Admittedly, I'm more interested in a solid house than in bells and whistles that can break down and become outdated, but a security system isn't something upon which I'd spend money. Consider: A security system won't stop burglars from breaking into your house. It'll just alert the police that it has happened. Most burglaries happen FAST, and by the time the police arrive, the crooks are already gone. You MIGHT have pictures of the thieves, but more likely they'll have been smart enough to cover their faces. The biggest thing a security system is likely to give you is a discount on your insurance. Do the math and see how long it'll take you to "make back" the upfront cost of installation, and make an informed decision. And I would NEVER go for the type of system that has visual monitoring inside my house. Do I want the people at ADT (or whatever) knowing when I'm home? If I were a thief, I'd get myself a job at ADT and call my thief-friends, saying, "Hey, the Johnsons are gone. Here's their address." The poster who commented that everyone lives in a "safe neighborhood" . . . until something happens is right. Anyone can ride through your safe neighborhood -- even if it's gated. My oldest child was good buddies with a kid who lived in a gated community, and I never had any trouble driving her over to the friend's house . . . and getting in without help from her friend's grandparents. If I can do it, certainly a dishonest person can figure it out. Instead of spending on a security system, I'd look into the low-tech methods of home security, which are more likely to PREVENT the burglary: - Focus on a good, solid front door: Not too much glass and a deadbolt lock. Though they're lovely, avoid sidelights; they open you to danger in two ways: 1) a thief can break them, reach in and open your deadbolt. 2) if you have only a 2x4 between the door and the sidelight, a strong thief with a ram of some sort can break it and enter your house. Also choose a door that's visible to the road -- avoid plans that place your front door "deep" in a cave-like entry, and avoid landscaping that hides your door from the street. Though you want a strong front door, it's not the place the thieves are most likely to break in: They don't want a nosy neighbor to see them busting down a door, and they don't want the damaged door to sit there all day declaring, "A crime has been committed here!" - Don't neglect the back door. Thieves like to ring the front bell to see if you're home, but they're then likely to go around the back (where it's more private) to break in. Plus your back door is more likely to be a sliding glass door or a French door. Sliding glass doors are pretty thick, and it takes a strong thief to put a piece of firewood through them -- though it is possible. French doors tend to offer less security. Lots of people have good, solid deadbolts on the front door . . . but less security on the back door. And if you have a privacy fence (or a deep covered porch) in your back yard, the thief can probably go about his business in comfort, knowing that the neighbors aren't going to see him breaking your windows or back door. No matter what you do, your back door is probably your weakest point -- and we have to balance comfort and light with security concerns. - If you have an attached garage, put effort into that entrance. An experienced thief LOVES to get into a garage (probably through a man-door that has only a piddly little lock) because then he can take his time breaking in through your kitchen door. No neighbor will see him in the privacy of your garage! No lie: My in-laws bought a house that had ONLY an interior door -- yeah, just like your bedroom door! -- separating their kitchen from the garage. They changed that before they moved in. The point: Be sure your garage is just as secure as your house, and you have a deadbolt on your kitchen entrance door. - If your doors are secure, the thieves are likely to go on down the road to someone else's house, but don't neglect your first-floor windows -- especially if they're the tall type that a person could potentially step through easily. Be sure they're locked. Plant sticky-bushes like Holly or roses under them to make thieves reconsider entering that way. Or consider decorative bars, though that could constitute a fire hazard. - Do you own a ladder? Be sure it's locked up in your shed or garage. Don't offer thieves a way to get to your (often less protected) upstairs windows. - Try to plan your house so that your big-screen TV isn't visible from the front door (i.e., through sidelites or to a person who might be delivering packages). Don't give thieves a reason to choose you. - A safe inside the house will deter even experienced robbers. They want to get in and out of your house quickly. They're wise to ideas like hiding your money in the freezer, and they know that if you have a safe, it's probably in your master closet . . . but they're going to grab your electronics, guns, medicines . . . and GET OUT rather than wasting their time with a safe they probably can't enter anyway. A safe set into the floor or built into the wall can't easily be carried away to be opened later at their leisure. A safe is relatively inexpensive, and it's a one-time cost. - Automatic lights are inexpensive to install (the one in my pantry cost about $15, though exterior quality would cost more) and don't require monthly fees. No thief wants lights, and a light coming on suddenly inside the house and outside the house might convince the would-be-thief that someone is in the house (even if they aren't opening the door). Most thieves want in and out of the house FAST, and they don't want to meet any homeowners. - Plenty of studies have shown that a dog is the best deterrent to a break-in. Not everyone is interested in owning a dog and not every dog is a real deterrent, but just the presence of a dog will make many thieves go on down the road to another house. - If you have lots of nice steal-able stuff, increase your insurance. It's all replaceable. Most of the time people who rob individual homes are small-time crooks who are looking for things that're easy to sell: Electronics and guns. And drugs. LOTS of home burglaries are committed by people who are on drugs, and they'll clear out your medicine cabinet. But few home robberies are personal: That is, few robbers specifically know that you have ______, and they're going to come steal it. - Consider putting up fake cameras or fake security system stickers. You can buy some fairly good fake things that'll deter the thieves, and that's the real goal. Remember: Most robberies are crimes of opportunity. Most of us will never be targeted specifically; rather, the thieves will look at a row of houses and pick the one that looks easiest. If you offer some solid resistance, they'll move on to easier pickings. And most robberies are FAST -- less than 10-15 minutes.

More on my insurance situation to which I referred above. My landlord requires that I have tenant's insurance on the house contents, and, as I mentioned, the company carrying my auto insurance back in '06 did not offer coverage for under $25,000., and my contents were less than $10,000. ... plus, when we investigated the situation, they didn't like some of the plumbing and wiring system, according to the independent agency that represented them ... so I told them that I would not be renewing my auto insurance with the former company, either. Later I got a request for payment from the earlier company and tried unsuccessfully to contact them to say that I'd cancelled. Later I got a registered letter telling me that they were no longer covering my auto insurance ... and that I owed them $137.00 for the coverage which I'd had prior to their cancellation. I told them that I'd told the agent that I would not be renewing, and they said that that notification had to be in writing .. and I said that their agent had not informed me that such a cancellation was required. I told them that, as I'd had a situation where my vehicle had been hit by another in the meantime, that I'd be making a claim. They said that, since I was covered by another company, that they would not recognize such a claim. So I told them that they wanted my money for coverage that I'd said that I no longer needed ... but were refusing to make a payout relative to such coverage. Since then, I have received a number of calls from a collection agency, then there's a quiet period, then there's another group trying to collect. Recently when I answer the phone, there's a short pause, then a canned voice says, "Please hold while I transfer you", then there's a pause, and a machine instructs me that if I know my account number, to please give it, and asks for my phone number. I say that they didn't identify their company, that I'm not aware of any account with them and they must have a bad memory, for they knew my phone number when they called me a couple of minutes ago ... and that I have a hard time remembering it, as I never call home, insofar as the only residents here when I'm gone is the occasional mouse. The other day when I answered, I got to speak to a warm body, and when I told her my story, she said that I needed to pay, and could I pay if they reduced the fee by 20% (which they seldom do for accounts under $200.), and I told her that I don't give credit card numbers over the phone, so she offered to have me transfer via a certain bank, but I wasn't enthusiastic about that propoal. When I said that I might die in the meantime ... she said that she guessed that I'd just have to put up with the ongoing calls. I didn't ask her whether they had an idea of where they'd phone after I'd died ... I guess that can wait for the next time that I get to speak to a warm body. However ... they usually call in the mid-morning, and a couple of days ago when the phone rang about that time, I almost didn't nswer ... and it was my daughter calling from AZ ... and it was about 6:40 a.m. her time ... so we had a nice visit ... and I decided that I'll be answering the phone in future. I've heard that ancient people get rather stubborn ... do you think that there might be any truth to that rumour ... ... or could it be just another of those urban (well, in this case, "rural") legends? I hope that you all have a really great post-holiday weekend. For retired folks ... every day's weekend. I you don't have a retirement plan in place, maybe it's time to get moving on one ... the longer you leave it, the steeper the hill that your invested dollars must climb. ole joyful

Not all waterproofing companies are created equal. We encourage people to thoroughly check the company's background before signing anything. And get estimates from more than one company. Here are some things that you should look for when getting an estimate: A trustworthy waterproofing company will not, and I repeat, will not: - Use questionable sales tactics (such as asking for a higher price and then give you an overly "generous" discount, but "only if you sign the contract right now". Beware of this type of company. Chances are that they know they will not be the contractor of choice, should you decide to get estimates from some of their competitors. - Misrepresent the urgency of the repairs to be performed or use scare tactics such as the "toxic mold" or "your basement is going to kill you" speech. A good contractor will be clear about the products and services you are purchasing and will propose solutions based on your budget and the things you want accomplished. You will know exactly what you are getting, why those products are necessary and what to expect as a result. You will be given a complete written proposal, detailing every product and service that will be performed, as well services that will need to be performed by other contractors at homeowner's expense (i.e. a dedicated circuit for dehumidifiers, pumps, etc...) When the salesperson leaves, you should be comfortable with every aspect of the deal. You will not be "sold" anything. You will feel as an educated consumer making an informed decision about your own waterproofing needs. You will also have a way to contact the salesperson at any time if you have any doubts. A trustworthy contractor will have an excellent reputation in the service area, excellent references from customers (ask for them and actually check), good BBB reputation. Good waterproofing companies are usually in business for many years or are backed up by a reputable network that will honor the warranty given in products and services over the years. Yes, such companies do exist. If the waterproofing company you are planning to hire didn't offer ALL of the above, you should really look further and get more estimates. In addition, if you did sign a contract that you feel that you were pushed into signing due to questionable sales tactics, the Federal Trade Commission issued the "Cooling-off rule", made into law in every state, which allows homeowners to change their minds when they purchase something from a salesperson outside the company's place of business. Designed to protect consumers from aggressive door-to-door sales tactics, the law gives you around 3 days to change your mind and cancel the deal, being entitled to a full refund and no penalties or cancellation fees

This appears to be the latest version of an even more homeowner friendly" DIY in-wall power outlet. I like for two reasons but dislike for another. First, this is so simple stupid to install that maybe, once for all, people will stop feeding the television set power cord down through the wall! Second, it once again allows for point-of-use power surge protectors & EMI/RFI filters for wall mounted televisions - just plug the inlet extension cord into the protector/filter instead of the wall receptacle. It also allows for UPS units on DLP ceiling mounted projectors. What I dislike, is the idea of trying to pull/fish a power plug through an insulated wall. Another company also has a similar kit that uses old-work boxes, NM cable, and hard wired male/female receptacles. I've installed a few of these and really liked them - you just fish the NM cable (as well as your low voltage cables) through the wall. Either way, I think these products offer more options than a standard hard wired outlet. Here is a link that might be useful: NM wired power outlet