You may be thrilled that you and your family recently purchased a marvelous home for sale in Fort Lauderdale. But before you run out and spend a small fortune on some fancy alarm system that you can control from your smartphone, you may want to learn just how secure the neighborhood is. Do you have a big dog that will scare away any intruders, and are there break-ins on your block on a regular basis, or would a burglary be an extreme rarity? These questions can be deciding factors in your next step towards home security.
While finding out all the details on crimes in a particular neighborhood may not be easy, you should still attempt to do your homework. Speak to would-be neighbors and the local police department. How many car and home break-ins have occurred in the last 12 months? A number of police stations already have much of this information on hand. Not only do they keep detailed records of residential crimes, but they even have statistics broken down into individual blocks.
Best of all, any owner or potential owner of a home for sale in Fort Lauderdale is entitled to this information. Simply request the crime stats, and you can receive a listing of crimes committed, including break-ins and robberies, as well as more heinous acts, like rapes and murders that have occurred in the last 10 years or so.
Getting this information from a local police department may actually be the smartest way to learn about crime in a specific neighborhood. While speaking to the residents is always suggested, the police tend to know more than the average Joe. At the same time, just because a neighborhood has experienced its fair share of crime in the past doesn’t mean it will still have troubles in the future, and vice-versa. But if there have been numerous break-ins and no burglar has ever been caught, a trend may be emerging.
Let’s say your home is in a neighborhood that has suffered multiple break-ins, it is time to improve your security. After all, no homeowner wants a stranger around his or her family and valuables. That’s why you should get an alarm system that notifies the police if anyone enters your place. You can also replace worn doors, windows, and locks all around your property. Next, begin practicing wise security techniques, like always closing the garage door, as well as locking every door and window in your property.
The last trick to protecting your home may be the most time and money consuming, but it is certainly the most fun. Get a dog. It can either be big in size or merely have a big enough bark to scare away any and all intruders. For instance, Penny Todd is a Fort Lauderdale luxury homeowner who lives with a golden retriever named Taco. Merely looking at the giant canine is enough to scare away just about anyone, whether they are invited in or not. Not only does Penny feel safe, but her home has never been so well protected.
About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty:
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 19 counties throughout Florida with over 40 locations and approximately 1,800 Sales Professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management, REO & Foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home service plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network among 42,000 Sales Professionals, 1,200 offices throughout 47 states. The company is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation, having generated more than $3.37 million since 2001. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.
