<<First Name>>,

There was a lot of shaking going on in CA earlier this month; Earthquakes that is.  By now, you have most likely figured out, there is no coverage included in any home owners policy for earthquakes, earth movement or land settling.  It is scary to learn that you do not have that coverage.  There are options out there to cover you in the event of an earthquake and please let us know if you have questions about it.
If you are one of the few who decided to acquire earthquake insurance in the last few weeks, much to our surprise, any earthquake that followed within a 360-hour period (15 days) of the first major quake, would not be covered by your new policy.  When an earthquake occurs, all other earthquakes are considered to be a part of that same event. Here is the exact language from the CEA (California Earthquake Authority) following the recent seismic activity:
The CEA will not be placing a moratorium on new business sales, however, per their contract, “Any new CEA policies in which the policy period begins after the official time of this event (10:33:49 a.m. Pacific Time on July 4, 2019), any claim or claims arising out of any earthquake, aftershock, or other seismic activity related to and following this event that occurs at or before 10:33:49 a.m. Pacific Time on July 19, 2019 (360 hours following the time of this event), are outside the scope of those new policies and therefore not covered. This feature has been a policy provision in all new CEA policies written effective January 1, 2003 and following.

The good news...we are past the 360-hour window now.  In addition, most home owners insurance companies will have a moratorium in effect for 30 days following an earthquake.  Which means, if you are trying to start a new policy in a county that is very close to the epicenter of the earthquake, the insurance companies will not let you.
Remember, not every insurance company handles every situation in the same way.  Insurance companies make up their own rules.  If this happens again and you are trying to close on a new home, ask around to see if there is an insurance company who is open for business following an earthquake.

My wife, Elizabeth, is a Mom, an amazing wife and an incredible chef. She trained at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She shares a helpful tip below.

This month, I am sharing one of my old favorite salads with you.  Summer Panzanella with Garlic Butter Bread Salad.  It is a great addition to any meal.  This recipe is courtesy of Edyta.

Ingredients :
1/2 Ciabatta bread (about 10 oz), cubed
14 oz cherry tomatoes (or cocktail or heirloom tomatoes) or 2-3 bigger tomatoes
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1 English cucumber peeled and cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for bread
4 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup fresh parsley
8 basil leaves torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for dressing
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees;
Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil with butter together in a large oven proof skillet over medium heat;
When the butter has melted, remove the skillet from the heat, add garlic and bread and mix it well;
Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the bread is golden brown, let it cool down;
In the meantime prepare the tomatoes, cut the cherry tomatoes in half or if using large tomatoes, core and slice into medium cubes;
In a large bowl, mix together, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions;
Combine vinegar with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and pour over the salad;
Mix well;
Add bread and herbs and toss everything together;
It can be served immediately or prepared 15 - 30 minutes in advance.

Enjoy!