Perusing a new neighborhood or city? The homebuying experience is a fun but also stressful time. Here at Somerset, as a small family-owned business, we’re all about keeping it real and down to earth. We want you to have the best home buying experience possible, because it is such an exciting time! We have come up with a few things you should keep in mind while ‘shopping’ to make sure your new home is safe and protected for your family.
Check Your Local Crime Maps
Safety websites are a great tool to help determine the safest neighborhoods to help move your family. There are dozens of crime maps that you can peruse, but here are a few that we have personally used.
Neighborhoodscout.com is a great link to find the most family friendly areas to start looking for homes in. Neighborhoodscout allows you to compare crime rates in specific neighborhoods, city to city, and even compare state to state crime. Most of the features are free, but for more detailed reports it does charge you a site fee
Crimemapping.com uses data found in public records from participating law enforcement agencies. It’s as easy as typing in an address or zip code.
Spotcrime.com “is a public facing crime map and crime alert service. With SpotCrime, it’s easier than ever to check crime anywhere in the United States and many other countries worldwide.”
Now, I’m not saying crime doesn’t happen everywhere at any time, it’s just a good starting ground to get a general idea of where exactly you will be living. If you find your dream home and it lands in an area you’re not too sure of, don’t fret! Just call Somerset Fire Alarm & Security, and get your free quote on the security system of your dreams to match the home of your dreams.
Check the Sex Offender Registry in your Area
If there is one thing I have learned from living in rental properties the past couple of years, it is to ALWAYS check the sex offender registry prior to signing a lease. It’s always important to know who your neighbors are. When you log on to the sex offender registry website you have the option to search by individual name, zip code, or by address radius. As stated on the National Sex Offender Public Website, it is important to note that “only states that provide geographic coordinates for addresses to NSOPW are included in the search.” In the Tri State area, only Pennsylvania provides geographic coordinates to the National Sex Offender Public Website.
Maryland provides sex offender registry information on Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Once on the site, you will be asked a couple of questions before being sent to the registry search page, once on the search page you can use the search to view all published offenders based on address, name, or city.
West Virginia provides information on their State Police page where you can search by city, county, street name, or last name of an individual.
You should note that there are three different sex offender tiers. Tier three is classified as the most severe classification in which one is on the registry for life. Tier two occurs after an individual has previously become a tier one and thus must register for 25 years. A tier one offender must register for 15 years but if they have a clean record may be taken down to 10 years (cga.gov).
Are the Sidewalks Well Lit?
It’s always a good safety precaution to have sidewalks near your home lit. All of the best designed sidewalks have lights in order to protect pedestrians from traffic and other dangers. According to the Sustainable Development Code, “Adequately lit neighborhoods can increase community safety, health, and economic well being, as well as combat light pollution. First, consistent lighting promotes safety. Lighted streets may attract pedestrians to the area, the presence of which can decrease crime. Additionally, a Florida study shows that lighted streets have decreased instances of car accidents fatal to pedestrians by 54%.” Imagine walking around a dark alley, feels kind of freaky doesn’t it? You can’t see anybody and you don’t know if anyone else is around, but a well lit sidewalk allows for better visibility for both pedestrians and motorists. Another perk of sidewalk lights is the day doesn’t have to necessarily end when the sun goes down. With well lit areas many people can still work efficiently at night, and you could even get a nice run in before bedtime by light of the streetlights.
Have you Met your Future Neighbors?
When you’ve checked all your boxes and you’ve finally decided on the house of your dreams and you’ve gotten your keys, go out and meet your neighbors. Now you may think, “Oh, I don’t need to meet my neighbors, I’m sure we will say hi in passing,” think again! Neighbors can be your biggest nightmare, but they can also be your best asset. Having a nosey neighbor may seem annoying, but you’ll always know someone is looking out for your home when you’re away. The good thing is, you’ll have already checked out your local crime maps and sex offender registry and chances are you’ll be able to find out who exactly your neighbors are and which neighbor will be your closest asset to watch over things and get your mail when you’re away.
Get A Security System
Now that you’re all settled in, you’ve met your neighbors, you’ve checked crime maps and made sure all outside forces have checked out in protecting your home, it’s time to give Somerset Fire Alarm & Security a call to give you the best peace of mind of them all! Call us to customize and install a security system to fit all of your needs. We can give you the tranquility you need to leave your home unattended while you’re away on holiday breaks or while you’re at work. If you don’t want to listen to me, maybe you’ll listen to Merriam Webster dictionary where it states:
“Definition of peace of mind: a feeling of being safe or protected Installing a security system in your home will give you greater peace of mind.”
Our goal at Somerset, is to make sure you feel the safest you can in your home or business, we are Committed. Every Minute of Every Day.
Call us today with any questions or concerns and we will be glad to help you and your family out. Be sure to LIKE, COMMENT, & SHARE this post if you found it insightful or helpful in any way. Stay tuned for more Somerset FAS blog posts in the future.
