Mappus Insurance Agency Inc.

Home & Flood Insurance for Mount Pleasant and Charleston SC

Call (843) 763-4200 hello@mappusinsurance.com
Start Quotes Here

Blog

A Time to Save (on insurance and long-term financing)

In today’s world, there are a lot of uncertainties. With the COVID-19 threatening life as we know it, we sit here on the precipice of time wondering: “what next?” With the slowing down of the economy and for many of us, the slowing down on the amount of workload as a result, we are left with a lot of TIME to THINK.

I live in Carolina Park in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and I think about my neighbors often.  I think about how I can help them during this time of need beyond saying “it’s going to be ok” or “we will get through this together”.  We certainly believe those things, but what can I do with greater purpose to help them?  

One thing I know I think about is finances, and right here, right now, there is a great opportunity to save money! The best part is, you might not have to leave your house and you could be saving yourself THOUSANDS of dollars a year!

Even if mortgage rates are temporarily higher than the ideal refi point right now, I fully believe that they will come back down in order to encourage a major boost to our economy as we work out of the natural recession our world has fallen into as a result of COVID-19. Although we still believe now is a great time to save, when mortgage interest rates do come back down, there will be an even greater opportunity for you to save some money on your mortgage and annual family expenses.

In the meantime, there is another way you and other Mount Pleasant homeowners can be saving money, and for this, you definitely don’t even have to leave your home. I am talking about homeowner’s insurance. Yes, homeowners insurance…you know that policy you pay for each year that you probably forgot about?  

On average, my team and I save people over 37% when they allow our independent agency, Mappus Insurance, to shop their homeowner’s insurance for them. Many people move to coastal South Carolina, specifically Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, and Isle of Palms from places where hurricanes are not overly prevalent and their mortgage lenders did not require that they carry “wind/hail insurance” OR the cost of wind/hail coverage was pennies compared to what they are paying here along the coast.

Furthermore, most Mount Pleasant homeowners aren’t aware that there are options outside of the large “well known” insurance companies such as State Farm, USAA and Allstate, and so they go with what they know, which is understandable. The bigger issue the looms is that many of these “well known” insurance companies that write all across the United States do not understand coastal insurance (nor want to), and therefore they either don’t provide insurance for the wind portion of the policy OR they increase their rates. In some cases, they “farm out” the wind coverage to a third-party insurance company, which can cost your hundreds or thousands more each year with barebones coverage.  (You can read more about the four critical homeowners insurance mistakes you do not want to make)

time to save

The other major issue that these larger “well known” insurance companies have is that they do not have a strong grasp on flood insurance, which is a whole other conversation. Our independent agency, Mappus Insurance, has access to over 10-different private flood insurance options that we work with in addition to FEMA/National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In short, FEMA has historically been the only option for flood insurance, however, over the last few years, several private flood insurance companies have entered the flood market recognizing the need to provide better options for the same people that they are providing homeowners insurance. (You can read more about the five ways to save on your flood insurance)

If you are interested in saving hundreds (or thousands) of dollars each year and you are tired of stroking that insurance check, then click below to get started or even simpler, text us at 843-763-4200.  The process is easy, costs you nothing, and what is there to lose?

15% Refund On Your Safeco Insurance Auto Policy Due To Coronavirus

A message to our customers about the Coronavirus

At Safeco, the well-being of our customers and employees is always our top priority. We recognize the uncertainty and financial challenges many of you are facing as the nation bands together to slow the spread of the coronavirus. To help our customers, we have taken the following actions:

Personal Auto Customer Relief Refund

Fewer drivers are on the road, which means fewer accidents. With this in mind, we are announcing our Personal Auto Customer Relief Refund, which will return an estimated $250 million to our personal auto insurance customers. Here’s how it works:

  • Personal auto insurance customers will receive a 15% refund on two months of their auto premiums, as of April 7, 2020, pending regulatory approval.
  • The refunds will begin in April and will be issued either by check or in the manner you made your most recent payment.
  • The payments will happen automatically, and you do not need to call us to receive the refund.

Payment Flexibility Options

We have automatically stopped charging late fees and have temporarily paused personal auto & home coverage cancellations due to non-payment from March 23 through May 22, 2020, or later as directed by your state.

We are also extending payment dates if needed. Please contact us if we can be of assistance.

Delivery Coverage Expansion for Auto Policies

We have proactively expanded all our personal auto policies to cover customers who use their personal vehicles to deliver food, medicine, medical supplies, or medical equipment for a commercial purpose. This accommodation does not apply to drivers completing deliveries for a transportation network company or online only delivery platform. This additional protection is already in effect for all personal auto policies in all states for losses occurring from March 16 to May 22, 2020, and reported by July 1, 2020. Additional limitations apply, please contact us for more details.

Changes to Auto & Property Claims Process to Protect Customers and Employees

  • We’ve stopped all in-home damage inspections effective immediately except in emergency situations, such as water damage with an active leak or threat of mold, to avoid having employees entering homes. Whenever possible, we will do in-home inspections through RealTime Review video chat or other video collaboration tools. We will ask customers for their approval before using these tools.
  • Our adjusters will continue to do outside property inspections outside the home with customer permission. Our property adjusters will be following CDC Guidelines, including social distancing and following sanitation guidelines.
  • Auto appraisers will not be visiting customers’ homes or auto body shops except in emergency situations and will follow CDC guidelines. You can submit photographs of vehicle damage online and through our app, including using our new assisted-photo tool which will show you step-by-step how to take damage photos.
  • All other claims employees are working from home to handle claims as quickly as possible. For faster claims processing, we strongly encourage you to file new claims online, to manage claims online, and to use our digital tools including RealTime Review video chat and guided photo capture.
  • We are suspending our Claims Valet Service until further notice except for emergency situations.
  • We’re instructing any vendors who provide services to Safeco to follow the same guidelines.

Online Options for Personal Insurance Customers

For fast service, you can always go online at any time or use our app to:

Measures to Keep Employees Safe and Prevent Spread of Coronavirus

We’ve taken measures to follow CDC guidelines and prevent the spread of coronavirus to our employees and customers:

  • We’ve enabled all our employees to work from home and implemented mandatory work from home across all offices in the US and Canada.
  • All air, rail, and bus travel by employees is restricted through April 30.

We will keep you informed as this situation continues to evolve. In the meantime, stay well and thank you for being a Safeco customer.

Please feel free to call our office and speak to your account manager at 843.763.4200 with any questions or concerns.

Save Up To 20% On Your Car Insurance Premium With IntelliDrive by Travelers Insurance

As a South Carolina resident, car insurance premiums are not cheap!  Many South Carolina residents are tired of constantly seeing increases to their car insurance premiums each year when they have had no accidents or violations.  Well, we have great news for you!  Insurance companies are responding to this issue by initiating various forms of “smart” monitoring systems to grade/score each driver and reward (or penalize) them for their specific driving habits and behaviors. You can save up to 20% on your car insurance premium with IntelliDrive by  Travelers Insurance.

Looking for ways to save more on your car insurance?  Consider the IntelliDrive program with Travelers to save up to 20% for the life of your account.  Yes, 20% additional savings at each renewal because you are a safe driver!

Learn more about the Travelers IntelliDrive program by clicking here.  

If you are interested in signing yourself or your entire family up for this program, please reach out to your account manager at the agency or call the Travelers IntelliDrive department directly at 888-505-1217 to inquire and sign up.

Some benefits are:

  • Save up to 20% for the life of your policy (this is in addition to any other discounts you may qualify for)
  • Great tool to “grade” your child’s driving habits (and reward them and yourself with a lower premium!)
  • By signing up for IntelliDrive now (driving less during coronavirus), you have a higher likelihood of receiving the full 20% discount

A few frequently asked questions:

save more on car insurance

  • Is the savings for one year or for each year after I successfully complete the program?  
    • FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR ACCOUNT
  • What information is Travelers gathering?  
    • THERE ARE FOUR AREAS TRAVELERS LOOKS INTO – BRAKING, ACCELERATION, SPEED, AND TIME OF DAY.
  • Can I be negatively impacted?  
    • YES, HOWEVER THE AVERAGE SAVINGS IS AROUND 15%
  • Can I opt-out?  
    • YES, YOU CAN OPT-OUT AT ANY TIME DURING THE FIRST 45 DAYS
  • Can I watch my progress?  
    • YES, YOU CAN SEE YOUR PROGRESS AND SCORING FROM DAY ONE TO DAY NINETY
  • How often do I have to drive to qualify?  
    • YOU MUST DRIVE AT LEAST 500 MILES IN THE 90 DAY PERIOD.  THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 5.5 MILES PER DAY.

Again, you can learn more about the Travelers IntelliDrive Program by clicking here and you can sign up by reaching out to your account manager at the agency or call the Travelers IntelliDrive department directly at 888-505-1217 to inquire or sign up.

Not a client?  Curious about saving on your car insurance?  We can help you look at various options both with Travelers Insurance and 6 other car insurance companies that we work with.  Call or text us at 843-763-4200 or complete the form below to get started.  The process is super easy – all you will need to have is a copy of your current car insurance policy and driver’s license.

Six Tips to Help Your Insurance Agency Thrive Working Remotely

Many insurance agencies (and many businesses in general) across the country are having to work remotely with very little planning time due to the coronavirus.  Here are a few tips, suggestions and recommendations…along with some “how to” actions you can do to get your insurance agency to thrive working remotely in as little as 24 hours.

Six Topics to discuss and consider:

  1. Answering phone calls remotely
  2. Helping “walk in” traffic remotely
  3. Taking payments remotely
  4. Selling insurance remotely (yes, we still have to make money!)
  5. Interoffice communication
  6. General Servicing of accounts and more

 

#1 – Answering phone calls remotely

Although many insurance agencies have already moved to voice over internet protocol (VOIP) phone systems, now is the time to do so.  In short, this allows you to answer your office phones from anywhere in the world just as if you were sitting at your desk. There are many companies that can set this up for you in as little as 24 hours over the phone (pun intended) or online.  This is inexpensive and in many cases can cut your phone system costs in half. All you need is the internet to run a VOIP phone system. A few companies to check out are RingCentral, Nextiva, 8X8, LightSpeed Voice, Kotter/Bridge, and BlueWave.  You are probably thinking this is great, but what if a client shows up at our office…go on to number two.

 

#2 – Helping “walk in” traffic remotely

For many agencies, most specifically small town agencies, walk in “foot traffic” is a daily thing.  Many of you are thinking that there is no way you can shut down your office and work remotely as you have to service these clients.  Well, there is a way and it is called Ring Doorbell (or any other remote video doorbell system).  You heard me, you can easily slap one of these video doorbells onto your main office door and when that doorbell rings, you can service your clients from afar!  Now you are thinking, this is great but most clients show up to make a payment, now what?

 

#3 – Taking payments remotely

Ok, so you set up your VOIP phone system and have your video doorbell hooked up, now how do I take payments remotely?  The answer is simple, ePayPolicy.  That is right.  Now you can take payments just like your insurance companies do…and the great thing is that this can cost as low as $20 per month.  If you think about the time it takes to process payments on your end, you are probably making money because now you and your team are more productive.  Please note that this is more related to “Agency Billed” policy billing so it it is a “Direct Billed” policy then you can turn your clients to the carrier website to pay directly.  

 

#4 – Selling insurance remotely (yes, we still have to make money!)

We are all playing our part and trying to do as much “social distancing” as we can, right?  One way to still “sell” in front of your clients and prospects is to do video proposals. Yep!…making money from your kitchen table.  This is something our agency has been utilizing for years through our website provider (Advisor Evolved) but there is a free version you can use called Loom.  Simply download the Chrome add-on and start recording yourself and/or your screen.  Not only is Loom free but you will save countless hours by trimming your “proposal time” down from a one hour phone call to about 5-10 minutes doing a video proposal.  It comes across more visually than just having a phone call and the best thing is that the client can rewatch the video or share it with a business partner or spouse so they can watch and learn.  This is something you can implement literally right away…like go ahead and try it right now, well after you finish reading this article. Ok, great, we have the client communication down, but what about communicating with our team?…great question and now let’s discuss that!

 

#5 – Interoffice communication

Don’t you hate coming back from an appointment only to find that your inbox is filled with useless group “reply all” email replies saying “thank you” or “sounds good”…yea, me too.  What if you want to ask a quick question about an insurance company’s appetite or if a company will charge a fee if someone does monthly bill pay? Or maybe just letting the staff know you are “going to lunch”?  This probably doesn’t happen to you, right?…WRONG. We have found that the easiest way around these types of emails and communication filling up your inbox is to move to a communication system called SLACK (another is called Microsoft Teams).  The simplest way to describe SLACK is to think of it as an instant messenger (like AOL back in the day) or even Facebook Messenger but on steroids.  SLACK allows you to create “channels” (different topics of conversation) to communicate with your team in real time and not fill up everyone’s email inbox.  It is free and all you have to do is download the desktop and mobile version and get started in about 15-30 minutes. Now let’s move on to the finishing touch and wrap this whole thing up.

 

#6 – General Servicing of accounts and more

In thinking about the day to day servicing of an account, there are many tools you can use to help you work remotely.  Many are discussed above and there are many not even listed in this article, as this is intended to just get your feet wet.  However, one crucial thing you need to make sure you do is keep security in front of mind and make sure when working remotely you are on a secure internet connection and preferred, using a VPN remote/cloud server.  You also need to make sure that your agency’s management system allows for remote access (most do), however, if it doesn’t you can still “get by” with everything mentioned in this article during situations like coronavirus but you have to make sure everything is documented properly in your management system once back in the office.  One final tool to use that many businesses use today, which is another way to communicate and stay on top of accounts, especially when marketing an account is to use Google Sheets and Google Docs.  Google Sheets and Google Docs work almost identical to Microsoft Word and Excel, except they are “in the cloud” and available at any time.  You can share these documents with just a click and others can even edit them in “real time” to make sure everyone has the most up to date version. Think of them as a live chalkboard to brainstorm, keep lists or tasks, or use as a tool to show examples to staff or clients.

In closing, there are many tools out there to help you work remotely, these are just a few to get you going and work more optimally and efficiently during this time and who knows, maybe moving forward for the foreseeable future.  The key is to start with one and implement, do not try to do them all at them all at once. My recommendation is starting with the VOIP phone system and then pick what you think will be easiest to tackle next and so on. Best of luck!

Four Tips To Save BIG On Your Carolina Park Home & Flood Insurance

Carolina Park Home & Flood Insurance can be expensive…many families that move from other parts of the country to the Carolina Park community in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina are shocked to hear about the insurance premiums they will need to pay to properly insure their home.  

It doesn’t have to be this way!  Mappus Insurance has the secrets that other insurance agents don’t want you to know or don’t know how to help you.  Our proven process can save you up to 37% or more on your homeowners and flood insurance when owning a home in Carolina Park compared to our competition.

Here are FOUR TIPS you can use to help you save 37% or more on your next homeowners and flood insurance bills…and we all know that given the cost of homeowners and flood insurance on the coast in South Carolina, 37% can be A LOT OF MONEY back in your pocket.

Before I mention these four tips, I would encourage you to check out our over 300 FIVE STAR Google Reviews to hear about others that we have helped save money and provide them with a great experience in the process.

 

  • Discounts
  • Customized Coverages
  • Private Flood Insurance
  • Know your agent, work with your neighbor

 

Before we dive into each tip, I want you to understand that I am going to be brief in describing them.  Many of these tips can be very technical and specific to each property so the best thing to do is speak with one of our specialized coastal homeowners and flood insurance agents at Mappus Insurance and talk about your situation.  I also want to point out that there are actually more than four tips to help you save 37% or more…these are the top four tips.

Tip #1 – Discounts

This sounds simple and almost a given, right?  Unfortunately, we find that many agents leave off-key discounts on Carolina Park homeowners insurance policies.  There are not just discounts for “bundling” your home and auto insurance but also a slew of other discounts. In many cases, these “other discounts” can be much larger than the home and auto discounts.  Here is a list of additional discounts to discuss with your insurance agent:  

  • Wind mitigation discounts (HUGE SAVINGS) – many agents are too lazy or simply do not know how to apply these discounts.  For some insurance companies, these discounts can be up to 40% of your premium.

 

  • Monitored burglar and fire alarm
  • Water detection system
  • Flood insurance
  • “Golden age” (typically over 50 or 55+)
  • Military
  • Good/Great Credit score
  • Loss free claims history
  • Age of home
  • Building codes
  • Higher deductibles

 

Tip #2 – Customized Coverages

Again, another simple thing, right?  Well, no one told this to the insurance agent down the street.  Oftentimes, insurance companies that write homeowners insurance in Carolina Park default “personal property/contents” (your stuff, household belongings) to a certain percentage of the dwelling coverage limit.  

For example, if you have a Carolina Park house being insured for $600,000 then many homeowners insurance companies will provide you with 50-75% of this limit for personal property.  This means you are insuring your “stuff” for $300,000 to $450,000! I am sure you would love to have this much “stuff” but for most families, the number needs to be in the $150,000 to $200,000 range (if that).  

Many insurance agents do not have this conversation and leave you paying more for your homeowners insurance.  We have found that this can save as much as 10% or more alone just by tweaking coverages to only what you need.

Tip #3 – Private Flood Insurance

Carolina Park is the ultimate community to benefit from private flood insurance.  Without going into the technical aspects and putting you into a coma, just trust me.  I recently purchased a home in Carolina Park myself, so I know firsthand the savings here.  I saved OVER 40% alone on my flood insurance by going private. In addition, I received another 5% discount on my homeowners insurance policy because my agency managed both policies.  

While private flood insurance is not always the best option, with Carolina Park being all new construction, virtually every home will benefit from this option.  Unfortunately, many insurance agencies do not work with many private flood insurance companies or understand how it works. This leaves you paying too much and having no idea.

Tip #4 – Know Your Agent, Work with your Neighbor

Carolina Park Insurance

This is not a true “discount” but maybe it is???  We are believers in knowing the people you work with, especially on big things like insuring your largest asset.  Who better to work with on your homeowners and flood insurance than your neighbor? Myself 

andbusiness partner, Griffin Morrow are both active homeowners in Carolina Park.  We love working with our neighbors and in fact, welcome it very much.  

We want to be able to walk around the neighborhood with our heads held up high, be at the pool socializing or simply say “hi” with pride.  We can only do this 100% without a doubt if we knew we gave it our all when working with our neighbor clients. There are so many benefits to working with an insurance agent that you know (and is a neighbor)…

  • We answer/respond to your phone calls/texts – You can always get us (within reason!)
  • You will see us in the neighborhood and truly “know us” – You can find us at the pool, playground, tennis courts, or walking paths
  • You can “pop by” to ask a question (I promise you that my neighbors always ask the wildest insurance “what if” questions!)
  • We always know about and are on top of the best options and solutions for Carolina Park as we are checking for ourselves
  • We can have a beer together (or beverage of choice)
  • Our kids will most likely be friends
  • Should you have that 3 am fire, you know we will be there for you
  • Simply put…we are part of the community

If you are a Carolina Park homeowner or are planning to purchase a home in Carolina Park, give us an opportunity to earn your trust and your business.  There are many ways to start the simple, quick, and easy process. Either email save@mappusinsurance.com, call or text us at 843-763-4200 or simply fill out the form below.  Cheers!

Does My Personal Auto Policy Include Delivery Insurance?

Due to Coronavirus (aka COVID19), many South Carolina (and across the country) businesses, especially restaurants are having to DO WHATEVER IT TAKES to stay in business.  One major shift in business that many businesses/restaurants are doing is adding a delivery service to their line-up.  Naturally, one would not necessarily think of their insurance (business insurance or a personal auto policy) to confirm whether they have delivery insurance for this type of exposure (delivering food for the restaurant they work at), especially if this is not something they normally did prior to Coronavirus, as people are just trying to make a living for their family and “do whatever it takes” to pay the bills.

So is there coverage?  In short, I would say that virtually every business insurance policy and personal auto policy do not cover the exposure of food delivery (or other types of delivery) when acting in the name of a business.  One would only find this coverage on their policy is if they specifically had this conversation with their South Carolina insurance agent in the past and said insurance agent wrote a policy to specifically cover the delivery service appropriately.

HOWEVER, because we live in such an amazing, beautiful, caring, and “step up to the plate” for your fellow man country, many insurance companies are throwing their guidelines out of the window to assist other Americans and providing insurance coverage for these exposures.

How is coverage provided? This is an excerpt from one of our insurance companies, Auto-Owners Insurance, and how they are covering this delivery exposure as it relates to the personal auto policy in South Carolina and many other states:  “We will provide coverage under a personal auto policy when an insured driver is employed by and engaged in delivering food on behalf of a restaurant impacted by COVID-19. This coverage does not apply to drivers working for a Transportation Network Company or similar delivery service at the time of the loss.  Any broadened coverage provided pursuant to this Bulletin is effective from March 23, 2020, until June 1, 2020.”

What does this mean exactly? This means that for a limited time period, as mentioned in the excerpt, they are waiving this policy exclusion in your South Carolina personal auto policy.  So if you had a loss/accident/claim associated during food delivery; whether it be property damage or liability, your auto policy will now respond.  Certainly, you would need to make sure you have the proper coverages on your policy i.e. comprehensive and collision coverage (coverage for your vehicle should it get damaged in an at-fault accident) or proper liability limits should you be at-fault in an accident and injure someone else or damage someone else’s property.  These insurance companies are not adding any additional coverage, just removing an exclusion that is normally found on a typical personal auto policy in South Carolina and many other states.

How are business insurance policies affected?  Business insurance policies in South Carolina and in other states are acting in a very similar manner to the above mentioned personal auto policy coverage extension.  Here is an excerpt from one of our commercial insurance companies, Main Street America Insurance Group on how they are temporarily adding the exposure of “hired and/or non-owned auto insurance coverage for the exposure of delivery services” (sorry, it is a little long but detailed and should answer most, if not all of your questions).  Many other insurance companies have followed suit:

“If an existing restaurant account with HNOA (Hired and/or Non-Owned Auto) coverage begins temporary employee delivery to respond to this situation, we can accept the delivery operations on a temporary basis based upon the following driver guidelines. Temporary means the acceptability of employee delivery ends when the restaurant operation is legally able to open to customers. New business restaurant insureds with HNOA coverage or requests from existing restaurant accounts to add HNOA coverage, would follow the same guidelines. Agents will need to provide the scope of the driver delivery plans and designated employee driver information as soon as practical, including:

 Coverage for delivery is subject to meeting Driver Eligibility.
         o Employee auto insurance (presuming they are driving their own vehicles) should be verified by the agent to be valid and with limits of at least $300,000. Although this may be difficult to capture, please work with your insureds to try and meet this important insurance verification step.

If there is a commercial auto policy, non-owned auto coverage should be added to that policy. If there is no commercial auto, then the coverage can be added to the Main Line Business Owner’s Policy (Main Line BOP).

 Driver Eligibility (same as current Commercial Auto)
        o All designated employee drivers and their driving information must be submitted.
        o Drivers must be licensed in the U.S. with at least three years of experience.
        o Drivers under the age of 21 are unacceptable, regardless of experience.
        o Drivers must not have a DUI, Reckless Driving or other serious violation in the past three years or evidence of multiple types of these violations, regardless of the number of years.
        o Drivers must not have more than two minor violations and/or at-fault accidents in the past three years.”

What Should I Do?  We recommend that even though your South Carolina (or another state) personal auto insurance company and/or business insurance policies will temporarily provide coverage for the exposure of delivery, that you confirm with your insurance agent and/or insurance company and get something in writing that you do or do not have coverage.

Should you need help navigating this exposure and would like to speak with an insurance agent at Mappus, connect with us below or call/text 843-763-4200.  We pray that you and your family (both actual and business) stay safe during this time and we are here should you need us.

Top Mortgage Lenders

Do you live in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville South Carolina and are considering purchasing a new home or refinancing your mortgage on your existing home?  Are you serious about saving money each month/year on your mortgage? Not sure who to work with? Do you need a list of good quality and trusted local mortgage lenders? Look no further…Below is a list that of the TOP SIX trusted mortgage lenders in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Summerville South Carolina.  

If you live in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville or other communities along the coast in South Carolina, here are some of the TOP MORTGAGE LENDERS that we recommend and why.  We recommend these specific mortgage lenders because we trust them and do business with them on a daily basis.  

Top Mortgage LendersWho you work with when it comes to your mortgage (your most expensive monthly and annual expense) is not something you should take lightly and certainly not something you want to simply do online with someone you do not know that is halfway across the country.  So where do you go? Who should you trust? Where should you start?…well, good thing you found this post!

So who does Mappus recommend as the top mortgage lenders in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Summerville?  What gives us the right to say who the top mortgage lenders in South Carolina are? Well…we have been writing home, wind and flood insurance in South Carolina since 1960 (that is 60 years of working with mortgage lenders) and we know the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to home closings and refinances and who can get the job done with the best deals out there.

Here are the Mappus Insurance recommended and trusted TOP SIX MORTGAGE LENDERS if you are serious about closing on a new home, refinancing or simply just reducing your monthly mortgage payment.

  1. Fred Graham – Moultrie Mortgage 843-654-0055 fgraham@moultriemortgage.com 
    • Fred is the swiss army knife of lending.  There is literally not a situation Fred does not have a solution for.  Fred will get your deal done, bottom line. Fred is on top of everything, quick to respond, and extremely trustworthy.  His process is simple and easy for everyone and technology forward. Fred’s business is based in Mount Pleasant where he and his family live.
  2. Jules Deas/Josh Feldman – SunTrust Mortgage 843-906-5296 Jules.Deas@SunTrust.com 
    • Jules and Josh have consistently been the top lenders for all of SunTrust many years in a row.  Their team knows how to get things done. Great people with a great work ethic. They have a strong niche and specialty in working with doctors and dentists.  Jules and Josh work out of downtown Charleston and both reside in Mount Pleasant with their families.
  3. Chase Talbert – Bank of South Carolina   843-958-1095 ctalbert@banksc.com 
    • Chase is a hard-working family man that loves assisting first time home buyers, investors, and commercial property owners.  Because the Bank of South Carolina is headquartered locally, Chase can get things done quickly that many banks cannot.
  4. Alan Greer – CresCom Bank 843-442-5548 agreer@haveanicebank.com 
    • Great person and personality.  Alan is very knowledgeable with VA, FHA, USDA, and Conventional mortgages as well as lot loans and construction loans.
  5. Ros Zipperer – 1st Federal of South Carolina 843-908-9323 rzipperer@1stfederalofsc.com  
    • Ros was born into the banking business and he has been around lending his entire (literally).  The neat thing about Ros and his team is that everything is done locally up to the top brass making decisions.  This is truly a Lowcountry Local business through and through. Ros works
  6. Bobby McGihon – Atlantic Coast Mortgage 843-282-7540 bmcgihon@acmllc.com 
    • Bobby is a get it done kind of guy and an even better family man.  He is ahead of the curve when it comes to utilizing technology in his business and will tell you the truth every time, even if it means he loses the business.  Bobby is the 2020 recipient of the Best of Mount Pleasant Top Mortgage Company.

Lastly, as you go through the home buying or refinancing process, keep Mappus Insurance in mind as a resource to assist you with your home, wind and flood insurance needs.  Because of our independent status, we represent multiple insurance companies that specialize in insuring coastal properties for homeowners and flood insurance. We are also the top private flood insurance agency in all of South Carolina.  Find out for yourself why we have over 300 FIVE STAR GOOGLE REVIEWS!

 

Start the quoting process below and get your quotes fast!

A tree fell in my yard after Hurricane Dorian, do I have coverage?

A tree fell in my yard after Hurricane Dorian, do I have coverage?  Do you live in Charleston, Edisto, Mount Pleasant, Pawley’s and are facing this exact situation?

We are getting many questions from our coastal homeowners from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina about coverage on their homeowners policy for trees that have fallen in their yard but not necessarily on their house or any other structure.  This can be a very complicated topic and I will do my best to break it down for you. Please note that the language I am sighting is from a standard ISO HO3 policy form (2011 edition). I also want to point out that this is a short and quick understanding and not intended to be a white paper on coverage analysis.

The short of it is that the basic ISO HO3 policy will pay up to $1,000 ($500 per tree) to remove it from the property.  It is important to know that your wind, named storm, or hurricane deductible will apply to this loss. For example, if you are insuring your home for $500,000 and have a 2% wind deductible then your deductible is $10,000.  In many cases, if a tree simply fell in your yard, you may not hit your deductible.

Hurricane Dorian Damage

What if a tree falls on my house, detached garage, or my fence?

If this is the case, the policy reads that they will pay “whatever is reasonable” to take the tree off the damaged property…but still only pay $1,000 to remove the tree from your property.  Confusing right? Your same deductible mentioned above would still apply. In this situation, you may surpass your deductible and actually receive money from the insurance company. This same situation would also apply if the tree is blocking your driveway and prevent you from using your driveway.

Hopefully, this quick article helps answer your question or provides you with a little more insight into how your policy will most likely work.  Again, your policy may pay more than $1,000 but this is the basic coverage.

Bonus:  Another question we are getting relates to refrigerated goods.  Is there coverage when the power goes out and spoils your food? The answer is MAYBE.  Under the same standard ISO HO3 policy form (2011 edition) there is no coverage…however, many companies “endorse” the policy to provide broader (better) coverage for items like this.  For many homeowners, they will have up to $500 of coverage with a special deductible of just $100. Not every company offers this endorsement so ask your agent or check your policy.

We hope that you and your family are safe after Hurricane Dorian. Please let our team know if there is anything that we can help with!

 

My Client Information Isn’t Important, Right?

Business Owners think that they don’t have any important Client Information.

I hear it all the time.

I sell clothes. I sell furniture. I sell food.

I don’t deal with anything that would leave me liable when I’m hacked!

My question to you is this:

Who do you do business with? Who do you email? Who do you order from?

Do you email your Accountant? Your Payroll Provider? Your Bank? Your IT Provider?

Do you think their Client Information is important? They do have yours after all…

Do you get my point? The digital world is all connected!

Hackers are smart! They know your Payroll provider has strong security settings. They know not to waste their time on the Big Fish.

Hackers are going to spend their time on people like you. People who say they don’t have important information to protect. People who are not worried about them.

Once they are in your system they go straight for those Big Fish. They use you as the bait!

As soon as you send an email to your Payroll Provider they have all they need! BAM! You helped the hacker get exactly what they needed….

ACCESS!

Do you know what that means for you?

That means your part of the lawsuit when your Payroll Provider finds out that the hack came from your email.

That means it’s your job to pay for Credit Monitoring for every one of their Clients.

That means it’s your job to pay the settlement that occurs from the Lawsuit brought against them.

That means it’s your job to pay the IT Firm to repair their system.

That means it’s your job to spend a TON of money that you don’t have.

So, when you say you don’t have anything important. You are selling yourself short.

You have everything a Hacker wants and needs.

Make sure that you’re not the one stuck paying for it when you’re one of the 60% of businesses that will be hacked this year.

Check out our prior blog post, “The Case for Hacker Liability Insurance”

Protecting yourself from a Hack can be scary and it’s not something to try to do on your own. We’re here to help your business survive a Hack.

Fill out the form below so we can reach out to provide you a Cyber Analysis

Four Critical Home Insurance Mistakes You Do Not Want To Make If You Are Moving To South Carolina

Do not make these four critical mistakes that can potentially cost your over $30,000 dollars.

Are you moving to Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms or Charleston, SC?  The last thing you want to do is find a new insurance agent or company, right?  You just say, “hey, I will just call my current agent and have her move my insurance”, right?  

Seems logical…until your current insurance company won’t write home insurance on the coast in South Carolina…or maybe your agent doesn’t understand wind or flood insurance.

What if I told you this was a colossal mistake?  What if I told you that you could be costing yourself literally $20,000 or $30,000 a year?…I am serious and I will tell you why below.

Don’t just assume your current home insurance company can, will, or wants to insure your new home when moving to areas like Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, or Charleston, SC.

I am referring  to the “big dogs” like State Farm, USAA, Allstate, and many other large “national” insurance companies.  

What they don’t want to tell you is that they actually do not want to write your home on the coast and include key coverages like wind and/or flood insurance.  Yes, they might be able to offer you a “wind policy” through what is called the “wind pool”, which is literally the “last resort” option(too many quotations, I know!).  Seriously, even on the wind pool (SCWHUA) website, they say it for themselves!

So why should you not purchase a “wind pool” policy (last resort option)?  For starters the premium is about 30-40% higher than the standard market. Number two, their deductibles are super high…I am talking $20,000 or $30,000 deductibles for a $500,000 home.  Try that on for size! And number three, their coverages are bare bone. So let’s recap that…high premiums, high deductibles, bare bone coverages…I think I will pass!

If I wasn’t clear enough.  I will say it plain and clear.  KNOW YOUR POLICY AND KNOW YOUR DEDUCTIBLES.  Do not find out after a loss that you have a $30,000 wind deductible and no coverage for your personal property (contents) or loss of use coverage.

Another thing to keep in mind is that EVERY PROPERTY  IS IN A FLOOD ZONE. Yes, EVERY PROPERTY…EVERY PROPERTY!  Many people that “think” they are not in a flood zone are in an X flood zone.  When you are in an X flood zone, lenders do not require you to carry flood insurance.  So where is the risk then, right? Well for starters, nearly 30% of all flood claims occur in X flood zones and the average flood loss is over $28,000.  You can buy an X zone flood policy for as little as $250 a year. Why risk your home over this? Buy a policy today (seriously, click here) if you do not have one…you will thank me later.

So, you are probably thinking, Andrew all this sounds really expensive and somewhat scray and rethinking your move to the Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms or Charleston area, right?  Well, look at your property tax bill…some of the lowest in the country!

Here is a real world example:  

We have a client, Mike, that moved here from Cleveland, OH and was paying over $10,000 in property taxes and only $1,000 on his home insurance.  In Mount Pleasant, they are only paying $4,000 in property taxes but $4,000 on their home insurance. A net savings of $3,000 a year…not bad, right?  Oh yea, and you don’t have to deal with the snow either!

Keep listening because I am going to reveal ways you can possibly bring your home premium down from that $4,000 to $3,000 a year.  

One key to the savings is called a Wind Mitigation Form.  Many agents do not talk about this gold mine because it means lower commissions for them.  In short, a wind mitigation form identifies features on a home that help keep it safe and secure during a hurricane (or other wind events).  In turn, insurance companies will give you a credit. However, they do not give you the credit automatically. You must get this form completed by a licensed contractor that is qualified to complete the wind mitigation form.  Don’t worry, just reach out to our office and we can lead you in the right direction.

But that is not all.  You want to save even more?  Some other things that can make a big impact to your premiums are – monitored burglar/fire alarm system.  Full or partial updates to your roof, plumbing, electrical and hvac systems can help give you some savings as well. Do you live in a gated community?  Do you have a great credit score? How about no claims in the past three year? Maybe your a “senior” (over 50 for most insurance companies)…I know 50 isn’t old but hey, if you can get the discount sign me up, right?  Lastly, something as simple as placing your auto insurance through the agency that writes your home insurance can save you another 10%…and let me tell you, 10% here, 5% there of $3,000 or $4,000 can add up quickly!

So what are you waiting for.  Click the button below to get started.  Why wait? Don’t just start saving money now, but save yourself from an uncovered flood loss or that $30,000 wind deductible that will kill your bank account.  Act fast before it is too late. These low rates and discounts will not last forever. Lock them in by clicking on the link below to get started.

Contact Information

Mappus Insurance Agency Inc.
1407 Stuart Engals Blvd.
2nd Floor
Mt Pleasant, SC. 29464
Get directions
(843) 763-4200
hello@mappusinsurance.com
Lexington Location
600 Columbia Ave, Suite 3
Lexington, SC 29072
(803) 359-0026

Connect With Mappus Insurance!

Check out our ad in the Isle of Palms Magazine
Mappus Insurance Agency, Inc.
Call Email Claims Payments
Skip to content