Things You Can Do to Prevent a Burglary in Your Home

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Special thanks to Judy Tolliver of American Electronics for participating in this week's blog. You can contact her at 402.895.1800 or jtolliver@ae4u.com.

The best thing you can do to avoid a burglary is to take steps that will deter a potential burglar. National statistics point to one thing that makes a burglar choose one home from another – and it is almost always a home’s approachability. If you have a home that seems occupied, chances are a thief will head in the other direction. Likewise, if you are protected by a security system a burglar will shy away from approaching your home.

In short, the easier you make it for them to enter, the greater the chance you will have an intruder approaching your home. Here are some tips provided by our security expert that will help you to avoid a bad situation entirely.

Install a Peephole in Your Door

If your door doesn’t already have one, have a peephole installed and ideally one with a one-way view. Not only does it provide you the added protection of being able to clearly see who is at your door but also it acts as a deterrent to thieves that do not want to be identifiable.

Take Extra Precautions to Lock and Reinforce Doors

It may sound like common sense but a surprising number of thieves enter homes with unlocked doors, windows or other access and entry points. In fact, statistics report that a staggering forty percent of home invasions take place in situations where the homeowner was not careful about locking windows and doors.

Be Watchful of Garage Doors and Their Openers

A very common practice for homeowners is to house their garage door opener in a very convenient, accessible place – usually right near the interior entry door to the home. The problem with that is that it’s very predictable and easily accessible to a potential burglar too. Not only does our expert recommend keeping all garage door access points closed but also it is strongly suggested to house your garage door opener in an inconspicuous place.

Be Prepared With a Plan

In case the unthinkable does happen, the best defense you and your family can have is to be prepared with a plan that outlines exactly what you will do in case an intruder breaks in. If possible, set up a safe room with a cell phone that can be used to call authorities. For families with children, you should practice a drill just as you would in case of a fire plan.

Get the Added Protection of a Security System

These days, security systems have come a long way from just twenty years ago. With remote viewing access and the ability to adjust things like heat, lights and locks from afar – there are added protective measures you can take.  A security company sign acts as a strong deterrent to ward off criminals, giving you protection on top of the expected monitoring you will receive from the company. Most systems have a panic button set up to instantly call the police when triggered.

Take Extra Care When Away on Vacation

Burglars usually prowl neighborhoods looking for people that are gone away on vacation or for extended periods of time. Some things you can do to help prevent them coming to your home include setting lights, music and TV on a timer so as to make it look as if someone is home. You can also secure sliding doors with pins to prevent horizontal and vertical movement. Keep newspaper and mail deliveries going but ask a neighbor to pick your items up. Neighbors can also park their vehicles in your driveway for the illusion that someone is home.
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For more tips on how you can live safely and prevent a home intrusion, contact your security company today. As your trusted advisor, I have several excellent resources available as well. Stay safe!

Obama’s Real Estate Tax is Not As Bad As Most People Think

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There is a lot of confusion centered on the health care bill’s impact on real estate transactions and the talk is not exactly accurate. Let me first clarify one thing: yes there is a new tax on real estate. But what most people don’t tell you is that the tax is only on applied profits earned above and beyond the capital gains tax limits and this is not a blanket tax applied to all real estate sales.

Additional Taxation Only on Applicable Capital Gains

First, let me explain the capital gains tax limits in the State of Nebraska. Like most states, we have a $250,000 threshold on capital gains for single persons and a $500,000 cap for married couples. What that means is that if you are a single person and after the sale of your home if there is a profit over and beyond $250,000 – that amount will be taxed an additional 3.8%. Let’s go over this with an example. Say you bought a home for $300,000 and then sold it for $375,000. The profit amounts to only $75,000 (well within the $250,000 limit for non-married property owners) so you will not be taxed on that profit.

Now, here is an example of a married couple that sold their lakefront home: Originally bought in 2002 for $100,000. They renovated the home and now it is a gorgeous and very desirable property. Assuming that other homes consistently gained value and sold for a lot more in recent years, the couple in our example sold their home for $650,000 (Wow! Show me an investment opportunity like THAT!). This couple received a total of $550,000 profit on the sale of their home and given the $500,000 married people exemption on capital gains, the taxable amount would be $50,000. How much does it add up to? The total amount of additional tax this couple will pay at 3.8% would be a mere $1,900 – a far cry from the thousands of dollars the rumors would have you believe.

Generous Income Requirements Prior to Tax Imposition

Another important aspect of the new real estate taxes is that the tax only applies to individuals with at least a $200,000 annual income and couples with a joint income of at least $250,000. That automatically eliminates about 97% of the American population right there.
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So you see? It’s not all that bad. The only thing I can think of that is important to remember about the capital gains tax exemption is that it must be a primary residence of the person or people filing for the exemption. Here is a document generated by the National Association of Realtors with some more scenarios showing how the real estate tax would impact people.