My neighbor had cancer. Chemo made her weak so she got a glock and wore it in a holster on her hip around the house. Five hispanic "gardeners" invaded her home. Two through the front door, three through the back door. She met them blasting away. Bullets and bodies went flying. Only two got away to be caught a few blocks away.
We advise homeowners to stay away from the beaners hanging around Home Depot. Many of them are just looking for work (SO GO HOME AND FIND IT) but there are others who are looking over the home for another visit, to rob it. Never let them inside and make sure your slider is secure after they leave....they lift the latch-end enough to defeat the lock if it's old and sloppy....always put a piece of rebar in the track....wood dowels get old and when bent will snap.
Make sure the emergency rope on your garage door isn't long enough to be grabbed by breaking a window in the door. Don't leave implements of destruction outside...a ball bat or shovel laying around outside is a meth-head's dream because he doesn't have to carry burglary tools if you do. Change your gate locks to combination locks so you don't have to worry about losing a key.
Outdoor motion lights are a must...they're cheap and no matter how desolate the area, a burglar will be convinced somebody can see him and he'll exit the scene.
Keep your alarm system on "instant" mode when you're home....in "away" mode an entry can be made within the two minutes of the alarm siren. Hide the key to the alarm CPU....I find 9 out of 10 of them on top of the box. Know your "duress code" so if you are asked to disable your system at gunpoint you can enter the code that brings the police. If you're in a home invasion and the police appear outside, don't run out...they don't know who's who....step out, put your hands in the air and walk backwards toward them.
And one more thing about getting an alarm system; make sure your first contact other than yourself doesn't have a hero gene. We see next door neighbors interceding in an event and getting themselves shot. You might also find that "Navy SEAL" next door won't lift a finger to help you....probably claim he didn't hear anything....there's a chickenshit big mouth Derideo_Te in every neighborhood.