The essentials of keeping your home and family safe with an alarm system.

Do you feel safe in your home? According to the FBI’s crime report, there means there are about 2.5 million home intrusions per year in the United States, including burglaries and home invasions. That means that one in every thirty-six homes will be entered unlawfully any given year in the United States, at a rate of every fifteen seconds. And with the average loss for each home burglary reaching $2,230, totaling $4.7 billion every year, it’s more important that ever to protect your home along with your most priceless possessions – your family. Yet, it’s reported that only 17 % of homeowners have a security system or any automated deterrent.

The solution for many diligent homeowners is to install an alarm system to protect their house. Of course there are other effective ways to protect your residence - like having a dog, making sure you close and lock windows and doors, communicating with neighbors, posting plenty of outdoor lighting and always keeping the appearance that someone is home. But when it comes from stopping the bad guys from entering your castle, there is no replacement for a good security system.

So it’s no surprise that the home security sector is a thriving business in the U.S. In fact, NextMarket forecasts the do-it-yourself home security industry will be a $1.5 billion business by 2020, not to mention professional security and alarm services. And now, the home security market is catering to a clientele they never have tried to attract before: renters, who make up about one third of all households, and customers from lower or moderate income neighborhoods.

Will a home security system really keep you safe? It’s definitely best used in conjunction with the above-mentioned safety measures, not to replace them. But nearly 80% of homeowners who have alarms rated their systems as effective in protecting their homes, according to a survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

That’s why costs for systems have come down and there is more flexibility in piecing together à La carte or customizable security systems, as well as the precipitous rise in DIY home systems that you can easily buy at Home Depot, hardware stores, or order online. Many of these kits, like SimpliSafe, Korner and Canary sell for $200-$500 and are easy to install.

But buyers should beware, because the industry isn’t well regulated and many companies are charged with pressure and scare sales tactics and wild variances in pricing. The same alarm system that one company will install for free (to get a long term contract for monitoring) may cost $2-$3,000 with another provider.

It’s important to understand the components of any home security system so you can determine what’s necessary - and most effective – for your home.

First off, there is an actual physical alarm system. Wires attached to windows and doors trigger an alarm when they are opened (and the alarm is on), notifying you of a break in.

That may include cameras, which are often not hardwired but run on batteries and transmit footage through a Wi-Fi signal. Many of them have night vision features and can record data on a remote DVR for playback if a crime is committed. The nicer systems have audio capabilities (including the ability to broadcast your voice to whom ever is in your house!) and employ facial recognition capabilities.

The next part of that equation is monitoring. Once the alarm is triggered, it will automatically make a distress call to the police department or a security monitoring service. Alarm systems work without the monitoring service, but just because it makes a loud noise, doesn’t mean someone is coming to help. Most alarm installers will install the actual alarm for zero or a nominal cost so they can make money off signing you to a long term monitoring contract, often up to three years at $20 to $50 a month.

There are also higher-end systems that trigger the alarm when the glass on windows or doors is broken, and when motion sensors pick up a potential intruder. Advanced features integrate sensors to detect home fires and carbon monoxide alarms.

These days, home security is high tech, with many systems that allow you to set, disable, and monitor your alarm virtually through your computer or smart phone app. You can also get live feed of your surveillance footage from your phone when you have surveillance cameras, and control other home features like lighting and temperature.

Maybe the DIY option is for you, but for those who want to use a professional security service, we’ve compiled a list of the highest rated nationally recognized companies based on rankings from ConsumerAdvocates.org. Of course there are pros and cons to each, so do your own research and assess which alarm system is right for your home and circumstances. Local police forces often will come out to give a free security assessment to help guide you, and you can also check with the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List.

#1 Frontpoint

Rated 10/10

•    Top 5% Angie's list customer service award. Editor's Choice.

•    GE wireless hardware - camera, & mobile app options

•    Best reputation in Home Security

•    30-day free trial then 3-year term

Top quality monitoring, from $34.99/mo

#2 ADT

Rated 10/10

•    Most recognizable brand & most popular in US

•    Get it installed by a pro for free - save time and don't risk doing it wrong

•    High quality hardware with mobile app to stay connected

•    3-year term. 2-year term (in California)

Website doesn't show pricing, easy online quotes

#3 Protect America

Rated 9/10

•    Low starting prices

•    Simple yet effective equipment

•    3-year term

Expect to pay $19.99-$42.99/mo

#4 Vivint

Rated 8/10

•    Highest quality home security and automation

•    Up to $1500 in free equipment

•    4-year term

No entry-level pricing, expect to pay at least $12 more per month on average.

#5 Link Interactive

Rated 7/10

•    60 years of experience in Home Security

•    Big savings in first year after discount

•    Wireless System includes home automation!

Expect to pay $29.99/mo

#6 AlarmForce

Rated 7/10

•     Popular in Canada, In US only available in NC, OH, GA, FL, MN

•    2-way communication

•    $25/mo

•    3-year term

Estimated 1st year total: $300

#7 SimpliSafe

Rated 6/10

•    Monitoring $19.99/mo

•    Pay more up front to buy your own equipment

•    No contract since you own the equipment

Estimated 1st year total: $409.84

#8 XFINITY

Rated 6/10

•    $199 installation fee increases cost

•    $29.95/mo

•    3-year term

Estimated 1st year total: $558.40

#9 AT&T Digital Life

Rated 6/10

•    Only available for single homes or townhouses

•    Home automation features

•    24 month contract

Estimated 1st year total: $629.87

#10 Alarm Relay

Rated 8/10

•    Most Complicated: Hardware & monitoring sold separately

•    Alarm Relay $8.95/mo

•    1-year contract

•    Estimated 1st year total: $342.40

Monitoring Only from Alarm Relay

10 Strategies to deter thieves from robbing your home.

With a residential robbery occurring every 15 seconds in this country and the average loss at $1,725 per incident, it’s more important than ever to protect your home and family. We recently covered the data about home safety and what criminals are looking for, and now we're going to protect you. Here are 10 strategies to focus on, “hardening the target,” to make your home imminently safer.

1. Doors.

We’ll start with the easiest and most frequent access point for home thieves – your doors. In fact, the vast majority of burglars come right through the front or back doors. Usually all it takes is a well-placed kick to get through the door, because no matter how big or solid it is, it’s only as strong as the kick plate and locking mechanism. So install solid core or metal exterior doors with reinforced strike plates. Try to avoid doors with glass windows, or make sure they are made out of a shatterproof material.  Install a wide-angle peephole so you can see who’s knocking – or who is hiding. Sliding glass doors should have an extra locking mechanism so they can’t be easily pried open, and a dowel in the slider or metal track blocker.

2. Windows.

Windows are the second most common access point for burglars, but they usually don’t have to use force or break anything to get in. Homeowners leave windows open or unlocked all the time, especially in warmer weather months, and thieves can easily scoot in and then let themselves out with your valuable possessions. Most windows are built with latches, but they don’t really deter burglars. So install secondary locks on all windows – including those on the second floor. They have locking mechanisms that allow you to keep your window ajar for airflow, but not open wide enough for someone to get in. If you have horizontal sliders, you can use dowels and track blockers just like sliding glass doors.

3. Landscaping.

The main concern of a thief is to scout out your home in a very short time while remaining inconspicuous. You make it easy for them to accomplish this when you have overgrown bushes, trees, and landscaping that block the view from the street. So trim everything back and so their suspicious behavior will be exposed.

4. Lighting.

Set up exterior lighting that is bright and casts a wide angle. Put these on motion sensors but make sure they are higher than a person can reach (so they can’t be disabled). Put a few interior and exterior lights on timers to keep thieves guessing if anyone is home.

5. Alarm system.

You spend a lot of money on your home and even more on all of the nice thins inside, but remember that your family is your most priceless thing in your life. So it makes a lot of sense to invest in a quality alarm system to protect them. There are many different options for al budgets and needs – including monitoring services, video surveillance you can monitor remotely, and DIY systems. You might even get a discount on homeowners insurance by having an alarm and definitely, whether you have a system installed yet or now, put up alarm warning stickers on windows and doors and hang a few fake cameras. 

6. A dog.

Thieves are deterred by home security measures and technology, but they’re downright afraid of dogs! So keep Fido roaming the house during the night and in plain site of the front yard during the day. Even if you don’t have a dog, you can make a thief think you do! Put Beware of Dog stickers and yard signs out, a small dog door on a side door, and a dog bowl and few chew toys out near back or side doors you feel are vulnerable.

7. Social media.

What does social media have to do with your home? You’d be shocked how much a person could learn about you, your family, your routines, and your personal information on your Facebook, Instagram, or social media pages – including exactly where you live. Once they have your address and see you check in at your favorite restaurant, they know the coast is clear. Be very careful who you add as a friend, what information is public, and be discreet about your whereabouts. Don’t check in at home or take photos that reveal your home with the address numbers showing.

8. Vacation.

It’s not hard for a robber to know when you’re on vacation – and take advantage by breaking in. So try not to reveal exact travel plans on your social media sites, have the post office hold your mail, put your newspaper on hold, hire a local teen to come water your plants and leave a car in the driveway, alert neighbors, and keep lights and even the stereo or TV on timers to make the home appear lived in.

9. The mailbox.

A burglar doesn’t have to even get inside your home to rob you blind – they only need to get into your mailbox. Just by reaching in after the mailman, they can access sensitive financial documents and steal your identity. In fact, identity and financial theft is the fastest growing crime in America, and one in every eight people will be impacted any year. So keep a mailbox with a lock, big enough for the postman to slip through mail or very small packages but secure from “grabby” thieves passing by.

10. Neighbors and community.

No matter how much time goes by or how much technology we develop, I believe our best asset is still people. Get to know your neighbors and ask them to communicate if there’s anything suspicious or out of the ordinary at your home. Give them your cell and work numbers in case of emergency and alert them to your travel plans. You can also get involved with the Neighborhood Watch program and community development organizations, and if one doesn’t exist, found your own chapter!

25 Alarming statistics about burglaries and home break-ins.

Your home is a sacred thing, the biggest investment you’ll make in your life but more than that, the place where you raise your precious family. So there is no worse feeling than when that safe haven is violated by a burglar. Yet crimes against property are alarmingly common, especially in certain cities and certain neighborhoods. But there are some facts about home robberies that may shock you – and hold the key to putting up a good defense against home robberies. 

There's no more important mission that keeping your family and home safe, so here are the 25 stats about burglaries:

1. According to the FBI’s 2012 crime report, there were 2,103,787 burglaries in 2012 (the most recent year with statistics on records.) Combined with the number of home invasions, that means there are about 2.5 million home intrusions per year in the United States!

2. That means that one in every thirty-six homes will be burglarized any given year in the United States, and they’ll occur every fifteen seconds.

3. The average loss for each home burglary is $2,230, totaling $4.7 billion every year.

4. The cities with the highest home burglary rates are:

Fayetteville, NC

Flint, MI

Toledo, OH

Little Rock, AR

Memphis, TN

Montgomery, AL

Bakersfield, CA

Spokan, WA

Winston-Salem, NC

Columbus, GA

5. Home robbers look for specific things – items they can transport easily, are hard to track, and they know they can sell quickly for high cash value.

6. If a burgler enters your home, they’re looking for:

Cash

Electronics (phones, laptops, MP3 players, etc.)

Gold

Guns

Jewelry

Silver

7. Burglars usually target the master bedroom first because they know it’s a hotbed for jewelry, collectibles, antiques, and also where people are most likely to keep their safe, which may contain cash, other valuables, or a firearm.

8. After the master bedroom they target the home office (financial information and electronics,) the living room (electronics) and the dining room.

9. While the common perception is that we are more susceptible to break-ins and robberies at night because criminals work under cover of darkness, the reality is that most home thieves operate during the day. They case neighborhoods usually between 10am and 3pm, when they know residents and their families are at work, doing errands, or in school.

10. 65% of home break-ins occur between 6am and 6pm.

11. The demographic for the typical burglar is a male in his mid to late teens up to 25 years old. Surprisingly, they usually target homes that are within a couple miles of where they live.

12. The average burglar spends only 8-12 minutes in a home they rob. They usually spend well under a minute gaining access to the home.

13. Most burglars enter the home through the front door, believe it or not. And they don’t have to kick it down – they jiggle the handle to see if it’s unlocked, and then look around under the mat, under plants, or for fake rocks to obtain the spare key.

14. If the front door is locked, the second most popular way for thieves to break in is through a first floor window, followed by the back door.

15. Thieves gain entrance to homes through the front door 34% of the time, and through an unlocked window about 30% of the time.

16. Nearly 66% of all burglaries are residential break-ins, not businesses.

17. Is our society more dangerous now than a decade or even a generation ago? According to statistics by the Bureau of Justice, in 1972, 110 out of every 1,000 households were burglarized.

18. By 2002, 30 years later, that number was way down to 27.7 out of every 1,000 households, and n 2008 it fell even more to 26.3 per 1,000.

19. And though the perception is that we’re a little more susceptible during the holidays, the highest percentage of burglaries take place during the summer months, specifically in July and August. February is the month with the least amount of break-ins.

20. During warm weather months, the most common form of entry is through an unlocked or open window on the ground floor.

21. 95% of break-ins involve the use of force to gain entry (against the property.) Thieves use hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, crowbars, rocks, or knives to break doors to windows to gain access. But the most common form of entry by force is a simple kick to a door!

22. Are these burglars all professional criminals who clinically enter and rob homes? Not at all – in fact, 55% of all home break-ins come from amateur or novice criminals, who are usually more desperate (and more dangerous.) That’s why 1 out of every 3 residential assaults occur when a burglar is caught in the act.

23. Police only solve 13% of all home burglaries.

24. Only 17% of U.S. homes have some sort of security system.

25. Homes with security systems are 270% less likely to be targeted by thieves and 300% less likely to be actually robbed.

Subscribe to this blog or email us and we’ll let you know when the second part of this series is posted, which details 20 ways to keep your home safe from burglars.