Why having a security alarm in your home is important
As much as we would like to think that we live in a world that is completely safe and that we can trust everyone around us; that is not always the case. You need to be cautious and aware of what is going on around you. It is important to take precautions to ensure that you and your families are safe, because as much as we would like to think that we live in a world that is completely safe, or that it will never happen to us; it could. Having a security alarm system in your home is important, because no one has the ability to predict a domestic burglary, and as much as neighborhood watches and other things can put you at ease, they are not nearly as effective as a home alarm system. A security alarm system will detect any unauthorized entry into your home. The basic Security system generally includes sensors on all the entry doors, some motion activated outdoor lighting, sensors on windows, and most importantly, a direct link to a monitoring service that is notified when any of these sensors are set off. The monitoring center will then alert local police and get authorities to your home immediately.
Security alarm systems offer you the assurance of knowing that you and your family are safe and protected while you are in your home, at night, and also while you are away. Troops are delpoying at record levels and some retired veterans still travel quite a bit for their jobs and these are the times when a military family needs security. Home burglaries are more common than people think; According to FBI statistics, a house, apartment or condominium is burglarized once about every 15 seconds. It has also been found that more residential burglaries occur during the day because homes tend to be vacant, which makes them an easier target. Having a security alarm system can decrease the chances of a burglary, and even if the alarm system does not keep a burglar from breaking in, it will definitely shorten the amount of time that they are in your home.
Other advantages to having a home security system include lower home insurance rates and a lot of home security system plans even offer extras such as fire/smoke and carbon monoxide detection systems, which are also important to keep up on to ensure the safety of your home.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
9 ways to lower your homeowners insurance bill
Again, came across an interesting website when i was looking into homeowners insurance online. This website explains 9 ways to get discounts on your homeowners insurance. So i thought i would list them out for you. Some of them i knew about, but some were a surprise to me.
1. Shop around: Obvious, yes! Do it, its worth it. Ask your friends how much they pay and google prices online. Youll be surprised what is out there if you ask.
2. Raise your deductible: "Deductibles are the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance company starts to pay a claim, according to the terms of your policy. The higher your deductible, the more money you can save on your premiums." Ive always known, make your deductible as high as possible. If you can afford a $1000 deductible you should pay it to save you on your monthly costs. Just raising it from $500 to $1000 you can save about 25% a month.
3. Dont confuse the worth of your home with rebuilding costs: Simply put, you dont need to insure your lott or the land you payed for under your house. If you payed $250,000 for you home. Land was $90,000 of that. Make sure you only insure $160,000.
4. Buy your home and auto insurance from the same insurer: This can save you 5-15% if you buy more than one premium
5. Improve your home security: You can usually get a discount of at least 5% just for a "monitored" smoke detector if its monitored by an alarm company. Some companies offer a savings off of your premium from 5-15% by adding a professional burglar alarm system that is monitored and connected to the police department.
6. Seek out discounts: Not all companies offer the same discount for certain things. Find out that your friend is saving 15% on their alarm and explain to your company that you want 15% discounted for your alarm! Bargain bargain bargain! They want your business, and will compete for it.
7. Maintaining a good credit score: Insurance companies increasingly are using your credit score to determine your premium amount.
8. Stay with the same insurer: If youve kept your policy for several years, 5-10 years, you should qualify for special customer discounts. Make sure to always compare the cost of your insurance to others. You can always bargain as a trusted customer.
9. When you buy a home consider the cost of home insurance: When buying a home you can consider things that would affect the cost of your insurance. Like buying a home near a fire hydrant. Make sure your community has professional fire response not voluntary. Dont buy in a flood zone or earthquake zone. These all can save you hundreds a year.
check out http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov for more details on this article if you are interested.
1. Shop around: Obvious, yes! Do it, its worth it. Ask your friends how much they pay and google prices online. Youll be surprised what is out there if you ask.
2. Raise your deductible: "Deductibles are the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance company starts to pay a claim, according to the terms of your policy. The higher your deductible, the more money you can save on your premiums." Ive always known, make your deductible as high as possible. If you can afford a $1000 deductible you should pay it to save you on your monthly costs. Just raising it from $500 to $1000 you can save about 25% a month.
3. Dont confuse the worth of your home with rebuilding costs: Simply put, you dont need to insure your lott or the land you payed for under your house. If you payed $250,000 for you home. Land was $90,000 of that. Make sure you only insure $160,000.
4. Buy your home and auto insurance from the same insurer: This can save you 5-15% if you buy more than one premium
5. Improve your home security: You can usually get a discount of at least 5% just for a "monitored" smoke detector if its monitored by an alarm company. Some companies offer a savings off of your premium from 5-15% by adding a professional burglar alarm system that is monitored and connected to the police department.
6. Seek out discounts: Not all companies offer the same discount for certain things. Find out that your friend is saving 15% on their alarm and explain to your company that you want 15% discounted for your alarm! Bargain bargain bargain! They want your business, and will compete for it.
7. Maintaining a good credit score: Insurance companies increasingly are using your credit score to determine your premium amount.
8. Stay with the same insurer: If youve kept your policy for several years, 5-10 years, you should qualify for special customer discounts. Make sure to always compare the cost of your insurance to others. You can always bargain as a trusted customer.
9. When you buy a home consider the cost of home insurance: When buying a home you can consider things that would affect the cost of your insurance. Like buying a home near a fire hydrant. Make sure your community has professional fire response not voluntary. Dont buy in a flood zone or earthquake zone. These all can save you hundreds a year.
check out http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov for more details on this article if you are interested.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Top 5 Most Common Concerns Military Homeowners Have WIth Home Security Alarms
Are you looking into purchasing a home alarm system, but have a few questions? Many military or veterans home owners have some concerns. Here are just a few to consider before buying a home security system for you and your family.
The number one concern for most people when purchasing an alarm is the cost. While you can find affordable alarm systems, there is an installation cost and a monthly fee. For many people this is their major problem. With all the other expenses, how will you afford an alarm system? The best thing to do is to weigh your options and look at basic packages to see what your family needs. Many of the pros will outweigh the cons. In the long run having an alarm system may even save you money. It can lower your home insurance costs, up the re sale value on your home, and protect your family and the possessions inside your home.
A second concern is learning how to use the system. Some people think that it can be a complicated or lengthy process. This can depend on how basic or complex your system is. If this is something you are anxious about, lean towards one of the basic systems and take a short amount of time learning the system. Most of the time if you learn it from the beginning or have a technician go over it with you, this will not be a hard process.
Another worry that people may have are false alarms being set off. Part of this concern is also that when the alarm is accidentally set off the police are still dispatched. Sometimes if this occurs there is a fine charged. This can happen when the alarm system does not know how to properly be used. If you make sure that you and the members of your household know how to use it correctly, the number of times this occurs can be limited.
Installation can cause people concern. It can be invasive to certain areas of the house where drilling holes and running wires may not be ideal. Alarms have been installed in so many homes that there are many ways to cover this up. While the process may not be fun, after it is done, your home will be much safer and you will be glad those wires and holes are there. You won’t even see them anymore anyway!
Having pets have been a worry to some people looking into purchasing an alarm system as well. Will they set off the alarm all the time? Many alarm systems come with monitoring systems that you can set up how you want. For example, if you have indoor dogs, you can turn off the inside monitors.
Many of your concerns can be addressed by the alarm company or your technician. It is ultimately up to what is best for you and your family.
The number one concern for most people when purchasing an alarm is the cost. While you can find affordable alarm systems, there is an installation cost and a monthly fee. For many people this is their major problem. With all the other expenses, how will you afford an alarm system? The best thing to do is to weigh your options and look at basic packages to see what your family needs. Many of the pros will outweigh the cons. In the long run having an alarm system may even save you money. It can lower your home insurance costs, up the re sale value on your home, and protect your family and the possessions inside your home.
A second concern is learning how to use the system. Some people think that it can be a complicated or lengthy process. This can depend on how basic or complex your system is. If this is something you are anxious about, lean towards one of the basic systems and take a short amount of time learning the system. Most of the time if you learn it from the beginning or have a technician go over it with you, this will not be a hard process.
Another worry that people may have are false alarms being set off. Part of this concern is also that when the alarm is accidentally set off the police are still dispatched. Sometimes if this occurs there is a fine charged. This can happen when the alarm system does not know how to properly be used. If you make sure that you and the members of your household know how to use it correctly, the number of times this occurs can be limited.
Installation can cause people concern. It can be invasive to certain areas of the house where drilling holes and running wires may not be ideal. Alarms have been installed in so many homes that there are many ways to cover this up. While the process may not be fun, after it is done, your home will be much safer and you will be glad those wires and holes are there. You won’t even see them anymore anyway!
Having pets have been a worry to some people looking into purchasing an alarm system as well. Will they set off the alarm all the time? Many alarm systems come with monitoring systems that you can set up how you want. For example, if you have indoor dogs, you can turn off the inside monitors.
Many of your concerns can be addressed by the alarm company or your technician. It is ultimately up to what is best for you and your family.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Military towns are among the countries most dangerous
I just read an interesting article at dailyfinance.com that seems to think that military towns are amongst some of the most dangerous towns in the country. Ive never lived in a military town so I decided to look more into this to learn why this might be the case.
In the article it lists off some of the most dangerous military towns: Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, the Patton Road near Alabama's Redstone Arsenal, Indiana's Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, Mississippi's Meridian Naval Air Station, California's Presidio of Monterey, Washington's Ault Field and Hawaii's Kaneohe Station. These cities/towns average about 455-759 property crimes per 1000 people! Im sure that Fort Hood or the bases in Colorado, Virginia Beach or Florida could be much better. This is almost 20 times more than the national average of 35 property crime reports per 1000 persons.
The article asks "So why do these ten neighborhoods have such high crime rates? According to Andrew Schiller, founder and president of NeighborhoodScout, the answer may lie in the demographics of the American military. Military bases tend to have high concentrations of young, single men living together in very close quarters. Schiller has also found similar property crime spikes in other areas -- like college student neighborhoods -- that have large concentrations of single males living together. One possible explanation for these surges in crime rates could be that young men, separated from their parents, wives, families and communities, may feel more temptation to commit certain types of crimes."
Suggestions one might consider if living in these areas: Get a dog, lock your doors with quality locks, have an alarm installed on your home, leave lights on in your home, get to know your neighbors and start a neighborhood watch program.
In the article it lists off some of the most dangerous military towns: Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, the Patton Road near Alabama's Redstone Arsenal, Indiana's Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, Mississippi's Meridian Naval Air Station, California's Presidio of Monterey, Washington's Ault Field and Hawaii's Kaneohe Station. These cities/towns average about 455-759 property crimes per 1000 people! Im sure that Fort Hood or the bases in Colorado, Virginia Beach or Florida could be much better. This is almost 20 times more than the national average of 35 property crime reports per 1000 persons.
The article asks "So why do these ten neighborhoods have such high crime rates? According to Andrew Schiller, founder and president of NeighborhoodScout, the answer may lie in the demographics of the American military. Military bases tend to have high concentrations of young, single men living together in very close quarters. Schiller has also found similar property crime spikes in other areas -- like college student neighborhoods -- that have large concentrations of single males living together. One possible explanation for these surges in crime rates could be that young men, separated from their parents, wives, families and communities, may feel more temptation to commit certain types of crimes."
Suggestions one might consider if living in these areas: Get a dog, lock your doors with quality locks, have an alarm installed on your home, leave lights on in your home, get to know your neighbors and start a neighborhood watch program.
The top states for business and where to live.
When I look into a city or state to live and to start a business want to find several key factors: How strong is the economy there? What is the foreclosure ratio? What is the cost of living? What is the average home income? What is the crime rate?
I began doing research on different locations where I could see my self living and where I could be more or less successful when opening a business. A helpful article by CNBC gave me some numbers and thoughts.
Virginia reclaims the title of America’s Top State for Business this year according to CNBC, squeezing past last year’s Top State, Texas. Texas is still a business powerhouse—the Lone Star State still has the top economy in the nation despite the falling price of oil, and its transportation infrastructure remain second to none. But Virginia, always a solid performer across the board, managed just enough improvement in the right areas—like Economy from 17th to 7th this year to regain the title it won in 2007.
I began doing research on different locations where I could see my self living and where I could be more or less successful when opening a business. A helpful article by CNBC gave me some numbers and thoughts.
Virginia reclaims the title of America’s Top State for Business this year according to CNBC, squeezing past last year’s Top State, Texas. Texas is still a business powerhouse—the Lone Star State still has the top economy in the nation despite the falling price of oil, and its transportation infrastructure remain second to none. But Virginia, always a solid performer across the board, managed just enough improvement in the right areas—like Economy from 17th to 7th this year to regain the title it won in 2007.
Texas, meanwhile, lost crucial points in our most important category, cost of doing business. Texas office rents rose, perhaps because of its strong economy, and its business taxes went up as a share of the state’s output. Because the economy deteriorated so quickly at the end of 2008, and some metrics are much more current than others, America’s Top States for Business 2009 reflects only the earliest effects of the slowdown on the competitive landscape. But still, the effects are pronounced.
An interesting factor deciding the top areas is the quality of life for the residents of the states. Virginia comes in at number 17 and Texas at number 32. This is basing these numbers off of crime rates, health care, local attractions, ect. A strong point for Utah and Colorado was that they ranked at 7 and 10 best states for quality of living. Ive lived in areas like Los Angeles and Dallas where crime is high, foreclosures are high, and its not comfortable living. I couldn't leave my home without knowing that the alarm was set. I like the thought of raising a family in Utah or Colorado where the quality of life is higher.
After looking more into this article with CNBC "Americas top states for Business" I would have to agree with their top 5.
The top 5 states to do business are
1. Virginia
2. Texas
3. Colorado
4. Iowa
5. Utah
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Free Alarms for Deployed Troops
I wanted to introduce to all of my readers a really cool and new nonprofit for military called ProtectOurTroops and it can be found at www.protectourtroops.org. This nonprofit does all they can to assist the families of deployed troops with the upfront and monthly costs of an alarm system.
There a rising need according the burea of defense for home security and deployed soldiers. If you know of anyone that is over seas, on active duty or preparing for deployment have them check out this awesome charity.
