So, Donald Trump slams REALTORS® and Americans just like he slams so many others while trying to make another ill-delivered point. At a recent “rally” in Grand Rapids, Mr. Trump was talking about how awesome he is because he spends less on his campaign than other candidates do. When comparing political consultants to blood suckers during his speech, The Donald thought it would be brilliant to slam another entire industry to help bring his point home. An industry that stands for home ownership and, in my opinion, the American way.

These PAC’s, the money is all being stolen from inside because the consultants are like blood suckers, they are ten times worse than a real estate salesman or broker. Ten times, which is saying pretty bad stuff.

Mr. Trump might feel like all REALTORS® are ten times worse than a blood sucker, but I am pretty sure I know a few people who will disagree with his ASSessment.

During this holiday season (November and December) I have had the opportunity to help first time home buyers, families, parents of college students, and investors buy and sell homes. Not one of them was left feeling like their blood had been sucked. In fact, I am so fortunate to feel like I have made a real difference in their lives and to feel like we were able to help with these transactions. These kinds of people are why I continue to love what I do after more than 23 years of being a REALTOR®. For me, it isn’t about sucking blood, it is about truly enjoying what I do and helping people make sound decisions.

I am certain that the dozens and dozens of local REALTORS® in our community who volunteer to help with the Healing Field each year don’t feel like blood suckers.

I know that Rob and I haven’t felt like blood suckers when delivering a Thanksgiving Turkey to the homeless for the past 13 years in a row.

I know that Dean and Shar and I won’t feel like blood suckers today when we ring the bell for the Salvation Army to help people in our community. This is part of Real Estate Wednesdays. A day when blood suckers from many brokerages get together to suck money out of the pockets of (willing) people just so that it can be donated to those in need.

I am pretty sure that Channel 3 and I along with the lovely Carey Pena weren’t trying to suck blood when we raised needed water for veterans, the elderly and homeless in our community.

Here’s a great video response from a REALTOR in North Carolina named Leigh Brown. As Leigh points out:

REALTORS® that I know are not blood suckers, they are hard working entrepreneurs and they are giving their life blood, their blood sweat and tears to their local communities trying to help people… 

Leigh goes on to challenge the millions of licensed real estate agents to give blood at their local blood bank.

#RealBloodsuckingRealtors #PowerOfR

I think I’ll join Leigh and donate blood here in my community soon. Maybe some of my blood sucking friends will join me!

But if Mr Trump decides he wants to call Phoenix home, here are some houses that may meet his style. Although I am fairly certain he won’t be calling us as we are not his biggest fans.

I’m pretty sure that I am not alone in my disdain for thieves.

Yesterday, some dear friends of mine had their home burglarized by someone who the police say wasn’t an amateur. A professional thief, if you will. The thief came in while no one was home and took things that were easy to carry. Mostly small electronics and other valuables that were not bulky. They were told that this is a very common practice, and it seems to be happening more and more in all kinds of neighborhoods, in any price range, and in all zip codes. This is just another reason why it is wise to take out a home insurance. Not having a coverage for theft or burglary will just add to your mental and financial agony.

These thieves strike during the day, at night, on weekends, during the week, it just doesn’t matter. The officer said it is their “job” to take what is not theirs. The thought of this kind of life makes me want to hurl. According to the local security company , there is a guard who joined the force and have prevented many home invasions, learn more about his methods and the company policies at the link.

This particular crime happened during broad daylight. Kids at school, dad at  work, and mom happened to leave the home for about an hour. She works  nights so thankfully she was not sleeping when the robbery occurred! When she came home, the robber(s) had gone through most of the home. Not knowing if the dirtbag(s) was still there, she went to a neighbor’s while the police were  called. Police arrived quickly and entered the home to make sure no one was  still inside. Without going into a ton of details, I’m sure you can imagine how  upsetting this kind of a situation can be. Mad, violated, sad all rolled into one giant buzz kill just because someone thought it was ok to come into your home and take what does not belong to them. In looking around, I found some information and tips for helping all of us try to avoid this kind of a headache in the future, start by reading this article about the differences between robbery and burglary.

According to an article I saw posted by Saks Insurance in Mesa: “Burglaries occur at American homes about every 15 seconds.” That’s a LOT more than I realized. It’s insane to me to think about how common this is.

A home invasion can be placed in two basic categories: burglary and robbery.

The Burglary is a home invasion where no victim is a witness to the crime. In other words, you are not home or you do not realize that you are being burglarized, until after the crime is over. The home invasion robbery is the more scary of the two, because you are directly involved in the crime as an assault victim, not just your property.

To avoid a burglary or a robbery, I found some very common-sense ideas and some ideas that you might not think of every day. Some people don’t like the idea of added security, as they feel like they are closing themselves in from the outside. Bars in the windows to prevent people from getting in that way for example. However, there are a few security measures that still allow you to feel free and relaxed. Installing security screen doors for example, is great for those that like to let fresh air into the home, but wouldn’t want people being able to see straight into the home when they do so. There’s alternatives and options for most things, it’s just a matter of looking carefully and weighing your options.

The list below is not in order of importance, it is just a random list of things to think about while keeping yourself, your home and your family safe.

10 Common Sense Ways To Prevent Home Invasions

1. Lock all of your doors and windows. If you’ve just moved into your home or the locks are old, get them replaced by a reliable locksmith. Even if you don’t you should have the number for one in hand, as you never know when you will experience accidental lockout. After all, whenever that happens you’ll want the problem solved quickly, and this should save you a couple of steps.
2. Buy a big dog or two.
3. Have a form of protection for yourself. ( baseball bat, gun, pepper-spray )
4. Install home security systems and upgrade the locks in your home with the help of a professional locksmith dublin from locksmiths247.ie you can find here.
5. Don’t skimp out on other aspects of home security that will keep your family safe, like fire alarm systems for example.
6. Don’t leave a key under the mat or above the door.
7. Leave some interior lights on at night. A well lit exterior or motion detectors are good, too.
8. Join your neighborhood block watch. Nosey neighbors can be good!
9. Stop your newspaper and or mail if going out of town.
10. Check to see if your city has a vacation watch program.
11. Don’t give alarm codes or “extra” keys to a bunch of other people.
12. Use video monitoring systems and CCTV service straight from the source to ensure the price is accessible.

If your property covers a large area, you may also consider hiring some guards to do regular rounds around the property. You may click over here to contact a security agency.

My most recent experience with a thief was on Christmas morning this past year. Some jerk stole my bicycle from our garage. Yes, it was because some bonehead never got around to getting the door fixed so it was always sort of stuck partially open, and you could fully open it from the outside. I should have called garage door repair services the moment I noticed it. I didn’t, and well, we got home from Mimi’s house with an armful of presents when we noticed the door was wide open. To avoid this, make sure you get a garage door repair immediately (visit the Action garage door official website to find more details).

I sincerely hope a burglary or a robbery never happens to you. Take a look at the ideas above and click the links in the article to be taken to a few pages with more information.

Stay safe, my friends.

( photo credit: Flickr user Brandon Anderson )