Orlando, U.S.A. — Many families across Florida and the nation will spend the Fourth of July holiday away from home, basking on the state’s beautiful beaches, traveling to see relatives or maybe just visiting friends for a backyard barbecue.

To fully enjoy those activities and other summertime pursuits spent away from home, Florida Realtors suggests that homeowners take precautions to safeguard their residences when they’re not around. Crime rates across the country often start to peak as temperatures rise during warm weather months – the same time that many families leave their homes unoccupied and unprotected.

“A home is the place where people raise their families, make memories of their lives and build on their dreams for the future – and it’s also the biggest financial investment that most people will make in their lifetimes,” says Florida Realtors 2012 President Summer J. Greene, regional manager of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st in Fort Lauderdale. “It just makes sense to take steps to protect something so priceless.”

Homeowners can take these simple precautions to make their homes less of a target for criminals:

• No “Home Alone”: Before leaving your home during the day, make it look as if someone is still at home by using timers on lights in various rooms. Even though daylight hours are longer during the summer, it may still get dark faster than you expect or you may return home later than anticipated, and taking this step ensures that your home appears occupied at all times.
• No Open Door Policy: Ensure that all doors leading to the home and garage are locked, even when leaving for short periods of time. The typical burglary takes less than five minutes, and unlocked doors, combined with an empty home, put out the “welcome mat” for crime.
• Someone to Watch Over Me: Be landscape smart. Shrubbery and other plants can grow very rapidly during the warm, wet summer months. Keep them trimmed so neighbors can easily see your home. Also, an unkempt yard could be viewed as a sign of an empty home to a burglar.
• A Key Reminder: When leaving home, take your house keys along or leave a spare set with a trusted neighbor. Never leave a key under a welcome mat, in a mailbox or other hiding spots – most burglars know where to look.
• Crime Doesn’t Take a Vacation: If you’re planning to be away from home for more than a day or two, ask a neighbor to park a car in your driveway and pick up your mail and newspapers – or make arrangements to cancel the paper and hold the mail. Disable your garage door opener and manually lock it from the inside, and don’t forget to check that the door leading from the garage to the home is locked, too.

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The dream of home ownership will become a reality for retired U.S. Air Force Captain Jason Vest when he and his family receive the keys to a brand new, mortgage free home today in the Centex community of West Fork Ranch located in North Fort Worth. Through the Operation Finally Home program and donations from PulteGroup, Captain Vest will now own a house in which he and his family can feel secure as they return home to Fort Worth.

PulteGroup donated the lot and the cost of construction for the new home through its Centex brand. The local building community also chipped in by hosting a golf tournament to raise funds to furnish the home.  Thanks to the generosity and participation of Pulte’s contractors, vendors and housing partners, more than$35,000 was raised for the family.

“We are honored to participate with Operation Finally Home to help put this brave veteran and his family in a better place. That is what the Centex brand is all about,” said Steven Langridge, vice president of sales for the Dallas operations of Centex. “We hope this home will help improve the quality of life for Captain Vest and provide him and his family with enjoyment and security for years to come.”

Vest enlisted in the Air Force in 2000 as an airborne radio operator and in 2006 was commissioned to serve as a pilot. He has served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and has been recognized with multiple awards, including expert marksman, AF Outstanding Unit Award with Valor and the Meritorious Unit Award.

Vest recently retired from the Air Force after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, which has limited him in is daily life. The new home will help him readjust to civilian life as he and his family return to his native hometown of Fort Worth.

“PulteGroup and the Bay Area Builder’s Operation Finally Home are perfect examples of the great American spirit. They are providing my family with an incredibly positive return home in the aftermath and midst of very difficult times,” Vest said.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/usairforce/

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