Privacy is the first step in home security.
Yes, you can spend $4k on a gun safe. But there are also lots of options in the $100-$300 range. With a bit of effort to secure them properly, they can slow the bad guys down and make them leave a lot more evidence. Three cheap gun safes can also give them a lot to think about, figuring out which one to try and defeat first.
Dogs are good. As are home security systems. I like systems that incorporate video and also those that alert the homeowner that someone has entered the home. A combination of visible cameras (deterrent) and hidden cameras is a good bet. I like networked cameras so that images of anyone approaching any entrance is immediately stored off site. They have them now that can send you an email or a text as soon as an intruder is detected or an entrance is approached. Costs can be reasonable for a DIY type.
We like to vary our schedules also, so it is pretty hard for a crook to guess when nobody is home. Keeping a car or two in the garage makes simply looking at the driveway misleading.
No household is likely to be able to implement all of these deterrents, but implementing a few will deter crooks more and also make it less likely you'll get hit again if they break in and leave empty handed having left plenty of evidence.
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