This week I have a guest blogger,  Kory Friedman – Security Consultant from Apex Alert  www.apexalert.com  to outline some great tips on security.   I have been using Apex with many of my clients and they take great care of us  (yup I follow everything below and have a security system at my house and office).    Kory can be reached at 541.728.0301.

 As far as I’m concerned, there is no better place to live than Central Oregon.  I came to visit Bend from Southern California six years ago and it didn’t take me long to decide this would be my home.  The views are stunning, the people are friendly, and it seemed about as idyllic a place as you could get in terms of raising a family.  It’s so safe, I was told, that many people still leave their doors unlocked.  As a San Diego transplant and Security Consultant, I can’t leave the doors unlocked even if I want to.  It’s so ingrained in me to lock the door behind me that I often hear my husband yelling at me from the other side of the garage door because I flipped the lock not realizing he was outside.   You could say I’m living in fear.  But those folks who still have an open door policy might be surprised to learn that Bend’s property crime levels tend to be higher that Oregon’s average level. (You can visit www.neighborhoodscout.com to see how your neighborhood stacks up).  I design security systems for a living.  It’s my job to make sure that if a burglar attempts to get in to your home, he or she is not going to make it very far.  I want to prevent you from becoming a victim of property crime.  While a monitored security system is the best line of defense if they do get in, there are things you can do to make your home not worth the effort.There is no such thing as a burglar-proof home but you can make your house less desirable to break in to.  The enemies of the burglar are time and attention. The longer it takes to enter and the more noise he makes increases his chances of being seen and caught. Homes not easily and quickly broken into are most often bypassed for easier targets.  Follow these tips from nononsenseselfdefense.com and you’ll likely avoid becoming a statistic.  Tip #1 Make your home security system like an onion, not an egg. Layers upon layers are not only the best deterrent, but the best defense against break-ins.     Reason: It is easy for a criminal to bypass a single line of defense. Multiple layers not only slow him, but serve as a means to alert you or your neighbors that someone is trying to break in.  If, like the tip of an iceberg, enough of these deterrents are visible, most of the time the would-be intruder will simply choose not to even try. If he does try, then the layers he did not see will impede him.A good example of a layered defense is a thorny bush outside the window, double locks and/or bars on the windows, and safety coating on the windows.  Tip #2 Pretend to be a burglar
Walk around your property and ask yourself: How would I break in? Examine your house from the street, where are the blind spots?  What are the most vulnerable areas and, therefore, more likely to be attacked? Stand outside the windows and look in, make sure no valuables, like expensive electronics or artwork, are visible. If you can see your belongings doing this, so can criminals.Tip #3 As well as locking something, you must also protect the lock and its components
A common combination of cheap locks and small construction flaws, that we tend not to notice, often give criminals the “cracks” in security they need to break in.     Reason: Many home door locks can be quickly bypassed with a knife or screwdriver slid in the gap between door and frame. After that the criminal can easily work the tongue of most cheap locks out of the door frame. A thin kitchen knife slid between sash windows can “tap” a normal window lock open. Hasps and locks can be hammered or twisted off in a few blows, or simply cut off with bolt cutters. Many sliding windows and doors can simply be lifted out of place.Tip #4 Brace doorframes and put multiple locks on all outside doors
What he doesn’t know *will* hurt him. With a little extra work, the bracing can be hidden behind the doorframe’s internal molding and will not be noticeable from either inside or outside. For the burglar, this is like unexpectedly hitting an invisible wall.     Reason: The most common means of breaking into homes is simply by kicking in the door. Most doorframes are made of 1 inch pine which saves the contractor money. This makes them vulnerable to this basic assault. Multiple locks and bracing under the molding make this kind of entrance unlikely and will not destroy the beauty of your home.Tip #5 Find alternatives to normal deadbolts in doors that have windows (or windowed frames)
Talk with a locksmith about what is available.     Reason: Most burglaries occur during the day when you are away at work. Unfortunately, many back doors are decorative and windowed. It is easy for a burglar to punch out a small window, reach in and unlock the door. Since they are off the street and out of view this is why most break-ins occur through the back and side doors.Tip #6 Treat inside garage doors the same as an outside door: multiple locks and bracing.
Even though it is inside your home, it must be able to withstand a full out assault. Often, the doors that access the house from the garage are hollow-core and have cheap locks (if they are locked at all) which is why break-ins through garages are so common.     Reason: Criminals often cruise neighborhoods looking for open garage doors. Once an open garage door is found, they pull in, close the door, park their car and then start piling your possessions into it. Although they might still do it occasionally, criminals no longer need to cruise the neighborhood with a stolen garage door opener pushing the button to see whose door will open, an incredible number of  people just leave the door wide open for them when “just running down to the store.”Tip #7 Plant thorny bushes in front of all vulnerable windows.
Thorny landscaping not only adds beauty to your home, but makes even getting close to such windows an unappealing prospect.Tanya Carlsen, Landscape Designer with Carlseng Designs, suggests planting Barberry.  She says it’s a great thorny bush that does well in our climate.  Other options include Rugosa roses and Wood’s rose.  While they don’t have good thorns, they would be better than a softer shrub at deterring thieves.Tip #8 Look into safety-coating the most vulnerable windows.
Safety coat is an adhesive plastic sheeting that makes breaking out windows difficult.Tip #9 Get and close heavy drapes — especially on rooms where there is expensive equipment. Thin, sheer drapes –although attractive — also allow burglars to look inside.     Reason: It is often amazing how often a home intruder will walk up and look through the windows of a home to see if there is anything worth stealing. Sheer curtains allow him to do this. He knows what he wants to steal before he even breaks in.Tip #10 Make sure sliding glass doors and windows are installed correctly.
Not everyone in the construction industry is a rocket scientist. And their incompetence and laziness can cost you plenty.     Reason: An estimated one quarter of all sliding glass doors and windows are installed backwards (so the sliding part is on the outside track). This allows the criminal to simply lift out the panel and enter.Tip #11 Install motion detector lights in areas where no one should be.
This way, you know something isn’t right when they go off.     Reason: Most people put safety lights where they do the least good. While they illuminate your approach as you pull into your driveway, such lights are often hard to see if you are indoors. Put them along the side of the house or back, so that someone lurking there sets them off.  You can also install a security system that can automate your lighting, so that lights can turn on at a specific time of day.Tip #12 Get a dog.
A barking dog, whether inside the house or in the yard, is proven as the best deterrent to burglars.Tip #13 Create a neighborhood watch on your block.
Even just the signs often sends would-be burglars elsewhere.Reason: An alert and involved community is the criminal’s nemesis. It is often reason enough for him to try business elsewhere. Tip #14 Make sure the gates are locked if you have a fence. This is especially important with accesses to the alley.Tip #15 Leave the stereo/TV on
An empty house “feels” empty. There is no vibration or noise inside that indicates someone’s presence. Put the “vibes” in.  If you read this blog then you already know how important this is.  Shannon and the Home Fridays staff put the vibes in your home so it appears lived in.  Tip #16 Etch your name on all electronic equipment TV/stereo/computer and then tape it
Etching, in and of itself serves as a deterrent in case of a break in, failing that it greatly assists the police in the recovery of your property.Tip #17 Get a safe!
It’s not just cash and jewels that need to go in there, but your important paperwork.     Reason: Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the US. Although many people think burglars are going to go for jewelry, silverware or electronics, what most people don’t realize is that the greatest damage to you will be if the criminal gets access to your personal identification and financial records!!! A criminal can clone your identity and steal everything you have, up to and including selling your property. Passports can sell for as much as a thousand dollars. Tip #18 On top of everything else, get an alarm system.
This is another layer of the onion. You can go anywhere from a basic system to one that is incredibly high tech.      Reason: Now that you’ve made it slow and difficult for him to get inside, an alarm is far more effective since it gives the cavalry a chance to arrive in time. In addition, burglar, carbon monoxide and fire alarms do wonders to keep your home owner’s insurance down.

Did you know that in the city of Bend, Oregon if your water usage is excessively high the city will come out and hang a tag on your door telling you about the high water usage?  It is a nice gesture, but seriously who is going to see that if you are out of town?   Apparently if nothing is done, then the city in the next month or so will come back out and turn off the water.  But at that point — the damage is done!   What you need is someone to find the hang tag and take immediate action.  High water consumption can be a big deal — leaks in the house, leaks in the sprinkler system.  None of it a good thing.

We recently found a home we take care of that was ‘tagged’ by the city.  Turned out with lots of research with the plumber, talking with the city and meeting the city — that the high water usage was found.  In the meantime we were able to assure the client that nothing in the house was leaking — the ultimate fear of anyone who hears ‘lots of water’.   The humidifier was excessively flushing and once it was turned off, the water usage dropped to zero.  Would this have been found eventually?  If someone was home it might have taken even longer to figure out.  As we easily shut off each part of the house and irrigation system until the source was found.  And with no one watching the house, the problem would have gone on for a few more weeks or months before the city shut off the water.  The easiest solution — have a service such as Home Fridays watch over your home.  Your second home is our first priority!

There really is no way of knowing if all your utilities have been setup unless you are in the house.  That is where Home Fridays comes into the picture.  With our house checks we can find the gas that hasn’t come on, the furnace that failed when the neighborhood had a power outage.  You have eyes and ears at the house when you can’t be there.

A sad story about a local home.  The house went through inspection with flying colors, sale went through and everyone was happy.  The utilities were changed over to the new owners name.  Unfortunatley the gas company did not turn over correctly.  The gas was cut off and no heat to the home.  With no one in the house, sitting vacant not a problem – WRONG.  The water was on, the toilets full of water, the showers, the pipes, the ice maker.  Lots of water all over the house – frozen solid.  Within a month of ownership the home goes from  great to problematic.  We will never know why the gas wasn’t turned on correctly.  And had the house been with Home Fridays, we would have found the problem early and possibly prevented any pipes from freezing. 

It is a sad commentary on the area when home break-ins increase.  Recently we had a window broken on a home – the alarm went off and the intruder was scarred away.  With a quick response by local authorities (because the alarm is monitored and we knew that no one should have been in the house) significant damage or theft was averted.    This house is in a quiet area and it would have been easy access if the alarm did not exist. 

Until recently we had only a handful of homes with alarms.  But now I strongly encourage alarms.  Home Fridays is a great deterrent as we are in the house changing the lighting pattern and giving the house a more lived in feel.  But we are not there 24/7.  And that is when the alarm really comes in handy. 

We usually get the call that the alarm has gone off.  If the owners are visiting or someone is scheduled to be there – we run over to the house.  If no one is scheduled, we let the police respond and then go over.  Sorry, I am just not big and scary enough to drive anyone away from the house!  Sometimes it is a false alarm, but in this recent case it was not.  

We have heard stories about a moving van pulling up in front of a house that was for sale.  They cleaned out the entire house of furniture and everything.  It was months before anyone discovered the theft.  The neighbors – just thought they had sold the house.   Alarm service along with Home Fridays would have prevented that theft.

Another vacation home was slowly cleaned out by the thieves over a matter of weeks or even months.  The final straw – they left the door open.  So the pipes froze and the owner was alerted when he received an enormous water bill.  He drove out to his home and found the door ajar, water running through the house and the things the thief had left, out on the lawn.  A good monitored alarm system along with Home Fridays would have prevented that – our weekly visits will discover any issues and get them resolved.

Recently we had a late night emergency call when water was flowing from a clients house into the neighbor’s yard.  A quick trip to the house and a little detective work identified a problem with the water feature.  The water was working hard to fill itself up – and then the water was running out of the feature and directly into the neighbors yard.  All easy problems to solve, but not something that can go unattended until the owners are back in town.  Just another reason you want someone watching the house and be sure they are available 24/7.  Because we all know these issues don’t happen at 9am on Monday mornings. 

Water features are amazing and so relaxing to have in the yard.  But without proper maintenance they can make a big impact in a  negative way.  The pumps need to be cleaned and the water ways need to be maintained.  Be sure that the pumps are cleaned out weekly – especially when the pine needles and leaves are falling.  The pumps can get clogged and then water runs out over the pump, instead of draining.  With the auto fill water, the water feature becomes a big water pump for the yard.   Also, over time the walls of the feature can freeze, thaw, settle and get dislodged (sometimes dogs an people can play a part as well).  If the water path is disrupted, it can run out onto the yard and again the pump will just fill up the yard.  Or in the case of one of our owners – filled up the neighbors yard!  One of our clients has a beautiful water feature and 3 big dogs who love it.  Over time they had moved enough stones out of one area to allow water to escape the planned flow.  The water pumped into the neighbors yard and no one was happy. 

As the building industry has gone through changes, many contractors and leaving the trade, the area or just not renewing their license.  There has been and increase in the number of unlicensed contractors.  Check out this report of a recent sting operation.  http://tinyurl.com/cguj4s   It is important to verify that the contractor you are thinking about is licensed.  Go to your local contractors board to see listing, check out records and learn how to protect yourself.  Here is a link to Oregon Contractors Board to see how you can find a contractor and check their license http://tinyurl.com/c2h7sb

This past weekend vandals broke into a vacant house, plugged all the drains and turned the water on.  The house sustained major damage  http://kohd.com/page/62151  See KOHD for the story.  It is a sad reality of the current economy that vandalism is on the rise.  Home Fridays is an excellent deterent along with a good security system in this kind of event.  Not only are we there on a weekly basis to give the home a lived in look.  We also usually act as a first point of contact for our owners when the alarms do sound.  I  have always been a huge fan of preventative measures and this is the times we need them.

Well it has started, the burglery of vacation homes.  http://www.ktvz.com/global/story.asp?s=9301382   The story tells of a couple living next door to a vacation home, who spent weeks stealing out of the home and storing items in sheds behind their rental house.  A note to vacation home owners – if you aren’t going to be there, be sure to have someone who checks on the house.  Also, an alarm is not a bad idea either.  Just be sure you have a local contact (like Home Fridays, hint hint) to check on the house after the alarm goes off.  You want someone who is close by and can tell if anything is missing.  It is unfortunate that we have to be aware of things like this.  But an ounce of prevention is always a good idea. 

Recently a home owner (not a Home Fridays client) ordered new floors installed in their home.  When the flooring installer went to the home, they found the floors wet due to a major leak.  The home owner is remote and had no idea about the leak.  Someone was called in to fix the leak.  To fix the leak, the roof needed to cleared of snow.  So the homeowner paid the floor installer to clear the roof.  

Roofs and floors are substantially different and wouldn’t you know it – something awful happened.  The guys clearing the snow tossed so much snow on top of the gas meter – that they broke it.  But they didn’t know it was broken.  So someone else figured that out.  The gas company came and capped the meter and shut off the gas.  So the repair guys come out 3 days later to finish the job and the house is cold (no gas, no heat) and the pipes are freezing. 

This will be a fun one for the owner to explain to the insurance company!  The simple solution – have a local contact that watches the house, hires and manages all the workers.  That way you are getting the right people, doing the right job and in the end – saving a lot of money!   

The not so sweet smell of propane greeted us upon entry and inspection to one of our homes.  If left unattended either the house would have blown up or the furnaces shut down and major freezing occurred.   The number of propane explosions across the country is scary.  Here is a link about the dangers  http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/propane-explosions.html

What Happened  Upon entering the house we found the unmistakable smell of a major propane leak – rotten eggs in the house.  We quickly exited the home and made calls from outside to get help.

Home Fridays Solution  We called the furnace company because they had been in the house just last week for a repair and the furnace was most likely the cause of the problem.  If the furnace company had not been able to come to the house immediately we would have called the fire department.  Once the fire department shut off the propane to the house – the furnace guys would need to come in and get everything fixed.  The furnace guys showed up while we waited at the the top of the driveway with the house doors open and airing out.  He was able to identify the faulty part and shut down the furnace.  This house has two furnaces – so the other furnace was called upon to heat the entire house.  The solution took several days to finalize and included digging out the propane tank (buried in the snow) and replacing a part several times.  But in the end the house was aired out, the smell was gone and the furnace was back in action.