Looking Up! The housing market continues to show improvement, with the outlook on residential construction improving for 2014. By last November, sales of new single family homes rose 16.6% compared to the same time the year before. By year end 2013, construction spending rose a solid 5.9%. Below are examples of inflation changes over the past year.

If you are one of the lucky few that are not experiencing any ice dams, know that you are few and far between. For the rest of you, we at Advocate Brokerage are ready to roll up our sleeves and help. Professional ice dam removal is the number one recommendation if you are currently experiencing this problem. A few important...

That expensive home generator you had installed a few years ago needs some attention from time to time. You should plan to fire it up once each season and give it a quick look-over for problems that might require a service visit. Power failures happen in spring-time wind storms and summer thunderstorms, as well as winter ice and autumn hurricanes....

Every company, large and small, has unique risks. Some have workers who operate heavy machinery or drive vehicles while on the job, while others serve food and alcohol or handle toxic substances. Doctors and hospital staff handle patients, body fluids, sharp needles and equipment. Some employees handle sensitive documents, data, or money, potentially opening the door to business fraud. For...

  By Rosalyn Binday Valentine’s Day is a popular day to get engaged. But popping the question is just the beginning step in preparing for one of the biggest days of your life. One of the largest online resources for wedding information, TheKnot.com, periodically releases a collection of fun and interesting statistics about weddings in the United States. Below are...

By Rosalyn Binday Other than that your bank requires it as a condition of your mortgage, do you know why you should have homeowners insurance? How about that in an average year, 374,000 homes are damaged by fire – some of them totally destroyed –  with more than $7 billion in losses. Or that in 2010, a staggering 2,158,878 U.S....

 By Rosalyn Binday Whether it is a talking lizard or a perky saleswoman, we are all bombarded with ads for car insurance on a daily basis. But when was the last time you sat down and reviewed what your car insurance covers? Many people wait until it is too late.  They are involved in an accident and suddenly face high...

Susan Wattenberg, an insurance professional in Westchester County for more than 25 years, has joined Advocate Brokerage in Scarsdale as Senior Marketing Representative. Ms. Wattenberg is a specialist in offering individualized and personalized insurance protection for high-net-worth families. Her career has included management of a staff of 12 Account Executives servicing a $22-million premium Personal Insurance Department at NFP Property...

An alarming number of respondents, about 38 percent, say they have never conducted research before purchasing their insurance policy, in a new, national survey by Trusted Choice and the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers. The survey also found that more than one of every three surveyed policyholders has not even talked to their insurance agent in the past year. Even...

Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Company 3 recently voted in a new member to the company this week. Captain Jeffrey Koslowsky said that Justin Disanto has joined the company that currently has 36 active members and is continuing to serve the Village of Scarsdale through the Scarsdale Fire Department. The volunteer company has been active for more than 75 years. Pictured here...