Maybe it is simply the fact that we live in a different time now, but whenever I look at a house and see that it has security cameras, it make me very suspicious. It makes me wonder if something happened to the house in the past, or a neighbors house. I looked at a house that had security cameras inside the home. One in the kitchen, one in the garage, and one on the screened porch out back. Plus they had a ring camera outside in the front of the home. To me, that was a red flag. I inquired about the cameras and the only answer i could get was a comment mentioning how there were nanny cams in the children's bedrooms. I couldn't see myself living in that house, plus I couldn't get a straight answer over why they were up there in the first place. Any opinions on security cameras or stories you have?
Casey Y2019-09-13T17:25:45Z
Some people are interested in security and others aren't. They might have cameras so they can check up on their property...maybe they have a petty dispute with a neighbor.
Cameras never make me nervous but if a house has bars on the ground floor windows....different story.
Many homes have security cameras now. There may have been a problem in the neighborhood or the owner may just be paranoid. Sometimes if they have workers coming in when they're not home they want to check to see that everything is going as it should. Some people even put them in to monitor their pet(s). You can check the crime statistics for a given neighborhood on Zillow.
If the price was right, sure. But I understand your point too. Security camera's are becoming more common, but there is another far more common feature (that is easy to spot) that should serve as a warning. The security door. You see them on occasion in some neighborhoods which is more often an insecure owner. But when you see several on neighboring houses, you know they are there for a serious purpose and should serve as a red flag regarding the safety of the area. Plus, people have security camera's for more reasons than security like kids and to limit liability (the same reason people have them in cars now a days too)
We must think differently. Before I will look at any house, I have already done my research on crime data for the neighborhood - that data is easily found these days. So if I have already decided that the neighborhood is statistically safe, I look at any security measures as a BIG bonus - they're a selling point, not a negative.
Of course I would (and I did). I bought a house from someone who was a US Marshall.
"I couldn't get a straight answer over why they were up there in the first place" That's because it wasn't any of your damn business.
If you like the house but not the cameras, buy the house and get rid of the cameras.
Crime stats are very easy to research.
Security systems are good crime deterrents and they have other uses as well.
Do you have an Alexa? If yes, hopefully you are aware that Amazon is RECORDING what is going on in your home. It's right there in the Terms of Use agreement.
The grocery store is keeping track of what you buy, how much you drink, etc.
The boogeyman in the internet keeps track of what you look at and click on.
But I guess if you want to be paranoid about security cameras that YOU OWN and have control over...be my guest.