Most buyers overpay by $500-1,500 over 3 years because they skip the math. This 10-step buyer guide covers DIY vs pro install, self-monitoring vs professional ($6-45/mo), contract traps with ADT and Vivint, equipment markups, and which smart home protocols matter. We price out 6 systems from $140 to $2,400 and show the real 3-year cost nobody advertises.
Home Security Systems
Point Security Review 2026: Company Identity, Equipment, Monitoring, Contracts, and Quote Checklist
Point Security: What You Need to Know Detail Point Security Headquarters Hutto, TX (Austin metro) Founded 2000s — small regional dealer Service Area Texas only (Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas) Business Model Alarm dealer — installs equipment, outsources monitoring Monitoring Outsourced to Monitronics/Brinks Home via Alarm.com Installation Professional only (advertised as “free”) Contracts 36-60 month […]
First Security Services Review 2026: Company Identity, Guard Services, Licensing, and Quote Checklist
Verify the exact First Security Services company, guard or alarm scope, licensing, monitoring, staffing, privacy, quote, acceptance test, and exit terms.
Landline vs Cellular vs Internet Alarm Monitoring 2026: Paths, Outages, Tests, and Migration
Compare landline, cellular, internet, and dual-path alarm reporting by dependencies, power, outages, supervision, monitoring, tests, migration, and three-year cost.
First Alert Review 2026: Smoke, CO, and Life-Safety Devices
Review First Alert smoke, CO, and life-safety devices by exact model, current listing, power, interconnection, alerts, replacement date, support, and installed-location testing.
