There are many reasons why people buy condos. They may be looking for a new lifestyle or location, or perhaps they are more interested in a lower maintenance option.

There is a lot to consider when buying a condo in Catonsville, MD, including insurance. Often, we’ll hear someone assuming their condo association’s insurance will also cover their unit. HBW Insurance Group wants to ensure you know this is not always the case.

There Are Two Types Of Condo Insurance

The type of insurance your condo association has is called a "master policy, " which is required by Maryland law. This master policy covers the common areas and the basic structure of the building. While this does include the floors, walls, and fixtures that were part of the building when it was constructed, it does not include your personal belongings.

The second type of insurance is the "unit owner’s policy." This is a policy that covers your individual unit’s contents, as well as protects you in a property damage or liability claim. This policy is not required by law. However, the state does allow associations to require it as a condition of residency.

Do I Need A Unit Owner’s Policy?

You are always subject to loss or damage to your personal property. If there is a fire, burglary, or if you’re sued by someone who was injured in your unit, you will be responsible for the cost of replacing your items or defending yourself in court.

Furthermore, some types of damage are determined to be the joint responsibility of the association and the unit owner. For example, if the roof of your unit leaks, the association will have to pay for the repair, but they may assess you for at least part of the cost if they determine that you contributed to the damage.

Don’t let lack of coverage turn your Catonsville, MD condo dreams become nightmarish. Reach out to HBW Insurance Group today!

When you rent, you may not think a lot about what would happen if your building caught fire and your apartment was damaged or destroyed. You may feel that your landlord owns the building, so they have insurance. At HBW Insurance Group in Catonsville, MD, we are locally owned and committed to providing our customers with quality insurance products and services. As independent insurance agents, we have more options to offer, leading to better pricing. 

If you are under the impression that your landlord has insurance, you are correct. They will have insurance that protects their building, so damage to that will be repaired. However, their insurance will not cover your property or protect you if someone is injured while visiting you, and if you need to find a place to stay while your rental is being repaired, you are on your own. 

What rental insurance will provide for you is all of those types of protection. It will allow you to replace your personal property. You have options for coverage that you should discuss with your insurance agent. But the content coverage will cover your personal things even if you are not at home. If you lose your purse or your computer, it can be replaced. 

Getting sued is probably not something you think about a lot, but you probably should. The danger is always out there. If someone is injured at your rental while visiting or by a family member, you could find yourself in a legal action. 

If your rental is damaged, where would you go while being repaired? If you have renters’ insurance, you would go to a hotel first and then a temporary rental. 

Contact HBW Insurance Group in Catonsville, MD when you are ready to discuss renters insurance. 

As your life changes, your life insurance shouldn’t remain the same. So, it’s smart to update your life insurance from time to time to ensure it covers your current needs. HBW Insurance Group in Catonsville, MD looks at certain aspects of life that signal when you have to take a second look at your life insurance policy. These include:

• Starting a new business: Owning a business is exciting, but if you want to create a venture that outlasts you, you must invest in life insurance. Life insurance ensures proper succession of your business by buying your partner’s time and ensuring that business loans are paid by the life insurance proceeds.
• Marrying/divorcing: Love isn’t the only thing you share when you get married. One of the other things you share is financial obligations, and you had better ensure your partner is protected when something happens to you. While life insurance won’t replace you when long gone, it reduces the financial burden of the partner you leave behind. Similarly, don’t forget to update your life insurance in the sad event you divorce. However, please pay attention to the divorce decree as it may still require you to maintain your spouse as a beneficiary.
• Welcoming a baby: When you have a baby, you know that childcare expenses, college fees, and other expenses will follow suit. Since you wouldn’t want these obligations to be cut short when you die, you must update your life insurance policy when you bring a little one into your family.
• Buying a house: Owning a house is one of the most significant financial commitments you will ever make. However, if your home is purchased through a mortgage, you need to update your life insurance to ensure you don’t leave the burden on your loved ones when you die.

Want to learn more about life insurance in Catonsville, MD? Please talk to HBW Insurance Group for all your life insurance needs.

 

One of the most important decisions you make every year is choosing your health insurance. Your life literally depends on that decision. You will be stuck with the choice for an entire year, so don’t make it lightly. At HBW Insurance Group in Catonsville, MD, we are locally owned and deeply involved in the local community. Our experienced agents have the knowledge to help you to choose the right health insurance. Because we work with multiple carriers, we can also find you the best possible price. 

Is my doctor in the network?

Having a relationship with your doctor is important. Especially since, in many managed care types of health insurance, your primary care physician will be the one who manages your care. They make referrals to specialists and request tests etc. When you are considering a plan, you need to know that you will be able to see your preferred doctor. 

Does the plan include dental and vision coverage?

Not all insurance plans include dental and vision. These are important types of coverage and if they are not included, you need to see what the cost of adding that coverage will be. It might be that you could do better to get separate coverage for dental and vision. 

Are the drugs I take covered by the plan?

All insurance plans have a formulary of drugs that are covered by the plan. They are listed in theirs by their cost. Some drugs will have not only a copay but a deductible. It is important to make sure that any drugs you take are covered. 

What is the plan deductible?

This is one of the most important things to consider. It doesn’t do much good to have a plan you can afford that won’t cover any medical needs that you have because you have to meet a high deductible. 

Contact HBW Insurance Group in Catonsville, MD when you are ready to start working on this important decision. 

You might have heard this before — floods striking, only for homeowners to find out that they aren’t covered for the flood damage by their home insurance policy. Yes, typical home insurance doesn’t protect you against floods. As such, you need to invest in flood insurance from HBW Insurance Group of Catonsville, MD. As a result, you will reap the below benefits.

It protects your assets

Whether flood insurance is from a private carrier or National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), it protects your building and the things inside when floods strike. Since flood damage can be expensive, flood insurance ensures you don’t plunge in debts, draw your savings, or depend on the inadequate and delayed federal assistance from the government.

Flood insurance compensates you when floods damage your building or your personal belongings.

To protect your family

Your home is a shelter for you, your loved ones, and your pets. As such, you should protect your home at any cost to keep your loved ones safe. Flood insurance protects your home so that it continues to be a safe haven for your loved ones.

It gives you peace of mind

Floods don’t happen to residents living along the coastline only. Where it rains, it can flood. Flash floods can strike anywhere, and no one is entirely safe from flood damage. But does this mean you should always be worried about floods? Absolutely not. If you have flood insurance, you don’t have to worry every time the weatherman mentions a looming storm.

Flood insurance gives you peace of mind knowing that your home and the things inside are protected whenever floods strike. What more peace of mind would you want?

Flood insurance in Catonsville, MD

Looking for flood insurance in Maryland? Please look no further than HBW Insurance Group for an affordable flood insurance policy.

If you aren’t interested in owning a home because you’ll have to maintain it, you may opt to purchase a condominium. Just like if you had a home, though, you would want to protect your investment. Condo insurance from HBW Insurance Group, serving Catonsville, MD, can help you do just that. Here is a look at a few benefits of purchasing this type of insurance policy.

Protects Against Disaster

With condo insurance, your possessions and home are both protected. You are reimbursed to a certain amount, as long as the event was a covered one. Usually, you can expect to be reimbursed for costs associated with damage like tornadoes, hurricanes, fire, smoke, theft, and vandalism. 

Protects Against Liability

Most condominiums have a master policy that offers protection if someone is injured in the common areas of the building. However, if someone visits you in your condo and suffers an injury, the master policy may not kick in, which is why you need your own insurance. Condo insurance offers protection against personal liability as well as legal costs, should the situation escalate that far. 

Maintain Compliance with Your Contract

Depending on where you live, condo insurance may or may not be required. However, individual HOAs have the legal right to require condo insurance before you are permitted to move into the space. At the same time, if you have a mortgage on the condominium, you will likely be required by the lender to carry a certain amount of insurance. To ensure you are meeting contractual obligations, read your HOA agreement and/or mortgage paperwork. 

When you are in need of condo insurance in Catonsville, MD, contact HBW Insurance Group.

It’s important to protect your home against floods because the regular homeowner’s insurance policies don’t insure your home against flood damages. Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, flood insurance is necessary, especially if you are living in high-risk areas. If you’re a  Catonsville, MD resident, you can buy flood insurance from HBW Insurance Group and protect your home from flooding.

Four Ways To Get The Best Flood Insurance For Your Needs

Find out how it works

Flood coverage offers reliable coverage, and it’s available to everyone. When floods wreck your home, your assets and belongings might get destroyed. If you don’t have a flood insurance policy, you end up with a lot of financial losses. 

Risk factors

If you live in a designated flood zone, flood insurance helps mitigate the risks associated with flooding. Flood insurance protects your dwelling and personal assets from damage associated with flooding in low-risk flood areas. The need for flood insurance coverage varies based on your location. As some areas are more susceptible to flooding than others, you can look at the area’s floodplains to determine whether or not you need coverage.

Buy from a reputable insurer

It’s essential to buy flood insurance from either an independent insurer specializing in flood insurance or directly from an insurance company that sells NFIP policies. If you live in an eligible community, it’ll be easy to get flood insurance; otherwise, go to private floods insurance companies. 

Affordability

In some cases, you are required to get flood insurance to secure a mortgage for a home or business. As much as it may be costly, having flood insurance is crucial as it helps with finances when you need to repair things at home or rebuild after flooding. 

This policy is specialized coverage for flooding caused by natural disasters after events such as heavy rains, storm surges, rapid snowmelts, and levee failures. It’s significant coverage for when disaster strikes. If you’re in Catonsville, MD, consult with HBW Insurance Group for all your flood insurance needs.

If your future plans consist of purchasing a condo, you need to know that you should invest in condo insurance not long after you finalize your deal. Condo insurance is different than standard homeowner’s insurance as well as renters’ insurance. This is because it is designed to cover the specific elements that aren’t covered by the master policy of your condo association. Here at HBW Insurance Group, we want to share a few condo insurance buying tips with Catonsville, MD residents.

Find Out What’s Already Covered

The condo association is usually liable for providing insurance for the exterior of the property as well as common areas like the pool, gym, clubhouse, etc. Therefore, your condo insurance will need to provide coverage for the inside of your individual unit.

However, you need to find out if the master condo policy covers permanent fixtures in the unit like electrical, plumbing, appliances, carpeting, etc. If it does, then you only need to insure your personal belongings.

Each master policy is different, which means the coverage you need to purchase will vary. Take the time to find out what’s covered by the association’s master policy so you know what you need to insure yourself.

Evaluate Your Own Needs

A condo insurance policy needs to cover how much it will cost to replace your belongings in the event of a disaster like a fire or burglary. To ensure your policy limits are sufficient, create an inventory list of what you plan on having in your condo. This includes everything from your clothes and jewelry to the décor and electronics. Estimate the replacement cost of these items and total them up to determine an approximate amount of needed coverage.

Speak with an Insurance Agent

As soon as you have a decent idea of how much coverage you will need, bring a copy of the association’s mastery policy and your inventory list with replacement estimates to the HBW Insurance Group office. We can look over your paperwork and help you determine the best coverage for your needs. The sooner you can get started on the process of insuring your Catonsville, MD condo, the quicker you will be able to protect yourself financially.

Renter’s insurance is not as widely discussed as homeowner’s insurance, yet it is still necessary coverage that residents of apartments or condos should be aware of. While your landlord will provide insurance coverage for the building you reside in, it is up to you to purchase an insurance policy to replace your items if a fire or other similar event occurs.

Here are three reasons you should consider a renter’s insurance policy from the independent insurance agents here at HBW Insurance Group.

Your Landlord May Require It

In Maryland, landlords are now allowed to require their tenants to take out a renter’s insurance policy, as long as they require all their tenants to do so. You may notice this as part of your lease agreement. If not, it would be a good idea to ask if renter’s insurance is a requirement before moving in. This coverage is beneficial to landlords and property owners because it ensures they will not be held responsible if someone damages your personal property.

It Covers Loss to your Personal Belongings

Renter’s insurance provides coverage if your items are damaged, stolen, or destroyed due to a fire. It may also cover the cost of replacement or repair of your belongings due to power surges or water damage.

It Provides Coverage When You Travel

Renter’s insurance also has the added benefit of providing coverage for your items that you take along with you on vacation. Many policies will cover a loss while you are staying at a beach rental or a cabin for the summer.

To learn more about the benefits of renter’s insurance or to get a quote from one of our independent insurance agents, give our team here at HBW Insurance Group in Catonsville, MD, a call today.  

People that are in the Catonsville, MD area will always want to ensure they have the right personal insurance protections in place. One type of insurance that this could mean obtaining is life insurance. This is a valuable form of protection, which can provide financial support for your dependents and offer you peace of mind. There continue to be a few reasons people here should get this coverage. 

Coverage Offers Financial Protection

The key advantage of having life insurance is so you can provide financial protection to those you care about. When there is someone in your life that you provide for, ensuring they continue to have the financial resources they need is very important. As you are looking for life insurance, you are able to build a plan that is curtailed to meet their needs. 

Investment Alternative

Many people will also consider a life insurance plan as an investment alternative. Planning and saving for the future is important. When you invest in a whole life insurance plan, you will get the benefits of life insurance as well as investment advantages. Each month, some of your premiums will build in an account that you can eventually liquidate or use for other purposes. This grows with interest and is a good addition to your personal investment plan. 

When you are trying to improve your personal insurance position in the Catonsville, MD area, having a proper life insurance plan is always a good idea. If you are assessing your life insurance needs here, you should call the HBW Insurance Group. The team with the HBW Insurance Group will offer the support you need to build and choose an insurance plan. This will ensure you remain fully covered by life insurance, which will also provide comfort and peace of mind.