5 Things to Think About Before Renting Out Your Condo

You own a condo. Maybe it’s a home away from home, or maybe you’re going to be out of the area for a few months and want to make the most of it. Maybe you’re planning on moving to a bigger home and wonder if it’s worth it to hold onto your condo as a small real estate business. Before you take out a rental ad or say yes to a friend, here are five things you should look at. Depending on the answers you find, it could be fine to rent, impossible to rent, or the wrong time to rent.

Fully Covering the Definition of Comprehensive Insurance

In the realm of car insurance, there’s a particularly tantalizing term thrown around: comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive insurance is very useful, but it is not the silver bullet you might think it is: it is only one part of full auto insurance policy. This article aims to not only define what comprehensive insurance is, but also what it is not. We will also hold it up against similar terms, such as umbrella insurance, as well as talk about why certain people might need it more than others.

A Cyber Crime Insurance Policy: Do You Have One?

While the capabilities of the internet and our dependence upon it increases, so does the capabilities of cyber criminals and hackers. Not only do the tools you use provide additional exploitation points, but their technology is in a constant state of evolution. With the possibility of cyber crimes and data breaches to businesses being on the rise, if the unthinkable happens, what will your current business insurance cover? Will it cover anything at all?

“Smooth Sailing” Through Holiday Travel

It’s that time of year again: the hustle and bustle leading up to the holiday season. Now, more than ever, families are separated by miles and miles. For this reason, holiday travel is becoming more and more popular. Families are buying their presents, packing their bags, and hitting the road (or the sky) to visit the loved ones that they only get to see a few times a year.

What is Libel and Slander?

When someone says or writes something false that that attacks the reputation of your person or your company, it is known as defamation. Not only can this hurt your reputation, but it can hurt friendships, sponsorships, and job prospects. And if you’re an owner of a business, defamation directed at you or your company can damage your customer and client base, leading to lost revenue or even bankruptcy, especially if you get tied up in legal battles. 

Steps for Renting Out Your Home

Renting out your home can be a great financial option. Maybe you need to move, but you haven’t found a buyer for your previous home yet. Or perhaps you can’t afford your mortgage payments, so you’re going to live with relatives until you can get back on your feet, so you rent out your home to cover the costs. Or maybe you have a second home that is not always occupied, and you want to make some extra cash.

Tips for Finding a Good Roommate

Sharing an apartment with a roommate can be a great financial decision. However, living with a stranger can be a scary commitment. You might find a roommate that becomes your best friend or your worst enemy. Here are some tips on how to find a great roommate that you can trust.

Tips for Buying a Condo—Know Before You Buy!

Buying a condo is a great option for many that are anxious to become homeowners but aren’t ready to buy a home, or for those who want to own property without the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep. However, before you take the dive into buying a condo, there are a few important things to consider.

What is a Moving Traffic Violation?

Most of us do our best to obey traffic laws. Not only is it the safe thing to do, but it helps to avoid tickets and potential hikes in insurance. For every traffic violation, drivers receive points that increase the cost of their automobile insurance. Depending on the incident, a certain number of points are awarded, and the more points one has, the higher their rates will climb.

Earthquake Insurance Revisited

Map of Maine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are reposting our earthquake blog after last night’s eartquake in Maine.

Recent natural disasters in both New Zealand and Japan have once again raised the issue of how vulnerable New England is to a similar occurrence. Here are a couple of facts for you to consider:
• Believe it or not, the Northeast US is earthquake country – while it does not have the high frequency of earthquakes of California, the Northeast has experienced damaging earthquakes in the past and they will occur again in the future.
• The Northeast has a long history of earthquakes. From when the Pilgrims felt their first earthquake in 1638 up through a pair of damaging earthquakes (magnitude) that occurred in 1940 near Ossipee, NH. And since 1975 moderate size earthquakes have occurred in Central New Brunswick, central NH, northern NY State and Quebec.

 

The bottom line is that this area is more susceptible to earthquakes than you might think. And from our standpoint, it is equally important that you know that a standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not provide earthquake coverage. You need a special policy rider to cover damage to your dwelling and possessions should an earthquake occur. If the events of the past few weeks(last night) have made you nervous and you would like to learn more about earthquake coverage options, please do not hesitate to give H&K a call at 800-890-5606.

Related articles

• 4.6 Magnitude Earthquake Felt In Boston Area (boston.cbslocal.com)
• Earthquake centered in Maine rocks Vermont (vttoday.com)
• Small quake in Maine felt all over New England (cbsnews.com)
• Maine Earthquake 2012: Quake Rattles New England, Felt In Boston And Other Cities (huffingtonpost.com)