June is National Homeownership Month!
Did you know that June is National Homeownership Month? It has been named this in order to spotlight the American Dream of owning a home. It also recognizes the many organizations that assist those who have a goal of owning their own home. This time of recognition started back in the 1920s and continued to evolve through the years. In 1995, President Bill Clinton deemed a week in June as National Homeownership Week. Then, in 2002, President George W. Bush expanded it to the whole month of June. Now, President Joe Biden introduced more housing initiatives of nearly $35 billion
The Top 4 Houston Homeowner Concerns
Owning your own home is the goal of just about every family. Having a place of your own gives you that feeling of being in control. You get to make the decisions, and you don't worry about keeping up someone else's standards. That is, usually, unless there is an HOA involved. Still, your home is your own, and you need to make it a place to relax and unwind. Â However, this ownership also brings about new fears. You are now responsible to keep the house in good shape if you want your investment to grow. Responsibility doesn't have to
4 Ways to Use Your Smart Home Lighting
After researching and comparison shopping, you have finished setting up your house with a smart home security system. After learning to operate the essentials of your system for safety and protection, you start to explore the different options your devices offer. Because there are endless things you can program and do with a smart home, we will focus only on one area, your smart lights. Lights sound like a simple and limited area to explore. But then, you add the extra description of making it smart lighting. This goes far beyond flipping a switch to light up a room. Let's
Your Security System Can Childproof Your Home
Nothing brings out the protector side of a person more than when they bring their first child home from the hospital. Suddenly, you are responsible for protecting this small human for the next 18 years. One way you already planned to do this is a solid home security system. However, is there more your security system can do than to keep the bad guys out? Yes, there is, especially with a smart home. The best part about smart home security is that devices can be added and upgraded at any time with a recent control panel. This allows you to
Smart Homes Can Lower the Summer Energy Bill
Summer is fast approaching. The first day of Summer will be on June 20, 2021. However, if you live in the southern states, your air conditioner has already been on for a month or two. No one looks forward to those house cooling utility bills during the excessively hot months. Add to that, the kids home from school going in and out of that front door all day. According to a report by Direct Energy, your HVAC uses 46% of your home's energy. This is followed by your water heater at 14%, other appliances at 13%, and lights with a
Creating Your Smart Home Security Network
Almost all homeowners today have at least one smart home device in use at the house. Others have enough in place so that the house practically runs itself. Whether you are just now adding these smart devices to your home or already have them, keeping them organized and safe is everyone's goal. Let's see what is possible when you integrate your home security system and smart home with help from your virtual voice assistant. The possibilities are actually endless, but we will consider a few by looking at a day in the life of your smart home. Setting Up Your
How Does Home Alarm Monitoring Work?
When you are shopping around for a home security system, you are encouraged to add home alarm monitoring to the package. What exactly does this do? Maybe you already have a home security system with monitoring, but never really thought too much about its operations. Let's examine the purpose of alarm monitoring, why you need to have it as an addition, and how exactly does it work? What is Alarm Monitoring? Alarm monitoring is when a central station monitors your home security system. The purpose is to make sure your home has eyes on it 24/7. It is a way
Was Your Home Security’s Wi-Fi Hacked?
With today's technology going wireless with everything from our smartphones to our home security systems, it opens us up to security breaches. We hear about it on the news frequently where big businesses have their data breached. If a large corporation with many security protocols in place gets hacked, how can we keep our homes protected with our limited resources? We all need our internet, and with wireless becoming the popular option it is necessary to learn how to stay safe. Have you ever tried to sign in to your Wi-Fi at home and your network options include about five
Why Access Control is Important for Your Business
Access control is a vital part of the security of your business. It ensures that control is maintained when it comes to restricting only authorized people entering the business property. In fact, access control affects everything we do in our daily activities, whether we realize it or not. Leaving your house to go to work involves many aspects of access control, such as turning on the house alarm or unlocking your car. However, in the field of business security, it involves a lot more in the way of sensitive areas and information. Identify the Access Access control begins with identifying
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Security Systems
When it comes to a home security system, many of us know the basic facts. Such as, alarms go off if someone breaks into your house, or you get notified if your camera detects activity at your door. However, sometimes we come up with questions we need to know while we are researching the purchase of a security system. Or, we think of these questions after we install the security system. Here are some of the most frequently asked where home security systems are concerned. Is It Worth Getting a Home Security System? This question is usually at the top
