why so many security systems? (Austin, Atlanta: home owners insurance, security, deductible)

[elizabeth4537]

This forum has been great...thanks everyone who answered my previous posts. I am moving to Austin next week. When I was visiting I noticed almost everyone had alarm/security systems in their homes/apts. What is the deal? Are there a lot of home break-ins in Austin? I am moving to 78704, and I am a single older female. If I should get one, what are the best security systems for the money in Austin? thanks.
























































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[tashina]

Hi,

See my answer and a few others here:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/austi...-security.html

[Mike78613]

I have one, but my 100% monitor system is a Glock at the night stand

[fil]

Coming from Atlanta, I feel very safe in Austin, but my paranoia as a NYer (that is very restrictive on guns) that lived in a pro-gun state (Georgia) and now in Texas makes security systems and firearms a fundametal part of life.

As for home security, $300/year buys peace of mind and a 10% discount on home owners insurance that offsets the annual monitoring cost so it's worthwhile and economically sound to just have it.

[adlove26]

the best reason to have a security system is peace of mind. Look up this website www.pinnaclesecurity.net. My rep number is 14576. Check us out.
Have a wonderful day.....

[rivergirl831]

The monitoring cost pays for itself because of the deduction you receive from your homeowner's insurance. I don't know why people wouldn't have one.

[tourbound129]

I'm all for a security system for peace of mind but this notion that the discount on your homeowners insurance cancels out the monthly fees is not correct or some people are paying huge amounts for homeowners insurance. I have an excellent insurance company, 1% deductible, and my yearly insurance premium is around $500 on a 200k home. The savings by activating the alarm system came to about 50 bucks for the year. I pay about 7 times that in monitoring fees.

Again, I like my alarm system but in no way does what you save on homeowners insurance cover the monthly fees.

[fil]

Your homeowner's insurance isn't good. I get a 10% discount for my alarm system. I have AMICA.

[tourbound129]

Well, I have USAA, so I would have to say I have one of the best insurance companies you can have.

I also got a 10% or so discount by activating my alarm. I said that my annual premium is about 500 bucks and I got somewhere around a 50 dollar discount.

My point was that the discount doesn't even come close to covering the cost of the monthly monitoring fees.