Tips to Protect Homeowners from Break-Ins and Robberies

Houston is one of the top cities in America for break-ins, but there are some things you can do to keep you and your family safe.

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Today I have a strange guest who requested to be here himself — Rob claims to be the president of the Houston Burglary Association, and he wants to share a few tips about his recent success in our area.

Houston is one of the top cities in America for break-ins and home invasions, which Rob and his fellow robbers are thrilled about. His targets — or clients — make his job easy by leaving doors unlocked while they are away at work. Most robberies or home invasions take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., so make sure that your doors are locked.

People who live in the suburbs often get lulled into a false sense of security and start to leave garage doors open or doors unlocked. Many homeowners do invest in security systems but neglect to set up sensors around the master bathroom window, which is a focal point for Rob and his colleagues.

Don’t post about your vacations on social media.

The good news is that Sean Collins from ADT Security makes business difficult for Rob the robber. Sean empowers his clients by providing knowledge and tips to help you prevent home break-ins or robberies. Unlike Rob, Sean works hard to keep you and your family safe.

You don’t have to get in touch with Rob — just announce on Facebook that you are on vacation and he will be in touch with you. If you would like to stop Rob and other members of the Burglary Association from targeting your home, call Sean Collins at 713-382-9363 or email him at swcollins@adt.com.

As always, if you have any real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. If anyone sees Rob the robber out and about, give me a call — I think he has my purse!

3 Cost-Effective Home Security Tips

For those of us with families, home security is of the utmost importance. Today I’m joined

by Sean Collins of ADT to discuss some easy ways to keep your home safe.

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Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale

Today I’m joined by Sean Collins with ADT Home Security to discuss a few tips and tricks for keeping your home safe and secure. Security is of the utmost importance when it comes to our families, so here are three tips to keep your home protected from intruders:

1.    Secure your doors. Your doors are one of the primary points of entry, so changing your locks is important for this reason, and Sean recommends using bump-proof locks. Strike plates with 3.5” screws are a great way to reinforce the doors as well.

2.    Protect your windows. One of the biggest draws for criminals today is the master bathroom window, which is usually located downstairs. One easy fix to close this area off to intruders is to plant a rose bush or some sago palms outside in front of the window to make it more difficult for anyone to gain access to it.

3.    Get a Ring Doorbell. The Ring Doorbell is essentially a doorbell with a built-in camera that allows you to see and communicate with anyone near your front door, whether you’re home or not. Sean highly recommends this, especially for families with kids who have to spend time alone in the house.

Your alarm system should be your last resort.

These are some easy and relatively cost-effective ways to protect your home. Sean encourages all homeowners to use their alarm system only as a last resort when it comes to security.

If you have other questions for Sean, even if you’re not necessarily interested in installing a home alarm system, give him a call at (713) 382-9363 or email him at swcollins@adt.com.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about home security or anything else related to real estate, feel free to reach out to me by phone or email as well. I’d be happy to help you!