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10 things burglars don’t want you to know

Reblogger Cheryl Ritchie
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Leading Edge www.GoldenResults.com 71785

Glance through these ten tips and tell me which ones catch your eye. The one that resonated with me was the fact that the person had already been there. The person already knew where to look. The person had been in the neighborhood or by your home before. Well worth the read!

Original content by Robert Siciliano

Burglars would rather keep their dirty little secrets to themselves. But today, Schlage, makers of the grade one Touchscreen Deadbolt, and I are revealing what they don’t want you to know.

  1. Burglars have jobs too. Your burglar was already in your house. He was there recently to repair the furnace, deliver the new flat screen TV or pick up old furniture you wanted to donate.
  2. Attractive ornaments or pricey “kids’ things” outside your home can indicate to a potential intruder that your house is full of valuables.
  3. Don’t let a service person use your bathroom. This may seem rude, but burglars have been known to visit the john so they could unlock or disable its window for future entrance into your house.
  4. Make sure your house alarm’s control panel is not visible through glass to someone loitering outside.
  5. Always have your newspaper and mail delivery put on hold when you’re away. And if you notice a flyer on your doorknob, immediately remove it so that the burglar who put it there doesn’t think you’re on vacation.
  6. Would you ever exit your house wearing only socks because you forgot to put your shoes on? Absolutely never! So make it a point to also never forget to lock your door after leaving.
  7. If someone is at your door, and you’re not expecting anyone, it’s not a crime to ignore them. That person on the other side may be a burglar casing your house (“Do you know where Clover Street is?”) and your demeanor to see if you’re easy prey.
  8. Hot spots for a burglar’s entrance include the window above the kitchen sink and the upper level windows. Have these spots set with alarms, and install motion detectors upstairs.
  9. Even a half-witted burglar knows to check medicine bottles for those diamond earrings, and scour through the sock and underwear drawer for more valuables. But he just might not bother going into the children’s bedrooms.
  10. Even though the sun’s beginning to set, you insist on keeping your blinds up or curtains open to milk what little daylight is left to lighten up the room. Meanwhile, a savvy burglar is strolling about the neighborhood, catching glimpses through windows that he can see through because it’s dusk (let alone night time). This way he can pick easy looking targets or ones with visible valuables.

Robert Siciliano home security expert to Schlage discussinghome security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247.

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Carol Zingone
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Florida Network Realty - Jacksonville Beach, FL
Global Realtor in Jax Beach, FL - ABR, CRS, CIPS
Cheryl - my new to me flat screen "took a walk" last year.....not long after my garbage disposal was replaced...needless to say, I will not have that service provider back in my house!
Jan 26, 2014 08:47 PM
Cindy Edwards
RE/MAX Checkmate - Johnson City, TN
CRS, GRI, PMN - Northeast Tennessee 423-677-6677

Good morning Cheryl,

Well, I have been known to go out in just my socks......

We live in a very rural area a 6 acres, no one can even see our house.  We have big dogs, guns  and an alarm system.  I know that's not full proof, but it helps.

Jan 26, 2014 08:52 PM
Sharon & Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette, IN - Lafayette, IN
West Lafayette homes for sale

Cheryl, these are very good tips to pass on.  I always wondered if there was a correlation with "repair" people entering our homes and things later disappearing.  Interesting!

Jan 26, 2014 09:31 PM
Christopher Pagli
William Raveis Legends Realty Group - Tarrytown, NY
"I Stay Open Until You Close"

Great tips thanks!  I used to love the TV show "It Takes A Thief".

Jan 26, 2014 09:35 PM
Larry Brewer - Benchmark Realty llc
Benchmark Realty LLc - Nashville, TN

I like your tips, and the fact that it's probably someone who is in the neighborhood on a regular basis should make people pay more attention to these people. It's one of the reasons that most neighborhood associations in my area don't allow solicitation.

You know that I'm a pretty sneaky guy. I took the door bell off of my house. And because my office is in the front of the house looking down at the street, I usually see people coming, and get prepared.  If I think they may be a potential threat, I pull my Smith and Wesson out of the desk and wait to see what happens. If they knock on the door and just leave, then I watch to see what happens at the neighbors along the street. I sometimes take a picture of the car or truck with the license plate, just in case something does happen in the neighborhood.

I've never had anything stolen out of my house or car, but that probably doesn't surprise you.

Jan 26, 2014 10:27 PM
Suzanne De Vita
RISMedia
Online Associate Editor

Cheryl,

Great share! It also might be worth looking into hiring a house sitter!

Jan 29, 2014 11:08 PM