Many homes were damaged or destroyed in the fires in San Diego.

If you are one of these homeowners and your home was on the market FOR SALE, you might be in a good situation with your insurance claim.

Read more here on how your real estate agent can help.

Buyer and sellers - you may already have heard, but do to the fires here in San Diego County there in a moratorium by the insurance comapnies on writing new policies on homes that are being sold. This will be temporary but I learned about this yesterday. This also happened after the fires 4 years ago,

If your home is in escrow and closing is imminent, or you are buying a home that is due to close, please check with your insurance provider right away. Escrow cannot close if you cannot provide proof of homeowner's insurance, which I expect you already know.

I understand that California Fair Plan will write policies but these are not comprehensive and you would want to get a better policy after closing occurs.

I have also heard, though, that the moratorium MAY be lifted n Monday since they are making progress with the fires, so the impact may be minimized. We will see.

One thing for sure, rates are going to change in many areas of San Diego, and we may see some policies get canceled, or insurers may decline to insure in certain areas.

BTW if you need an insurance broker here in the San Diego area, please let me know.

I hope you are all well and safe if you are in this area.

If you need to select a moving company (i.e., either you are moving yourself OR the relocation company, if used, allows it), there are some things to consider, especially if you are moving a great distance.

1. Interview and obtain estimates from 3 vendors. You can pretty safely go to the national brands (North American, Mayflower, United, among others) without getting a referral from someone else, but I suggest asking friends and neighbors for their recommendations. Keep in mind that the major van lines operate under different names depending on where you are in the country (.e., independent offices). Start this EARLY in the process - it takes time to schedule estimates and you don't want to delay your move because you procrastinated.

2. Make sure you get the same information from all vendors - insurance, timing (estimates of dates), how they handle shipping a car, costs for packing and unpacking, costs of supplies (box, paper, tape) etc. It is hard to compare vendors if they are providing different information.

3. Review the estimates carefully and ask the vendors to clarify anything you do not understand. DO NOT make a decision until you have examined the estimates in details.

4. Make sure the mover can handle the move to your new city. If they don't handle it directly but farm it out, who to? You will want to investigate this further. How many cross-country or long-distance moves do they handle yearly?

5. If you are shipping a car, find out if the mover does that or if it is handled by an independent shipper. Who arranges this? How is this coordinated? How does this get paid?

6. Insist on  multiple references from each mover and CALL THEM before you decide. You might want to develop a list of questions to use for each reference (be concerned about reliability, punctuality, care in handling household goods, breakage and resolution of problems, accuracy of estimates, etc.)

7. Keep in mind that the least expensive estimate may NOT be the best mover. Check for differences in insurance, what happens when the weight estimate is off, premiums for distance or additional time. How do insurance claims get handled and by whom?

8. Obtain estimates on the packing, pick-up and arrival dates. Realize these are estimates (especially the arrival) but a reputable mover knows the schedule and can tell you what you need to know about timing. If they can't accommodate you, move on!. Will your stuff go direct to your new home or is the mover picking up other households (not unusual in cross-country moves, especially if you don't fill the van), which can cause delays in the arrival, as can weather.

10. If there is a big difference in the estimates, you will want to understand what the differences are and why before you make a decision.

Pick a cheap mover, and that's what you'll get. Your home is too important, and your move as well - you don't want to have to worry about the caliber of the mover just to save a few dollars.

Here are a few thoughts on packing stuff yourself, form someone who has done it at least 12 times!

1. One thing to keep in mind - this can save you a fair amount of money with the movers, since they will charge you for packing. So do what you can yourself. But see #2!!

2. Things that YOU pack will likely NOT be covered under the liability insurance provided by the carrier. Make sure you pack WELL, and do not pack things that are better covered under the insurance.

3. Most movers will provide the appropriate boxes and wrapping paper to you in advance (they may deliver to your door). You will be charged for these just as you are for all moving supplies the movers use in their packing. Be sure to ask for all you need and more - they will take back what is not used and you will not be charged for that. Other great sources of boxes include some liquor stores, copy paper boxes from work (great for magazines and books). NOTE - one of the relocation services I provide is to provide recycled moving boxes, bubble wrap and packing paper to my clients (I have tons from my moves and from recycling boxes from my clients who have moved) for FREE. I drop them off and pick them up so if you are in my local area here in San Diego, let me know.

4. Packing stuff early is GREAT for helping to sell your home. You have to move anyway, so why not get all the clutter out of the closets, off the shelves, out from under the beds, out of the garage, etc. The more you can pack away the better your home will look. While it is not the same as staging, if you can de-personalize your home it will show better to buyers and they will be able to think about living there themselves, as opposed to getting distracted by all your personal photos.

5. Label ALL the boxes carefully and thoroughly. We make big blank labels on the computer with information such as ROOM, FLOOR, CONTENTS, etc. Then we tape a blank form on each box and fill in the information as we go. It's amazing how you can forget what is in a particular box, and inevitably you will get to your new home and HAVE to find a particular item before all the unpacking is done, but won't know where to look.

6. Put the labels on the END of the boxes so when they are stacked you can see the labels (putting the label on top defeats the purpose). MARK FRAGILE BOXES on multiple sides using a dark magic marker or similar pen. BTW the boxes you pack will be marked by the mover as PBO (packed by owner) in their inventory.

7. Be generous in use of wrapping paper and bubble wrap. Newspaper is OK but it gets ink all over everything so I advise against it, especially on your glassware and dishes.

8. Pack your paintings or other artwork in the special boxes provided by the mover or let them pack them (again, a liability issue). When packing painting in bubble wrap, it is smart to put several sheets of packing paper (NOT NEWSPAPER) directly on the painting if not under glass before wrapping in bubble wrap - this is important especially if moving in warmer months where moisture can gather under the bubble wrap, which you DON'T want to get on the oil painting itself. Check with the mover on what expensive items should be noted (e.g., they will likely want a list on the day of packing, e.g., items valued at $1500 or more, for insurance purposes).

9. Check on what items CANNOT be packed and moved (e.g., hazardous items such as paints, gasoline, certain cleaning products). also check about plants - moving to some states will prohibit bringing in agricultural products from other states (e.g., California). other states will require the movers to check gardening equipment and outdoor furniture for Gypsy moths, larvae, etc. before packing.

10. Pack a special box for each family member that you carry yourself - toiletries, TP, tissues, bandaids, shampoo, medicines, special toys for kids - and at least one for the kitchen (coffee maker perhaps, coffee and filters, can opener, bottle opener, wine opener for the celebratory bottle when you arrive, and other things you expect you will need right away). Pack pet supplies (food, dishes, leashes) in a separate box and carry with you too. Stuff you forget you can buy when you arrive if the movers are going to be late arriving.