Some helpful tips to protect your home while on vacation

  • Make sure to hold the mail and newspaper. If you can't have someone pick it up every day, it's a sure giveaway that nobody's home and can be a green light for burglars.
  • If possible, leave a key with someone you trust, preferably a neighbor and have them keep an eye on your home while you're gone. Make sure to offer returning the favor and thank them with a gift when you return.
  • Unplug all electronics that don't need to be used like the television, coffee maker, and home computers.
  • Lower the temperature on your water heater.
  • If you can, leave a car in the driveway and use timers to turn on outdoor and indoor lights to give the impression that someone is home. Leaving the porch light on the entire time you're gone is a bad idea. If you don't have a timed light, you can leave an interior light on for the duration of your trip as long as you can't easily notice it during the day.
  • As excited as you may be to go on vacation, avoid advertising it over Facebook and Twitter. Also, keep this in mind while posting updates from your cell phone on vacation.
  • If you have access to one, place all your valuables in a safe or safe deposit box.
  • Remember, if your house is on the market, you can ask your REALTOR® to stop by and check in. While you're on vacation, it's a great time for showings because you won't have schedule conflicts.


 

9 comments • Ralph Gorgoglione - California Real Estate (800) 591-6121 • September 15 2011 01:46PM

Pay It Forward - At the grocery store checkout

Pay It Forward -  At the grocery store checkout

Whenever I'm checking out at the grocery store using the card swiper at Pavillions, they usually have another screen that comes out asking for a donation to a well-known charity.

I almost always decline because this type of thing seems so impersonal to me.  It just seems like it goes out into cyberspace and I don't really know what happens with the money.

Well, for some reason this time I decided to hit the "yes" button and made a small donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation.

I hope my Cyber Dollars have gone to good use!


7 comments • Ralph Gorgoglione - California Real Estate (800) 591-6121 • August 07 2011 11:58PM

“Los Angeles 411” Enjoy a delicious meal at Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica, California

 

   

Enjoy a delicious yummy lunch or dinner at Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica, California!

Barney’s Beanery is located at 1351 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. In fact, Barney’s Beanery has many locations in the Los Angeles County.

At Barney’s Beanery you will get to enjoy the most delicious and tantalizing dishes of chili as well as many other yummy foods one could ever dream of!

This fantastic restaurant is walking distance to the Santa Monica Pier as well as many other fun shops on the Promenade.

At Barney’s Beanery everyday is a celebration for visitors to enjoy any occasion or to just spend any time of the day feasting on mouthwatering and soothe your soul entrées!

For more information regarding Barney’s Beanery please visit the link below: http://www.barneysbeanery.com/index.php

What a great way to enjoy a meal!

 

 

8 comments • Ralph Gorgoglione - California Real Estate (800) 591-6121 • April 21 2011 05:39PM

Cleaned out my closets and gave my old clothes away to someone who can use them - Pay It Forward

Cleaned out my closets and gave my old clothes away to someone who can use them - Pay It Forward

It didn't make too much sense to me to have clothes in my closet that just sit there that I hardly every wear.

After I thought about it, I'm sure there are plenty of people that could be wearing these clothes, so I went through my entire closet and now have a huge load of clothes to give away.

I'm going to donate them to a worthy cause.

 

 

6 comments • Ralph Gorgoglione - California Real Estate (800) 591-6121 • January 30 2011 11:38PM