Top 5 Ways to Lower the Cost of your Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance in Los Angeles and around the country can vary by hundreds of dollars.  There are many factors that cause these variables, but the most common variable is the place you purchase your policy from.  Here are the Top 5 ways you can save on the cost of your homeowners Insurance.

Go Shopping: This does take some time and leg work, but you'd be surprised at how much you could save by switching companies
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Mercury cutting Calif. auto and home insurance rates - San Jose Mercury News

California Progress Report Mercury cutting Calif. auto and home insurance rates San Jose Mercury News,  USA - Jun 11, 2008 AP LOS ANGELES — Insurance rates are dropping for about 1.7 million Mercury auto and home policyholders in California. Los Angeles -based Mercury General says ... Mercury cutting Calif. auto and home insurance rates San Francisco Chronicle Mercury Insurance : What Won't Be Mentioned at Today’s Press ... California Progress Report Mercury wants rate cuts Sacramento
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Mercury cutting California auto and home insurance rates

Mercury cutting California auto and home insurance rates. The cuts were announced at a news conference by Mercury and California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who already approved the auto rate reductions ...Mercury wants rate cuts Sacramento BeeMercury Provides California Policyholders $61 Million Rate Reduction

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I'm overdue for a session of "Ask the blogger," so here goes. Today, something completely different: Instead of your questions for me, I'd
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Update: Obama severs his Countrywide connection

Breaking news from the Associated Press: The Obama campaign has just announced that Jim Johnson, who received special loans from Countrywide under a "friends of Angelo" (Mozilo) program, has quit the campaign. From the A.P.: "A leader of Democrat Barack Obama's vice presidential research team has resigned amid criticism over his personal loan deals.  Obama announced in a statement Wednesday that Jim Johnson was stepping aside to avoid distracting from the vetting process." My colleague
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Angry in Azusa: Early Rosedale buyers are ticked off

Regular commenter TakeFive points out another troubled development, in addition to the three covered earlier today: in Azusa, where early buyers are ticked off that a master-planned community development has stalled. Again from the Pasadena Star-News: "Frustrated over problems at what will be a new 1,250-home community, some residents want a home builder to buy back their homes." More: "Two of four home builders at Rosedale, Fieldstone Homes and William Lyon Homes, stopped construction this year
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For Nicholas, hard times in Newport Beach and Malibu

File this one under the heading "Hard times in Newport Beach." From L.A. Times staff writer E. Scott Reckard: Ripples from the shipwrecked housing markets are washing up in unusual places, including criminal proceedings for a microchip billionaire. Soft home prices in Newport Beach and Malibu figured in arguments last week before the federal judge in Santa Ana who was deciding whether to grant bail for Henry T. Nicholas III, the 48-year-old co-founder of Irvine’s Broadcom Corp. Nicholas
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Sean O'Toole on the "five Ds" of foreclosure

Sean O'Toole, the founder of ForeclosureRadar, has been helpful to this blog for over a year now, and always provides solid insight on real estate trends, so it is good to see him receive some nice ink in today's L.A. Times. Highlights of Peter Hong's profile of O'Toole: --In normal real estate markets, O'Toole believes foreclosures are caused by what he calls "the five Ds": divorce, death, drugs, disease and denial.--His website, ForeclosureRadar.com, lists every default,
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Elle UK Editors Faves for a Fake Tan

I don't think Lindsay Lohan had checked out the recent Elle UK editors faves for getting a fake tan without looking fake--but don't let that deter you. Here, some options to try to get that gorgeous sun-kissed & safe glow...2 to exfoliate, 3 to tan... 1. Caudalie Gommage Friction Merlot (Merlot Friction Scrub) 2. Caudalie Soleil Divin Self-Tanner 3. Lancaster Satin Bronze Dry Oil Spray read more
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Good morning, Kent Desormeaux. LA
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Pain at the pump, Catalina division

Kinda cheating if you ask me, but Kosher Krab submits this photo from a gas station in Avalon, on Catalina. As you can see, $5.61 for regular. Personally, I think this belongs in the Death Valley category of remote places. Your thoughts? Comments? Send your photos of gas prices to the Pain at the Pump gallery in Your Scene at latimes.com.
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The theme for the week here at Beauty
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Squatters, green spray paint: the 15% (foreclosure) solution in Temecula

Today's L.A. Times tackles the foreclosure problem in Temecula, with this eye-opener: City official Rich Johnston tells Scott Gold "... as many as 15% of Temecula's 22,500 single-family homes are bank-owned or in some stage of foreclosure." Highlights and low-lights: --A partial survey of one-quarter of the city has identified 200 vacant homes.--Inspectors have found squatters in some vacant houses and pot growing behind one.--Reports of "green pools" ("almost guaranteed to breed mosquitoes") are running
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