My husband and I got married right after graduating from college. Because of paying off college loans and entry level job positions, we could only afford a very cramped apartment. As soon as our finances improved, we started shopping for a house to buy. We were very young and naive and ended up buying a really gorgeous home in a very bad neighborhood. At the time, we didn’t realize why the asking price was so affordable. We were far too delighted by the state-of-the-art appliances, granite countertops, remodeled bathrooms and huge master bedroom. Shortly after we moved in, we became aware of constant sirens due to violence in very close proximity to our street. We’ve had issues with vandalism and theft on several occasions. With what we owed on the home, selling it wasn’t an option. We knew we’d never get our investment back. However, we felt unsafe in our own home. The ideal solution was a home security system. We decided to have an entire home automation system installed to take advantage of the many amenities. We now have surveillance cameras and motion-activated lights surrounding the perimeter of the home. If someone enters the property, we receive an alert. Automated door locks are easily accessible via an app on our phone. Plus, we have programmed the automation system to track the locations of our phones through geofencing. When we pull into the driveway, the garage door automatically opens. Once we pull inside, the door closes and locks. Lights turn on, the thermostat adjusts and we’ve even set up the coffee maker to start up. I like the sensors on the windows that respond to glass breaking or anyone attempting to open them. Every window and exterior door is linked to an alarm that sounds if there is an intruder.