbors show dog. The dog can no longer show because it has scars and a limp. You’re sued for loss of income and a jury awards the dog owner $450,000.

Example #8: You’re the “cool mom” and agree to buy your kids and their friends alcohol if they promise to stay at the house. One of the friends leaves the house and is killed in an accident. He is found to be intoxicated. The parents of the child sue you for providing them with alcohol. A jury awards $2 million.

There are countless situations that can occur and exhaust your current liability limits on your home or auto insurance policy. The good news is that umbrella insurance policies are relatively inexpensive. Contact an agent at our office for your personalized umbrella insurance quote today.

If you have questions about your home, auto or renters insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.

Wildfire Prevention in Waipahu

How to Protect Your Home & Property from Wildfires

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Wildfire Prevention in WaipahuWildfires occur every year and summer season is also known as fire season. Each year millions of acres across the country are scorched by both nature as well as human caused fire. By knowing how to minimize losses, human caused fires can drastically decrease with the proper education. Use these simple steps.

Equipment or toys can spark a wildfire

Lawn mowers, weed-eaters, chain saws, welders, tractors, dirt bikes, and more can all cause sparks. Don’t mow dry grass or weeds. When you are maintaining your yard, avoid dry yard debris buildup.

If you are using a tractor, dirt bike or welder, avoid driving or using your welder near dry grass or brush.

Keeping your Home Safe from Wildfire Damage

Use fire-resistant building material for your home.

The roof and exterior surface need to be composed of non-combustible or fire resistant materials. This would include brick, stone, aluminum, tile, sheet iron, asphalt or slate. If your home is composed of wood or cedar, consider this a risk. Homes that are located in especially fire prone areas can escape damage by being entirely built of concrete and stone.

Maintain Your Roof

When your roof is filled with leaves, pine needles, branches, moss, you are increasing your risk for wildfire damage. Be sure to avoid letting these items collect on your roof.

Keep your Property Free of Dead Plants or Trees

Tree branches should be kept to a height of 15 feet.  Also, be sure tree branches aren’t near your chimney. If a branch is within 10 feet of the flue opening of the stove or chimney, remove it.

Keeping things like sheds and wood piles at least 30 feet away from your home helps reduce the chances of a fire jumping from one structure to the next.

It is important to understand the limits of your insurance policies as many natural disasters like floods or earthquakes require a special insurance policy while wildfires are generally covered under the comprehensive portion of a homeowner’s insurance policy. The price of the policy may be higher if you live in an area that is prone to yearly fires or if a fire station is far away.

If you have questions about your home, auto or renters insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.

Firework Safety

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Many of us celebrate Independence Day by getting together with family and friends or barbecuing hot dogs and hamburgers. Others like to celebrate with fireworks. While fireworks can be exciting and provide great entertainment, they also come with the risk of injuries.

Six Simple Safety Tips

  • If a firework didn’t ignite fully, don’t try to re-light it or pick it up. Leave it alone for 20 minutes then spray it with water and toss it.
  • Do not buy any fireworks that are packaged in brown paper. Most likely, they were made for professional displays and could be dangerous to the consumer.
  • Never leave kids unattended with fireworks, even the sparklers. Young children can get injured from the sparklers due to their extremely hot temperatures. Some are as hot as blow torches!
  • Check to make sure fireworks are legal in your area before you even buy them. If you are lighting them off in a restricted area, you will be liable for any injuries or damages.
  • Before throwing away used fireworks, spray them with plenty of water to ensure they won’t start a trash fire.
  • Stay clear of dry brush or tall grasses. These can ignite and spread fire quickly.

We all love to celebrate the 4th of July, but be sure to do so with care.

If you have questions about your home, auto or renters insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.

How to inspect your roof for damage in Waipahu, HI

How to Inspect Your Roof for Damage

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Six Areas to Prevent a Costly Repair

We all know that owning a home is an expensive investment. Unfortunately, you can’t just move in and let it set. Homes require constant maintenance to ensure you don’t get costly damage. We suggest doing a yearly home inspection.

Most people will never venture up onto their roof to see what is going on up there.  A homes roof takes a beating. In the summer, it bakes and the sealant can shrink and expand hundreds of times each year. Making sure your roofing is up to par will save you from costly damage such as mold, water damage, sagging rooflines, pests and much more.

During winter, rainwater can find its way through tiny cracks causing moisture in your attic or between the layers of roofing. Identifying these issues early on can save you thousands of dollars in repairs to the roof itself, drywall, mold or go into your walls creating all sorts of havoc.  It is critically important to understand that your home insurance does NOT cover water intrusion damages caused by deferred maintenance.

Things to look for on your roof inspection:

  1. Missing or damaged shingles
    1. Shingles can become damaged by wind and hail or even just years of use. When inspecting your shingles, make sure the granules are covering the shingle. Ensuring that your shingles are in proper working order will ensure water stays out of your home.
    2. Look for curling shingles, or if wood, cracked or decayed shingles.
  2. Flashing
    1. Your flashing is the metal pieces that go around skylights, butt up against walls and down the valleys on your roof.
    2. Make sure these pieces are whole and without damage such as being twisted upwards, or having holes in them from rust or other damages.
  3. Flat Roofs: Look for obvious patches, cracks, tears, or blisters.
  4. Gutters: Make sure your gutters are clear from debris, are not leaking and are butted up tight against the structure.
  5. Chimneys: Ensure your chimney cap is on tight and if it is brick, inspect for cracks.
  6. Ventilation: Make sure your ventilation caps are clear of obstruction.

Inspecting your roof is a quick and easy job. Take your time and be careful while up there as there are many trip hazards and climbing on and off of the roof onto a ladder can be tricky. But, if done safely, a roof inspection can identify problems that would normally not be covered by your homeowners insurance.

If you have questions about your home, auto or renters insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.

Power Outage in Waipahu, HI

Be Prepared for an Unexpected Power Outage

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What To Do If Your Power Goes Out

Power Outage in Waipahu, HIWhen nasty weather hits it can be easy to say, “it won’t affect me, our power never goes out!” But, being prepared in the event that you do lose power will save you a lot of nervousness and more.

There are many things to consider when putting together an “out of power” kit. Simple things like blankets can be pulled off of beds, so consider other things like non-perishable foods, ways to light the house and core means to communicate.

Here is a list of items to consider for your powers out safety kit:

  • Non-perishable food such as canned goods, crackers, noodles or vacuum packed tuna
  • Water – make sure you have enough. Water goes fast when you use it for everything from brushing your teeth to other hygiene as well as drinking and cooking.
  • LED flashlights. LED because they last about 5x as long on batteries.
  • Emergency Radio or solar cell phone charger.
  • Candles – Emergency candles can last 7 days burning 24 hours a day! Make sure you get the right ones. Many are also wind resistant.

There are many things to consider for your different types of emergency kits, but fortunately you’re at home! Some things to consider when the power is out at home:

  • Unplug some of your more sensitive electronics. Electronics can become damaged when the power comes back on with the power surge.
  • Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible. If the power is going to be out for a while, it can help deter spoilage. If possible, remove more temperature sensitive items like meat and dairy to a smaller cooler and fill with ice on the top.
  • If you suspect your food has spoiled, don’t risk it.

Generators are a great tool for when the power goes out, but they’re typically limited unless you have a whole house generator. If you’re going to use a generator, be sure to determine what appliances you want to run. Refrigerators require a large generator, so determine if it is even possible to run it. Using a generator to run lighting and small portable coolers is reasonable.

When the power goes out, be prepared.

If you have questions about your home, auto or renters insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.

Renters Insurance Policies Help Protect More Than Just Your Personal Items

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Understanding Renters Insurance

Renters Insurance in Waipahu, HIIf you’re like 2 out of every 3 renters who rent a home, apartment or other dwelling, you don’t carry a renters insurance policy. The reason for not carrying renters insurance varies, but it is important to understand that your landlord is not responsible for your personal belongings if they are damaged, stolen or otherwise. You alone are responsible for your things, so protecting them with a renters insurance policy is important.

When you’re ready to speak to an agent, consider the following:

  1. Cost: Renter’s insurance is typically very inexpensive, usually not costing more than just $1 per day! Think about it, if you buy a coffee in the morning, that is about 2-3 times as much as getting a renters insurance policy.
  2. What’s covered: Renters insurance will typically cover your clothes, furniture, electronics, bicycles and jewelry, but only up to what your policy limits say. You have a choice to add additional coverage to cover certain items that may exceed your policy limits such as furs, art and jewelry.
  3. What loss types are covered? Typically, your renters insurance will cover your items due to fire, theft, smoke and water damage if your home has a water leak (talk to an agent about flood specifically as this coverage varies). A renters policy can also cover your items while your away. Say you ride your bike to a park and it gets stolen there. Renters insurance will typically cover that loss.
  4. Injuries: Another reason renters insurance is great is that it provides you with liability protection if you’re found to be liable for injuries to someone who is at your home.
  5. Roommates: Many people have roommates who live with them. If you want an insurance policy to cover your roommate you must get your insurance company to list them on the insurance policy. It is always a good idea to have your roommates listed on the policy. It helps protect your household – not just either party.
  6. Dogs: If you have a dog in the house, be sure to tell your agent.

Understanding insurance can be difficult, but simply going without it shouldn’t be an option. If you have additional questions about Renters insurance, contact your insurance agent to discuss your options. It is even possible that you’d get a discount for bundling your policies.

If you have questions about your home or renters insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.

Protecting your Home or Condo from Mold

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Key Tips to Prevent Mold

How to Prevent Mold in Waipahu, HIEvery home in the US is vulnerable to mold damage and now that we’re coming into the cooler winter months, mold can thrive. Mold really needs one thing to grow: moisture.

Protect your home from mold by identifying and eliminating sources of moisture. Moisture can enter your home through many different areas including:

  • Damaged roof flashing
  • Damaged or worn out shingles
  • A downspout that is not properly setup to push water away from your home or foundation
  • A leaky pipe
  • Condensation from your laundry, shower or kitchen
  • A crawl space with no vapor barrier or an improperly installed vapor barrier
  • Single pane windows that are sweating
  • Seeping up through the floor

Eliminating these common problems is fairly simple. Identifying where the issues are coming from are sometimes more tricky as water can travel great distances before it makes it mark known. Look for mold on walls, around windows and in the corners of a room. Sometimes mold can grow under your carpet on cement slabs so if your basement smells moldy, that would be a good place to check.

There are many ways to remove moisture from your home. In bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens, install exhaust fans to remove excess moisture from laundry, showers and cooking. Without these fans, moisture can seep upwards and into your attic producing another hidden problem. A fan will quickly pull the excess moisture out of the room. Be sure to closely look at the size of the fan you install because a fan that is too small for the room may not even make a difference.

If moisture is entering your home through your crawlspace, a simple visual inspection can be completed. First, look to see if a vapor barrier exists (a black plastic). Make sure it is covering the entire surface, goes up over any pier blocks and extends to the edges of your foundation. If it doesn’t, consider a quick weekend project to remedy the issue.

If you have questions about your home, auto or renters insurance, call the insurance agents at Carr’s Insurance Agency in Waipahu. They have years of insurance experience and can help you insure everything from your home to your auto or motorcycle. They live where you do and are an independent insurance agent, so they can help you find the right company to fit your needs. You can also check out their website, 24/7.