Front Porch Realty recently sat down and spoke with Corey Mullen, at Clay Hamilton’s State Farm Insurance in Fuquay Varina, about the importance of having homeowners insurance and how it works.
Your home is your refuge after a long day of work. It’s the hub of everything that really matters, where you can relax with your family. So you shouldn’t trust just any company to protect it. You should go with an insurer with the financial strength to cover a wide variety of losses, trusted by more homeowners than any other insurer. That’s State Farm®. When the unexpected hits home, a good neighbor can help.
Think of homeowners insurance as financial protection for what the future might bring. For example, if your home were damaged by a fire, or burglars broke in and stole your belongings, your policy could help pay to rebuild your home or replace your possessions.
Without a policy, you’d have to cover those expenses out of your own pocket. So if you’re a homeowner, homeowners insurance is an absolute necessity.
Your policy could help pay for a variety of property and liability claims:
Property
• Your house: This includes your home and other structures on your property, such as a detached garage or a shed.
• Your possessions: This includes personal belongings inside your home, such as your clothing, furniture, and electronics—and with limitations—certain valuables. It could even cover belongings you take with you while away from home.
Liability
• Financial protection against lawsuits: In certain situations, your State Farm Homeowners Policy could help protect your finances by paying for damages which you’re legally responsible for, and even your legal defense. For example, the policy could help cover legal defense costs if a visitor accidentally got hurt at your place and took you to court.
Other costs covered by the policy
Your policy may also help pay for:
• Removal of your damaged property after a fire, or other loss covered by the policy.
• Temporary repairs necessary to protect covered property from more damage.
• Extra expenses for your household to live elsewhere, if your home is uninhabitable because of damage covered by the policy.
• Water damage caused by flood.
• Liability for business-related activities
• Liability for intentional injury or property damage
• Damage caused by earthquake or mudslide
You may want to talk to your agent about a separate earthquake policy.
With coverage directly through the federal government. There is generally a 30-day waiting period for the policy to go into effect
A “deductible” is the amount that you are responsible for when you file a claim. Your deductible can be a fixed amount, such as $1,000 or $2,000, or a percentage of the coverage amount, such as one or two percent. So if your home is covered for $200,000 and you have a one percent deductible, your deductible is $2,000.
Here’s how a deductible works: say you file a claim for $10,000 after a burglary, and you had chosen a fixed amount deductible of $1,000. So the policy covers you for $9,000 and you are only responsible for $1,000.
Generally, the higher your deductible, the lower your premium. But with a higher deductible, your financial responsibility would be higher if you file a claim. Your agent can help you determine the deductible that’s right for you.
Your State Farm Homeowners Policy has coverage limits on certain types of property, such as computers, collectibles, jewelry, and other valuables.
Here’s an example: Suppose your home had been broken into and your computer and printer were stolen. If the policy limit for home computers and equipment was $5,000, the policy would reimburse you up to that limit after your deductible has been met.
The choice is yours, but State Farm recommends you choose a coverage limit at least equal to your home’s estimated replacement cost: the amount necessary to rebuild your entire home. (The replacement cost isn’t the same as the market value, which is the price you can expect your home to yield on the market.)
If you choose a coverage amount less than the estimated replacement cost, you may not be eligible for certain coverages. Since no one can say what the exact cost will be to replace your home in the future, you’ll need enough coverage to account for unforeseen circumstances.
For a replacement cost estimate, you can ask a contractor, hire a professional replacement cost appraisal service, or ask your State Farm agent to help you develop an estimate. Make sure to point out any architectural details or unique building materials that affect your estimate.
As your life changes, your home may change along with it. We recommend you review your homeowners’ coverage if:
• You move, improve your existing home, or build a new home.
• You add a fire and/or burglar alarm system.
• You purchase items—such as home computers, jewelry, and furs—that might exceed your basic coverage.
To help make sure your coverage is up to date, it’s a good idea to review your policy with your agent every year.
Extra coverage you just might need. Depending on your situation, you may need separate, broader coverage for additional financial protection.
| Have concerns about your personal liability? | A Personal Liability Umbrella Policy (PLUP) for extra liability coverage in increments of $1 million, in case you’re sued for damages that exceed your State Farm Homeowners or Auto Policy liability limits. |
| Own jewelry, fine arts or other valuables? | Other policy options or a Personal Articles Policy (PAP), which can give you higher coverage limits or broader protection. |
| Work out of your home? | Other policy options for home business coverage, which may cover your business-related property and liability. You may also want to consider a separate, more comprehensive business policy for your home-based business. |
| Want to protect yourself against identity fraud? | Adding the Identity Restoration Coverage Endorsement to your State Farm Homeowners Policy. It offers coverage for specific expenses caused by identity fraud and case management services to help counteract the effects of identity fraud. |
Clay Hamilton and Corey Mullen are available to answer all of your insurance questions.
STATE FARM® INSURANCE AGENT, FUQUAY VARINA, NC
1000 N Main Street Suite 101
Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
Phone: 919-586-7828
Cory Mullen, Insurance and Financial Sales Advisor
1000 N Main Street Suite 101
Fuquay-Varina, N.C 27526
Office 919-586-7828
Cell at 919-356-3607
Teresa has been a Triangle real estate agent for more than 30 years! She delivers top notch professionalism and service to all of her clients, 100% of the time and this is evident with her booming referral business.
Thank you Teresa Ennis for all of your dedication as a FRONT PORCH REALTY real estate professional!
Teresa is a Harnett County native and is very active in the Fuquay Varina and surrounding communities. She’s also a prestigious member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.
What does Teresa love most about selling real estate?
“I love the challenge of finding buyers their perfect house and meeting such nice people, I always make new friends.”
Thank you for lighting up the office Teresa!
Teresa can be reached at:
Cell: 919.810.0138
Email: tennis2001@embarqmail.com
Here is Front Porch Realty’s quarterly local real estate market snapshot. Mortgage interest rates and Triangle demographics are still causing a major shortage of homes in the Triangle as well as our end of the county. Sales prices are up a healthy 6-7 % across the Triangle with our average sales price about $300,000 and average days on market 36 days. We are still experiencing frustrated buyers in the under $300,000 price range at our end of the county with days on market being reported in hours, not days.
Check out our 2nd quarter numbers here: 2nd Quarter 2017
Here’s another view of the market in Durham, Johnston, Orange and Wake counties from the Triangle MLS.
As you can see from our numbers, if you are considering selling your home and believe it would fall below that $300,000 price point, now would be a great time to sell! Give us a call today!
FRONT PORCH REALTY continues to grow and provide the existing residents of Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs and our bordering counties as well as the new residents looking to make our area home, a strong professional sales team. Please watch our Facebook and website for all of the housing news around town and to see our new listings as they hit the market.
Welcome Home- Laura
When a market is hot, finding and buying a home can feel like an uphill battle. In a seller’s market, homes go quickly. They can be on the market one day and gone the next. And on top of the challenge of finding a home, most homes (especially the desirable ones) have multiple offers, making it harder to get into the home of your dreams.
But buying a home in a hot market isn’t impossible! You just have to approach it strategically and stack the deck in your favor to find – and successfully buy – the right home for you and your family.
Here are four tips for buying a home in a hot market that will put you a step ahead of the home-buying competition:
When faced with multiple offers, sellers are going to go with the offer that’s the most attractive, both in offer amount and the actual terms of the offer. So if you want to stand out from other potential homebuyers and make an impact on the sellers, you need to make your offer as attractive as possible.
The first thing you can do to make your offer attractive is to put more money down towards the house. Cash offers are always the most attractive, but that’s unrealistic for most people. So if you can offer a larger down payment than the standard 20%, that will immediately make your offer stand out.
If you don’t have extra cash, there are other ways to make your offer more attractive to sellers. You can offer a short inspection period and agree to take the property as is, which will sweeten the deal for sellers (just make sure you know what you’re getting into; obviously, any large repairs discovered during inspection can add a significant cost to owning the property). Or, if the owners want to stay in the house longer (for example, to finish out the school year), you can offer to rent the home back to them after purchase and delay your move in.
Anything you can do to make your offer more attractive to sellers will up your chances of landing a home in a hot market.
In a hot market, the sellers are the ones holding the cards. And if you want to find a home, you need to be willing to be flexible.
Chances are, when you find a property, there are going to be things about it that don’t fit your image of your “perfect” home. But if you wait too long on a property or ask for too much from the sellers in terms of repairs or changes, you risk losing out to other people who are ready to make a move.
Don’t budge on your non-negotiables; you want to be happy with your home purchase and not feel like you moved too quickly out of fear you wouldn’t find another property in such a competitive market. But don’t let a great home slip through your fingers because you aren’t willing to be flexible in your wants and needs in a home. Because in a hot market if you’re not willing to be flexible, someone else will be.
While you always want to get the best deal possible on your home purchase, a hot market isn’t the time to go in with an ultra conservative offer. In sellers markets, houses routinely go for well above asking price. And while you don’t necessarily have to make an offer that’s above asking price, if you want to land a home in a hot market, you need to be aggressive.
If you find a property you love, talk to your real estate agent to come up with a strategy to make your offer aggressive and competitive. Look at the recent sales in the neighborhood to get an idea of what homes are selling for and make sure your offer is in line with the recent comps. Make your offer competitive, but don’t commit to more than you can comfortably pay.
It seems like a minor detail, but when you’re looking to buy in a hot market, is a good idea to write a personal note to the sellers.
When faced with similar offers, many sellers end up following their emotions and going with the potential buyer they most want to sell to. And by writing a personal, sincere letter that introduces yourself and your family and lets the sellers know why you want to purchase their home, you can differentiate yourself from other potential buyers, appeal to their emotional side, and land the home.
Buying in a hot market isn’t easy, but it’s possible. And with these tips, you’ll put yourself a step ahead of the competition and get yourself a few steps closer to buying your home.
To view homes that we currently have listed or that are currently on the market please visit our website.
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What It Means to Bank Local
We chatted with Janice Durham, VP, Branch Manager of the Fuquay-Varina First Bank location, about what it means to bank locally and keep your dollars not only in state but right in your own hometown.
Banking local and shopping local share the same goal: to ensure your dollars have the largest impact on your community. Reports show that of every $100 spent at locally owned businesses, $68 goes straight bank into the community (compared to $43 when shopping at a large chain).
Similarly, by choosing a local bank over a large, national bank means that your dollars stay here for investment in small business development; in the organizations that lend and provide services to your friends, family, or neighbors; and in the community itself.
What Makes a Community Bank Different?
What people might not know about community banks is that at our core, written in our charter, is our commitment to invest our time and resources in the towns and cities we’re in. This means you’ll not only know our bankers, because they’re your friends and neighbors, but you’ll also seem them out at local events and working with area nonprofits.
We take great pride in the hours of volunteering and the money donated to local causes by the staff in our branches, and we know our bank can prosper only when the communities we serve prosper. As a community bank, we are motivated every day to proactively mend the fabric of our neighborhoods while supporting growth in the local economy.
And in most cases, it means warmer, friendlier, personal service. That’s true at a mom and pop restaurant or hardware store on the main street in your small town, and it’s true for banks. It’s hard to know your customers and truly care about them if you are managing a banking operation from another state. We know our clients and we work to find individualized solutions when they have financial needs—and most importantly, those decisions are made here.
Side note: be sure to check out our Dream it, Do It campaign at HERE and see how we’re donating to local charities and helping our customers’ dreams come true!
What About Financing?
The process itself is similar in that we all follow federal lending guidelines, but again, the experience is completely different at a local bank.
It’s impossible to place a value on having a person with whom you have a relationship, who you can call when there are questions during the lending process, helping to lead you through a complex process. If you opt to use an online service, or even a large national bank, I’m not sure where you go when there is a question or problem.
With a local bank, you have a personal banker who has taken the time to learn about your family and your business needs and you can reach them directly to collaborate on a solution. So whether it’s for personal banking or for your business, we can offer better service and better understanding of your needs by a person who cares about your success and is driven to help.
How to Get Started
The first step is really just to walk into your local branch of a community bank (or call or visit the website, but we’d really like to meet you in person). Your personal banker will want to hear about what you hope to do, be it as simple as opening a savings account or buying a new home, or as complex as a business loan to turn your dream into a reality.
And they will guide you through the process to bring that dream to fruition. We are standing by, ready to help, just tell us what you hope to do and enjoy having a personal banker at your disposal.
Since 1935, First Bank has remained committed to the idea that our customers are meant to achieve financial independence, to prosper, and to pursue the passions that drive their dreams. Our bank rewards this passion with award-winning financial solutions and support from local teams that give you the individual attention you deserve and empower you to reach your financial goals. It’s uncompromising excellence in a remarkably personal package. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
NMLS# 1314662
Vice President
First Bank
Fuquay Varina Branch Manager
135 N. Main Street
Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
Phone: 919-577-9001
Email: jdurham@localfirstbank.com
Website: www.LocalFirstBank.com
Front Porch Realty is An Equal Opportunity Company, Equal Housing Opportunity.
Information Not Guaranteed. Listings marked with an icon are provided courtesy of the Triangle MLS, Inc. of North Carolina, Internet Data Exchange Database.
©2025 Front Porch Realty
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