Houston Hurricanes and Home Insurance: What Every Homeowner Should Know

Harvey taught Houston residents a hard truth in 2017. More than fifty inches of rain fell in some neighborhoods, and over half of the homes that flooded weren’t anywhere near FEMA’s high-risk zones. Many homeowners believed they were safe and assumed their standard homeowners policy covered rising water. It didn’t. Standard coverage almost never pays for flood damage. In Houston, flooding isn’t a niche risk—it’s a citywide reality. Without a separate flood policy through the NFIP or a private carrier, you could face six-figure repair costs with no help from your insurer.

The Small Print That Flips a Claim to Denied

Texas policies address windstorm losses in three distinct ways: included, added by endorsement, or excluded to the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. If you don’t know which applies to your home, you’re taking a gamble. Then there’s the “wind-driven rain” exemption. If hurricane winds push water through a closed window or under a door without physically damaging the structure, many carriers won’t pay. This single line in a policy has cost Houston homeowners tens of thousands after storms like Ike and Nicholas. The time to check your policy for this language is now—while you can still make changes.

Three Checks Before the Season Turns Ugly

To prepare your Houston home for hurricane season, start with these three steps:

  1. Verify you have flood coverage and ensure the limits reflect your actual rebuild costs—not outdated figures or random estimates.
  2. Confirm your policy includes windstorm coverage and that the inclusion is clear and unambiguous.
  3. Review Additional Living Expense provisions to ensure they can cover months of displacement. Along the Gulf Coast, rebuild timelines often stretch beyond six months.

At Heydari Financial Group, serving Houston, TX, we walk you through these points to ensure your policies match Houston’s actual storm risks.

If you have even one unanswered question about how your coverage would handle hurricane damage, call Heydari Financial Group in Houston, TX, today. A short conversation now can close the gaps that storms exploit.

Adding to Your Home Insurance Coverage with Endorsements

When you learn during the course of purchasing your first home that you must buy home insurance first, count on Heydari Financial Group to help. Amid the excitement of buying your Houston, TX, home, shop with savvy for your home insurance. Policies start out with liability coverage and structural coverage for 15 or more perils, but a homeowner can customize the policy with add-ons.    

Add-on Coverage to Protect Precious Valuables

Endorsements, also called add-ons or scheduled coverage, let a person customize the coverage they need on their home policy. Common add-ons include jewelry coverage, a home business endorsement, scheduled coverage for hobbyist equipment, etc. People add expensive clothing as scheduled items, too. These clothing pieces include furs, designer dresses and suits, and designer shoes.

Endorsements and scheduled coverage do cost a little extra. Each one adds a little to the price of the monthly premium, but most people consider it a negligible amount. Policyholders can schedule items for their full replacement price or for the full price you spent to buy them. When you schedule an item, the coverage applies no matter what damages it, unless the policy contains exemptions. Ask your insurance agent if you need all-perils coverage for the scheduled items to receive protection regardless of which hazard damages them.    

Schedule Your Insurance Review Today

Don’t wait for a peril to strike your home to think about your home insurance coverage. Call or email Heydari Financial Group today to schedule an insurance review that ensures your Houston, TX, home enjoys the coverage it needs and deserves. Let us help you obtain full protection for your home and its contents.

Insurance Coverage for New Doors And Windows

Add new doors and windows to your residential insurance policy with the help of the tips provided below. After you have prepared the necessary coverage plan, do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced agents serving Houston, TX, for further assistance.

Materials That The Additions Are Made Of

Consider the materials that the doors and windows will be constructed of. The thickness of the glass panes and the porosity of the materials used will determine how resilient these additions are.

Placement

Assess the location where each door and window will be installed. The region you live in may affect the risk of your home being broken into, and even the weather patterns that are common for the area could influence the safety of each door and window.

Security Features

Instal added security features for each door and window to secure your home from potential intruders. Implementing these features could minimize the likelihood of filing an insurance claim in the future. Modern locking systems and surveillance equipment can help keep your home safe.

Track any security features you decide to implement. You will need to submit this information when you are ready to add the doors and windows to your home insurance policy.

Contact Heydari Financial Group in Houston, TX

An agent from our team at Heydari Financial Group can recommend insurance products that will protect your new doors and windows. Once you decide on the doors and windows that will be installed in your home, do not hesitate to contact our office. An agent will schedule a consultation to assist you with your home insurance needs.

Does Home Insurance Cover Plumbing Repairs?

Plumbing is easy to take for granted, but few people would want to live without it. It’s important to know if your insurance covers these crucial pipes and fixtures and understand what exceptions apply. So, does home insurance cover plumbing repairs in your Houston, TX home?

What’s Covered?

A homeowners’ policy generally covers this type of repair under the right circumstances, such as when extreme temperatures cause water pipes to freeze and burst. The same goes for vandalism and theft. While they’re unlikely to steal faucets or PVC pipes, criminals could target your home’s metal plumbing in an effort to obtain valuable copper.

Home insurance also typically covers damage inflicted by house fires, wildfires, strong winds, and tornadoes. However, there are several exceptions. For example, it won’t fix plumbing problems caused by insufficient maintenance, pests, earthquakes, or river flooding. If you want to insure your home against external floods or earthquakes, you can obtain separate policies that cover these natural disasters.

Water Damage

If your plumbing needs repair, water damage to flooring, carpeting, ceilings, walls, or other items could also occur. Home insurance normally covers the necessary repairs if a large amount of water leakage suddenly triggers this damage. On the other hand, it probably won’t fix damage associated with a slow leak in a pipe or fixture.

Texas homeowners can protect their residences with home, condo, flood, and other insurance policies from Heydari Financial Group. Our independent agency has nearly 30 years of experience. The friendly staff at our Houston, TX, office will take the time to honestly answer all of your insurance questions and help you find the ideal coverage for your home. Don’t hesitate to contact Heydari Financial Group at 713-953-0404 to learn more.

End-of-Summer Home Preparedness Tips

As mid-summer turns the corner and heads towards shorter days and cooler temperatures, it’s a great time to prepare your home for the changing weather conditions brought by the approach of the fall and winter seasons. For those who live in the Houston, TX area, the Heydari Financial Group offers these end-of-summer home preparedness tips:

Perform Routine HVAC Maintenance

In addition to changing the HVAC’s air filters, it is essential to have the HVAC system professionally inspected. This ensures it’s ready to keep your family warm during the upcoming cooler months.

Inspect the Roof & Clean/Maintain Gutters

Before autumn rains hit, check for damaged/missing roof shingles. Clear debris and fallen leaves from the home’s gutters to prevent drainage clogs.  

Check the Windows, Doors & Exterior Foundation

Make sure the doors and windows have a proper seal, which may require that you replace worn weatherstripping. Also, inspect the exterior’s foundation for cracks that need sealing to prevent heat from escaping needlessly.

Test Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors

In addition to replacing batteries, test each device to ensure it works correctly.

Trim Trees & Shrubs

Trimming exterior bushes/trees helps prevent potential damage to your home during strong autumn storms.

Inspect and clean the Dryer Vent.

A dry vent clogged with lint can become a fire hazard. Keeping the vent clean allows the machine to function more efficiently.

By completing the above suggestions, you’ll be significantly better prepared for the changing weather patterns and ready for emergencies.  

Review Your Home Insurance with a Licensed Professional at the Heydari Financial Group

If you live in the greater Houston, TX area, and would like information on how a home insurance policy can help protect your family, home, and other assets, contact the insurance professionals at Heydari Financial Group at 713-953-0404 and online.

Tips to prepare your house for a storm

As the storm season rapidly approaches here in the Houston, TX area, it’s important to take the necessary steps to prepare your home for a storm. Storms can bring high winds, heavy rains, lightning, and floods – all of which can cause significant damage and destruction to your property. To help you prepare for the worst, here are some tips from us at Heydari Financial Group you should consider:

  1. Secure all outdoor furniture and decorations. High winds can easily blow away or destroy items that are not adequately secured. Secure patio furniture, beach umbrellas, potted plants, and other outdoor items inside or in a safe location outside your home. 
  2. Clear your gutters and drains of debris. Clogged gutters and drains can lead to flooding during heavy rainstorms, so ensure they are clear before the weather turns bad. 
  3. Trim trees & shrubs around your home’s exterior. Loose branches could become projectiles in strong winds, so trim them before a storm hits your area. 
  4. Check the structural integrity of your roof & windows. Check for any loose shingles or cracks around windows or doors that could allow water into your home when a storm happens. If there is any damage, contact a professional promptly to get it fixed before the worse occurs! 
  5. Prepare an emergency kit with supplies such as food, water, flashlights & batteries, cash/credit cards, etc. It’s always best to be prepared for anything, so make sure to have an emergency kit ready with all the essential items you might need in case of an emergency situation that arises from inclement weather conditions. 

For more tips, give us at Heydari Financial Group a call today. We serve the Houston, TX area.

How does home insurance work in shared living arrangements?

Sharing Space Takes More Than a Handshake

Inviting a friend to be your roommate or sharing the expenses with someone to keep the stresses of today’s economy a bit lower can be exciting. When your relationship progresses to a certain point, you might also want to live with your partner and share your home together. One important consideration that’s worth discussing upfront is how personal property, your home, and liability, among other areas, are covered by your home insurance. At Heydari Financial Group in Houston, TX, we’re here to help with insurance for your choices in life.

Defining What’s Covered by Your Home Insurance is Important

With home insurance, the premium is calculated based on what’s being covered, so that needs to be well-defined. In most cases in Texas, insurance companies expect to cover a limited range of people in your home, including blood relatives, married partners, adopted family members, and not much more. Spontaneous arrangements and written agreements about living together don’t change that; you have to take action and contact Heydari Financial Group, your insurance agent in Houston, TX, to make coverage official. We’ll ensure that insurance protects you and your partner, friend, or tenant as it should.

Protect Yourself Wisely When Sharing Space

Well-defined coverage applies when renting the property instead of owning it. In Texas, each roommate should have their own insurance, protecting them against losses and liabilities. Whenever you’re in a shared living arrangement, it’s essential to check with our insurance specialists and make sure everyone is adequately covered and protected. It provides you with peace of mind and can even help ensure that your relationship, friendship, or other connection stays solid without controversy.

Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover Power Outages?

As a homeowner, you’re likely to encounter power outages at your place of residence. When left unchecked, the problem can lead to expensive bills, spoiled foods, or a lack of heating and electricity. It can also result in severe loss of income, especially if your career depends on remote work. At Heydari Financial Group, we’re interested in providing Texas residents with a wide range of insurance-related services. That includes financial coverage for specific scenarios, like property damage from a power outage. 

Heydari Financial Group’s Homeowner’s Insurance

Our agency’s clients have access to a thorough insurance package that protects their possessions and financial assets. Our homeowner’s insurance includes dwelling coverage to pay for structural damage, additional structural coverage for detached properties, property coverage for belongings within the home, and liability coverage for accidental injuries.

However, there may be some scenarios that the homeowner’s insurance plan won’t cover. You might not be reimbursed if the power outage happened because of intentional damage by a resident from within the home. If the power outage were caused by a weather-related disaster, like a hailstorm or a lightning strike, your homeowner’s insurance would likely pay for the damage. If a visitor experiences a personal injury or a power outage in your home, then that would be covered under our liability insurance protection. 

Getting Homeowner’s Insurance in Houston, TX

To better understand our homeowner’s insurance package and what it offers, contact the Heydari Financial Group by phone or visit our office. You can also email the group or contact us through social media. Our agents would be happy to walk you through the homeowner’s insurance processd.

Guide to Filing a Home Insurance Claim

There are few insurance policies more important than your homeowner’s insurance policy because it protects what is likely your most expensive asset in property damage, theft, or other covered perils. If your home is damaged, you’ll want to first browse through the specifics of your policy to verify that the damage is going to be covered by the insurance company. This will also give you an opportunity to verify your deductible – what you’ll have to pay before the insurance company chips in – and how your payout is calculated. Once you have confirmed that the incident is covered, file a claim as soon as possible with your home insurance company. 

When you contact your home insurance company after filing a claim, you’ll speak with a claim professional that can verify your loss is covered by the policy and a ballpark estimate for the loss amount, along with answering your questions on how long the process will take and whether an estimate to repair the damage will be required. You’ll also be asked to fill out claim documents such as a proof-of-loss form that outlines what occurred, what you are claiming a loss on, and the estimated cost. When it comes to filing a claim, a few things are more important than documentation, so be sure that you take lots of photos, save any receipts, and do everything possible to preserve all proof of the loss you are claiming. Depending on the severity of the claim, an insurance adjuster may visit your home to assess the damage and confirm key details before reimbursement occurs. Once your claim is approved, the adjuster will send you an insurance payout that can be used for repairs or replacement. 

At Heydari Financial Group in Houston, TX, we are happy to support our customers through the claims process. Give us a call today to learn more. 

 

Do I Need Homeowners Insurance If I Rent Out My Home?

As a homeowner, you probably already have a homeowners insurance policy to protect your investment. However, basic homeowners policies do not cover all damages, especially those incurred while the home was rented out to someone else. Depending on how long the Houston, TX home is rented for and the situation, there may be some exceptions. Our experienced agents at Heydari Financial Group can advise you on what insurance you need while renting your home. 

Short-Term Rentals

If renting out your home is only short-term, such as a week or for a few weekends, your homeowners insurance needs may vary. The insurance company takes into consideration the length of time and specific circumstances the home is rented. Some insurance companies allow short-term rental and provide coverage if they have been notified in advance and the same tenant is renting the house. Other companies require short-term tenants to be added as a rider to your existing homeowners policy.

If you plan to have multiple tenants rent your home for short periods, the insurance company considers this a business and will not cover your property. For these home rentals, you need a business insurance policy, such as a hotel or bed and breakfast policy. 

Long-Term Rentals

A second home is a popular investment strategy, and many rent out their second homes. Renting out a second home as a source of income requires you to carry business insurance, such as landlord or rental dwelling policies. Your insurance agent will discuss risks with you and how long the home will be rented. This information helps determine what types of insurance policies are needed and how much coverage is required. 

Rental Insurance

Your business insurance policy covers the house’s structure and not your tenant’s belongings when renting out your home. However, some landlords require tenants to carry renters insurance to cover their possessions and any damage they may incur on your property. 

When renting out your Houston, TX home, call the experts at Heydari Financial Group for help purchasing the best insurance available for your needs.