In-depth article focuses on the aftermath of home fires and how preparation can make a difference
When The New York Times needed an expert source for an in-depth feature on the impact of apartment, condo and home fires, they turned to Gotham Brokerage President Jeff Schneider. The article, “Learn, Baby, Learn: Being Prepared for House Fires,” which was published Jan. 7, 2015, explores real-life stories of New York City residents who’ve found themselves in unfortunate circumstances after fires.
Planning ahead — or the folly of people’s resistance to doing so — is a major theme of the piece. Victims of home fires describe the trauma and financial strain of to putting things back together after a fire: the search for temporary housing and the wait to get back into their homes, the shock of losing personal belongings and the stress of having to deal with questionable “helpers,” such as opportunistic insurance adjusters.
Jeff advises renters and homeowners to photograph the valuable items in their homes, even if it feels silly to do so because having a record of those possessions could be invaluable. “We find it’s very useful to have 20 or 30 digital photos stored online,” Jeff says. “If you can establish ownership, it expedites the claims process.”
Thanks to 50 years of serving New Yorkers and helping them when their lives go sideways, Gotham Brokerage has seen just about every crazy situation you can imagine, and that helps us understand how to craft insurance policies that offer New Yorkers the best protection. (Photo courtesy of Beyond My Ken, via Wikimedia Commons)
The article also covers people’s tendencies to underestimate the costs of a house fire and to ignore the fine print of their policies.
“It may be worth it to spend a little more on insurance, so if something nasty happens it doesn’t mess you up financially,” Jeff says in the article. “Especially if your apartment is an investment. It’s always more expensive and more time-consuming than you think it’s going to be.”
Apartment, condo and renters insurance in NYC is highly affordable, only about $200-$250 a year. Nevertheless, many people are unaware of it until they’ve already experienced a frightening, destructive event such as a fire. That’s one reason why an article like the one in the Times is such a great public service. It gets the message out to millions of people. (The Times has a daily circulation of about 1.9 million!)
To read the entire Times article click here, and check out blog post about the subject. If you’re not sure about an insurance issue, call one of the professionals at Gotham Brokerage to make sure your most valuable assets are protected. We are a family-run business in New York City with more than 50 years of experience in helping clients find protection and peace of mind at an affordable price. Call us at 212-406-7300 or fill out the form at right.
