Investing in Residential or Commercial Property Security

Investors and real estate home buyers have recently been flooding the marketplace in North Florida with offers to buy, rent or build, but there are some important safety tips one should consider to keep your employees, customers, family members, and loved ones safe and secure. ESI, Emergency Systems Inc. the largest commercial and high-end residential security alarm company operating in Jacksonville and the surrounding communities believes location is the most crucial consideration when making a property buying decision or investment. Under the law and real estate rules of engagement, brokers are not allowed to direct potential property buyers to specific sections of a city due to crime or other possible risk factors so it is up to the individual seeking a property to do their own due diligence when prospecting a location. Any area of the city whose crime rate is excessive will put those persons you are responsible for, in harm’s way. This and other factors will also impact property values and even profits if the area you choose could be considered unsafe. ESI believes one should follow certain safety tips to determine if the location you are choosing is a safe and hassle-free area to conduct business, raise your kids or even walk your dogs after dark. Though ESI can create durable security shields for any location, the possibility of a security breach event taking place in a crime-ridden area could be significant, so it is a good idea to follow this simple advice. 

1. Check on the crime statistics: There are many available resources in Jacksonville that can help you determine what the recent crime rate is in any specific area of the city.  Crime stats and other relevant data are available from many resources including SpotCrime.com, jaxSheriff.com, and NeighborhoodScot.com. which will allow one to target neighborhoods based on criteria necessary to determine if an area is safe. Especially if you have children, and have concerns about their safety, FamilyWatchdog.com can tell you where any registered sex offenders, including child predators, are living. This site will also allow one to sign up to receive alerts when a newly registered sex offender moves in or out of an area of town.
2. Take a tour of the immediate surroundings: Spend time driving through an area or if you feel safe, walking through and observe the condition of the businesses, renovations taking place, occupancy, if residential, homes and property upkeep, and the general conditions of the properties. While in some areas it is not unusual to see one or two dilapidated properties or unoccupied buildings in a neighborhood, if these properties have broken windows, overgrown lawns or badly damaged buildings with needed roof, structure or building repair, this might be a good indication of an unsafe and unsecured area. The contrast would be if you notice a lot of people shopping, children playing outside in a neighborhood, or even an amount of renovations and building taking place, this is an indication the area is relatively safe and secure.
3. Looking for thriving local businesses: One of the best indicators that an area is doing well is storefront occupancy and the look of prospering enterprises. Businesses that take their security seriously might have a sign or ESI placard mounted on their window or front door. We secure and monitor a great many offices, businesses, and residential dwellings in this fair city, and those that take their security seriously have much less to fear when ESI is monitoring and on the job. A state-of-the-art security alarm system from ESI, not only offers peace of mind it also presents a major deterrent to intrusion, burglary, and overall crime. Give us a call for a free, no-obligation security analysis performed by one of our highly trained and experienced security technicians today.
4. Speak with the business owners, property managers or residential neighbors: As you explore the area of town you feel presents the best opportunity to build, renovate, enlarge, occupy or even rent, stop and chat with the people you see in stores, offices, shopping pedestrians and residential neighbors. ESI believes that before we develop a security shield for any business, office complex, government building, warehouse facility, or residential home, we analyze the actual security needs and assess the area these dwelling and people will cohabitate. It’s important to introduce yourself to potential neighbors and explain that you are considering a business start-up, purchase of a home, etc. and ask for their opinion of the area.
5. Find out how many businesses recently sold or how the housing market is in that particular area of town: A high volume of business relocations or even homes for sale in a particular neighborhood, could mean businesses or homeowners are concerned about the area in which they live, do business, etc.

Why Consider ESI for all your Security Needs!

For over 40 years, ESI, Emergency Systems Inc. has been serving the commercial, industrial, warehousing, governmental, military, and high-end residential security needs of Jacksonville, Clay, St. Johns, and Nassau County businesses and residents. With 1000’s of satisfied customers, ESI provides state-of-the-art, commercial-grade security products, and services. Give us a call at 904-388-3975 and experience the difference our highly trained and effective security consultants provide. Visit our website for a complete list of our products, services, and qualifications at GetEsi.Com