On Real Estate

Tuesday, October 23, 2001

Home security sales surge

Owners' pre-Sept. 11 intentions become post-Sept. 11 action

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times

Danny Howard with Ace Security Alarm Systems installs a system in a Corpus Christi home Thursday. Ace’s sales have jumped 15 percent to 20 percent since the terrorist attacks. A University of Houston psychologist says there’s a likely connection.

Homeland security issues are getting a great deal of attention, but some Corpus Christi residents also have home front security on their minds.
   Since the terrorist attacks and the recent anthrax reports, sales of home security systems such as burglar alarms and surveillance equipment are on the rise, local business owners say.
   Consumers aren't kidding themselves with the notion that alarm systems could ward off terrorists or be a defense from chemical attacks.
   What they're looking for, say business owners and psychologists, are measures they can take that give them a sense of control in a world that seems so out of control.
   "I would say we're having the best month we've had since we've been in business, and it's still going strong," said Patrick Espinoza, general manager and part owner of Ace Security Alarm Systems.
   Ace Security, which has been in business for about a year, has watched its sales jump 15 percent to 20 percent since the attacks.
   "I haven't seen this kind of interest in alarms before. It just seems to have shot up," said Espinoza, who has worked in the industry for about five years. "People are more conscious about it. They might have had this in mind, but wouldn't act on it. Now they're acting on it."
   Jim Waller, 45, is one of those homeowners who had been mulling over the idea of buying a security system for some time, but hadn't gotten around to it.
   Last year, when seven inmates, armed with stolen guns escaped from the Connally Unit in Kenedy and killed Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins, Waller really began thinking about getting a home security system.
   But even the high-profile prison escape, which ended with the inmates' capture, wasn't enough to make him follow through with a purchase. After Sept. 11, he purchased floodlights and an alarm system for the southern Corpus Christi home he shares with his wife.
   For Waller, Sept. 11 pushed him to do a lot of things he hadn't gotten around to doing.
   "I don't have the least concern for anthrax. I haven't bought antibiotics. Terrorists marching down the street with anti-American slogans? It's not going to happen," Waller said. "I think Sept. 11 just made me do everything I was procrastinating doing."
   William Mandel, president of Dynamark Security Centers, said the company also has experienced an increase in sales - also about a 15 percent to 20 percent increase.
   "I think in general, security awareness is a lot higher than what it has been," Mandel said. "Of course, terrorist threats don't come in the way of breaking into houses. But security systems are something that makes families feel safer. It goes a long way in giving them a little more peace of mind."
   Mary Armsworth, associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Houston, said it's not at all a stretch that Sept. 11 would cause a surge in home security equipment sales.
   With massive traumas, people tend to feel helpless, Armsworth said. Just as people were finding some sense of normality following the attacks, anthrax reports brought new fears.
   "There really is a connection (with) people trying to get more things that make them feel safe," Armsworth said. "Many people are experiencing an overwhelming sense of vulnerability and absolute helplessness that people have no control over and even a fear that some type of event similar to what they've already experienced would be repeated."
   Workplaces, which might have felt safe to people, are being invaded.
   It's natural that people would want to secure their homes, she said.
   "People have a desire to make their world a little smaller, and their homes probably represents a safe place for them," Armsworth said.
   Confidence wanes
   Texas Realty professionals are less confident than they were last quarter or last year, according to the latest Texas Real Estate Confidence Index.
   The waning confidence has much to do with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
   The overall index for the state and for the five sectors combined is 0.49, down 0.13 from last quarter's number and down 0.08 from a year ago. This is the first quarter that the index has been negative - a number less than the 0.50 neutral point - since it was begun almost three years ago.
   The index, compiled by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, is a quarterly tracking of the state of the real estate industry. The Real Estate Center recruits panelists from professional organizations that cosponsor the effort.
   "With the tragic events of Sept. 11, and the sharp downturns in the stock market in recent months, it was clear (the Texas Real Estate Confidence Index) would be down from last quarter; I just didn't have a good sense of how much it would drop," said James H. Leigh, index project leader.
   "One thing to keep in mind is that our expert panelists had the entire month of September to submit their responses. Those panelists who completed their surveys before Sept. 11 probably would have reported a more negative outlook if they had known what was to occur. These numbers are probably inflated as a result."
  
  
  

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Contact Laura Elder at 886-3678 or elderl@caller.com

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