Plus, concerned about the privacy of your Chinese-made devices? You’re not alone. I chat with a man who’s worried about his new security cameras. Also, I take a look at the latest update on Starlink Satellite’s coverage and what you need to know. I tell the story of how a single Facebook post helped a woman find a new kidney. And for all the savvy shoppers out there, I’ll share some quick and easy ways to save money on Amazon.
It’s getting hot in here …
If your late-night Zillow scrolling has gotten more desperate lately, you’re not alone. Home prices are going bonkers. In the past decade, home values shot up 47.1%, beating out the 2010s and 1990s. U.S. home prices are expected to rise another 1.6% over the next year alone. And I found a few markets that are growing nearly five times faster than that.
Red-hot real estate markets
💰 Where home prices are increasing by 3.7%:
- 22. Clarksville, Tenn.: $268,967
- 21. Greenville, N.C.: $215,500
- 20. Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.: $371,083
- 19. Wilmington, N.C.: $411,583
- 18. Albuquerque, N.M.: $322,333
- 17. Boise, Idaho: $448,317
💰💰 Markets where home prices are rising between 3.8% to 4.5%:
- 16. Yuma, Ariz.: $283,300
- 15. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas: $192,867
- 14. Fayetteville, N.C.: $218,500
- 13. Muncie, Ind.: $137,377
- 12. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif.: $852,250
- 11. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.: $348,667
- 10. New Haven-Milford, Conn.: $307,817
- 9. Johnson City, Tenn.: $226,160
- 8. Manchester-Nashua, N.H.: $434,489
- 7. Portland-South Portland, Maine: $475,000
- 6. Jackson, Tenn.: $183,167
- 5. Athens-Clarke County, Ga.: $323,333
- 4. Syracuse, N.Y.: $193,667
💰💰💰 And the top three fastest-growing markets are:
- 3. Rochester, New York: Homes here don’t just sell quickly (think eight-days-on-the-market quickly), but average home prices are expected to increase by 5% this year. It’ll still cost less to live in Rochester than other locations on this list; the median home price here is $199,975.
- 2. Flagstaff, Arizona: Mountains, desert and an expected 5.3% price hike in the next 12 months. The median home value here is $593,833, but it’s a less competitive market; it typically takes around 27 days for a listing to become a pending sale.
- 1. Knoxville, Tennessee: This riverside town is expected to see the highest home price increase by far, at 6.1%. The median home sales price is $321,000, and the average listing sits on the market for two weeks.
Looking to buy?
If you’re in the market, tech tools are your friend.
- Set up alerts on sites like Zillow for homes that match your buying criteria so you never miss a listing. I’ve got a how-to on my site!
- Use MortgageCalculator.org to see your estimated payments.
- Check your credit for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Click that link or type the address directly into your browser’s address bar. Scammers love to lure you in with “free” reports on fake sites that trap you with monthly fees.
🏠 Pro tip: Winter’s the cheapest time of year to buy. There might be less inventory, but sellers who do list at that time usually want to sell ASAP. Real estate agents are also more open to negotiating closing costs and commissions!
How to deal with a cyberstalker
Let me tell you, more and more victims of cyberstalking are reaching out to me for advice using my Ask Kim page. Here’s one note I received recently from P.W. in Oklahoma:
“I’ve been cyberstalked for three years. I recently discovered it was my roommate. I moved out and he launched another attack. He’s on my and my fiance’s phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth — everything. He has stolen financial data, pictures, erased accounts, taken over emails and harassed me through VOIP. … He admitted to sitting outside our house all night. I thought he was spying on me. Now I know he was also gaining access to my Wi-Fi. I can’t do this anymore and need expert advice/help terribly.”
ChatGPT goes online, Amazon Sidewalk network's privacy risks & how to dump your ex on your phone
Stop mining my business: An Airbnb host got a nasty shock when guests used her house to mine $100,000 in crypto, sticking her with a $1,500 electricity bill. External security cameras caught them hauling out 10 computers and charging their EV. She got them to pay up, but now she’s got a strict “no crypto mining” rule. It’s a new world.
A SWAT team stormed my house
Feb. 16 started like any typical Friday night. My husband and I decided to stay home, grill chicken and make a salad for dinner. At about 6:45 p.m., we heard some loud rumbling overhead.
We walked onto the back patio and two police helicopters were overhead — shining lights all over our property, and a recording echoed, “Police. You are under arrest. Stay right there and I won’t shoot you.”
Weekend project: 5 simple ways to make your home safer
When building a home security system, every little bit helps. You can make significant changes, like setting up outdoor cameras with facial recognition. This helps you spot familiar faces crossing your street every day.
When a Superhost is super creepy: Airbnb Superhosts have high ratings and low cancellation rates. One in Texas recorded over 2,000 images using security cameras of adults and children sleeping and undressing. He got a year in jail for it.
3 common mistakes when installing security cameras
Security cameras give us peace of mind that our homes and valuables are safe when we’re away. A doorbell camera can be a significant deterrent for sneaky thieves.
They aren’t failsafe, though. Crooks can jam Wi-Fi-connected video doorbells and rob you before you realize what happened. It’s rare but possible. Tap or click for smart ways to stop them in their tracks.
Security camera warning: This brand is missing a key privacy feature
There are plenty of reasons to install a video doorbell at your home. The most significant benefit for many is seeing who walks to the front door. Tap or click for a handy product that solves the Ring doorbell’s biggest problem.
Home security 101: Where to put cameras
When it comes to home security, camera placement is everything. Tech gadgets can be finicky, so their location can make a difference. For example, here are the best places to put your router for better internet speeds.
5 signs your security camera was hacked and steps to prevent it
When setting up a home security system, you must password-protect your Wi-Fi and set up two-factor authentication (2FA). Hackers could take over your home network if you don’t take these precautions.
Safeguards like these can help stop a digital home invasion. Hackers are increasingly breaking into home security cameras, taunting and extorting people. A security oversight on your part could open the floodgates for a criminal to launch a reign of terror on you and your family.
3 places you should never put a security camera
Location is everything when it comes to your home security setup. You could spend thousands on a top-of-the-line system, but setting up your cameras near the ground does nothing. You always want your security cams high on walls and near room corners.
How to install a security camera without breaking any laws
Security cameras are a great way to protect your property. Tap or click here for ways to keep hackers out of your smart home security cameras. But if you don’t set them up correctly, you could pay an arm and a leg. We’re not talking about maintenance fees, either — we’re talking about legal fees.
Are facial recognition cams like the ones in China coming to a store near you?
Get ready for an Orwellian shopping experience in New York City. Thanks to criminals claiming the five-finger discount, you’ll have to kiss your privacy goodbye. Chinese-made facial recognition cameras will scan your face to see if you’re a criminal.
Check this site to see all the high-tech surveillance your local police use
There are over a million hobby drones registered in the U.S. Add in the unregistered ones, and who knows how high the numbers go. The point is you may never know when you’re being watched. Here are a few steps you can take to avoid invasive drone surveillance.
Buying new smart home tech? Take this step to keep creeps out
Whenever you buy a new smart device, the first thing to do is change the default password. Without this critical step, hackers could break into your doorbells, thermostats or security cameras. They could turn up the home’s temperature until it’s boiling — or scream death threats over a microphone.
Listen to these fake Medicare calls defrauding older Americans
If you or a loved one is on Medicare, we urge you to remain cautious if anybody calling for your information gives you trouble. An unscrupulous scam is making the rounds that you need to be aware of. Thieves are making phone calls pretending to be Medicare representatives. In reality, they’re trying to rip you off.
Crooks are jamming security cameras — Protect yours now!
Security cameras work in two ways. First, they act as a deterrent to thieves. If that doesn’t work, it captures them in the act of stealing your things or breaking into your home.
Your surveillance system is only as good as what your cameras can see. Placement is critical — you don’t want a tree blocking the view of your backyard. You also don’t want cameras to send a notification whenever a squirrel runs across the lawn. Tap or click here for four mistakes you’re making with your home security system.
Best security cameras for properties with bad or no Wi-Fi
One of my readers is interested in security cameras but is also worried about hackers. She asked me, “Can wireless cameras work without Wi-Fi?” The short answer is yes.
Of course, that introduces a follow-up question: “What are the best security cameras that don’t require Wi-Fi?” Type that into a search engine and you’ll be swarmed with countless options. But you don’t have time to research every camera on the market.
Annoyed by your video doorbell's notification? Check this setting now
A video doorbell is a great tool to see who’s at your door. When it rings, you don’t even have to get off the couch as you can easily open your mobile phone and take a look at the camera. It also keeps an eye on your porch, helping you keep tabs on packages and visitors.