Don't Let These Items Haunt You Around Your Home?

Aaron Rosen • October 22, 2024
A picture of a smoke detector and a picture of a toilet

With the cooler weather and shorter days on their way, it may be time to do a few household chores....that you may not have done in a long time.

A couple months ago, we had a client's garage burn down. The property is a rental property for them and nobody was hurt when it happened, thank goodness. It was not an electrical fire, though, maybe that would have made sense. The tenants have their washer and dryer in the garage. The cause of the fire was a build up of lint in the dryer vent due to never having been cleaned out before.

Dryer lint is the perfect dust ball that can catch fire, quite easily. It is also listed as the #1 cause of house fires, on a regular basis, here in the US.

I believe most people do clean out the lint tray from their dryer after each use. But, how often do you check the flexible tube (dryer vent) that goes from the back of the dryer to the wall/outside?


A couple weeks ago, a different client called to inform us that they had water dripping onto their car that was parked in the garage. When they looked up, there was a large puddle that had formed in the ceiling above and was just starting to leak. After poking a hole in it and releasing the water, they called a plumber to try to figure out what was causing the leak. The plumber cut into the drywall above, to find the plywood was almost completely rotted away, right under a toilet. My instincts said "wax ring." A wax ring is what connects your toilet to the floor, sealing in what is flushed from your toilet bowl down into the sewer. The wax ring only lasts a certain number of years. When I asked my client when they last changed the wax ring, they replied by saying, "what is the wax ring?"


This past weekend, at my own home, I decided it was time to change the smoke and CO2 detectors. The smoke detectors, we installed about 8 years ago, had about an 8-year battery life. I wrote the date that I installed them on, on each detector many years ago, but failed to write down the change-by date. I decided, since we had already dismantled two of them over the last year or so, it was time to replace them all.


You may be wondering how frequently you should vacuum out the dryer vent (the one that connects in the back of the dryer, through the wall, to the outside of your home)? It is recommended to do this once per year.


How frequently should you change the wax rings under your toilets? According to online resources, the wax ring should last 20 years or more. However, sometimes wax rings can dry out and fail, which is what happened to our client. Other signs you should change the wax ring are:

if the toilet rocks or wobbles

if you see water pooling around the toilet

if you see any mold growth around the toilet

if the toilet smells like sewage

if the floor is moist, damp or spongy

For any of these reasons, please call a licensed plumber to help you.

I have made the decision to change my wax rings every 10 years, at most, to help avoid a potential problem.


How frequently should you change the smoke and CO2 detectors in your home? Typically, the battery life on new models is up to 10 years. The current models installed in your home may have a shorter life span. When installing new ones, make a note of the install date on the detectors and the change-by date for what is recommended by the manufacturer. This will help you remember when you actually need to change them, instead of trying to remember. Please note, all smoke detectors are different and please refer to the manufacturer for maintenance and when to replace them.


All of these items can seem a bit overwhelming, if you try to tackle them at once. Please find time to do them over a weekend or two, if you have not updated them in a long time. Be sure to make a note on your calendar, too, if it helps you remember, when you need to change them again in the future. It could save you a headache or a claim by doing some preventative maintenance. 

Elizabeth's Corner

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.

With fall in the air, I could not resist sharing a pumpkiny (not skinny) treat. This months Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread recipe is courtesy of Averie Sunshine. It combines the best pumpkin bread with a little slice of heaven in the middle.


Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread


Equipment:

Loaf Pan (9" x 5")


Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 cup pumpkin puree

½ cup light brown sugar packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup liquid-state coconut oil canola or vegetable may be substituted

¼ cup sour cream lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

pinch salt optional and to taste

 

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 large egg

4 ounces softened brick-style cream cheese lite is okay

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 tbsp all-purpose flour


Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
  2. Make the Bread Batter
  3. In a large bowl, add the first ten ingredients, through ground nutmeg, and whisk to combine.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; do not overmix; set aside.
  5. Turn about two-thirds of the batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary; set aside.
  6. Make the Cream Cheese Filling
  7. In a large bowl, add all the filling ingredients and whisk to combine. Alternatively, mix with a hand mixer.
  8. Evenly pour filling mixture over the bread, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.
  9. Top filling with remaining pumpkin bread batter, smoothing the top very lightly with a spatula as to not disturb cream cheese layer and pushing batter into corners and sides as necessary.
  10. Bake for about 48 minutes or until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Note this is tricky because the cream cheese never gets totally solid so the toothpick test is not the most accurate. *
  11. Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
  12. Optionally, serve with Honey Butter, Cinnamon-Sugar Butter, or Vanilla Browned Butter Glaze.

Enjoy!

Aaron Rosen

Arc 23 Insurance

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Until next time, if you have questions, concerns, or need some advice, please call our office 949-484-7500. 

Child riding a bicycle on one wheel; officials watch nearby outside a building.

Mom Charged After Her Son Injures Person On E-Bike While Doing a Wheelie

By Aaron Rosen • April 30, 2026
Straight from the headlines. You can't make this stuff up. An Orange County mom was charged due to her 14-year-old son hitting a person on his e-bike. If convicted of all charges, she is facing up to 6+ years in prison. Let's provide a little context to what happened. She and her son had already been warned by the police of his reckless riding on a Surron e-bike, that is considered a motorcycle as it can exceed 50 mph, requires a motorcycle license and to be at least 16 years of age. The Surron is considered a Class 3 e-bike, which is illegal (for anyone without a valid license). If this were a Class 2 or Class 1 e-bike (maximum of 20 mph), I believe this may be a different headline. Either way, when your child harms another person, ultimately, you are responsible for their actions. And when you have already been warned that your child is riding an illegal e-bike, and does not behave appropriately on said bike, consequences follow.  So how do you protect yourself, your family and your liability when your child has an e-bike? Here are a few suggestions, in no particular order: Teach your child to ride safely. There is no other good starting point than teaching your child the rules of the road and to ride safely. And hopefully, this started when they were on a non-electrified bike. Many local police departments have started partnering with communities to offer e-bike safety courses for kids. Get an e-bike insurance policy. Call your insurance agent and request a separate policy as e-bikes are typically not covered on your homeowners policy. If you have an umbrella policy, you may want to start with asking if they accept e-bike policies that are offered by another company. Do not allow your child to mod (modify) their e-bike. Some e-bikes can be modified to go faster by unplugging cables or disconnecting lights or connecting to apps to increase speed. Doing so, may change the e-bike from a Class 2 into a Class 3, which are illegal for children to be riding. And last but not least, if you see or hear that your child is participating in risky or illegal e-bike activities, please take steps to hold them accountable for their actions. Maybe it's a mandatory safety course, community service, or removal of the bike all together. As kids, they still have a hard time grasping that their actions can have a massive ripple effect. If they happen to injure someone, advise them to not leave the scene of the crime, as it is considered a "hit and run." There are a few communities that are instituting fines for improper riding or not having the headlight and taillight on at all times. Be aware of the laws and stay current, as I know of several new e-bike laws on the horizon. By now, we have all seen the e-bike gangs. If we can educate each of our children and their friends, hopefully, we can prevent them from getting into an accident and harming themselves, others and being a little bit smarter out on the road.

How Much Space Is A Defensible Space?

By Aaron Rosen • March 25, 2026
I had the privilege of being invited by an insurance company to a panel discussion on the state of the insurance market in CA. It took place two weeks ago in Los Angeles. The panelists included people from government affairs, lobbyists, and insurance executives. I was one of more than 100 people in attendance. Each panelist was able to speak to their profession. The most common theme I heard from everyone was, prevention is the key to saving your home. One of the panelists was the President of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). The IBHS is "an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific research and communications organization supported by property insurers, reinsurers, and affiliated companies. IBHS’s building safety research leads to real-world solutions for home and business owners, helping to create more resilient communities." As the president spoke and showed videos of their research, the videos said it all. The image above is from one of the videos and there is a link to that video if you click on the image. There are quite a few other educational videos here . For the last several years, we have talked about hardening your home, which can mean removing bushes close to your home, enclosing eaves, or replacing the vents to prevent embers from blowing into your attic during a fire. All of this came together, so clearly for me, as I watched these videos . There is logic to not having dried wood, also known as mulch, around your property. Or having a metal gate instead of a wooden gate next to your home. These simple little things, IBHS have proven can save your home, in the event of a wildfire. Please take a moment to watch one or more of the videos. They are truly eye opening and will help you better understand how to make your home safer.

When Will My Insurance Stop Increasing?

By Aaron Rosen • February 19, 2026
A couple weeks ago, we had a client reach out to ask us, why did my home insurance rate increase so much when I did not file any claims? I think we have all felt this way over the last few years. And when is it going to end? It has been several years of 30-50% rate increases for a lot of us on our home insurance. On car insurance, we have probably seen an increase of 0-20% each year, if you were accident/speeding-ticket free. As odd as it sounds, you can actually track what insurance companies are doing and when they file for a rate change with the state. It is public information and can be found here. If you decide to go down this rabbit hole of data, it is mind numbing, so I've linked the summary pdf for 2025 here . It is a lot easier to digest and see the rate changes in this 18-page doc. Many of the rate filings are program or rule changes. When I look at the data, I tend to look at the overall rate % column. Seeing the rates does not answer the question though: When will it end? I recently had an opportunity to meet a candidate who is running for CA Insurance Commissioner. Her name is Stacy Korsgaden . Before I met her or even read about her, I put together a dozen tough questions I wanted to ask to see if she really knows insurance and understands the market. I felt really good about the questions that she was surely going to fumble over. Then, I googled her. As I started reading, I quickly learned she is a licensed insurance agent (of more than 30 years) and comprehends everything. And once I heard her speak and met her in person, it solidified that she is the right candidate for the job. She is looking deeply at cause and effect of the insurance market in CA. We need more insurance companies to come into the market. Once we have more insurance companies in the market, then the pressure will be reduced on the existing insurance companies capacity issues. More markets, more options over time, should help reduce the cost of insurance. Stacy also pointed out that forests need to be better maintained. We need to manage the ground fuels to help reduce the risk of larger fires. If we do not look at the cause, we will not get the outcome we are looking for. While I do try to stay away from politics, I want to encourage you all to do some reading on the insurance commissioner candidates before the election. Having someone in the office, who has been a licensed agent for so long, has the experience and know-how, who will help steer the ship in the right direction, to help bring in new insurance companies to CA, which in the long run will help stabilize insurance pricing.
Crystal ball with

What Will Happen With Insurance In 2026?

By Aaron Rosen • January 12, 2026
What Will Happen With Insurance In 2026?
Woman on phone with elderly person, man on phone. Interior, worried expressions.

When A Parent Has A Water Claim In Another State, How Do You Help?

By Aaron Rosen • November 25, 2025
While it is challenging to help anyone from a distance, you have to trust your team and the people helping you.
Woman with concerned expression contemplating paperwork, next to a room flooded by water from a ceiling leak.

How Long Do You Have To File A Home Insurance Claim After Something Happens?

By Aaron Rosen • October 23, 2025
I was working with a client a few weeks ago on their home insurance renewal. The client had a claim this past year and were worried about the claim being completed and getting paid out. (Ultimately, they will be paid, because the loss occurred during their policy period, even if they change to a different company.) I did some reading in their policy to double check a few things. I came across a section about the timing of when you need to report a claim, which was a more pressing item, in my opinion. For this particular company, it stated that a claim needed to be filed within 1 year. While this may be applicable for fire damage or some other types of loss, it does not hold true for a water claim. In the last several years, we have worked with a lot of clients through their water claims. Typically, it has been slab leaks or plumbing leaks in the walls. What we have learned is that if you do not report a water leak within 10-14 days of it occurring, most insurance companies will determine that it was a slow leak, known as wear and tear, and not sudden and accidental. Wear and tear is an item that insurance will not cover, such as termite damage, or roots growing through your pipes or a leaky roof due to age. These things happen over time. But a water claim, while it may have only been happening for a short amount of time, much less than a tree growing and pushing up your foundation, insurance companies do not mince words on the length of time a leak can occur and still be covered. About two weeks ago, we had a different client call us, who just returned from a 9-day vacation. When they arrived home, they noticed the carpet in the living room was wet, the base boards were warping and their wood floors were beginning to curl. I learned they were away for 9 days, because I asked, when did you notice the damage and how long were you away? If they had been gone for a month, the insurance company may not want to cover the damage, because at that point, it could be considered wear and tear by their policy contract language. Most insurance companies will write the terms and conditions and limits of their policies. It just comes down to, who reads that stuff? I do! While it can be boring to read, and having a cavity filled is more fun than reading an insurance policy, it may be a good idea to skim through it, so you know what will or will not be covered in the event of a claim. And, as always, you can call us to help you understand it, too.

When Is The Last Time You Compared Your Current Policy To Last Years Policy?

By Aaron Rosen • September 10, 2025
I was chatting with a friend of mine a couple weeks ago. She said to me, my home insurance company added a separate, higher water damage deductible and removed my guaranteed replacement coverage on my renewal, and they never told me about the changes..... I would be pretty upset, too, if I did not know there were changes in my policy and no one said a word. Unfortunately, this happens on a regular basis. We first noticed it a couple years ago, with one of the insurance companies we work with regularly. We saw a reduction in coverage for water damage from 100% down to 20%. And the following year, it went from 20% to 10%. And they never informed us of the changes, either time. We happened to notice it, when we were working on new quotes for clients. By reducing the coverage, insurance companies are offering or, by increasing the deductibles, is a way for them to help maintain the cost of policies, kind of. I am not sure which is better; maintain the coverage and increase the cost or, having the insurance company increase deductibles and reduce coverage in certain areas. As a consumer, I feel slightly betrayed by the insurance companies for not being transparent and disclosing what they are changing. As an insurance agent, I know they are disclosing it in their rate filings with the state, but that does not make it okay to not inform us. They should write it in black and white, in a letter, to each client about the material changes in their policies. The lesson learned here is, please read and compare your declaration pages each year. This will help you be more informed of any changes to your policy and ensure that you are aware, if you no longer have certain coverage or are forced to have a higher water deductible. And if you need help in reviewing, we are always happy to help you in any way possible.

"I Have A Pipe Leak & It Damaged My Neighbor's Condo"

By Aaron Rosen • August 6, 2025
We had a phone call from a client the other day, very worried and concerned, that he was going to be responsible for the water damage to his neighbor's condo. When you live in a condominium, this is a real fear. Somehow, you have a leaky pipe. The water finds its way into your neighbor's home and they tell you (in a very angry way), you are responsible. While you may feel responsible, according to almost every insurance company, you are not. Insurance companies see pipes breaking or failing as nobody's fault. While the source of the water originated in your home, your policy will only cover damage to your own property. Unfortunately, there is no coverage for damage to someone else's home, unless there is negligence involved. If you, the homeowner, go sneaking around at night (like the image above) breaking pipes, there would be no coverage either, because you are purposely damaging your home. We know that is not the case and the insurance companies know that as well. The difficult part is having the conversation with your neighbor, informing them of the hard truth that there is no coverage from your policy to cover their home. If there is enough damage to the neighbor's home, they would need to reach out to their own insurance company to file a claim. Of course, it is a better idea to start with the HOA, to see if there is any support or coverage from them before filing. And on the off chance you are found responsible for the damage by your neighbor's insurance claims adjuster, you should reach out to your own agent or insurance company at that time to help cover you.

"Celebrate Good Times, Come On!"

By Aaron Rosen • June 26, 2025
It's June 2025. There are a lot of not-so-great headlines in the news. But when was the last time you stopped to take a moment to really celebrate some wonderful things in your life? As I wrote last month, my son is becoming a teenager this month. In addition to celebrating him, my sister got married this past weekend. What you may not know is, my sister Dana, has been the editor of my newsletter for more than 10 years. She isn't ChatGPT and does not use AI when editing. We actually hop on a quick call to run through my newsletter, where she edits on the fly, while reading the newsletter with me. I could not have done this without her, and so appreciate all her hard work over the years, to help deliver well-edited content to you. Thank you to my wonderful sister, Dana!!!!!!  As we have moments like this to celebrate, I hope you take some time to appreciate the people and things around you. If we all focus more on the good and happy moments, there will be more good and happy moments that will happen in our lives. In the words of Kool & The Gang, "Celebrate Good Times, Come On!" When you have a chance, celebrate someone in your life. Let them know how they made you feel good. It will warm their heart, put a smile on their face....and yours. Enjoy your summer and soak it all in.
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