Joseph A. Zingales, Broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty: February 2020

Insurance through the homeowner association, or HOA, covers some areas of the complex, though each homeowner must have their own insurance to cover certain parts of their property and their belongings.

Here’s a breakdown of how condo insurance works:

Group insurance: Condo association insurance usually covers common areas, such as a pool, lawn and building exteriors.

This insurance is called the “master policy” and doesn’t include what’s inside your condo unit — such as a break-in, water damage to your kitchen walls, or someone slipping on your wet bathroom floor.

Condo unit insurance: Everything inside the walls, such as the plumbing and electrical wiring, is covered by your individual insurance policy, though some master policies may cover from the paint on the inside of your unit to the outside walls.

An individual homeowner’s insurance policy will also cover your belongings that you keep inside your condo, along with any fixtures or improvements you make to your unit.

When valuing your possessions, consider the replacement cost in today’s dollars for new items, not what they originally cost. Some policies only reimburse for actual cash value, which is the depreciated value, and not the total replacement costs.

Insurance coverage for personal belongings and the physical building typically range from $25,000 to $100,000, with premiums at $400 to $600 per year. Owning artwork or other collectibles could require additional coverage.

Liability coverage included in condo insurance will typically cost $20 a year for $300,000 in liability coverage.

Loss-assessment insurance: This covers insurance expenses not covered by the condo association, or in excess of the group coverage. You may need it if the condo association insurance doesn’t cover a major repair and the HOA doesn’t have enough money to pay for the repair. Instead of paying extra for the fixes, your loss-assessment coverage would cover you.

Loss of use: This type of insurance pays for a place for you to stay if your unit is totaled or severely damaged by a tornado or some other disaster. Coverage may be limited to a dollar value or your actual costs for a specified time.

When determining how much insurance you need for your condo, start with your condo associations’ master policy and then fill in the holes from there. This real estate information will help ensure your investment and your belongings are well protected.

Today's New Listings!

108-S/L Canturbury Dr, Willoughby

128-S/L Farroni Dr, Willoughby

1022 Beachview Rd, Willoughby

568 Deerwood Ct, Painesville

9828 Gabriels Way, Concord

4170 Hidden Village Dr, Perry

Friday, February 7, 2020

Today's New Listings!

106 Canterbury Dr, Willoughby

2701-S/L Farroni Dr, Willoughby

9970 Cottonwood Ct, Concord

1139 Vista Lago Cir, Painesville

SL 11 Keystone Dr, Concord

804 Meadowood Blvd, Madison

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Open Houses!

February 9, 2020

11700 Regent Park Dr, Chardon
Open 2-4pm
$490,000
4bd 4ba
Call 440-479-7379

6517 Fay Rd, Concord
Open 12-2pm
$540,000
4bd 4ba
Call 440-525-3331

8375 Deacon Avenue NW, North Canton
Open 1-3pm
$375,000 NEW PRICE!
2bd 2ba
Call 330-232-2689

2040 Lloyd Ct, Wickliffe
Open 12:30-4:30pm
$269,900
4bd 3ba
Call 440-283-7557

38780 Edward Walsh Dr, Willoughby
Open 12-4pm
$449,900
3bd 3ba
Call 440-283-7557

7309 Gallant Way, Concord
BY APPT
$329,900
4bd 3ba
Call 440-296-5006

4988 South Sedgewick Rd, Lyndhurst
BY APPT
$145,000
3bd 2ba
Call 440-296-5006

6533 Bayside Dr, Madison
BY APPT
$159,900
3bd 3ba
Call 440-296-5006

2648 Morningstar Dr, Madison
BY APPT
$79,900
3bd 2ba
Call 440-296-5006

914 Lloyd Rd, Wickliffe
BY APPT
$289,900
3bd 2ba
Call 440-296-5006

28767 Eddy Rd, Willoughby Hills
BY APPT
$350,000
3bd 2ba
Call 440-296-5006

35800 Maplegrove Rd, Willoughby Hills
BY APPT
$239,900
5bd 3ba
Call 440-296-5006

Today's New Listings!

7322 Taft St, Mentor

7404 Bellflower Rd, Mentor

SL 14 Brodie Blvd, Mentor

610 Cherrywood Ln, Painesville Township

SL 20 Joann Dr, Concord

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Today's New Listings!

347 E 315th St, Willowick

883 Elmwood Ave, Wickliffe

38637 Courtland Dr, Willoughby

4965 Waldamere Ave, Willoughby

10121 Johnnycake Ridge Rd, Painesville Township

10105 Johnnycake Ridge Rd, Painesville Township

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Today's New Listings!

1465 Westover Dr, Willoughby

7495 Johnnycake Ridge Rd, Mentor

7173 Buchanan Ct, Mentor

8250 Beaumont Dr, Mentor

Monday, February 3, 2020

Eco-Friendly Kitchen Features That Won't Break the Bank

Eco-friendly features are all the rage today as homeowners commit to living greener lives. But for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, where do you begin?

For many, the answer is the kitchen. The central hub of the home, the kitchen offers a perfect foundation for incorporating green features and appliances.

Getting started, you may want to consider adding an induction stove, a stove that utilizes magnetic energy to induce a current that heats the food. Not only do pans heat up quickly on this type of stove, but the amount of time needed to cook meals is greatly reduced. In addition to the energy savings and coolness factor, induction stoves tend to be much safer than traditional stoves since there’s no open flame or hot electric element involved.

It’s also important to add energy-efficient appliances. If you’re trying to sell your home and an old dishwasher and refrigerator unit serve as the focal point of the room, it could be a major deterrent to a sale.

Changing up the lighting is another easy way to up the eco-friendly factor and make the kitchen appear fresh and new. Installing ceiling fans is another simple, inexpensive way toward making the space more eco-friendly. Ceiling fans will circulate warm air in the winter and will help keep the kitchen cool in the summer, keeping heating and cooling costs lower throughout the year.

When it comes to greening your home, remember that you don’t need to drain your bank account to find success. For example, adding a water filter to your sink (and saying goodbye to bottled water) is an inexpensive way to promote green living. Take this one step further by highlighting the fact that the water filter removes harmful contaminants, providing a fresh drink that can easily be enjoyed when relaxing at home or while out and about.

While not every change will yield a payoff, data shows that kitchen improvements will reap the highest rewards in home value, offering the fastest way to get someone interested in buying your home.

Today's New Listings!

7067 Elizabeth Ct, Mentor

5565 Sand Dune Ct, Mentor

30-S/L Muirfield Ln, Painesville Township

708 Outrigger Cv, Painesville

4019 Honeysuckle Ln, Perry

About Me

I am a Broker in the State of Ohio, a Broker in the State of Florida, the Principal of The Zingales Team and have been a licensed Real Estate Agent since January 1998.

In addition to listing and selling homes, I like sharing my experience and knowledge and therefore managing was a natural addition for me. I continue to stay current on the real estate laws, procedures and trends which helps me provide value to my office.

My mission in business and in my personal life is to make everyones' lives around me better!

Joseph A. Zingales

Friday, February 28, 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Monday, February 24, 2020

Friday, February 21, 2020

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Monday, February 17, 2020

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Friday, February 14, 2020

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Monday, February 10, 2020

Friday, February 7, 2020

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Monday, February 3, 2020

Our Websites