For scads of St. Cloud residents, 2022 will mark the first true summer vacation season in a long time. The U.S. Travel Association tells us that domestic leisure travel spending has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels (even adjusting for inflation).

For St. Cloud vacationers, taking off for longer than a weekend will require thinking back to retrieve some of the smart traveling habits developed when yearly trips were routine—household security measures among them. For all the St. Cloud vacationers whose homes will be left unattended, reinstituting a few precautionary measures will go far to prevent a miserable surprise from spoiling the return home. Here’s a refresher:

·         Secure seldom-used doors and windows that usually remain unlocked.

·         As a vacation emergency backstop, hide a spare key where you can remotely instruct a helper to find it. Keep in mind that thieves expect you to settle for ‘under the doormat’ or ‘in the flowerpot.’

·         Recruit a friend or neighbor to gather any mail or newspaper overflow.

·         Unplug the remote-controlled garage door motor—it might be vulnerable to multi-frequency scanners.

·         Suspend deliveries. An Amazon Prime carton on the porch is a common sight—but when one remains uncollected for more than a day, it’s a red flag that crooks look for.

·         If possible, avoid leaving a car in the driveway—it’s very common for thieves to break into a house searching for keys to a parked auto.

·         Delay posting vacation pics on social media until you’re back in St. Cloud. And do avoid tweets about now being delayed at the airport.

It doesn’t matter that St. Cloud neighborhoods are safer than most—for whatever reason, crime is expected to continue to be on the rise throughout the country. But do have a great vacation…and after you return, whenever it’s time to turn your attention to St. Cloud real estate matters, I hope you’ll give me the first call!    

Providing a superior level of informed, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers throughout Central Minnesota. We have agents specializing in residential, commercial, multifamily, new construction, existing, investment properties, foreclosures/REO, and short sales with offices located in:

Multiple Office Locations To Serve YOU!

Saint Cloud 320-259-4554

Princeton 320-983-3555

Sartell 320-259-4554

Little Falls 320-259-4554

Minneapolis 763-565-2000

Hutchinson 320-455-9127

Litchfield 320-298-1140

Premier Real Estate specializes in MANY areas around Central MN including Saint Cloud, Waite Park, Rice, Royalton, Sartell, Royalton, Little Falls, Cold Spring, Saint Joseph, Elk River, Monticello, Ramsey, Saint Michael, Andover, Ham Lake, Anoka, Champlin, Buffalo, Glencoe, Brownton, Silver Lake, Kandiyohi, Dassel, Minneapolis, Maple Grove, Saint Louis Park, Saint Paul, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Brooklyn Center, Brainerd, Nisswa, Aitkin, Albany, Coon Rapids, Sauk Rapids and more!