Real Estate Articles

Realtors share tips for securing your home

September is Realtor Safety Month. As part of its commitment to the safety, the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors shares the following safety tips for homeowners to secure their home. These tips are from the National Association of Realtors Safety Resources Kit:

• Make sure all doors to the outside are metal or solid, 1 ¾" hardwood and have good, sturdy locks.
• Keep your doors, even if you're at home. Get your children into this habit, too. Always lock your home when you go out, even if it's only for a few minutes.
• Secure sliding glass doors with commercially available bars or locks, or put a wooden dowel or broomstick in the door track.
• Make sure your windows, especially at ground level, have good locks and use them.
• Make sure all porches and other possible entrances are well-lit. Motion-sensing lights are a good choice for outdoor lights.
• Trim bushes or trees that hide doors or windows. Keep ladders, tools, and other equipment inside when you're not using them.
• Don't hand out keys to friends even if they are trustworthy. Know the location of all your house keys all the time. Also, keep your car keys and house keys on a different ring if you ever use valet parking, or leave your keys with parking lot attendants or even at a repair garage.
• Empty boxes out by the curb triggers an alarm to would-be thieves. Instead of putting boxes out in plain sight, cut them down, and stuff them in trash bags.
• Keep written records of all furniture, jewelry and electronic products in a safety deposit box, fireproof safe, or other secure place. Take pictures or a video, and keep purchase information and serial numbers if available. These help law enforcement agencies track recovered items.
• Clearly display your house number so police and other emergency vehicles can find your home quickly.

"Prevention and defense are key to staying safe and this is what we always remind our members since Realtors meet different people and can find themselves in potentially dangerous situations," says Bill Moody, president of the local trade association.

Moody said to raise awareness about the important issue of safety, the local trade association is offering is members a Realtor safety and self-defense training course on Sept. 14 taught by SILVAR Region 9 Chair Karen Trolan, Pacific Coast Academy instructor Alex Franckx. Both Trolan and Franckx have highly specialized training in jujitsu and other self-defense techniques. The instructors will provide safety tips and will teach members how to protect themselves and survive in a hostile situation. Trolan's husband Steve, who served in the Armed Forces, has training in advanced nerve strike fighting and will offer self-defense techniques with nerve strikes and common objects defense.

For more information for these free classes for members, contact the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100. Also visit https://www.nar.realtor/safety for more information on how to stay safe in your home, on the road and in your place of business.

The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.

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