DeKok Insurance Group, Inc.

507-226-8121 dekokinsgroup@gmail.com

A Phone Call, Text, or Email Away

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I’m a phone call or email away!

Due to Convid 19, you won’t find me at my office. However, I haven’t stopped working for you. Here are the ways you can contact me:

  • Call or text me at: 507-226-8121
  • Email me at: dekokinsgroup@gmail.com
  • If you prefer to meet “face to face” we can set up a Zoom call.

Now is a good time to contact me with your insurance questions or ask me to requote your policies through the companies I work with to see if we can get you a lower premium.

It’s also a good time to tell your family and friends about DeKok Insurance Group to find out if I can give them excellent service and the same or better coverage at a lower price than they’re paying now.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jon

 

 

 

 

P. S. Joy, my wife, and marketing assistant reminded me that she will be checking our Facebook page a couple of times a day if you’d like to contact me there. Here’s that link: https://www.facebook.com/DeKok-Insurance-Group-Inc-171221279586245/?ref=br_rs

 

DeKok Insurance Group, Inc. Referral Program: When you tell your family and friends about your positive experience with my agency, and they call for a quote, I’ll send YOU a $20 gift card.

 

 

How to Help Identify & Remove Ice Dams

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Joy and I recently had an ice dam on our home. This video and post from Travelers (one of the excellent companies I represent) helped me solve the problem before it became a much bigger problem.

Sometimes, even your best efforts to prevent an ice dam may not be enough. Knowing what an ice dam is, how to identify one and how to help remove it is important to protect your roof and home from potential damage during the snowy, winter months.

What Is an Ice Dam?

Ice dams may form when water from melting snow freezes into ice at the edge of your roofline. Without proper roof snow removal, the ice that develops may grow large enough to prevent water from melting snow from properly draining off the roof. When the water is unable to drain from the roof, it may then back up underneath roof shingles and make its way into your home.

Do You Have an Ice Dam?

Most ice dams develop on the edge of your roof, but they may also form in other locations, depending on the slope, orientation, and style of your roof. Be sure to monitor the weather and your roof for signs of ice dam formations.

  • Look closely at the icicles around the exterior of your house. If the icicles are confined to the gutters and there is no water trapped behind them, then an ice dam has likely not formed. Nonetheless, icicles can be a precursor to ice dams. Depending on their location and size, icicles may also pose a danger if they fall off. Whenever possible, and if safe to do so, remove icicles from the exterior of your home, making sure not to stand directly beneath them. If you cannot safely reach the icicles from the ground, consider hiring a contractor to assist in their removal.
  • Check for water stains or moisture in your attic or along the ceiling of exterior walls of your house. Water stains or moisture may be an indication that an ice dam has formed and water has penetrated the roof membrane.

How to Remove an Ice Dam

Removing an ice dam from your roof immediately after spotting the signs can be critical to help prevent damage to your home. One way to remove an ice dam is to melt it using calcium chloride ice melt.

Step 1. Using a roof rake, remove snow 3-4 feet from the edge of your roof, being careful not to damage the roof covering or to allow snow to build up around walking paths or to block emergency exits.

Step 2. Use a calcium chloride ice melt product, which you can generally purchase from your local hardware store. Be sure not to use rock salt or sodium chloride, which can damage your roof.

Step 3. Fill a nylon stocking with the calcium chloride ice melt.

Step 4. Safely place and position the calcium chloride-filled nylon stocking vertically across the ice dam so that it can melt a channel through the ice.

Step 5. Cover and protect any shrubbery and plants with lightweight tarps near the gutters or downspouts for the duration that the calcium chloride stockings remain in place. This is important because the calcium chloride-saturated water dripping from the roof may damage the shrubbery and plants.

REMEMBER: Using a ladder in snowy and icy conditions may be dangerous. If you cannot safely reach the roof, consider hiring a contractor.

Jon

DeKok Insurance Group, Inc. Referral Program: When you tell your family and friends about your positive experience with my agency, and they call for a quote, I’ll send YOU a $20 gift card.

Accident Prevention Course

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Accident Prevention Course, DeKok Insurance Group Inc

In Minnesota if you are a driver over age 55 you can take an approved “Accident Prevention ” 8-hour course, provide a certificate to your auto insurance agent or company and receive a 10% discount!  This discount is good for three years and then you can take a 4-hour refresher course every three years and keep the discount. Please see the PDF of approved live and online courses below.

Jon

AccidentPreventionCourseList

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DeKok Insurance Group, Inc. Referral Program: When you tell your family and friends about your positive experience with my agency, and they call for a quote, I’ll send YOU a $20 gift card.

 

Deer Hit

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Jon DeKok, DeKok Insurance Group, Road Accident

I was heading home from my insurance office one evening shortly before the end of the year. We live about 12 miles North of Rochester. It was dark out since evening comes earlier this time of year. I could see a couple vehicles on the opposite side of the road facing me. I was traveling at about 55 miles per hour. Several feet ahead of me there was a large dead deer laying across my entire lane. With no time to avoid hitting it, I went over the top of it.

One of the vehicles on the opposite side of the road had hit the deer before I came along. I was glad to see that the driver was out of her car on her cell phone.

My first thought before I ran over the deer was – shoot! – I have no way to avoid this. My second thought was – I hope there’s no damage on my car, and my third thought was I’m so glad I have good insurance coverage.  You see, I had just purchased this low mileage, no rust vehicle only a week earlier from a private party in Arizona on EBAY.

I took the car to my mechanic (Jason at “Bird’s Auto Repair”) to lift up on his hoist to check it out. I am happy to say – other than the terrible mess, there was no damage.

Since then, the car has been through about 10 car washes with underbody included.

Fact – Even though hitting an animal in the road is technically a collision, it is covered under “Comprehensive” (other than collision) coverage on your auto policy.

If you would like a quote, please call 507-226-8121 or email or me at dekokinsgroup@gmail.com.

We’re all looking for a good value. You will find it at DeKok Insurance Group.

Jon

 

Arrow SetDeKok Insurance Group, Inc. Referral Program: When you tell your family and friends about your positive experience with my agency, and they call for a quote, I’ll send YOU a $20 gift card.

 

Change of Address

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Our new address is: 1027 7th Street NW, Suite 208, Rochester, MN 55901

DeKokInsuranceGroupNewOffice

Jon here:


After five years working from our office out on Superior Dr. NW, Joy and I realized it was time for us to downsize.

Six rooms was five too many. After looking at our options, we decided to move to 1027 – 7th Street NW. We have a history with this building – not long after I started as an insurance agent, I had an office here.

Joy says it’s like coming home. I’ll let her tell you why she likes our new/old office.

Joy here:

As a kid, I lived not too far from here. We had our school picnics just down the road at Cooke’s Park. (My mom made the best baked beans!) My brother and I loved walking to JM Rockets football games on Friday nights – to get there, we walked past this building. Back then, it was new. It got exciting to come this way when they built a Burger King on the corner of 7th Street and 11th Avenue – right next door this building (then called The Lexington Building). Walking home from a football game meant stopping for fries and a shake or on special nights – a flame-broiled Whopper.

Today, there’s a Taco John’s next door. I haven’t been there and don’t know what the Great Steak Escape is all about. Maybe someday. It’s very cool that we’re within walking distance of Nupa and Hunan Garden. And on really nice days, I will pack my lunch and head for Cooke Park.

Part of my delight in being here is the past. The other is the present.

We had talked about downsizing, but we put it off for awhile because it would mean a move. Not our favorite thing to do. At all. We knew we’d know when it was time, and we did.

Going from six rooms to one felt very right to both of us, and it is. We enjoy this space.

NewOldOffice2

The only thing that has changed is our address.

Jon is still just a phone call (507-226-8121) or an email (dekokinsgroup@gmail.com) away. If you stop by the office, you can come in the front door, straight up the stairs, and take a sharp right. But it’s easier to park and come in one of the back doors. We’re in Suite 208.

Until Next Time,

Joy


Arrow SetDeKok Insurance Group, Inc. Referral Program: When you tell your family and friends about your positive experience with my agency, and they call for a quote, I’ll send YOU a $20 gift card.

[tweetthis]DeKok Insurance Group Change of Address! #New/OldOffice #Independent Agent #RochesterMN[/tweetthis]

[tweetthis]DeKok Insurance Group: We moved. #Downsizing #RochesterMN #IndependentAgent[/tweetthis]

[tweetthis]We moved! #NewAddress #Independent Agent #RochesterMN #DeKokInsuranceGroup[/tweetthis]