Vargas & Vargas Insurance

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Dorchester, MA 02124

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Tips for Living in a “For Sale” Home in Dorchester

If you’ve ever tried to sell a home, you know how painful it is to keep your house in order while retaining some sort of normalcy in your life. Here are some tips for living in a “For Sale” home in Dorchester courtesy of your friends at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency. If you use these tricks, you may be able to sell your home without tearing your hair out trying to keep it presentable for showings:

tips for living in a for sale home in dorchester

1. Start packing right away:

As soon as (or even before) your home officially hits the market, make a trip to your local hardware store to grab several boxes. Pack away anything that you don’t plan on using in the near future, and stack these packed boxes neatly in your garage or a storage unit. Doing this will not only de-clutter your home so that it is more presentable to potential buyers, but will also allow you to do some packing work ahead of time, so that you scramble less when it is time to move.

2. Get rid of anything that isn’t moving with you:

If you know already that there is something you won’t be taking with you when you leave, take the time to deal with it now instead of waiting until you’re ready to move. Give items to friend or neighbors, leave items for garbage collection, or make an appointment for a charity to come and pick up unwanted items (this can often be considered a tax deductible donation!)

3. Do one deep cleaning, then spot clean:

When you first put your home on the market, take the time to clean your home from top to bottom. Did you know that a clean home not only sells faster, but also typically fetches a better price then one that wasn’t scoured? If you’re not up to performing the cleaning yourself, there are plenty of professional cleaning services that you can hire to make your home spotless when you begin to show your home.

4. Prepare for each showing:

If your home has already been cleaned well, you should only need to do some routine maintenance to keep it spotless. When you schedule a showing, make sure to wipe down your bathrooms and countertops and pick up clutter. Also make sure that all personal items and sensitive information are stored away, including private documents and prescription medications. You may also want to put a privacy lock on electronics, including computers and tablets.

The best part is that these four tips will do more than just help you stay sane while your home is for sale. They will also help to cut back significantly on the amount of work that you have to do once you do find a seller. Just consider this – if you take these suggestions to heart, your home will already be partially packed, anything that you wanted to get rid of will already be gone, and your home will be clean and ready for its new owners!

Also make sure that you remember to call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655 if you need a new Massachusetts home insurance policy for your new place! We are always happy to help get our customers the best possible Boston insurance policies.

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Do You Have the Best Auto Insurance Possible?

Here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency, we always want to bring you the best: the best auto insurance, best home insurance, best business insurance, and so on. We ensure that this is done by making sure that our insurance agents are the best of the best. Only then can we know for certain that our customers are getting optimal policies and excellent customer service.

best auto insurance in dorchester boston massachusetts

At our agency, we are always looking to educate our customers about their insurance. If, for example, you are looking for the best auto insurance policy available, you can use the following four pieces of advice from our insurance professionals.

Have a balanced deductible and premium.

An insurance policy is always a balancing act between two things – the deductible and the premium. If one is too low, then the other is too high. You can lower your monthly payment, but it will mean paying more out of pocket when you need to make a claim. On the other hand, a low payment on a claim typically means an elevated monthly payment. Finding the right balance means some trial and error, and the advice of an experienced insurance professional.

See if a payment plan could lower your expense.

Did you know that certain types of payment could get you a discount? Depending on your insurance provider, you could get a discount for paying your 6 month premium in full. This discount could be up to 10% of your rate! With proper planning and saving techniques, it is possible for anyone to save up the required amount in advance of the payment due date, and doing so could save you a significant amount on your next insurance premium.

Ensure that you take advantage of all possible discounts.

To get the best car insurance available, you need to make sure that your insurance agent searches for a policy that will get you great coverage at a great price. This often means searching for a policy that has several available discounts for which you quality, for example:

Depending on your unique situation, your insurance agent can search and make sure that you get car insurance from a provider that offers discounts that match your circumstances.

Shop around for a new policy.

Following a major life event or a period where you have a spotless driving record, it could be in your best interest to search for a new car insurance policy. Sometimes changing insurance providers will mean a better rate (and even better coverage) than your previous provider, even when factoring in any loyalty discounts that you may have. And remember – it never hurts to keep your eyes open, so make sure that you consult with your insurance agent about your current policies at least once a year to explore your options.

If you want to see if obtaining a new auto insurance policy is the best option for you, all you need to do is call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff would love to walk you through the quote process. And one of the best benefits of using an independent insurance agency is that you only give us your vital information once, then we shop around for you to find the best auto insurance to fit your needs!

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15 Cheap and Healthy Foods for Your New Diet

Two of the most common New Year’s Resolutions are to lose weight (or eat healthier) and to save money. Unfortunately, there’s a stigma that these two activities are mutually exclusive – most people believe that healthier food costs more. Thankfully, this isn’t always true. If you’re a smart shopper, you can both save money and eat healthy.

15 Cheap and Healthy Foods for Your New Diet

To achieve this, all you need to do is evaluate the cost per serving of some healthy food offerings at your local grocery store. We recently found this article at WebMD that breaks down 15 foods that are healthy and cost less than $1 a serving. (Note: the percentages given are based on Daily Recommended Values)

Brown Rice – 1/4 cup of dry rice per serving – $0.18 – 170 calories, 2 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein.

Whole-Wheat or Multigrain Pasta – 2 ounces of dry pasta – $0.24 – 200 calories, 6 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of protein.

100% Whole-Wheat Bread – 2 slices of bread – $0.18 – 120 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein.

Nonfat Greek Yogurt – 6-8 ounces of yogurt – $0.89 – (Honey Vanilla) 150 calories, 14 grams of protein

Old-Fashioned Oats – 1/2 cup dry oats – $0.13 – 150 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.

Frozen Vegetables – 1 cup of vegetables – $0.25 – (Classic Mix) 82 calories, 6 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, plus 115% Vitamin A, 8% Vitamin C, and 7% potassium.

Russet Potato – 1 medium potato – $0.33 – 168 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, plus 20% Vitamin C, 10% iron, and 25% Potassium.

Fresh Spinach – 4 cups of spinach – $0.66 – 20 calories, 2 grams of fiber, plus 160% Vitamin A, 40% Vitamin C, 8% Calcium, and 40% Folic Acid.

Canned Refried Beans – 1/2 cup of beans – $0.34 – 140 calories, 7 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 4% Calcium, and 10% Iron.

Canned Tuna – 3 ounces of tuna – $0.70 – 60 calories, 13 grams of protein, and 0.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.

Jarred Marinara Sauce – 1/2 cup of sauce – $0.28 – 90 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 15% vitamin A, 10% Vitamin C.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread – 1 pita pocket – $0.40 – 140 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein.

Generic Brand Egg Substitute – 1/4 cup egg substitute – $0.30 – 30 calories, 6 grams of protein, 10% B12, 6% Vitamin A, 4% Vitamins D and E.

Frozen Edamame – 1/2 cup (shelled) soybeans – $0.56 – 90 calories, 8 grams of fiber, 10 grams of protein, 10% iron, 6% calcium.

Dried Lentils – 1/4 cup dried lentils – $0.10 – 120 calories, 11 grams of fiber, 10 grams of protein.

Add just a few of these items to your next grocery list and see just how much money you can save while still nurturing your body. And remember to inform your Vargas and Vargas Insurance agent about any lifestyle changes that you make – eating healthier and losing weight could end up saving you money on your health insurance policy! For more information, just call us at 617-298-0655.

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The Benefits of Boston Condominium Insurance

If you live in a condominium, you have insurance needs that are truly unique. Don’t settle for any run of the mill home or renters insurance policy, because they won’t cover your situation as a condo owner. For the best Boston condominium insurance, make sure that you talk to the experts here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency about getting a policy that fully covers your condo, including the following specifications:

Boston Condominium Insurance

Evaluate the Condo Association’s master policy.

The first order of business when you’re looking for a Boston condominium insurance policy is to acquire a copy of your association’s insurance policy. You don’t want to personally pay to cover something that’s already covered by your association’s insurance. Letting your insurance agent see the master policy will ensure that you get the coverage that you need – no more and no less. In general, a master policy will provide coverage for the structure of the condo (walls, windows, etc) as well as protection for common areas.

Get enough protection for your possessions.

One of the most glaring types of coverage that you need to include in your Boston condominium insurance is protection for your possessions. While your condo association’s insurance policy protects the condo itself, it will not include any protection for your stuff. The best way to do this is to estimate the value of your goods and report that amount to your insurance agent. Make sure to include kitchen appliances (if you own them yourself) as well as clothes, electronics, etc.

Have plenty of liability coverage.

The other thing that probably won’t be included in your association’s master policy is liability protection. If you have guests over, and one of them injures themselves in your condo (or on the condo’s grounds) with a slip and fall or a dog bite, for example, it will be up to your personal condo insurance policy to cover the damages, like medical bills and lost wages. These costs snowball quickly – the average cost of a dog bite liability claim in 2013 was over $27,000! This just goes to show that it is important to get the right amount for your needs, based on the knowledge of an insurance professional.

Make sure there aren’t any gaps.

Once you’ve customized a condo insurance policy to fit your unique needs, your Boston insurance agent will double check to make sure that everything is covered by either your association’s policy or your own. That way, any claim will be able to be fully handled through insurance, and you won’t need to pay for any expenses out of pocket (besides your deductible, of course).

If you want to talk to an experienced insurance agent about getting a quote for a Boston condominium insurance policy, all you have to do is call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655. Our agents will follow all of the previously outlined steps to ensure that your condo is fully covered. Also make sure that you stay tuned to our Vargas and Vargas Insurance blog for useful information about home maintenance, car tips, and more!

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Market Your Business On The Go – 4 Tips

You shouldn’t spend all of your time working – it just isn’t healthy. That doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t be prepared to advertise your business at a moment’s notice! One of your primary goals as a business owner is to get the word out about your business. Here are some tips about how you can share your passion with others, even when you’re not on the job!

Market Your Business on the go

Don’t be shy!

The first key to marketing your business when you’re out and about is to start talking to people. Don’t be shy about striking up a conversation with complete strangers, whether you’re standing in line, waiting for an elevator, or sitting near someone. Also don’t be hurt if someone doesn’t want to talk to you – just move on to someone else! Spreading the word about your business is never a bad thing, after all!

Know (and share) your elevator pitch.

One of the easiest ways to share the mission of your business with others is with a short, practiced speech. Just like you should know how to sell yourself in a minute or less, figure out how to tell someone all about your business in a succinct way. Once you’ve got your speech crafted, share it with others. Start with your family, then graduate to your friends. Not only will they get a clearer idea of what you do, they will be a good testing grounds for your pitch. Eventually, you can start telling complete strangers about your business!

Always carry business cards.

It’s a little old fashioned, but carrying a business card is still one of the best ways to get someone to remember you. They may forget your chat and your elevator pitch within a few minutes, but giving them a business card will ensure that they have a physical reminder of your positive interaction. When emptying their pockets at home, your potential customer will be more likely to look up your business’s website or Facebook page and connect with your business in a meaningful way.

Turn your vehicle into a billboard.

Does it feel like you’re out running errands constantly? Business owners are typically running from here to there all the time. Instead of feeling like your commute is time wasted, take advantage of it! Your vehicle is seen by dozens (if not hundreds) of people every day. By spending a few dollars on a magnetic car sign featuring your business’s logo, you could impact potential local customers on a daily basis. And when you don’t want to advertise? Just pull the sign off and put it in your trunk!

The passionate employees here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency are always testifying to their friends and family about the importance of a strong insurance portfolio. We love to share with our clients about how important it is to have up-to-date personal and business insurance policies, and are always willing to answer questions or give free quotes – just call us at 617-298-0655!

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Most Popular Dorchester Commercial Insurance Policies

Every business is different. That’s why Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency offers several different types of commercial insurance policies! When you call our agency for business insurance, we will help you build a policy that perfectly fits the needs of your business. We can work with you to evaluate your needs and pick all the types of coverage that your business requires. The types of Dorchester commercial insurance policies options may seem endless, but these five types of coverage are our most popular:

Dorchester Commercial Insurance Policies

Commercial Property Coverage

All businesses have to start somewhere, and your business’s physical location is a very important part of its identity – that’s why you should make sure that it has great insurance protection. A commercial insurance policy with commercial property coverage will insure your business’s structure, as well as furniture and equipment that you have. In most cases, it will even cover signs and landscaping!

Commercial Vehicle Coverage

Does your business require the use of a vehicle? While not every business needs this specific coverage, it is important for all business that regularly transport or deliver goods or services. With this policy, your business will appear as the “principal insured” on the policy if it is the owner of the vehicle, and the policy is useful even if the vehicles in question are used for both business and personal travel.

Group Benefits

If your business has employees, you should really consider adding a strong group benefits policy to your commercial insurance. Depending on the policy that you choose, you can give your employees access to health and dental insurance, retirement plans, disability, and much more. Workers tend to look for employment at businesses with good benefits packages, so working on this policy with Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency can help you to attract a higher caliber of worker.

Workers Compensation

Unfortunately, accidents happen. To make sure that your business is ready for any accidents that may occur, make sure that you talk to us about adding a worker’s compensation policy to your commercial insurance policy. It can provide coverage for medical expenses, lost income, rehabilitation, death benefits, and more. While we hope that you never need to use it, you can’t be too careful when it comes to your employees.

General and Excess Liability

Would your business be able to pay for a liability issue related to personal or advertising injury? These cases can get very expensive, but the right liability insurance can make sure that your business is protected financially against these situations, and many more. Almost all types of businesses can benefit from liability protection, call us and speak to an agent today to find out why this is.

To get a personalized commercial insurance policies in Dorchester, Hyde Park, South Boston, West Roxbury, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Boston, Stoughton, Canton, Randolph, Brockton, Sharon, MA for your business, all you need to do is call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655. We will get to work right away crafting a Massachusetts business insurance policy as unique as your company. The best part is that all of our insurance quotes are free, and you have no obligation to purchase, so you can call any time, even if you’re just seeing if you can get a better deal than you’re in now!

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Three Events That Always Go Over-Budget

Three Events Always Go Over-Budget

Do you hate going over-budget? So do we! Thankfully, if you know that you’re likely to exceed your expected spending, you can prepare more ahead of time and lessen the likelihood of stretching your budget. For example, here are three events that always go over-budget, and how you can avoid spending more than planned:

Vacations

When you’re on vacation, you’re in ‘vacation mode’ – it’s all about having fun and creating memories, and you probably aren’t focusing on how often you pull out your wallet. While one extra souvenir or sweet treat won’t break the bank, consistently adding small purchases to your vacation spending will cause you to go over budget very quickly!

How to stay on budget: Be budget conscious when booking your transportation and lodging. Pack your own snacks at home, look up free or cheap activities ahead of your trip. Make a list beforehand of all the people that you want to buy souvenirs for, and how much you will spend.

Weddings

When you’re planning a wedding, it is so easy to be sucked in to all of the advertisements and Pinterest boards that target brides and grooms. It’s your big day, and you want every tiny detail to be perfect. Businesses and advertisers know this, and they will try to use that fact to persuade you to buy way more than you need. Just remember, it’s the marriage that will matter in the long run, not whether you had the perfect napkin rings or centerpieces.

How to stay on budget: If you want to save some money on your wedding, you can opt for e-invites, or have a morning or afternoon ceremony (you can get an even deeper discount at some venues for booking a weekday wedding). You may even want to look into renting a wedding dress if you’re not interested in keeping it.

Moving

Whether you move across town or across the country, you will probably end up going over your initial budget. There seem to always be lots of little added expenses, and all of those little expenses add up in the end! Maybe you needed more boxes and packing materials than you first thought, or maybe you forgot to account for the pizza and soda that you bought for the friends that helped you load and unload the truck. Regardless, you should always be aware when you move that there will be unexpected expenses.

How to stay on budget: Get free boxes from local stores, throw out and donate old things you no longer want so that you pack and move only what you need to, give yourself plenty of time to pack all of your stuff and clean your old home, consider moving yourself instead of hiring a moving company.

And if you’re saving for an upcoming vacation, wedding, or move, make sure that you call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655. Our agents can review your home insurance and auto insurance policies to make sure that you have the right coverage at the right price. We may even be able to find you a better rate than what you were paying at your old insurance company – that means more room in your budget for all of the things that you need!

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Make Your 2015 Resolutions Succeed!

Did you know that only about 8% of people were successful in achieving their resolution in 2014? When you think about it, that’s a pretty sad – less than 1 in 13 people that set a goal for this year made it happen.

Make Your 2015 Resolutions Succeed!

Don’t let this statistic get you down, though. Here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency, we want to make sure that you reach all of your goals, so we want to share with you a few tips that will make you more likely to reach a goal, whether it is a New Year’s resolution or another objective that you want to accomplish:

Simple is best, so don’t go overboard.

The start of the new year is probably the most popular time of the year to set a goal, but that doesn’t mean that you should set a dozen goals all at once. You don’t want to get overwhelmed by making too many changes in your life all at once, so it is advisable that you stick to the one or two goals that you are most interested in making.

Make your goal specific and measurable.

“Lose weight,” “Save money,” and “Spend more time with friends and family” are all great goals, but they are very vague. When setting a goal, you need to make sure that you set specific goals. You are more likely to be successful if you have a concrete goal, like “Lose 15 pounds,” “Save $200 a month for a down payment,” or “Socialize at least once a week.”

Create a plan on how you will get there.

Once you have a specific and measurable goal, the next step is making a detailed plan on how you will get there over the specified period. Do some research to find out how to best be successful based on the goal you wish to achieve, and make your plan accordingly. How often will you exercise? How will you put money aside? Who will you spend your time with? Etc.

Share your goal with friends and family.

The last (and arguably most vital) step in the goal setting process is to make sure that you are held accountable. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to share your objective with your friends and family. Adding a social component to your intent will make you more likely to feel obliged to follow through, whereas a goal that you keep to yourself is easy to abandon without consequence. If you need serious motivation, make a wager with someone looking to achieve a similar goal. The added competition aspect may be enough to inspire you even more.

So what will your goal be for 2015? If you’re looking to save money, let the agents here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency help you! We can do an insurance review and search for discounts or a different provider to see if there is anywhere in your insurance policies where we could save you some money. Just call 617-298-0655!

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Community Spotlight – Carney Hospital

carney hospital 1Here in Dorchester, we are so lucky to have such a great neighborhood. Anything that you could want or need is just a short distance away, including one of the best hospitals in the area. Our friends at Carney Hospital on Dorchester Avenue represent some of the highest quality health care professionals in the country, and we are so glad to work with them. In fact, the folks at Carney Hospital were generous enough to be sponsors of the 2014 Boston’s Best Neighbor contest.

Opened in 1863, some of the first patients at Carney Hospital were Civil War soldiers. They continued their pursuit of excellence when they performed the first abdominal surgery in Boston, and opened Boston’s first skin clinic. In 1974, Carney Hospital introduced Massachusetts’ first helistop, and the accolades continue to flow in. For a complete history of all of the ways they have advanced the study of medicine and the care of patients, just go to their About Us page.

carney hospitalIf you need medical attention for any reason, we encourage you to consider Carney Hospital for your treatment. Here are examples of just some of the services offered at Carney Hospital, along with a short description of what you can expect from each:

Center for Cancer Care – Surgical services, outpatient chemotherapy, oncology and hematology services, health screenings and assessment of hereditary cancer syndromes, clinical research trials, and survivorship programs.

Center for Cardiac and Vascular Care – Prevention and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertensive heart disease, heart failure, atrial and ventricular arrhythmia, valvular heart disease, and more. Carney Hospital was also recognized with the American Heart Association Gold Award for Stroke Care.

Diagnostic Imaging – Carney Hospital offers state-of-the-art imaging technology, including 24/7 diagnostic services. They also offer MRI services and mobile PET-CT scanning and a staff of board-certified radiologists.

Emergency Medicine – If you have a medical emergency, Carney Hospital will be there to take care of you. They have board-certified physicians available 24 hours a day, and you can always find the current ER wait time on their website’s home page. In addition, they offer non-emergency services from 10 am until 8 pm seven days a week.

Geriatrics – If there is an elderly person in your life, get them the care they deserve at Carney Hospital. They aim to maximize patient independence while trying to understand the disease and disability that so often comes with old age.

Maternity Services – At Carney Hospital, you will find women’s health care providers with a broad spectrum of specializations, including obstetrics, gynecology, infertility, menopause, laser surgery, and more.

Orthopedics – The orthopedic department cares for those people who have been previously  seen in the emergency room, and offers treatment for trauma, fractured and broken bones, ligaments and cartilage injuries, and much more.

Women’s Health – Carney Hospital has a special center specifically attuned to the needs of their female patients. It offers tailored treatments such as annual checkups, mammograms, other screenings. The women of your life will be in good hands with their staff.

Carney Hospital is located at 2100 Dorchester Avenue. Their general phone number is 617-296-4000, and you can find the telephone number or extension number for each of their departments on their Contact Us page.

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Our Best Blogs of 2014

BEST BLOGS 2014

Every six months here at Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency, we compile a list of our best blogs of the last half of the year for those of you that may have missed a few of our posts. Our last recap was for the first half of 2014, and it’s already time to finish up the year with the last six months of blogs! Can you believe that the year is almost over?

July – Boost Your Business This Summer

Our business owners aren’t forgotten on the blog, and we love to occasionally post content about how to improve businesses. This article specifically focused on the things that business owners could do to harness the warm weather and improve their bottom line, including holding a staff outing and creating a summer contest for customers.

August – Be #1 on Tailgating Safety

With Preseason Football in full swing, we wanted to make sure that all of our readers were aware of the basics of tailgating safety, including staying hydrated, wearing plenty of sunscreen, being aware of food safety rules, and having the right home and auto insurance to protect your valuables during the game.

September – Make a Strong Password for Your Online Accounts

Are you serious enough about your internet safety? If you’re like most people, you store a lot of sensitive information online, so it’s important that you protect it properly. To do so, you can read this blog and learn to create a strong password for all of your online accounts.

October – Medical Insurance: Inclusions and Exclusions

In October, our blog moved! We are now able to post directly to the Vargas and Vargas Insurance website, so you can continue to look here for all of our future blogs (make sure that you add it to your RSS feed so that you can read each update). Our first blog in October was all about health insurance – what a policy typically includes, and what coverage you shouldn’t expect to get.

November – What is Renters Insurance?

Many of our clients rent their homes or apartments. For those people that don’t own their own dwelling, and instead pay rent to a landlord, we explained the difference between renters insurance and home insurance.  We also stressed the importance of having a home inventory and making sure that your landlord has a good rental property insurance policy.

December – Prepare for the Cold by Winterizing Your Home

Massachusetts winters can be brutal. To help all of our customers prepare for the upcoming bitter cold and snow, we posted a guide on how to make sure that your home was protected for the winter, including making sure that gutters are clean, branches are trimmed, winter equipment was ready, and your chimney was clean.

Here at the Vargas and Vargas Insurance office, we are preparing for another year of selling the best insurance in Boston. We wish you and yours the happiest of New Years, and look forward to working with you in 2015 and beyond! And if you are interested in seeing more articles like these several times a week, make sure that you stay tuned to the Vargas and Vargas Insurance Blog!

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