Buying a new home can lead to information overload.

Although purchasing a home is exciting, the process can be overwhelming. There are lots to consider. It’s more than just searching for the right place in the ideal neighborhood. It’s beyond aesthetics and amenities. Financing, taxes, and negotiations can leave you overextended. Finding homeowner insurance is often one of the first items overlooked on the to-do list.

But, as Ai Ling Lee AKA Linda Lee of Hacienda Heights points out, it should be a priority. In fact, homeowners insurance may be required by some lending agents. While difficult to assess all your options, homeowners insurance should still be a necessity.

Having served as an independent agent since 1986, Ai Ling Lee wants to help others navigate and better understand home insurance. Using this experience, she offers six insurance tips for new homeowners.

Compare rates

Shop around. Getting quotes from a few different companies is a great place to start. Research online and seek out insurers who routinely rank high in customer service. This should be done early in the process to get all your paperwork together before closing.

Keep a list of belongings

The value of personal possessions will directly influence how much coverage you need. Begin by creating a home inventory. This is a list of belongings, like furniture, clothing, jewelry, and electronics. Include prices for each. This will ensure you have the right coverage and speed up potential claims in the future.

Understand what insurance covers

Differences in coverage and policy type can get confusing. A standard homeowners policy typically includes protection for the structure itself and your belongings inside. It also features liability and “loss of use” provisions. Ai Ling Lee of Hacienda Heights encourages anyone to sit down with a professional to discuss what’s included. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Fill in gaps

Also, don’t assume you’re “fully” protected. As you review what’s included, every policy will have exclusions. Basic homeowners policies usually exclude natural disasters, like earthquakes and floods. To meet your individual needs, fill in these gaps with additional coverage. Extending replacement cost protection or adding an umbrella policy may be options to think about.

Find savings

Avoid being cheap when it comes to insurance. However, there are ways to limit costs or find savings. Bundling life or automobile insurance with the same company can provide significant discounts. Installing smoke detectors and a security system can lower premiums too. Although harder to accomplish, Ai Ling Lee AKA Linda Lee of Hacienda Heights also recommends raising deductibles or paying off a mortgage early to reduce rates.

Review regularly

Update your policy frequently. Ai Ling Lee proposes doing a yearly review. Changes to a home or neighborhood can impact premiums. Document any new renovations. Also, add any new purchases to your home inventory. Keeping this list current will help you maintain sufficient coverage.

Cannabis legalization will likely benefit society in many different ways. Entrepreneur and cannabis expert Michael Candelario of Arizona explains why and how legal weed could be a big boom

Right now, many states are decriminalizing, and increasingly, legalizing marijuana. This means people can not only buy marijuana legally, but in many cases, they can also set up businesses in the cannabis industry. Marijuana expert Michael Candelario of Arizona explains how legal weed benefits society.

“The most important aspect of legal marijuana is perhaps that it keeps people out of jail,” Michael Candelario of Arizona says. “The last estimates I saw showed that 40,000 Americans were in jail for marijuana offenses. These people are being deprived of their freedom and life.”

Legalizing marijuana will prevent people from going to jail for possession of marijuana and other similar crimes. Some states have also released prisoners after marijuana legalization. California alone released thousands of people. Governments in Michigan and elsewhere have released at least some prisoners, but many people remain behind bars.

“Locking people up over weed strikes me as morally wrong,” Michael Candelario says. “It’s perhaps cruel, to be honest. Less importantly, keeping people incarcerated costs a lot of money. First, you have to pay for the jail system, and second, you deprive people of earning an income, which means less tax revenue.”

Finances aren’t as important as freedom. Still, keeping marijuana illegal deprives the government of billions of dollars in tax revenues. And people locked up in jail are deprived of the opportunity to become productive, successful members of society.

Legal weed, on the other hand, provides money. California alone is bringing in more than a billion dollars a year in tax revenues from legalized marijuana. Washington pulls in more than $450 million, while Colorado is closing in on $400 million. It’s not just about money either. More importantly, the money can be invested in society.

“A lot of times, revenues brought in through the legal cannabis industry are spent on education, basic infrastructure, and other areas that benefit society as a whole,” Arizonian Michael Candelario, notes. “This means we can all benefit from legalized weed. Even if you don’t indulge, legalized cannabis may benefit you.”

Michael Candelario Discusses Potential Medical Benefits

So far, cannabis has shown a lot of potential in medical applications. Marijuana is being used to treat pain, for example, offering a safer, less addictive alternative to opioids. Many of the chemicals derived from marijuana have also shown the potential to treat a variety of conditions.

“Marijuana represents an exciting frontier for medicine,” Michael Candelario argues. “It’s possible to conduct research into marijuana and other substances even when and where they are illegal. Still, legalization should make it easier to conduct research.”

As scientists conduct research, they may develop medications that can treat pain, seizures, mental health problems, and more. Already marijuana and cannabis-derived substances have shown promise in treatment. Only time will tell how effective cannabis is for medical applications but the early returns are promising.