9 simple ways to protect your home from burglars

You might not have a criminal mind, but think how a crook finds the perfect houses to target. An empty home in a neighborhood where people keep to themselves, no cameras or alarms, and dark or dimly lit structures, right?

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A home security system can go a long way toward making your house unattractive to thieves, but there are more steps you can take to deter burglars. Here are nine tips you can implement right away.

1. Know your neighbors

Your house (and neighbors’ homes) will be less attractive to burglars if the people on your street spend time on their porches, working in their yards or socializing outdoors. Neighbors who know each other look out for each other.

Make friends with the people on your street. If you trust them, you can ask them to help keep an eye on your house when you’re on vacation.

You can check if there’s a Neighborhood Watch program for your area. And if there isn’t, maybe you should be the one to start it. Tap or click here for the 10 questions you should ask if you want a home security system.

2. Install video cameras

A study by the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation found more than 60% of burglars would consider the presence of cameras or surveillance equipment when choosing a target. This is where a home security system comes in.

Our sponsor, SimpliSafe, offers the SimpliCam with HD video and intruder and motion alerts. Options for home security systems used to be very limited. You could deal with a local company with a complex and expensive system and pay a high price for monitoring services.

But now, there are easier and more affordable options — like with our sponsor, SimpliSafe, which is intelligent, effective and doesn’t tie you into an inconvenient contract.

3. Close your doors and windows

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5 simple ways to protect your home this winter

Winter months can bring some serious challenges for homeowners. Icy driveways, slick walkways and frozen pipes can cause a lot of damage.

Whether you tough it out or take off to warmer climates, you want to keep your home safe over the winter months. That means you need protection from thieves while you’re away. Protect your home with the security system that protects Kim’s family, SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafeKim.com today to save 40% on a home security system and get your first month free when you sign up for Interactive Monitoring.

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Neighborhood watch has gone digital

Open/download audioIs the neighborhood block watch a thing of the past? In many communities, social networking has replaced the need for people to wander their neighborhoods. Now sites and apps are your digital connection to your neighbors.

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This app makes it easy to get all the local and national news you want to see

There are tons of different options to get your breaking and local news. Most smartphones or tablets come loaded with a news app, and you have plenty of third-party choices, too.

As with all apps, not all news apps are created equal. Some can be glitchy or slow to update with breaking news, while others focus too heavily on partisan politics or regional news stories. Looking for some great apps to download? Try these must-have apps you’ll use again and again.

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