Indy Home Marketing - July 2008 Newsletter

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July 2008 Newsletter

Volume 2, Number 7


			Home Security Tips While on Vacation It's natural to be concerned about the security of your home when you are on vacation. Al- though, according to law enforcement statistics, the over-all odds of being burglarized are about the same, whether you are in town or out of town. Nevertheless, here are 14 things you can do to make your home less tempting to a would-be burglar anytime you're away from home for an extended period of time. More

	GREEN TIP OF THE MONTH Rid Yourself of Energy Vampires! Surprise -- your TV uses electricity even when turned off. The same goes for your stereo, coffee maker, garage door open- er, microwave oven, clock radio and other electronics. Yes, even chargers for
	cell phones and MP3 players siphon energy when plugged in - even if they're not charging a thing! A "phantom load" is any appliance or electronic gizmo that uses energy even when turned off. Some peo- ple call them "vampire appliances" or "energy vampires." If your home is typical, you live with 20 vampires. They add about $200 to your annual energy bill, according to Cornell University. That’s because the "off" button doesn’t really mean "off" these days; instead, it means "standby." In fact, your TV with remote control likely uses more energy during the 20 hours a day that it’s turned off and in a "standby power" state than it does during the hours you watch the tube. More

			THE RIGHT WAY TO WATER YOUR LAWN... Think about your lawn for a moment. There are probably areas that are sloped and areas that are flat. Each of these areas needs a dif- ferent type of watering practice for the lawn to do its best. Water runs downhill, and where the lawn slopes, water doesn't have time to soak in and reach the roots before it begins to run off. The solution is to irrigate lightly, then irrigate another area of the lawn, then return the sloped area and apply more water.
	This method gives the water time to thoroughly soak the ground. You don't need to be high-tech to measure the amount of water that's getting to your lawn: you can do quite a good job by setting empty tuna cans on the lawn. Unlike a rain gauge that sits up a- bove the turf, the tuna cans are right down where the water is be- ing applied. Once the cans are in place, take note of the amount of time it takes to deliver 1/2" of water. Even if you're watering with portable sprinklers, you need to know how long it takes to deliver this amount of water to your lawn. More


	RECIPE OF THE MONTH Grilled Avocado, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad Here's a tasty and lite summer salad recipe for your next cookout. Courtesy of: The Food Network

INGREDIENTS:

•	8 vine-ripe tomatoes, quartered	•	1 cup pesto sauce
•	1 medium red onion, sliced	•	1/2 lemon
•	1/2 cup pine nuts	•	Parmiggiano-Reggiano
•	Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
•	4 avocados, peeled, halved, and pitted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat a grill over medium heat. Cover a large tray with
tomato quarters, and set aside.

Place avocado halves in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
Place each half on a hot open grill for about 30 to 45 seconds.
Remove and place on top of the tomatoes arranged on tray.
Drizzle with olive oil again.

In another bowl, cover the red onion slices with the juice from
the lemon half and olive oil. Place onions in the empty avocado
pit holes. Cover with the lemon/olive oil mix. Then, top with
pesto, distributing generously on all sides. Sprinkle pine nuts
and cheese on top, to taste. Return to Top

TIPS FOR SECURING YOUR HOME...
(continued)

1 - Put your mail and newspaper on hold.
Newspapers collecting on your driveway and mail piling up in your
mailbox is a dead giveaway no one is at home. Inform the Post
Office to hold your mail over the period of time you plan to be on
vacation. Also, have your newspaper provider stop delivery until
further notice. Note - It's best not to mention you'll be on vacation
or give specific times to anyone except police, security, or Post
Office personnel.

2 - Put your lights on a timer
Timers come in a wide variety and are available at most hardware
and home improvement stores. Most simply plug between your
lamp cord and electrical outlet. Consider having two or three rooms
equipped so the lights go on and off at various times. Also, leave
the light on over the stove, because when people are at home,
kitchens tend to be lighted most of the time.

3 - Leave a stereo or TV turned on
A deserted house "feels" empty because it's quiet. People make
noise and vibrations. Turn your stereo or TV on to a talk station
(instead of a music station) to create the impression someone
is home.

4 - Set your answering machine
Even when you're in town, your phone message should never say
"we're not at home." Instead, try "we can't get to the phone right
now." Also, set your machine to answer in 5 rings -- answering
too soon, or not at all, can be a clue that no one is at home.

5 - Adjust your drapes (or other window coverings)
There's some debate about leaving drapes open or closed. Some
maintain closed drapes indicates you're not at home. Others main-
tain open drapes invite look-ins by potential burglars. Still others
recommend a combination, leaving some drapes open and others
closed. Whatever your decision, make sure rooms with expensive
items (such as TV's and computers) are not visible from outside
your home.

6 - Park a car in the drive way
This is another debated tactic. Some highly recommend it to give
the appearance someone is home. Others maintain a car that
doesn't move is a tip off. Another idea is asking your neighbor
to park over-night in your driveway. However, if you live in a
neighborhood where cars are not normally parked in the driveway,
skip this tip.

7 - Padlock the gates
Make your backyard inaccessible. Padlocking your gates when you
are at home can be inconvenient, but the advantage of doing it
while you are on vacation is great. It not only makes getting into
the backyard more difficult, it seriously hinders anyone trying to
carry out items like stereos and computers. Difficulty can be be
a strong deterrent.

8 - Hire a reliable teenager as a caretaker
This isn't necessarily a vacation/home security tip, but it works as
one. Find a young, reliable neighborhood teenager and pay him or
her a monthly fee to do certain chores for you. This is a great way
to get your lawn mowed, your trash taken out, sidewalks shoveled
and leaves raked. All of which will disguise the fact that you are
not home. Younger, 10 -14 year olds tend to take these respon-
sibilities very seriously and also serve as someone to watch your
house for you even when you are in town.

9 - Let a neighbor know how to contact you
In case of problems, leave a telephone number where you can be
contacted. Some experts recommend leaving a key as well, if you
are uncomfortable with that, leave a key with a close friend or
family member and give your neighbor that person's number.

10 - Make sure all doors and windows are locked
Make a circuit of your home before you leave to check that all
windows and doors are secure and locked. As obvious as this
may sound, quite often in the rush to get out the door this
can be overlooked.

11 - Make sure your alarm system is armed
This is another tip that should be obvious, but it's also often for-
gotten in the rush to leave for vacation. In fact, a check-list of
things to do before you walk out the door can be extremely
helpful.

12 - Notify your security service provider
If you're planning a trip of a week or more and live in an area
patrolled by a private security provider, make sure they are in-
formed about your absence and the length of time you plan to
be away from your home.

13 - Invest in a floor safe
If you travel frequently, you might want to consider installing a
floor safe for your jewelry and other valuables. It's also an ideal
spot to store a list (or video tape) of your possessions in case of
theft or fire.

14 - Hire a house sitter
Although Hollywood would give you the impression that any teen-
ager without adult supervision will throw a party and destroy your
home, that is just not true. Most teens will jump at the chance to
earn "easy" money by simply staying at your home overnight.
Next to making your home difficult to break in, your best
burglary defense is hiring a house-sitter.

Return to Top

Energy Vampires... (Continued)

The upshot, according to Cornell, is we’re using the equivalent of
7 electrical generating plants just to supply vampires that are
turned" off."

Here are some clues to identify your energy suckers: They are
appliances with remote controls, such as TV's, VCR's and audio
equipment. They feature a continuous digital display -- like
those glowing clocks on stoves. They feature rechargeable bat-
teries, such as cordless phones (which use energy even after
the battery is charged). And they're appliances with external
power supplies, such as inkjet printers and iPod chargers.

How can you combat vampires?

• Kill vampires by using a power strip sold at hardware stores,
home-supply superstores, discount stores and the like. Step 1:
Plug all components of a computer or home entertainment sys-
tem into a power strip. Step 2: Turn off the power strip with
a single switch. Anything plugged into the strip now is truly
turned off.

• Unplug "vampires." Unplug rarely used appliances. Ditto for
chargers that aren't in use. Unplug the TV, toaster oven and
other well-used appliances before you leave on vacation (or
more frequently). If it’s not plugged in, it can’t suck energy.

• Buy energy-efficient appliances bearing the Energy Star label.
That way, at least your vampires will suck away less energy.
See EnergyStar.gov for a list of products. Return to Top

THE RIGHT WAY TO WATER YOUR LAWN...
(Continued)

Lawn grasses use about 1/10" of water per day. Some types
of grasses, such as tall fescue, use more.

If you use a manifold, you may have to water longer or turn
off one sprinkler to deliver the required amount of water to
your lawn. Make sure to provide enough water so that the
sprinkler head can work properly. An oscillating sprinkler
should deliver the same amount ofwater at the top of the
arc as at the outside limit of the spray.

Prime time to water the lawn is between 5 a.m. and no later
than 10 a.m., and unless you want to become a slave to the
process, an automatic system is best. Such a system can be
programmed to deliver water at predetermined times and for
specific intervals.

Clay-based soils take up water more slowly than sandy soils.
It's a good idea to dig into your turf with a trowel to see how
deeply water is penetrating. Depending on your soil, you may
need to water for longer or shorter intervals. Return to Top