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Can I Customize My Motorcyle Policy to Protect Special Features?

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When you decide to customize your motorcycle, you probably don’t think much about how these actions will affect your insurance. Nevertheless, when you include customization on your bike, you can expect to pay additional premiums in Asheville, NC because of the overall risk that can occur due to your other insured items. Asheville Insurance Center can help you create a motorcycle policy to meet your needs.

Customizations Not Part of Basic Policies

If you don’t indicate the number and type of customization your bike has, you may only receive the stock value of your model if you are in a crash. If you don’t let your carrier know you have customizations, you risk canceling your policy.

For smaller motorcycles with minimal customization, all you need is a standard policy with add-on coverage listing the custom parts and equipment. The value of the modifications will determine the amount of add-on coverage needed over your bike’s base value. You can find that value in the Kelley Blue Book or by using the National Automobile Dealers Association appraisal guide.

Extensive Customizations and Specialty Bikes

High-end motorcycle owners generally need an agreed-upon value policy to get adequate protection for their ride. Classic motorcycles fall into this category along with other machines like composite or homemade motorcycles that don’t have an agreed-upon value. If you have a cycle with a performance upgrade involving the engine, you may need racing or motorsports insurance, as most other motorcycle carriers deem these vehicles too risky to insure.

Do you have adequate protection when riding your motorcycle in Asheville, NC, and its environs? We understand the unique needs of motorcycle owners with customizations. Contact the agents at Asheville Insurance Center to discuss your bike’s customization and get set up with a policy that will protect your investment.

What North Carolina Landlords Should Know About Umbrella Insurance for Rental Properties

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A rental property is a valuable asset. It can be a great source of passive income for many years if you choose tenants with care. Buying the right insurance policy ahead of time can also help you save money while avoiding potentially devastating losses.

What is Umbrella Insurance for a Rental Property?

Umbrella insurance isn’t meant to be a standalone policy. Instead, it kicks in once you reach the liability limit of another policy. This ensures you’re not out of luck if you need to settle a lawsuit or pay a judgment.

Umbrella insurance covers a range of incidents. It compensates third parties for injuries that occur on your property.  If someone comes to the home and their property is damaged on your premises, umbrella coverage will pay the person for the loss. Examples include damage to power tools you rented from Home Depot and stored on the property, a mailman slipping on the house’s front steps, or a tenant’s child accidentally throwing a ball at a delivery truck’s windshield. However, bear in mind that umbrella insurance doesn’t cover intentional damage by a tenant. It also doesn’t cover injuries you sustain while visiting your property or any form of damage to your property, even if it is accidental.

Get Expert Insurance Advice from Asheville Insurance Center

Umbrella insurance for a rental property offers ample protection in the event of a lawsuit. However, it’s not the only form of insurance you’ll need. Asheville Insurance Center offers Asheville, NC property owners expert advice to make it easy for any landlord to pick the best policies for a property. Get in touch with us to learn more or find out about specific policy options.

Why More People in Our Area Should Look Into Flood Insurance

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At Asheville Insurance Center, we are excited about the region’s growth and potential. People are drawn to our area for its natural beauty, moderate weather, and exciting opportunities.

Whether you are new to the area or a long-time resident, you should be aware of one aspect of protecting your home: the growing importance of flood insurance.

What Is Flood Insurance?

Flood insurance is protection from rising waters available through a FEMA-managed program. It is generally not part of basic home insurance policies and must be applied separately.

Why You Should Consider Flood Insurance for Your Asheville, NC Home

From changing weather to increasing development, there are several reasons why the need for flood insurance is increasing in our area.

Our location often puts us in the crosshairs of severe weather patterns. Heavy rains reach us from the southwest and midwest, and strong rains resulting from hurricanes can reach our area from the south and east.

In addition, we are experiencing unprecedented growth. This growth can occur in flood-prone areas, cause new areas to be subject to flooding, or change what is considered flood-prone areas.

The bottom line is that you should check the flooding possibilities for your property and whether flood insurance is a prudent option.

Learn More and Get a Flood Insurance Quote Today

If you would like to know more about flood insurance and how you may benefit, we invite you to reach out to our team at Asheville Insurance Center in Asheville, NC. We can discuss your property and your risks and provide a quote.

While our growth is exciting, it may also bring new risks. Make sure you are covered.

When is condo insurance in North Carolina necessary?

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Asheville, NC, continues to be one of the fastest-growing communities in the country. When you move to this part of the country, you will find that it can be a great place to own a home, and condos offer great on-site amenities that can make them ideal housing options. If you are looking to buy a condo, you do need to have insurance for it. There are different scenarios when a condo insurance plan will be necessary. 

When Financing a Mortgage

You will want to have a condo insurance plan to comply with any mortgage lender obligations. Financing a condo with a mortgage is very common today, and it can help make it more affordable for you. However, you will need to maintain insurance requirements set by the lender. In many cases, this will include requiring you to get condo insurance and providing evidence of coverage regularly. 

When Standards Set by Association

Most of the time, a condo owner will also be required to carry condo insurance, as it is a requirement set by the condo association. Any condo association wants to be assured that you can repair or replace your condo and that you have proper liability support. Because of this, they will likely require that you continue to carry a full condo insurance plan. 

It is always a good idea to ensure that you have proper condo insurance when you are in the Asheville, NC, area. When you are going to purchase a condo here, it would be a great idea to call our team at the Asheville Insurance Center. Our team will offer any guidance that you need to fully assess your options and build a proper condo insurance policy. 

Navigating Auto Insurance for Young Drivers

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Navigating Auto Insurance as a Young Driver

Obtaining auto insurance can be a mix of excitement and confusion for young drivers in the greater Asheville, NC area. At Asheville Insurance Center, we’re dedicated to helping you find the right policies, including those designed specifically for young drivers. Let’s explore some key considerations to make this process more manageable.

Understanding The Risks

Insurance companies often perceive young drivers as higher risk owing to their limited driving experience. This perception can lead to higher insurance premiums compared to more experienced drivers. It’s vital for young drivers, as well as their parents, to understand this risk factor.

Choosing The Right Coverage

When selecting auto insurance coverage, it’s important to strike a balance between sufficient coverage and affordability. While comprehensive coverage offers the most extensive protection, it may not be necessary for every young driver, especially those driving older or less valuable vehicles.

The Role of Parents

Parents can play a significant role in helping young drivers navigate the auto insurance process. They can include their child on their existing policy, potentially leading to lower premiums than obtaining a standalone policy. Furthermore, parents can share their wisdom about responsible driving habits to help their child maintain a clean driving record.

Building A Positive Driving History

Encouraging good driving habits from the start is critical for young drivers. Maintaining a clean driving record can lead to lower insurance premiums over time as insurers factor past accidents and traffic violations into their rate determinations.

Obtaining auto insurance as a young driver in the greater Asheville, NC area requires careful planning and deliberation. If you’re a young driver or a parent looking for insurance coverage for a young driver, reach out to Asheville Insurance Center. We’re here to help you explore your options and secure the coverage you need.

Does commercial insurance cover expenses if my business is temporarily closed?

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The only thing you can count on in the world is that everything has risks. One of the risks many business owners don’t account for is the possibility that the business will be temporarily closed due to circumstances beyond their control.

While the business is closed, it cannot earn money. However, your bills still need to be paid, including:

  • mortgage or rent
  • utilities
  • insurance premiums
  • employee wages
  • taxes
  • loans

Your business may also have other regular needs that you need to keep paying for. Asheville Insurance Center can help you ensure you have the coverage you need in case of a business closure.

How Much Coverage Do You Need?

When setting up your policy, you will need to figure out your regular expenses. The amount of coverage you are eligible for depends on how much you normally need based on your business records. 

Business interruption insurance also typically has coverage in case you need to temporarily operate out of another location.

How Does Business Interruption Insurance Work?

A specific event, such as a fire or storm, will trigger a claim. Your policy will describe what kind of events qualify, and it is important to understand the limitations. Some events are not covered, such as flooding. 

You may need to have extra coverage for certain kinds of circumstances. For instance, you might need to pay extra expenses when operating out of another location. You might also need coverage to get your building up to code while rebuilding.

Contact Asheville Insurance Center for More Information

Make sure your Asheville, NC, small business has the protection it needs. Call Asheville Insurance Center today so we can give you your options.

Four common myths about motorcycle insurance

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Consumers in Asheville, NC, need to be accurately informed about motorcycle insurance. At Asheville Insurance Center, we make sure that our customers have all the information they need to choose the right motorcycle insurance solution.

Here are four common myths that motorcycle owners need to be aware of when it comes to motorcycle insurance. 

You can decide whether you want to carry motorcycle insurance.

Motorcycle insurance is not optional. Any rider out on public roads must meet North Carolina state auto insurance requirements to drive legally. 

All motorcycle insurance policies are the same.

Motorcycle insurance policies can vary widely regarding how much coverage they offer and what policy features they include. You must fully understand your options when buying a policy to get the best coverage for your unique needs. 

It’s not important to insure a motorcycle that is in storage.

Many motorcycle owners store their bikes during certain parts of the year. If you store your bike for extended periods, you shouldn’t assume you don’t need insurance coverage while your bike’s in storage.

Most motorcycle insurance providers offer policies that can include storage coverage. This type of coverage is adjusted to cover damages to your bike only while it’s in storage so that you’re only paying for the coverage you need at the moment. 

You can rely on motorcycle insurance to pay for maintenance.

Motorcycle insurance only covers you for damage caused by incidents like vehicle collisions. You cannot rely on your motorcycle insurance to pay for your vehicle’s routine mechanical maintenance. 

Visit us online at Asheville Insurance Center to learn more about the insurance products we offer to consumers in Asheville, NC. Get in touch now for a quote on a motorcycle insurance policy. 

Your Business Liability Exposure – Can Umbrella Insurance Help Protect Your Assets?

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If you’re a business owner, chances are you have a significant stake in your business that you’d like to protect. At Asheville Insurance Center in Asheville, NC, we’ve been honored to follow the long-term growth of many clients’ businesses. We’re skilled at helping them choose insurance coverage that matches their growing success and expanding activities. In addition to specific coverages that we recommend for most businesses, umbrella coverage helps protect your business assets.

Reasonable Premiums, Wise Protection

Umbrella coverage comes into play when your company’s exposure extends beyond basic coverage, placing valuable assets at risk. As your business grows, these assets may even be personal in origin, brought into the business to help it succeed. You probably considered the decision based on your business’s future, but did you consider the unexpected? That’s where umbrella insurance steps in to ensure your wise or ambitious business decisions don’t have an unexpected downside.

When Your Business Is Also Personal

One of the primary goals of your business is likely to be asset-building over time, and you’re putting in a lot of effort and dedication to make it happen. Partnering with your insurance agent helps keep your business on track. Many small businesses operate out of homes or garages or otherwise combine personal property and business activities in ways that could have liability consequences. At Asheville Insurance Center, we can help you with your Asheville, NC business. Our team ensures you have the right combination of business and personal insurance coverages to keep your success on track. Call us, and we can get to know you and your business. Then, we can provide the information and insurance guidance to help you succeed!

Safety Tips for the Personal Watercraft

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Personal watercraft are a lot of fun! However, even though this is a pleasure craft, it is crucial to keep some safety tips in mind so that your fun weekend doesn’t turn into a week in the hospital or worse. Your PWC might seem like a big toy, but it comes with some responsibilities to keep in mind. Laws regarding personal watercraft may be even stricter than the ones for ordinary boats. 

Before You Even Hop On

Read the owner’s manual! It will tell you how to operate your PWC safely and give you all the necessary warnings. It is recommended that you wear a neoprene wetsuit or shorts and a Coast Guard-approved life jacket while riding. Other safety gear, such as gloves or eyewear, is highly recommended. Do not board a PWC while the engine is running, and keep hair and loose clothing away from the pump intake. Please find out how much weight your PWC can handle and stick to it. Familiarize yourself with the controls and keep the safety lanyard attached. 

While You’re Riding

Pay attention to traffic. Keep in mind that your PWC has a quicker response and turning radius than the typical boat. Give everyone space, and don’t stray too close to the shore. You don’t want to be in shallow waters. Spraying swimmers, boaters, and beachgoers is not just rude but dangerous. If you fall, try to get clear of the PWC. If the craft flips, a sticker on the back end should tell you how to flip it back up. Above all, only operate your PWC during the day in good weather conditions. 

Watercraft Policies from Asheville Insurance Center in Asheville, NC

If you’d like to insure your personal watercraft and live in the Asheville, NC area, call Asheville Insurance Center today. We’ll give you all the help you need. 

Why is Renters Insurance Important?

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Our agents at the Asheville Insurance Center serving the Asheville, NC area want you to know and understand the importance of a renters insurance policy if you are a tenant.

Many people are under the common misconception that their landlord’s property insurance policy will cover their personal belongings and other items they have purchased for their house, apartment, mobile home, or other dwelling they are renting. This is not the case. The property owner’s insurance policy will only cover the dwelling itself, which is the reason you need your own insurance policy for the things you have purchased and own.

What Does Renters Insurance Cover?

Your renter’s insurance policy will cover your personal belongings and any items you have purchased, such as appliances, furniture, and electronics, if a fire breaks out. These items will also be covered if they are stolen, a natural disaster occurs, and your items are destroyed or damaged. This type of policy will also come in handy if someone vandalizes your apartment, house, or other dwelling.

Why is Renters Insurance Important?

If you are a tenant and rent the space you live in, it is imperative for you to have a renters’ insurance policy since you never know when disaster will strike. This is a prime example of being safe rather than sorry since your landlord’s insurance policy will not cover your clothing, household items, appliances, furniture, and other items you have purchased.

Contact Us to Get Your Policy Started

Do not wait until something happens to wish you had a renters insurance policy. Call our agents at the Asheville Insurance Center serving the Asheville, NC area today to get your policy started!