Be Prepared Before the Next Earthquake

One fact of life about living in Alaska is that we have more earthquakes than any other region of the United States. While it is impossible to predict the timing or severity of the next seismic event, it’s a sure thing that major earthquakes will continue to happen here. Take the time now to prepare and protect yourself, your family, and your home. Your future self will thank you.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Just like the fire drills in elementary school, earthquake drills will help you and your family feel more prepared as well as improve your chances of survival. In most instances, you’ll have a better outcome if you practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On. This means that, the moment you feel a tremor, DROP to your hands and knees, COVER your head with your arm or crawl under a sturdy table or desk, and HOLD ON until the shaking ends. Prior to an earthquake, it’s important to identify safe spots in every room, like under desks or sturdy tables. Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On in all of the rooms of your home, and make sure that your children’s school is holding drills as well. 

Build an Earthquake Kit

Actually, it’s best to build 2 or 3 - one for home, one for your vehicle, and one for your workplace. Your kit should include information on medications, first-aid supplies, a whistle to help rescuers find you, bottled water and snacks, a flashlight, ID cards, cash, a radio with extra batteries, medications, glasses or contact lenses, personal documents (medication list, passport, birth certificate, insurance information, and mortgage or lease information) and a list of family contact numbers. If you have small children, include a favorite toy or game, or other things to keep them occupied and calm during the emergency. 

After the Quake

As soon as the shaking stops, it’s critical to get away from large bodies of water and move to higher ground as soon as it’s safe to do so. Tsunamis can occur almost immediately after an earthquake, so residents will need to stay away from the coast for at least a few days. If you’re trapped underneath debris, use your whistle or cell phone to alert rescuers, or knock loudly every few minutes on something solid. If you are able, check to see if anyone is injured. Offer help or call 911 to report serious injuries immediately. 

Communicate 

If possible, let your family know that you’re safe by registering on the “Safe and Well” site. Text family members to let them know you’re ok, then stay off the phone so that the phone lines are available for first-responders. 

Bonanza Realty has been providing exceptional management services to homeowner associations and planned communities since 1978, the longest running association management company in Anchorage and surrounding areas. Contact us at 907-333-1244 or visit us online at https://www.bonanzarealty.net/

Gain Peace of Mind by Having the Right Condo Insurance

Imagine coming home from work and finding your condo’s front door broken and your new television missing. Once you recover from the shock, you’ll probably think to call your condominium association about replacing the door and lock, but what about your personal property and any damage inside the condo? Typically, the condo association’s policy will cover external areas and, depending on the association, may help with the interior damage. Personal property, however, must be insured by the condo owner. 

Some condominium associations offer coverage  referred to as “all-in”, which covers not only the exterior of the unit, but also some of the things inside the condo, such as carpeting, appliances, and fixtures. Other associations offer coverage for only the exterior, which means that the condo owner is responsible for essentially everything within the unit. It’s critical to know what type of insurance coverage your condo association offers before you speak with your insurance agent. 

Not only will condo owners’ insurance cover loss or damage to your property, it should also cover damages in the event that someone is injured in your condominium. This would include someone slipping and injuring himself on a wet floor, for example, including resulting medical bills and possible legal actions. 

When purchasing a condo policy, first determine the value of your belongings. The best place to start is to make an itemized list of those belongings that would need to be replaced. Keeping serial numbers and photos of items will make things much easier if you ever need to make a claim. Bear in mind that most policies will pay “Actual Cash Value” (or ACV) for your belongings, which means that depreciation is taken into consideration. Replacement cost coverage is also available, typically at a somewhat higher cost. If you have items of very high value, like jewelry or artwork, you may need to purchase additional coverage. Insurance will cover loss or damage to your property for some weather events, with the exception of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and landslides. If your area is in a zone that is prone to these events, you may need to purchase extra coverage.

Condo ownership is different from traditional home ownership in many ways, including insurance requirements. Your insurance agent can help you select the right policy and give you the peace of mind so that you can enjoy your condo. 

For over 35 years, Alaska Management Group has been meeting the property management needs of associations and planned communities throughout Alaska, including Anchorage, Palmer, Eagle River, Wasilla, and more. To learn more about us, please visit http://www.bonanzarealty.net/ or call (907) 333-1244. 

Alaskan Earthquakes: They’re Denali’s Fault

Did you know over 7 million earthquakes occur in the world each year? Many of these earthquakes are so small they go undetected. A few may knock over knickknacks or cause a picture to go crooked. According to USGS, only 152 of these 7 million earthquakes are considered “large” earthquakes. The Unites States has some of the strictest building standards and quickest emergency response times in the world. What you choose to do with the interior of your home is up to you. There are plenty of precautions that must be made to ensure a safe environment for your family. With 16 states in the earthquake danger zone, it is important to do this before a tragedy occurs.

Preparing your home for an earthquake is not something we always think of as homeowners. The biggest risk during an earthquake is being struck by a falling or broken object. This can be prevented with some simple precautions like

• Securing the water heater with an anchor kit
• Installing flexible pipe fitting so they will bend, not break
• Don’t skimp on latches! A good latch will keep your cabinets closed

Create an earthquake survival kit. These are items are in addition to the typical home safety kit:

• A shovel
• Fire extinguisher
• Rope
• A whistle
• Compass

The safest place to be during an earthquake? Outside! Unfortunately, earthquakes tend to happen with no warning. This means you may only have mere seconds to get to your established safe spot. Pick a place in your home without windows, glass, tall unsecured furniture, or overhead fixtures. Look for an area near interior walls with a nice sturdy table or desk to hide under. Being under this will keep you and your family safe from debris should the home crumble. If you feel the ground shake, get to your safety spot, drop, cover, and hold on!

What is the most earthquake prone state? Alaska. From all of us at Alaska Management Group, stay safe when you are in your home! Since 1978, we have strived to provide exceptional management services. It has always been our goal to ensure a safe and comfortable lifestyle in the community. To find out more, give us a call at (907) 333-1244 today.

Ward Against Winter Burglars

“Oh the weather outside is frightful…”  Winter weather can conjure up images of cozying up indoors with a hot bowl of soup, a mug of hot chocolate, and a warm blanket.  Braving the cold can be a daunting task.  While crime decreases overall during the winter months, certain factors such as increased utility costs and seasonal unemployment can engender a different kind of desperation. 

Time Your Lights: With darkness falling long before most people get home from work, set some of your home lights to a timer.  Keep your blinds closed so burglars can’t notice the ruse.

 

Close Your Blinds: This one is worth repeating.  With the increased darkness, open blinds when you are home is an advertisement to anyone passing by.  You can’t see out, but they can see in to your new plasma screen TV, expensive laptop, or pricey portable coffee maker.

 

Secure All Doors and Windows: While leaving a window open in sub-freezing temperatures isn’t a risk, forgetting to lock them is.  Lock your windows and doors, including the interior door from the garage to your home.  Reinforce the security of sliding doors by laying a wooden dowel or two-by-four in the groove.

 

Don’t Hide a Key: This is a golden ticket for burglars.  It’s a risky enough measure during the warmer months, but what about after snowfall?  If you need to dig around for the spare key even once, the conspicuous patterns in the snow is a give-away.

 

Secure Your Yard: Avoid giving burglars extra coverage.  If you notice overgrown shrubs and trees now, add it to your maintenance list for the warmer months.  Keep things well-lit during all seasons and consider installing a motion-sensitive floodlight.

 

Know Your Neighbors: Neighborhoods that are closer-knit are more likely to keep an eye out for one another and notice suspicious persons.  If you don’t know your neighbors yet, fight cabin fever by hosting an indoor block party!

 

Report Anything Suspicious: Odd footprints in the snow at your neighbor’s house?  Give them a call.  At your own home?  Let the police know.  Police are more likely to drive through neighborhoods with reported crimes, but alert them to suspicious actions  and they’d be happy to drive through the neighborhood to keep an eye on things.

 

From your friends at Alaska Management Group, stay warm and stay safe during this winter season!

Home Security During the Holiday Season

The holidays present a festive season full of giving and gratitude, but unfortunately many people fall victim to giving more than they bargained for through home burglary. The holiday season presents such an increased risk of experiencing a breach in home security that the popular comedic film Home Alone was based around it. At Alaskan Management Group, we take the work out of maintaining your external community and it is our mission to ensure that you and your family have the most pleasant experience possible.

Below are some tips to ensure that you have the safest and most secure holiday season possible this year and every year to come.

• Be home, even when you aren’t: Kevin from Home Alone wasn’t playing around by taking measures such as turning lights on and playing films to make it appear as if the house was crowded. Statistics show that most burglaries occur when thieves believe that a house is unoccupied. To make it seem like someone is home, leave lights and a radio or television on while you are absent. If you have the ability, set your Christmas lights on an automatic timer.

• Ask your neighbor: If you have a trustworthy neighbor, inform them if you are leaving for any extended length of time and ask them to notify you (or the police) if they notice any conspicuous activity occurring around your home. It is also worth asking them to collect newspapers, mail and other deliveries so they do not accumulate. They can also relocate yard items such as trash cans to make the premise appear more occupied.

• Don’t vocalize absence: For reasoning such as that listed above, do not make announcements that you will be leaving and make certain that your family does not either. It may be tempting to post a Facebook status such as, “Visiting the family,” or changing your voicemail so loved ones are aware of your absence, but avoid doing so. It is easy for burglars to attain access to this information and know that they have a prime opportunity to take your valuables.

• Out of sight, out of mind: Be mindful of what you leave out, especially if it is visible through your windows. Items such as Christmas gifts, elaborate decorations or electronics can be incredibly tempting for potential thieves. Also, do your best to avoid leaving opened boxes outside for your trash collector to pick up. Potential burglars could see the new laptop box or drone package that a family member received and will know that the item is most likely in the house.

• Consider installing layers: If you have the additional money, it is worth investing in some additional security measures such as a camera, solid locks, security door braces, longer door hinges, heavy doors, light timers, reinforced window glass and polycarbonate or Plexiglas windows.

Although Kevin from Home Alone deserves a lot of credit for his creativity, as you can see it is not actually necessary to devise elaborate contraptions to protect your home. The holidays can remain a safe and joyous time of year simply by taking some simple safety measures. For more tips or information, please visit our website and have a safe and secure holiday season!