Recently, two news stories regarding the United States have been widely circulated domestically. One involves a Chinese female student studying at the University of Illinois who went missing, with her fate still unknown. The other concerns Hurricane Harvey, the strongest hurricane to hit Texas in over fifty years, which forced large numbers of people to evacuate their homes. Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, was one of the areas hardest hit by the hurricane and is also home to a significant Chinese population. In the aftermath of the disaster, tens of thousands of homes were flooded or damaged, resulting in massive property losses. However, not every family can obtain full insurance compensation to rebuild their homes, and post-disaster reconstruction remains a distant prospect. Therefore, when living abroad, personal safety and property security are of paramount importance.
Issues of personal and property safety are most relevant to every new immigrant or international student living in the United States. Whether you have just arrived or have been living in the U.S. for some time, if you intend to settle down and thrive here for the long term, safety awareness is essential. Today, drawing on these two recent news stories that have captured public attention, we will discuss how new immigrants and international students can protect their property and personal safety in the United States.
Choosing a Residential Area
For new immigrants or international students who have just arrived in the United States, choosing a safe place to settle is clearly the top priority. "Safety" here includes both the security of the community and the natural climate and geographical conditions of the area, as natural disasters often lead to a series of security issues.
Because the United States is vast, the climate and geographical conditions vary greatly from place to place, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Before deciding on a place to live, it is best to understand the average annual temperature of the city you will be living in, the extremes of heat and cold, the duration of the rainy season, and what severe or catastrophic weather events occur. Then, make your choice based on your family's needs and tolerance. For example, I personally feel that it is not a major issue for a single person to live in an area affected by hurricanes, but it is not suitable for those with families and children, as it is very inconvenient to evacuate during every hurricane warning or to be unable to work or attend school after a disaster. The same logic applies to some cities in the East that experience snowstorms.
When new immigrant families purchase property in the United States, whether buying a new or pre-owned home, they will receive a Natural Hazard Disclosure report for the area. Carefully reading this report will provide an intuitive understanding of the area where you intend to purchase property. The report clearly indicates whether the property is subject to threats such as flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, sandstorms, or noise. It will also point out if the area has soil issues, or if it was previously a military base, oil well, or is located in a commercial or industrial zone, along with other environmental issues that may be detrimental to health.
In addition, the report will disclose the property tax situation for the property. For instance, some new developments have higher construction taxes that are paid over a longer period, so holding costs should be considered before purchasing. Other government-mandated disclosures are also included, such as whether there are registered sex offenders in the community.
Methods for Selecting a High-Quality Community
We can evaluate the quality of a community based on several aspects: ethnic distribution, family composition, resident age, education level, and income. Let me give you an example of a typical high-quality community in Los Angeles suitable for new immigrants: this community is primarily composed of teenagers and middle-aged people, with more than half being families with children. The gender ratio is balanced, household income is mainly concentrated between $100,000 and $200,000, and most residents hold at least a bachelor's degree. These factors indicate that the community is very suitable for middle-class families with children.
How to Protect Property Safety
In the United States, homeowners insurance typically covers the following: the physical structure of the house, personal property, additional living expenses if the home is unusable or during repairs, and personal liability for the homeowner. Types of homeowners insurance include: basic form, broad form, special form, renters insurance, comprehensive form, condo insurance, mobile home insurance, and older home insurance. If purchasing a single-family home, the owner generally buys a comprehensive policy, which covers various losses to the property, excluding the following: floods, earthquakes, war, and nuclear explosions. If purchasing a townhouse or condominium, the owner usually only needs to buy condo insurance, as the exterior structure of the building is covered by the insurance purchased by the homeowners association.
Once an accident or disaster occurs and the property is damaged, if the homeowner has purchased homeowners insurance, they can file a claim with the insurance company. When filing a claim, it is important to note that you should notify the insurance company of the damage as soon as possible; the deadline for filing a claim is usually within 60 days of the incident.
Furthermore, you should reach an agreement with the insurance company regarding the settlement standard. If the insurance company offers a low settlement amount, you should hire a professional to estimate the repair costs and appeal to the insurance company. Typically, homeowners insurance policies have a deductible. For relatively minor losses, it may not be advisable to file a claim because the insurance company will record the number of claims, and filing a claim may increase your premium for the following year. Some insurance companies will refuse to insure homes that have had two claims within five years.
