A few years ago, my wife and I retired.
- We’d had enough of the sub zero temperatures and endless snow of the Winter seasons up north.
We’d spent way too much time and effort shoveling, plowing and wearing layers of sweaters, heavy boots and wool coats. My wife and I invested in a small house down south. We now divide our time between the two residences. Our goal is to take advantage of the nicest weather in each location. We usually stay up north from Easter to just after Thanksgiving. We spend the rest of the year in our house down south. However, keeping up with the responsibilities of two homes is a bit stressful. When we’re staying at our vacation house, we have concerns with something going wrong up north. If the furnace should quit due to a power outage, there’s the very real concern of water pipes freezing and bursting. When our place down south is empty, we worry about the consequences of high winds and potential growth of mold and mildew if the air conditioner should fail. For both homes, there’s the threat of a break-in or fire. My wife and I decided to invest in a home automation system. This wireless system allows monitoring and management from our smartphones. The system features a smart thermostat, carbon monoxide detector, smoke detector, automated door locks, occupancy sensors, motion activated surveillance cameras and more. I am so happy with the security features. The security system includes alarms that are triggered if anyone should enter the home and the proper authorities are notified. Whether my wife and I are on the premises or at the opposite side of the country, we are never out of touch. Both houses are protected. I like having the capacity to watch real-time video and assure myself that everything is secure.