031: How to Avoid the Biggest Pitfalls When Filing Insurance Claims After a Property Loss + How to Travel Safely and Affordably in a COVID World with Steve Severaid and Wayne Dunlap

In this episode of Saving With Steve, host Steve Sexton is joined by Steve Severaid, a licensed Senior Professional Public Adjuster with over 30 years of experience, and top travel influencer, blogger, and author, Wayne Dunlap.

As the West Coast expects an extreme wildfire season, many homeowners in at-risk areas are worrying about how they can rebuild their lives if disaster strikes and whether insurance will provide enough funds for the repairs. My first guest, Steve Severaid of GreenSpan Co./Adjusters International, is a licensed Senior Professional Public Adjuster who works to advocate for individuals, communities, and businesses that have suffered major losses. 

He joins us today to share how homeowners can avoid the biggest pitfalls in filing claims after a property loss, what homeowners can do now to best prepare themselves for dealing with insurance claims in the future, and how public adjusters can save homeowners money and secure the most favorable outcome from every insurance property claim.

The Coronavirus crisis has been very unfortunate for many people and individuals all around the world are struggling to support their families. Travelers can help! When this crisis subsides and when it is safe to travel again, travelers can help those who work in hospitality to support their families. Many people in the affected areas make their living with tourism and when it is hurt with an unexpected occurrence, they suffer. Your business is greatly needed and appreciated, and you can be a travel hero while benefiting from good travel bargains--a win-win experience!

My second guest, Wayne Dunlap, is a top travel influencer, award-winning travel photojournalist, and blogger who has a burning passion for travel. Being a former Economics professor, he also has a sincere desire to inspire others to travel by helping them discover great travel values and safely realize their travel dreams. 

Wayne joins us today to share what travel destinations are worth seeing, how to achieve big savings on travel in a COVID world, and how to travel for less than half the cost for all types of travel, from luxury to budget, by using his ‘Follow the Disaster’ travel-planning model. He also shares ideas for how concerned travelers can enjoy a safe and affordable travel experience while COVID restrictions are still imposed by choosing to travel locally.

Steve Severaid is a licensed Senior Professional Public Adjuster with over 30 years of experience. He works to advocate for individuals, communities, and businesses that have suffered major losses.

Steve's work has earned him a reputation as a respected industry expert in handling a broad range of residential and commercial property loss claims, ranging from fires, floods, earthquakes, vandalism, tsunamis, and other catastrophic events.

His team, which includes structural engineering experts, inventory specialists, forensic accountants, insurance attorneys, and former insurance claims representatives, works to secure the most favorable outcome from every insurance property claim.

Steve has represented victims of major losses throughout the United States and worldwide; including, but not limited to Thailand, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas, Alaska, and Hawaii. 

He is a Principal with Adjusters International and has been with the company since 1992. Steve began his career in the public adjusting field in 1989, working for disaster victims so that they may get their lives in order without the added burden of assembling and documenting their insurance claim.

Steve’s responsibilities within the company include management duties, as well as working as a team leader.

"I am proud to say I have been a part of restoring people’s lives with integrity, passion, purpose and drive for the past three decades. There is no greater reward than helping others when they are at their lowest and helping them stand tall again."

Resources from Steve:

Wayne Dunlap and his wife Pat show people what is worth seeing and unique strategies for how to travel for half the cost for all types of travel from budget to luxury and 100's of other unique travel tips.

They have visited 105 countries on 6 continents as well as 46 U.S. states and are award-winning travel photojournalists and bloggers.

The Dunlap's have over 265,000 interested social media followers and are top travel influencers, featured travel speakers at large travel shows, and author of the 5-star travel book Plan Your Escape®. They are excited to be hosts of the travel TV show Plan Your Escape® TV aired on the CW network.

Wayne and Pat have been fortunate to live their dreams and are members of the exclusive Travelers’ Century Club.

The Dunlap's have taken over 100 trips taking cars, trains, buses, and organized tours. They have also done home exchanges and taken 42 cruises on 17 different cruise lines on ships ranging from 10 to 4,000 passengers. 

Now, they enjoy most of their traveling with interesting tours and independently on their own. The Dunlaps' popular travel blog, UnhookNow.com, has won other awards including:

• Top Travel Blog 2013 - 2020

• Best Boomer Travel Blogger to Follow

• Top Couple Travel Blogger 

Wayne was a business owner, executive of high-tech companies, and an Economics professor after his PhD program at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is listed in Who’s Who Among American Professionals.