Real Estate - Consider a Home Security System

Currently, seventeen percent of American homes have a security system. Do you need one? That's a difficult questions. You must should consider your reasons for wanting one versus the initial cost of installation and ongoing monthly monitoring fees.

Some of the obvious reasons for wanting one is the fear of waking up to find an intruder invading your space. Wanting to feel more secure in your environment is another important reason.

While consider installing a system, it would be worth the effort to check out other alternatives. There are many steps you can take to prevent an intrusion in your home such as:

1. Close the garage door at all times. 2. Lock the garage door behind yourself. 3. Check your windows for security. 4. Add dowels or a bar on the bottom track of your sliding Sliding glass doors. 5. Use a timer to vary the on/off times of lights when you are out. 6. Ask your neighbors to keep an eye on your property when you are gone. 7. Stop the mail when you are away. 8. Inform the police that you are out of town. 9. consider owning a dog.

In the event you decide to proceed with a purchase, ask questions. Doing your due diligence in advance of your signing a contract will save you many hours of stress later. The company you chose should give you customer referrals, have a license to operate in your area, give you a written contract with prices, monitoring charges, lists of the equipment to be installed and provide education to you in the use of their system.

It is important you understand everything you will be receiving, what the operation and guarantees are on the equipment and installation. Can you upgrade the system in the future if need be. Check with your local Better Business Bureau before you sign a contract.

Check with your friends and neighbors to see if they have an alarm system. Do they recommend the company the use? Ask as many questions as you can think of before proceeding.

Nan is an Accountant and Real Estate Agent. She has provided you with an information site for research concerning RealEstate

ADT Home Security - The Best in the Security Business

Home security is fast becoming more of a concern than ever before, and there is no better provider of security services than ADT. ADT enjoys the most respected name in the business and has been in the security business for more than 130 years. Subscribers across the United States - homes and businesses totaling more than 5 million - enjoy continuous 24-hour security protection against burglaries and break-ins, fire and smoke detection, carbon monoxide level detection and medical emergency. ADT Security Service recognizes personal safety as well as safety of house and property.

Modern advances in technology have enabled ADT to diversify services to include these additional services for the overall protection of the home and family. ADT offers basic protection for as little as $32.99 per month with additional protection provided by custom systems. Basic equipment includes a Master control panel, a keychain remote, 3 window/door sensors, a motion detector, a built-in siren, and a yard sign with window stickers. State of the art wireless sensors, with battery-backup, are installed inside the home and around the periphery by professional licensed technicians. These personnel are knowledgeable and will provide answers to any questions and offer suggestions for additional coverage. Having a Home Alarm System monitored by ADT is like having live-in security guards at your home. When activated, electronic signals are immediately transmitted to one of five Command Monitoring Centers located across the United States. Strategic location of Monitoring Centers is necessary to assure person-to-person contact during an emergency situation. When signals are received, the Command Center verifies the emergency and immediately contacts local authorities for prompt assistance. High tech sensors have the capability of distinguishing between animal and body heat and can even detect an intruder before they are on the property. Each alarm system has the ability (Panic Buttons) to summon police, paramedics, or fire personnel for in-home situations with notification abilities when activated at a distance of 100 feet away from the Master control panel either indoors or outdoors. This feature is independent of the overall protection provided by ADT - the quick-arm feature "Stay" provides coverage while in the home and "Away" provides coverage while away from the home. ADT Security reinforces their network with powerful equipment, additional trained professionals, and backup computers in the vent of power interruptions or other catastrophic emergencies.

Rest assured all is well at your residence with an ADT Monitored Home Security System. Not only does ADT provide the best in protection, a security system also offers a savings of up to 20 percent in home-owners insurance premiums. Property values also increase in homes equipped with home security equipment. At Alarm One we are always willing to offer assistance regarding the simplicity or complexity of equipment and other invaluable optional features. For as little as one ordinarily spends each month for coffee and other incidentals, one's family and prized possessions can be adequately protected from crime and accidental tragedies. This is the end of your search for the top alarm system. Start today. Don't delay a decision to go with ADT Security - it is better to be safe than sorry.

$99.00 Customer Installation Charge. 36-Month Monitoring Agreement required at $32.99 per month ($1,187.64). Form of payment must be by credit card or electronic charge to your checking or savings account. Offer applies to homeowners only. Local permit fees may be required. Satisfactory credit history required. Certain restrictions may apply. Offer only valid for new customers. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Alarm One is an Authorized ADT Dealer.

James Enlowe has spent the past few years reviewing new consumer technology. His reviews have helped thousands of consumers make informed technology purchases.

Home Security

Many of us are worried about leaving our home while on work or vacation and even when asleep, especially if the neighborhood is of notorious reputation. People are even afraid of leaving kids and old people at home for the fear that someone might break in and harm them. Some may even keep a weapon under the pillow. All these are not baseless fears but developed due to harrowing incidents of the past. People are becoming more and more cautious about protecting their homes by securely locking homes, not opening doors to strangers, informing neighbors if away from home for a long time and seeking assistance of home security systems.

Intruders and anti-social elements keep an eye on opportunities to gain entrance to homes. They do their homework well to look for the weakest points of entry to the home and all possible escape outlets like windows, doors and skylights. They too observe carefully if any surveillance systems are in use. Burglars might hesitate more to touch a house equipped with security systems like cameras, alarms and detectors.

Most people appreciate the value of securing their homes and there are several ways to do it. Even simple things like using heavy strong doors and windows and locking them takes more time to break into, and a burglar may be caught easily due to the noise caused. There are many kinds of safes too that can be placed in hidings for valuables. Good lighting outside at night is also a good idea. Alarms that go off easily scare intruders and warn people around that something is wrong. Installation of security systems is becoming more and more popular because of high safety they provide. They include control panels, many kinds of detectors, alarms and cameras. Budget and quality are the only considerations to ensure peace of mind.

A home can be made secure in different ways. Understanding the psychology of burglars, it is wise to invest some amount in maintaining security of a house rather than losing much more after a theft. This can be done using various security systems. They may not always be foolproof but at least they will reduce the risk of crime significantly

How To Choose A Home Security Camera

Surveillance cameras are being used every where these days, all the malls and almost all stores and small shops have installed surveillance cams to stop thefts and burglaries. You must have probably heard of the net of cams in the Las Vegas casinos, yes without cameras the surveillance staff won?t be 1/10th as effective.

Taking the cue from the commercial segment many companies introduced home security camera a few years back, but, back then only the rich could afford the expensive home security camera systems. However, nowadays with development of technology, as home security camera is getting cheaper more and more people are able to afford them. Yes, today even a $30 cam can be turned into a home security camera, it?s no more a rich only option.

When selecting a home security camera, make sure it can take clear pictures in the radius you want to set it up. Systems like analogue closed circuit television may run cheap but it?s not worth the money. It saves recorded coverage to tapes which are not only expensive in the long run but will also take up a lot of space.

With the advent of internet and like I said earlier, development of technology, we have cheap yet good quality home security camera available that send live feeds to the internet and save coverage at a secured location. You can either watch the feds live or browse through the saved data at any point of time. Install two-three home security camera in a room depending on how big the room is and you can watch what is going on in your house from 5 miles or 5,000 miles away.

For those on a very tight budget, there are the fake home security camera which are very much like the original ones and some even swivel on their axis like the original ones but this strategy is only effective in preventing the crime rather than catching the crime.

However, if you aren?t on a budget you should go for tiny cams which can be hidden behind or within objects and are hard to find. These cams when combined with the right software can give you the perfect home security camera system. On the other hand if you want to make it clear to the burglars that your house is not a good choice, install a large cam, a must do for people installing fake cameras, at a location where it can easily be seen.

Want to learn more about Home Security?, feel free to visit us at: http://homesecurity.theknowledgesite.com

How To Successfully Use Home Security Cameras

Increasing home security can be accomplished in several ways. Some of those include home security systems and alarms, neighborhood watch programs and more. But home security camera systems are growing in popularity lately. Let see why.

A home security camera system does not have to be expensive or extensive to help you keep in touch with what is going on around your home at all times. Just a few well-placed cameras at very strategic locations can be all that you need. For instance, cameras that are placed at opposite outside corners of your home can provide good coverage of most of the perimeter of the house. You can even connect these cameras to motion sensitive devices that only turns them on when motion is detected in it's surveillance area.

A couple of cameras inside the home can also be used in a very similar way and because many surveillance cameras are very small these days they can be practically invisible to the casual observance. In fact, oftentimes something as simple and cheap as a webcam can be used to capture enough video to give you the information that you need to be able to successfully monitor your home. And these are very small and inexpensive cameras to use.

With these cameras in place, you can monitor what is happening at your home from a great distance by combining them with appropriate software and connecting through the internet to view the results. There is software available that will alert you by email when motion is detected in a particular area. Or you can choose to have the cameras record video continuously for you and save it to a server where you can then access it and review it at your leisure.

Some use these setups to keep an eye on babysitters, or to monitor what their children are doing while they are away.

Of course, even if you do not have children, a home security camera system can still be beneficial for peace of mind when you are away from home. It can help you make sure that no nasty surprises will be awaiting you upon your return home.

So give consideration to incorporating a home security camera system in your security arsenal. It's cheap and very effective.

Find out more about a home security camera system and home security surveillance by visiting our Home Security website.

Home Security Locks and Hinges

Having dealt with the doors on your home in article 3, next I would like to take a look at locks and hinges.

Many homes use the lock-in-knob, this offers you convenience but it does not offer security from break ins. The fact is that many lock-in-knob type locks can be opened using a simple credit card, your home is just not secure if you are using this type of lock.

Lock-in-knob type locks are fine for internal doors that you want to lock for privacy reasons, but all exterior doors need a deadbolt lock to give the level of security required. With this type of lock when you operate the key the mechanism slides a strong metal bolt from the door into the door's frame.

These are the things you should make sure of when you buy a deadbolt lock:

The bolt extends at least 1" into the front edge of the doorframe. The strike plate is attached through the trim to the doorframe with screws at least 3" long. The lock has a rotation case hardened shroud that prevents it from being twisted off with a pair of pliers or other tools. There are two common types of deadbolts:

Single Cylinder Deadbolts

They have a thumb turn on the interior side. They are easy to use and could speed up exit in the event of an emergency like a house fire. Remember if they are used near a window they can be opened by breaking the window and reaching through. This type of deadbolt lock will not prevent a burglar from using the door to remove your property.

Double Cylinder Deadbolts

Use keys on both sides of the lock. This type of lock is more suitable if there is glass window within 40" of the lock, but they can present a potential fire escape hazard. This type of deadbolt lock can delay a burglar that wants to use the door to remove your property. The final part of the locking mechanism is the strike plate; this is attached to the doorframe with screws. The metal bolt of the deadbolt lock slides into the strike plate to secure the door to the doorframe.

A high security strike plate is needed to keep the metal bolt from being forced from the doorframe when locked. A high security strike plate should have at least 4 screws that are a minimum of 3 inches long.

Finally its time to consider the other edge of the door, there is no point in having a great deadlock fitted to a door with weak hinges. Many door hinges are often fitted with the same 3/4" screws as used for common strike plates. Replace these with 2" to 3" fully threaded screws so the hinges are anchored to the doorframe.

Make sure that the hinge pins are not exposed to the outside so a potential burglar can remove the pins to gain entry.

Hinges should be pinned by installing a partially threaded screw into the frame side of the hinge. The unthreaded portion of the screw is left exposed and the head of the screw is cut off. Then a corresponding hole is drilled into the door and hinge on the opposite side, so that when the door is closed the exposed portion of the screw fits in to the door, so preventing the door from the being lifted from its hinges.

Having a good lock fitted is only half the story; you must look after the keys, as many as half of all burglaries take place without forced entry. It is surprising how often the burglar just uses a key.

Make sure your keys don't fall into the wrong hands, the following tips should help: Never carry identification on your key ring or holder. Change the locks and keys when you move into a new house or apartment. Know who has keys to your home.

Don't give keys to maintenance or deliver people. If you must leave a key leave it with a trusted neighbor.

Make sure that each member of your family knows where his or her key is. Never hide a key outside. Burglars always know all the hiding places. Do not hang keys on hooks within plain view inside your home.

Well that just about covers the locks and doors on your home, apart from one very important item, Patio or Sliding Glass doors, these are so important that I have written a separate item about them for the next article in this series.

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