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By Lorie Lewis Ham

California has been suffering from a very long drought. According to CalMatters, it has been the driest period in the West in the past 1,200 years. However, 2023 has seen record precipitation and disastrous flooding throughout much of California. Recently, we even saw snow where you never expect to see snow. AccuWeather states that the official rain gauge in downtown Los Angeles was filled with 2.29 inches of rain on Friday, February 24, making it the wettest February day since February 12, 2003, when 2.45 inches fell. California also experienced a significant soaking in the fall of 2022.

While this much needed, but also at times dangerous, rain and snow might not bring an end to the drought, it does bring with it the possibility of witnessing one of nature’s most spectacular displays of color and life—a superbloom. According to Secret Los Angeles, millions of wildflowers will be covering the west coast from Death Valley to Big Sur and beyond, creating a beautiful display of color that can be seen from miles away. The San Diego Explorer describes it as a time “when the landscape is covered with a rainbow explosion of colorful flowers.”

What is a superbloom? According to Wikipedia, a superbloom is a rare desert botanical phenomenon in California in which an unusually high proportion of wildflowers whose seeds have lain dormant in desert soil germinate and blossom at roughly the same time. The phenomenon is associated with an unusually wet rainy season. Wikipedia also states that superblooms typically occur in California only once every ten years or so. The right factors needed for a superbloom to happen, according to The San Diego Explorer, include a delicate balance of sunshine, wind, temperature, and rainfall that has occurred during fall and winter.

So, when can you see a superbloom? According to Secret Los Angeles, it is nearly impossible to know the exact dates. Peak season generally occurs around the beginning of spring and can last through June. The San Diego Explorer recommends keeping an eye on local news channels for current updates on the local California Wildflower bloom.

Where are the best places to see a superbloom? House Beautiful has a list of the top ten places to see one. Most of the locations they list are national and state parks such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree, and Mount Diablo. Other possible locations include Point Dume and Death Valley.

If you are lucky enough to experience a superbloom this year, be sure to take plenty of photos! And if you do, we would love to have you share some of them with us on the Mennonite Insurance Facebook page.

By Lorie Ham

According to National Calendar Day.com February 20 is National Love Your Pet Day! This day focuses on giving extra attention to our pets and encourages people to pamper them and focus on the special place that pets hold in our hearts. An article on The Zebra states that a 2019-2020 study by the American Pet Products Association said that about 85 million American families (or 67%) own some kind of pet.

Not only can owning a pet be fun, but it can also be good for your health. The CDC states that

it can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can also help manage loneliness and depression.

Pets come in all different shapes and sizes to fit the needs of your lifestyle and your preferences. Dogs, cats, bunnies, ferrets, pet rats, fish, hamsters, snakes, guinea pigs, and more. Some people even have pet pigs!

In honor of National Love Your Pet Day, the staff at Mennonite Insurance would like to share a bit about their pets with you!

Michelle L. Heinrichs has a very chubby cat named Tigger. “He was found by our son when he was just a baby and is about seven now. His favorite family member is my husband Steve and if he knows Steve’s in the house, and awake, he often ignores everyone else. He is quite a stress reliever for all of us as he brings silliness when he plays with my son and husband, and he likes to cuddle with all of us. It instantly reduces your blood pressure to have a chubby cat flopped on you and purring while making muffins.”

While Michelle doesn’t recall her first pet, she does remember that they always had a cat growing up and have always loved cats. “It is probably a good thing that I have allergies and my husband cuts me off at just the one cat. I can imagine that I would want to have as many as I could find.”

Stephanie Heier wasn’t allowed to have dogs as a child and an unfortunate incident with a neighbor’s dog as a teenager caused her to develop a fear of dogs. But in 2012, a yellow Lab named Sophia changed all of that! Stephanie’s niece was living with her and wanted a dog. She gave in and let her get Sophia. “She became my walking partner and even though she was a bit wild, she grew on me so much that I even allowed her to come inside the house at times, something I thought I would never allow. She was also my dad’s buddy and helped my niece cope with her anxiety. Sophia was only with us for five years, however, the love she gave us was extremely appreciated and is still remembered today.”

Now Stephanie has two dogs of her own! Pixie is a six-month-old Cavapoo puppy, and Brutus is a 10-year-old Havanese. “We love it when they come snuggle up to us when we get home and they are SO excited to see us. And we love to watch them play together.”

While Dalia Jimenez doesn’t currently have a dog of her own, she is “grandma” to her son’s two Frenchie’s named Royve and Ruby. Unfortunately, she had a scary experience pet-sitting them in December. “They left me a new dog food that had Bison in it and Ruby was allergic to the Bison. She got all these welts all over so I had to find a vet that was open on a Saturday. They gave her a shot and some meds. She recovered just fine, but I told Ruby don’t get sick on my watch again. They love grandma. I make them scrambled eggs and mix them in their dog food. I love them like they were mine. They are a part of the family and very spoiled.”

Jerry Linscheid doesn’t currently have a pet but recalls some of the fun times they had with a Chihuahua that was a part of their family for nearly 20 years while their kids were growing up. “A couple of times we had an opossum in our backyard, and our dog would corner it and raise such a racket that we had to come out and investigate. The opossum was bigger than he was. He also kept the neighborhood cats away. I built a six-foot tower for him to climb so he could see over the fence. Pets are great teachers for children. Children tend to be very self-focused. A pet makes them realize that they need to consider their pet’s needs as well as their own.”

If you are looking to get a pet, adoption is a great way to go. According to the ASPCA 6.3 million companion animals enter animal shelters every year! Yolanda Hernández adopted a terrier mix puppy from the SPCA in 2018. “We named him Milo. We think he is a mix between a Yorkshire Terrier and Poodle. Milo took my love for a dog to a different level. We walk together, snuggle, and go to Home Depot. I take him on rides and anywhere dogs are allowed to go.”

We would love to hear some stories about your pets and how you will be spoiling them on National Love Your Pet Day. Feel free to share on our Facebook page.

By Lorie Ham

We all know that as we age a lot of things change, but have you ever thought about how your insurance needs might change as well? According to AAA, when you reach the later years of your life you should consider giving your insurance agent a call. If you retire, you may qualify for a discount on your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, and if you drive less than before you may be able to have your auto insurance premium reduced. Sometimes your auto insurance rates increase as you get older, but you may be eligible for a discount if you complete a DMV-approved course for mature drivers.

Dalia Jimenez with Mennonite Insurance states that the number of miles people drive can decrease when people retire and no longer commute. “That lowered exposure can result in lower premiums on their auto policy.” Also, if you reach a point where you can’t drive safely, you may choose to sell your vehicle or give it away and no longer need auto insurance.

Your home insurance needs may change as well. As people age and kids move away, the need for a large house goes down. Perhaps you will even decide to sell your house and rent instead. “That means the large homeowner policy can now become a smaller renter’s policy, just covering contents,” shares Jerry Linscheid, Chief Executive Officer of Mennonite Insurance. “At the same time, the client has spent their entire working life building assets and they actually have more to lose in a lawsuit than they did when they were younger. So, getting a larger liability policy (umbrella) makes sense. The larger liability policy protects all your assets that might be at risk if you were ever named in a lawsuit.”

But you are not the only one who is growing older.  Your children are as well.  When your children begin the transition from being your dependents to being independent adults, insurance issues can arise. When your children start to become independent, especially when they no longer come home every day, you should ask your insurance agent if there is a need for additional coverage and a way to provide that coverage.

“Both auto and home insurance policies place an importance on who is a ‘resident’ of the household,” continues Jerry. Residents are generally covered by your policy, while non-residents are generally not.  “Residence is often not defined in the policy, because there are many factors that can affect the determination. Essentially, residence is a subjective intention to live at or return to a certain place as shown by objective actions.”

Factors that courts look at to determine residency are:

• How often does the person stay at or return to the residence? Are those regular times, such as college breaks and during the summer?
• Does the person have their belongings and a permanent room at the residence?
• Is the residence listed on important documents, like driver’s license? Voter registration? College enrollment?
• Does the person receive mail at the residence?

When a child has taken enough steps to no longer be a resident of your household, coverage under your insurance policies may be diminished or go away completely.

Here are a couple of examples of how coverage can be impacted:

Your son or daughter moves out and is no longer a resident of your household, but they keep and drive your car listed on your auto policy. While they are driving your car (with your permission) they are covered as an insured for liability under your policy. However, when they drive someone else’s car, they are no longer covered on your policy.

If your child is still considered a resident of your household but lives away from home (for college, etc.) their contents coverage is limited to 10% of your contents coverage on your homeowner’s insurance. If they are no longer a resident of your household, there is no coverage for property or liability under your homeowner’s insurance.

Bottom line, as you age not only does your body change, but your insurance should change as well to meet your changing needs. Mennonite Insurance is happy to chat with you and find out just what your current needs are. You can contact us at 559-638-2327 and find us online at mennoniteinsurance.com and our Facebook page.

By Lorie Ham

Another new year is upon us, and for many, that means a fresh start with New Year’s resolutions to exercise more, eat better, and be healthier! According to Statista, the most popular New Year’s resolution in America in 2022 was to start living healthier, and one can imagine that the same would be the case for 2023.

Maybe you have made similar resolutions for 2023, but is there one thing you would never give up no matter what? Mennonite Insurance employee Stephanie Heier says that McDonald’s fries are that one thing for her family. “We try to eat healthy and exercise, but once a week our car ends up at the drive-thru at McDonald’s.”

According to another survey on Statista, coffee is the most popular drink in the US. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they regularly drink coffee. Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide. Millions of consumers across the country cannot imagine starting their day without a hot cup of coffee. For employee Michelle Heinrichs, it would be coffee and wine that she couldn’t give up. “I could stand to reduce the amounts of each (for sure coffee), but I honestly don’t think I would likely ever give either up unless the doctor told me I must for health reasons. So far, he hasn’t. Phew!!”

One good thing about coffee, if you are hooked on the taste rather than the caffeine, is that they do now make good decaffeinated coffee. Many high-end coffee brands like Peets Coffee and Starbucks now put out decaffeinated versions that taste just as good as the rest of their coffees. Also, coffee is actually good for you unless you need to cut back on caffeine for health reasons. According to a 2021 article on the Harvard T.H. Chan website, Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, stated that moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and depression.

Almost as many people who said they drank coffee – 53 percent – said they regularly grabbed a soft drink, which is the one thing that staff member Dalia Jimenez says she wouldn’t give up, or more specifically Coke and Pepsi. “I need to have it with my food, especially if it’s Mexican food. I have cut back to the mini cans no more than two per day.”

Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the US and is the one thing employee Claudia Fletes could never give up, unless her doctor specifically told her she had to. “I love everything about it!” According to an article in the Washington Post, in the United States, 350 slices are eaten every second, while 40 percent of Americans eat pizza at least once a week.

According to an article on In the Kitchen With Matt some of the most popular foods in America other than those already mentioned, include donuts, ice cream, chicken, Oreos, and French Fries. Is there a food or drink that you just can’t see yourself ever giving up, for a New Year’s resolution or otherwise? Please share it with us on our Facebook page.

By Lorie Ham

The beginning of a new year is a good time to take stock of a lot of things in our lives, including our insurance coverage and whether we might need to make some changes. But it helps to have more information when making those decisions, such as how does your insurance company arrive at the replacement cost value (RCV) of your home?

In 2019, we shared an article on the difference between RCV and actual cash value (ACV). Your policy provides for RCV for most items. That means they agree to repair or replace your property with new property of like kind and quality. However, initially, they pay the ACV. The ACV is the cost to repair or replace the damaged property less depreciation. Depreciation takes into account wear and tear, age, deterioration, and obsolescence. ACV is approximately fair market value. You can check out the whole article here.

To learn more about how your insurance company arrives at the replacement cost of your home, we recently chatted with Jerry Linscheid, Chief Executive Officer of Mennonite Aid Plan/Mennonite Insurance Services.

Q: What is the process of determining what the replacement cost will be for a home? What things are taken into consideration?

Jerry: Every insurance company needs to be able to document how they arrive at the replacement cost estimate. Mennonite Aid Plan uses a program called e2Value to arrive at those estimates because it updates its costs at least quarterly and returns estimates that match our experience with total losses. We enter into e2Value the architectural style, square footage, year built, construction quality, type of roof, shape of the home, and about eight other characteristics of your home. The program takes into account labor costs and material costs where the home is located.

Q: Is this calculated when someone purchases the insurance for the home or is it determined once a claim is filed? Or is updated every so many months/years?

Jerry: We run a replacement cost estimate when the policy is first written and then every two years after that. This keeps the coverage close to the cost to replace the home should it be completely destroyed.

Q: How do you choose the builder of a replacement home?

Jerry: The homeowner is in charge of choosing the contractor they want to work on their home. Our adjusters will prepare a repair estimate for a claim. That determines the amount Mennonite Aid Plan can pay. The homeowner then knows how much money they have to work with. If the homeowner already has a contractor, our adjuster can work with the contractor during the estimate process. The contractor will then usually agree to make the repairs for our adjuster’s estimate.

Q: How long can it take for a home to be replaced?

Jerry: For a completely destroyed home, a year to rebuild is pretty quick. Some factors that can lengthen the time are the remoteness of the home, whether this was an isolated claim or part of a catastrophic event, and whether there are building material supply chain issues. Generally, the longer the rebuilding takes, the more expensive it will be. The price of labor and building materials always seems to go up.

Q: What if you want something different in the replacement home from what was in the original one? Can the client make that choice and pay the difference, or benefit from the difference if that makes the cost less?

Jerry: The policy reads that we pay to replace the home with items of like kind and quality, subject to the policy limits. For example, if your kitchen cabinets are stock cabinets made of particle board and you want custom solid cherry cabinets, we will pay to replace your current cabinets and you can pay the difference to upgrade. It can get a little complicated if you want to upgrade certain items and downgrade others. We try to be reasonable in those circumstances.

Q: Does insurance cover an alternate place to live while waiting for the replacement home?

Jerry: Homeowner policies include coverage that is known as “Additional Living Expenses (ALE).” ALE is defined as those additional expenses you incur as a result of the loss. If your home is destroyed or made unlivable because of a loss, we will pay the cost to rent a different home for you during the repairs. You are still responsible for your mortgage payments and ongoing payments associated with your home. In cases where you need to leave your home due to a claim, it is crucial to keep all your receipts. While not every expense is an additional expense, you need documentation to claim the covered expenses. It is best to document everything and later have your adjuster help sort out what is covered and what isn’t.

We hope this answers a lot of your questions, but if you have more questions about this, or have any other insurance-related questions, feel free to contact your agent at Mennonite Insurance Services, they would be happy to help (559) 638-2327. Follow the Mennonite Insurance Facebook Page to keep up with the latest news.