[gigim112]

[color=purple][b]Does anyone have any suggestions for home security in TV for a SnowBird home that I'm in the process of trying to own & how well is that Neighborhood Watch from TV?? Do any of you have dead bolts on your front door???

Thanx
Gigim112
hoping to be a Villager soon
Toms River, NJ

[Barefoot]

We are Snowbirds and use Village Watchdogs, a home care service that advertises on TOTV, to make regular checks on our home. It is very important that you have someone regularly check the interior of your home, and we prefer to pay someone to do that service. Of course, neighbours know we're not there, and they also keep a watchful eye.

I called the free service, The Villages Neighborhood Watch Program. They told me that they will not check your home unless there is a disaster of some type in your Village .. e.g., a tornado. If there is vandalism reported in your area, they will drive by your house, but they will not go on your property.

[redwitch]

I watch homes in various neighborhoods from the historic to the new developments. Some of the homes have deadbolts. Most do not. None have an alarm system. The reality is that if someone wants to break into a snowbird's home, it is easy to do unless fully alarmed -- too many windows and sliding glass doors that can be broken into. However, it is risky because you never know what neighbors will be home or when a car will come driving by. Break-ins are rare in TV. They seem to happen more to residents than snowbirds and the majority of the time is going after jewelry and purses.

Home watchers really can't prevent break ins. The best we can do is let you know they happened. I know that I go at a different time and day every week so that at least if someone is watching the house to break in, they won't be quite sure when it is safe. What home watch can do is stop a small leak from becoming something of major damage; make your insurance company happy that your home is being protected while unused; give you peace of mind that all is secure and well taken care of. It is money well spent.

[gigim112]

Thanks to both of you "Barefoot at Last" & "Redwitch"...i'll keep that info on hand when the deal is finalized for the home....I saw the email for the Village Watchdogs & the phone #. so i can check their prices...we also have friends that live in TV & I'm quite sure they would be able to check on "our home" whenever we leave to return up north when the time comes....

Thanx again for your help,

Gigim112

[jimt49]

gigim112

I recently bought in TV but am only here for a week or so every other month (until I retire) I use Redwitch's service, and I'll tell you it is the best $30 a month that I have spent in a long time. She checks on my place once a week and e-mails me with a report. She found some dead bugs on one of her checks, and I had Dean's Pest service coordinate with her.
She let them in and then e-mailed me telling me where the bugs were entering from. I came back down on 6/20 and she was at my place at 6 in the morning to turn the a/c down for me. She is extremely diligent and a pleasure to deal with.

JimT

[colleenj]

I agree with JimT about Redwitch. I too use her services as I bought a house but can only go down once a month or so. She is extremely diligent and truly treats my house like it was hers. She lets me know when she checks the house and I know she'd notify me immediately if anything was amiss. It is the best $30/month I spend for the peace of mind it gives me.--Colleen

[DickY]

I also used Red's service for the 3 months after I bought and before I was able to move down to TV. She does everything posted in the prior posts and some extras that others don't do. Her diligence is well worth it. A 4 star rating.

[l2ridehd]

Ditto to everything the above said about redwitch. I use her for my home in Poinciana and would highly recommend her. Always goes the extra mile and provides informative information back to me. If anyone needs a watch service while your a snowbird, you should hire her.

[ohiogolf]

We use the Village Watchdogs and they have been great. they e-mail pictures of the place to us and were alert enough to catch a gutter problem and some other issues. Good guys.

[another Linda]

Originally Posted by gigim112

[color=purple][b] ... Do any of you have dead bolts on your front door???

Thanx
Gigim112
hoping to be a Villager soon
Toms River, NJ

From Toms River! I spent my high school years in Brick. You'll find a few of us here. People who rent our place in February are also from Toms River.

No, this isn't a hi-jack, it really is abut security. Actually home watch services don't protect against the "dead bolt" types of things. I doubt you will have much problem in that regard. But the services are money well spent for all the other things that can happen from bugs to lightening strikes (yes, that did happen to us!). I can't attest to what the other services do, but Redwitch made all the phone calls, lined up repairs, in short did all the things that I would have done had I been there. (Redwitch, if you read this, again THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!) Unless you can fly down to TV on a moments notice (and even then you'd need someone to tell you to come), you'll need someone to watch your place.