The Best Scenic Drives in Central Florida

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The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Florida is probably the beaches, the theme parks, and all of the nightlife. However, looking closely, you’ll also find other hidden gems. At Karla Salmon Insurance, we are proud to serve the Oviedo, FL, area, so we’ve put together this list of scenic drives that showcase the best our region has to offer!

The Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway

This 123-mile drive takes you through the heart of Ocala National Forest, where the black bear population is at its most robust. And there is much more to see as you traverse the Big Scrub ecosystem! Stop along the way to explore some of the state’s prettiest lakes, like Lake George or Lake Kerr.

Green Mountain Scenic Byway

A cyclist’s dream, this byway is an exciting route of winding curves and rolling hills along the west side of Lake Apopka. Start at Mount Dora and enjoy the many recreational areas and wildlife watching spots along the way south to Winter Garden. These lovely towns both enjoy putting on shows, festivals, and more, so there’s always a reason to explore.

Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway

This drive takes you along the Indian River Lagoon, one of the state’s most impressive and unique natural refuges. This barrier island system is protected from development and is a beautiful home for dozens of Florida’s endangered species. The closeness to the Kennedy Space Center makes this a perfect educational day trip!

Conclusion

There is no denying that driving around Florida is an incredible experience. There are many more scenic byways than we could hope to fit here. If you’re an Oviedo, FL driver, ensure you have the right car insurance. Reach out to Karla Salmon Insurance today!

Why Every Homeowner Needs Home Insurance

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When you own a home, there are many things you need to do to protect your investment in that home. It’s essential always to have home insurance to do just that. Home insurance protects you in multiple ways, and no homeowner should be without it. When you need a home policy for your house, contact us at Karla Salmon Insurance in Oviedo, FL.

It Protects Your House

One of the most important types of coverage in a home policy is protection for the actual dwelling. There is a wide range of incidents that can happen to a house and cause damage to it. There are calamities, accidents, and many different disasters that can damage a home and require repairs to be made. The repair bills are all yours to cover when you don’t have home insurance. With home insurance, you can have the repairs paid for to get your home back to normal again. 

It May Be Required

Another good reason to have home insurance is that it’s generally required for anyone with a mortgage. Virtually all lenders require that a buyer have and keep home insurance so that the home is protected in case of damage. Even if your home is paid off and you no longer have a lender, it is likely required by your homeowners’ association. 

It Protects Your Belongings

Another type of coverage in home insurance policies is protection for all of your items inside your home. This coverage is vital in case of a damaging incident to your home that ruins your belongings. With this coverage, you can start replacing your items quickly. 

Protect Your Home and Possessions

When you need home insurance, there’s no time to wait. Call us at Karla Salmon Insurance in Oviedo, FL.

What Florida residents need to know about homeowner’s insurance

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Karla Salmon Insurance is proud to serve the insurance needs of the greater Oviedo, FL area. We want to help you protect your home and offer a range of different homeowner’s policies. If you want to learn more about the available options, give us a call today!

Homeowner’s insurance in Florida

Our homes are likely the largest investment we make during our lifetime, and it only makes sense to protect them. If you are a Florida resident, you may be wondering how you can find the proper homeowner’s policy for your needs.

Choosing the right policy for your family home does not need to be confusing. You will need to consider the house’s value and its contents to start. When you have a better idea of the amount of insurance you will need, you can begin to review the various available policies.

There is no right or wrong answer for insurance, but you will want to have your needs covered. When you meet with your local agent, you can better understand your needs and how to meet them best. Anyone buying their first home should meet with their insurance agent as soon as possible.

Our homes are sanctuaries, and having the right insurance to protect them is an integral part of responsible homeownership. Find out more about your options today! 

Protect your home with the proper homeowner’s policy

If you want to make sure that your home has the protection it needs, the team at Karla Salmon Insurance is here to help! Oviedo, FL area residents can count on us for their insurance needs. Call or stop by today!

Updating Your Home Insurance After Renovations

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At Karla Salmon Insurance, we always want your Oviedo, FL home to receive the protection from homeowner’s insurance it deserves. We want to address the importance of updating your policy with us when you renovate or remodel your home.

Understanding the Value

When you purchased your home, you also purchased a home insurance policy, which insured your property as-is. That means your insurance policy insures your home as it was when you purchased it. If you read your policy in full, you’ll see that it specifies your home’s value. That value changes when you renovate or remodel.

If one of the perils named in your policy occurred today, your policy would pay you for the value of your home named in the policy documents. That means you would receive the amount of your home as you purchased it, even if you had poured $100,000 into remodeling it. You might have put in a new kitchen, added a bathroom, and converted the attic to a bedroom and bathroom, but if you did not update your insurance with us, we know and add to the policy that added value, it isn’t covered.

We recommend that when you consider making renovations, you contact us. We can help you with a construction policy that covers your added liability while having construction workers in the home. We can also update your home policy as soon as the renovations finish and receive a review from the city code enforcement office.

We also recommend taking a close look at the language used in your policy. Whether the policy provides actual value or current value makes a difference in the amount you would receive for repairs or rebuilding if a peril, such as a fire or a tornado occurred and your home incurred damage.

Contact Karla Salmon Insurance serving Oviedo, FL for more information on updating your home policy. Renovation isn’t the only reason to update it. Call us today!

The Different Types of Auto Insurance Coverage

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Most people know that they need car insurance, but not many people know their options. If you want to learn about the different types of auto coverage, read on.

Types of Car Insurance

There are five types of auto insurance coverage: liability, collision, comprehensive, medical, and uninsured/underinsured protection. Each one is there for a different reason and has a specific function in helping you return to stability after an accident occurs.

1. Comprehensive Coverage

Comprehensive coverage is for damage that occurs to your car, not resulting from an accident. For example, this includes hail damage or theft.

2. Medical Coverage

If you are injured in an accident, medical coverage will help pay for your injuries and get you back on your feet quickly. It can cover doctor and hospital costs, ambulance services, and even rehabilitation.

3. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

This coverage takes care of you if you are hit by a driver who doesn’t have any insurance or not enough insurance to cover your bills. It can pay for medical costs, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering.

4. Liability Coverage

The first type of coverage is liability insurance. This covers you if you are at fault for an accident that causes bodily injury or property damage to another party. This includes medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, or other costs associated with the accident.

5. Collision Coverage

The next type of coverage is accident-related, which is called collision insurance. A collision occurs when your car strikes something, like another vehicle or a tree. While your liability coverage will help you pay for damages that result from an accident that is your fault, collision coverage pays for damages to your car resulting from the accident.

There are many types of auto coverage, and it is vital to understand what each one does. Karla Salmon Insurance can help you find the best insurance for your needs in Oviedo, FL. Call Karla Salmon Insurance today for a free quote.

Why should a business owner start their commercial insurance with a business owners’ policy (BOP)?

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A BOP provides the four most essential business coverage at a reduced premium. It provides the foundation for most commercial policies. You can obtain a BOP and any of its many possible add-on insurance policy types from Karla Salmon Insurance.

Your Oviedo, FL business needs commercial insurance coverage, and a BOP makes the logical starting place because it provides the four most frequently purchased policy types in one package, and it costs less than if you purchased each policy separately. A BOP contains business interruption, perils, liability, and property damage coverage.

You can add any type of commercial insurance to your BOP. This lets you save money on your overall insurance costs while obtaining the customized policy you need for your business.

The BOP covers the four things that each business has in common. Customizing the coverage afterward covers the things that make your business different. For example, a pizzeria that offers delivery requires commercial auto insurance, while a doctor’s office requires malpractice. A manufacturer of medical devices, such as wheelchairs, leg braces, or IUDs requires errors and omissions insurance. A dry-cleaning business needs inland marine insurance.

The flexibility of the BOP option lets you add any type of commercial insurance to the BOP from boiler insurance to glass insurance. You can create a commercial policy that contains as many or as few types of coverage as you need to do so to adequately protect your business.

Karla Salmon Insurance serving Oviedo, FL can offer you a BOP and any type of insurance you need to add to it. Call us today.

Why You Need a Home Inventory

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Building a home inventory is a daunting task, and we accumulate so much stuff that the idea of cataloging every item and making a record of it sounds like the worst kind of tedium. Despite that, you should create and maintain yours for a few critical reasons. 

To accurately assess your insurance needs.

Whether you are a renter or property owner, it’s important to understand just how valuable your property is to make educated decisions about how much coverage you should carry. You do not want to find out belatedly that your insurance limits are insufficient to replace or repair property lost to disaster, theft, or vandalism. Feel confident in your insurance purchases by keeping an updated, remotely stored home inventory. 

To know if you need to schedule property.

Scheduled property is a fancy term that means costly items are covered. Scheduled property endorsements usually apply to high-value items like expensive electronics, jewelry, artwork, and firearms. While doing your home inventory, note your possessions of significant worth and discuss picking up an endorsement to protect those items in case of a loss with your agent.

To be prepared in the event of a claim.

You don’t want to be scrambling to remember what you owned and how much it was worth after a loss. If you don’t keep an updated inventory, you could lose out on otherwise claimable assets, which translates directly into cash in your pocket for repairs or replacement. Having an inventory makes the claims process much smoother, faster, and likely results in higher reimbursement. 

Oviedo, FL homeowners and renters looking to get started on, or update a home inventory, don’t wait. Call or stop by Karla Salmon Insurance today to speak with a friendly agent happy to answer your questions. Make your homeowner’s policy count.

How to Avoid Buying Too Much Florida Auto Insurance

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It happens when we are on the phone trying to get this really boring errand out of the way. We say yes to the insurance agent that is securing our car insurance, and then wind up annoyed for the rest of the year because our premiums feel too high. They might be. 

At Karla Salmon Insurance, we want Oviedo, FL drivers to have what they need on the road.  You don’t have to say yes to everything. We can help you to determine the best policy for your needs, and it doesn’t take long to do that for you at all.

Here are some ways to avoid paying too much for Florida auto insurance.

Increase Your Deductible

It is a given that your rates will go down if you have a high deductible. You are assuming some financial risk in the event of an accident, and this risk brings your premiums down. Pick a realistic amount for you, and this will help you to avoid buying too much auto insurance.

Buy What You Need

Do you need a special rider on your Florida auto insurance for all of those times you rent a car? It can help if you rent a car a lot. Do you?

It can sound like an exciting add-on, and it is if you will use it. Add on to your policy only the things that you know you will need. If you already have AAA for roadside assistance, you don’t need to add it to your car insurance. 

Watch Collision Insurance and Comprehensive Insurance Rates

If your car has a lower value or is very old, you may not need either of these additions to your auto insurance policy. If, for example, the blue book value of your vehicle is less than $2,000, it might not be worth it. The amount you pay for that in insurance could be saved for a better car down the road.

You won’t get a full replacement value in the event of a collision, and insurance companies reach a point where repairs worth more than the car lead to a write-off.

You don’t always need collision and comprehensive insurance unless a lender requires it. They are great to have, but a waste of money if your car is older.

Get a Quote

When you are looking for auto insurance in Florida, it’s easy to overbuy. Avoid that by thinking more about what you need. At Karla Salmon Insurance, we want Oviedo, FL drivers to have what they need to get the premiums that work best for them. Call us for a quote today.

How a New Dog Impacts Your Florida Home Insurance

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Whether you have a pup already or are considering obtaining one, it’s worth understanding how a dog can influence your home insurance policy in Oviedo, FL.

The Owner is Liable 

If your pooch is involved in a biting incident, Florida law allows any person bitten in a public place or while lawfully in a private area the right to collect damages from the owner. That can include medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses. In short, it can add up quickly. 

Is Your Pup Covered?

Some liability protection likely exists in your homeowner’s policy. However, there are possible exclusions, and your policy limits may not be high enough to protect you from financial fallout should your family pet be unexpectedly aggressive. Check to see if your dog’s breed is on a restricted list. Some insurers don’t have breed restrictions at all; instead, they insure based on your pet’s biting history. Some refuse to cover dog bites entirely. It is essential to know what your insurer offers before an injury occurs.

Consider Additional Coverage

There are a few additional coverage options homeowners can consider to protect themselves against potentially catastrophic financial damage from a dog bite:

  • Umbrella policies can add to your pool of available funds to pay for damages, not just from dog bites but from other claims that exceed your usual limits.
  • Canine liability policies exist to provide additional protection for pet owners. 
  • Excess coverage can expand your limits. 

The best way to determine your coverage options is to speak with an agent to help you navigate your policy details. When you are ready to pick up your new pup, be sure to call or stop by Karla Salmon Insurance to make sure your family, including your new best friend, is adequately covered. 

Auto Insurance Options in Florida

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In Florida, auto insurance is required and you must have at least an auto liability insurance policy in place to be able to legally drive your vehicle on public streets and highways. The auto insurance agents at Karla Salmon Insurance in the Oviedo, FL area are stressing the importance of auto insurance not only to protect your vehicle but to provide you with a sense of security and peace of mind.

In addition to a liability auto insurance policy, there are other auto insurance coverage options you should consider.

Uninsured and Underinsured Auto Insurance Coverage

An uninsured or underinsured policy is great to have in place in the event you are ever involved in an accident that is caused by a motorist that is driving with no insurance policy in place or a driver who does not have enough insurance coverage to pay for all of the damages and medical treatment involved.

Comprehensive Insurance

If you have an active loan for the vehicle you purchased, your lender may very well require you to have comprehensive auto insurance in place to protect the investment they have made in your car, truck, or SUV.  This type of auto insurance will help you repair or replace your vehicle if it is damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster, fire, vandalism, or some other detrimental event. It will also replace your vehicle if it is stolen.

Collision Insurance

If you are driving your vehicle and collide with another vehicle or if you collide with some type of object, collision auto insurance coverage will help you pay for any damages that were caused in the collision.

Get Your Auto Insurance Policy Started

To obtain an auto insurance quote and to get your policy started today, contact the trusted and experienced auto insurance agents at Karla Salmon Insurance in Oviedo, FL.