TOP HOME SECURITY TIPS FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

With the Holidays right around the corner, you may already be doing your pre-planning. But do you know what you need to do to protect your home during these times?

There's a lot more involved than what you might think. Picture this. The family is headed out for their usual shopping spree, or simply going to a friends or families home for some Holiday Cheer. Not long after, they realize they had left something at home, so they turn around and go back to the house. Upon arrival they’ve discovered their home was in the process of being robbed.

Burglars in many particular instances are aware that a family is going to be gone for a while. While the facts of how they know aren’t always known, it's not difficult to guess. Many homeowners mistakenly communicate that they're going to be gone for a time, both directly and indirectly. To ensure you don't make the common mistakes that leave your home at risk of being burglarized during this holiday season, be sure to Install a security system and incorporate the following home security tips into your plans.

Be extra careful about the information you share across your social networks. Using today's popular social networks and mobile phone apps to post photos and updates of your comings and goings is a great way to keep your family and friends in the know. But using them to plan and post information about your families holidays or friends and relatives that you are visiting during this time can be a crucial mistake. No matter how excited you are about this time of year, the more people you tell about your where-about, the higher the risk of a home burglary if that information falls into the wrong hands.

Keep in mind that the true purpose of the holiday season is to enjoy one another’s company and have some fun with those who mean the most to you. So play it safe, follow these basic home security tips and save all of those pictures and commentary until after the holiday season.

SECURITY CAMERAS - YOU NEVER KNOW!!

While researching some more details about security cameras I came across this video, and I wanted to share it with you. After all the name-calling and mud-slinging, this should make you feel good about Americans again!!

Watch and see for yourself: http://front.moveon.org/yes-security-cameras-capture-everyday-people-in-the-act-of-being-awesome/

SIMPLE TRICKS THAT INTIMIDATE BURGLARS - PART 4

So Easy, Even Your Neighbors Can Help!

I know it’s been a while – so sorry for that, but opening up a small retail store takes lots, and lots of time and energy! Well, I’m back and I want to finish this 4 part series, because these are some of the best and simplest ideas I've found yet – and most of them won’t cost you a penny!! Really, some of these ideas are so common-sense, and so easy, you'll wonder why you didn't think of them yourself! I know I did!

First – if you’re going to be away from your home for several days:

• Ask a neighbor to use your driveway for one of their cars, giving the appearance that someone is home
• Go to the post office a few days in advance to make sure they stop delivery of your mail while you are away – an overflowing mailbox is a sure sign that no one is home
• Stop delivery of all newspapers, and ask your neighbor to remove anything left at your door from advertisers, organizations, or politicians
• Keep the yard mowed – if it’s warm enough for the grass to keep growing you might ask a neighborhood teen, or a niece or nephew to keep it clipped and earn themselves some spending money
• If the weather has turned cooler, have that same young teen sweep the path to your front door, keeping it free from leaves or snow
• You’ll also want to have the neighbor walk through that new fallen snow – giving the appearance that someone has gone from the front door to the mailbox, or from the car they are parking in your driveway to the front door or garage door

Second - Don't forget the simple things:

• Home or away, you don’t want things lying around that a burglar could use to gain entry, such as a ladder/step ladder, boxes or crates that could be stacked up to reach higher windows, etc.
• Don’t advertise that you are gone by leaving a note on the door for delivery or repairmen
• Don’t post on social media that you are going on a trip, or when you will be gone. You never know how your friends have their security settings!
• Don’t leave a message on your answering machine that you are away – you never know who’s just outside your window listening
• Turn your phone ringer down so those outside won’t hear that there’s no one home to answer the phone

Many burglars have a system of scoping out their victims homes before they attempt a break in.  They might be dressed like a local utility man reading the meter, while checking for an easy entry location to your home.  They could be the guy looking for his stray pet, or even the person hanging door ads for the local pizza joint.  Sometimes they may be the person who delivered that new appliance you bought last week, or the guy who came in to demonstrate his carpet cleaning system.

Whoever they may be and wherever they come from, we all want to protect our family and our possessions. It may take a little extra time at first, until some of these ideas become second nature to you, but in the end it is all sooo worth it!