This is a continuation of last weeks tips for home safety.  I am a big believer in listening to your inner voice, or as some say, "listening to your gut".  If you feel uneasy about someone being near your home or if the person at your door make you uncomfortable, it is better to be safe then sorry.  Often, people will continue to talk to someone in this situation rather than close the door on them because they do not want to be considered rude.  Anyone in law enforcement will tell you to listen to your gut and close the door.  Better to be thought of as rude than be the victim of a violent crime. 

After reading these tips, it is plain that burglars are attuned to the little things that tell them not only who is home  (or not) and how well they are protected (or not), but also who is paying attention.  One of the best safety tips I have ever received is to let someone who may not belong in your neighborhood know they have been noticed.  Make sure they see you and they know you have seen them (have a phone in your hand!).  Someone who may be thinking of committing a crime wants to be invisible and once they have been noticed most often will leave and find another place where they won't be noticed.  On this note,  make sure to tell your neighbors you have seen someone "loitering" and ask them to be vigilant.

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 Again, thank you to Readers Digest for this article by Janice Lieberman on some things we need to be aware of in our daily lives. Some of these tips will not apply to everyone, but read all of them anyway.  You  never know when you will need this!

Most of us have friends and family that could benefit from these also so feel free to pass this along! As always, for more blogs or to check out real estate in the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton area, please visit my website at http://www.KatGardner.com.

Ten More Things Burglars Don’t Want You to Know

1. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste … and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

2. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door—understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.

3. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)

4. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

5. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

6. You're right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

7. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

8.  If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway. (Also, restaurant menus, flyers of any kind, and even neighborhood notices need to be picked up.  This was added by Kat!)

9. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.

10. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom—and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job. Reader's Digest Contributing Editor Janice Lieberman shared these and more tips on the Today Show and in her blog.