This was originally published in the Lynn Haven Ledger as part of The Rebecca Series for insurance
Rebecca couldn’t believe how much stuff she and the kids had gotten rid of in order to move into their new, snug little home. What she thought would take only a couple of weeks, actually took more like two months to sort through years and years of memories and paperwork and toys. She found herself losing track of time as she opened up box after box of photos showing happier days and fun times when they were all together.
But it was finally done, and they were settling in just fine.
The home she and Roger had had together was built in the sixties, and in need of a face lift, so to speak, so Rebecca had given her Uncle Dan a call. Her Uncle Dan was a real estate investor from way back. He showed up on her doorstep in his favorite red pick-up, took a look at the house, and made her an offer. She knew it was generous, and she wasn’t about to turn it down.
“I’m going to update some things in here, sweetie, and then rent it out,” Uncle Dan informed her as he poked into each and every room and closet and crevice. “When I get done with this one, you’ll hardly recognize it, Rebecca. I know just what most renters are looking for, and I’ll make it nice and comfortable,” he said with an uncharacteristic gentleness to his voice.
“Well then, Uncle Dan, just make sure you call Audrey, my insurance agent, ok?”
“Sure thing, Rebecca. I prefer to work with someone who already knows the property.” And that’s what Rebecca’s Uncle Dan did.
Audrey, who had been Rebecca’s insurance agent for some years, explained to Dan what kind of policy he needed and why.
“Most carriers won’t insure your house if it’s vacant,” she informed him, “because the risk is too high.” But Audrey had a couple of carriers she worked with who would. So she plugged in the information on the house – its age, size, location, construction – and picked the best price for him. She made sure to include some generous liability coverage, and replacement cost on the structure. One of the nice things about her favorite vacant property insurer, was that you didn’t have to pay for a whole year. Audrey could write Uncle Dan a policy for only 1 month, if that’s all he was going to need, or any number of months up to one year. The flexibility made this particular product very affordable.
“Once you have all the updates done, and you have a renter lined up, let me know,” Audrey said, “because then we need to switch this to a Landlord policy since your coverage needs will have changed.”
Rebecca’s Uncle Dan was appreciative of how easy it was to work with Audrey, and how knowledgeable she was about the types of coverages and carriers out there.
In fact, he was so pleased with her expertise, he decided to move all of his properties to her agency. He had one house that had actually been vacant for a couple of months already. His renter had broken their lease and moved out early, and he had decided it was a perfect time to replace some flooring and repaint, plus update some of the fixtures and faucets. After his initial conversation with Audrey, he realized he needed a vacant policy instead of the Landlord policy he currently had, so Audrey helped him switch it over to the right policy.
That evening, relaxing in her easy chair cradling a cup of her favorite tea, Rebecca let me mind wander over the past couple of months. She still missed Roger every day, but she was also pleased at the progress she and the kids were making.
Building a new life. Living a new story. But never forgetting the husband who had helped shape her into the strong woman she was.
