Shopping for homeowners insurance is just as important as shopping for the right home. Besides, "how much is homeowners insurance?" these seven questions and answers should help new and established consumers select good insurance agents who can help them find quality coverage for their own unique needs and budget.

Policy coverage amounts, premiums, deductibles, additional coverages, and customer service ratings are all factors to help consumers choose the right homeowners insurance company for their family’s needs.  Price is often the deciding factor, but more and more families are using Financial Stability Ratings® to sort out cheap homeowners insurance policies from affordable homeowners insurance policies backed by financially sound companies.

As much as we love summer, we couldn’t be more excited to brace our homes for the winter. Here in Florida we might not get terrible snow or ice storms but there are still some home maintenance tips we can’t forget about. As the air gets cooler and the days grow shorter, we need to make sure we prepare our homes for any cold weather that might come our way.

Here are some simple home maintenance ideas to get your autumn checklist started.

As we are now well into September and as fall begins to set in, hurricane season or hurricane preparedness is probably the furthest thing from your mind. Hurricane season actually started on the first of June and will run right up until the end of November when storm season comes to an end.

Is your family safe? One of the most important parts of protecting your family is preparing them for potential emergencies.  As the busiest month of storm season, September is also National Preparedness Month…a time to get informed about potential dangers like natural disasters and learn how to get yourself, your home, and your family ready.  Here are 5 areas of focus every family should talk about this month to make sure you’re prepared.

In the event of a home emergency or natural disaster, what will your family need to survive for a day?  For multiple days?  For a week?  Now, assuming you have all of those items in your house, how long do you think it would take to go through the house and gather them up?  Unfortunately, in an emergency like severe weather...you might not have that much time, which is why a Disaster Supply Kit is critical for Family Emergency Preparedness.  Here are the absolute basics every disaster supply kit should contain.

Because no backyard is complete without a lawn, lawnmower safety is an important component of backyard safety.  According to  the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 60,000 injuries are treated by hospital emergency rooms each year because of unsafe operation of power lawn mowers. Keeping in mind some basic lawnmower safety tips before, during, and after you mow will help keep your family and your home safe and let you enjoy your backyard weekend after weekend.

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2005-2009 there were an average of 3,533 fatal, unintentional drownings (non-boating related) annually in the US, and about one in five of those people were children under 14.  Additionally, for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

A backyard pool can be a cooling oasis and a relaxing place to beat the heat of the Florida summer, but it is also a place where accidents can happen if homeowners aren't careful.  

According to the NFPA, between 2007-2011, fire departments in the U.S. responded to an average of 8,800 outdoor fires caused by grills which resulted in an average of 10 deaths, 140 injuries, and $196 million in property damages. 

Grilling on your back deck or patio is a tasty and relaxing way to spend summer evenings with your family, but carelessness or faulty equipment can turn the experience into a nightmare.  Here are a few simple tips to help maintain a safe backyard grill.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (SPSC), more than 600,000 children were injured on playgrounds in 2013.  These injuries are not just occurring on public playgrounds.  In fact, a recent study in the journal Injury Prevention found that injuries to younger children happened more frequently on backyard playsets and overall, those injuries were more severe.  Fortunately, with good installation, basic inspection, and regular upkeep, many of these injuries can be avoided.  

Here are 5 simple ways to keep your kids safe on backyard playsets this summer.