Just locking the doors may not suffice when you won't be back for six months. Install an alarm system, make the property look lived in, ask neighbors to keep watch and consider hiring a caretaker.
(By Lew Sichelman via - Los Angeles Times)
In a ritual that takes place at the end of every summer — and at the close of every winter — millions of people will lock up their second homes for another year and head back to their principal residences.
But how secure are the houses they leave behind?
Often not very, especially in largely seasonal locations where the majority of the houses and apartments are vacant for extended periods and practically no one is around.
There were 7.9 million seasonal properties in 2009, according to the Census Bureau. That's an awful lot of television sets, appliances and personal items that are left up for grabs, at least potentially.
The good news is that although more remote destinations such as Sandpoint, Idaho, or Eagles Mere, Pa., seem like great feeding grounds for thieves, these seasonal ghost towns rarely attract criminals because they're just too far away. There's simply too much travel time involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment