Stay safe
September is Realtor Safety Month. All agents and home sellers need to be vigilant and this seems an appropriate time to address the issue. Earlier this month we received several reports of members feeling "uncomfortable" with prospects and rightfully so.
It seems some character has been targeting female agents with requests to see rural properties. The nature of the property he describes is unusual as is the rest of his story. Luckily, the agents subjected to his requests had the intuition to not only decline the requests but to notify the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors office, which then issued an alert to our members.
Fortunately, we are not compelled to issue alerts too often although even here in North Idaho we attract miscreants who threaten our safety. If you are selling your own real estate, you too put yourself at risk whenever a stranger comes to see your property. Meeting strangers though is not the only risk when attempting to sell a home. Realtors and citizens need to keep their guard up to stay safe.
Realtors know that when they leave the office they need to tell someone where they will be going and when they expect to return. Some offices arrange for a safety check by phone or text message if their agents expect to be showing properties for an extended period. Others may require some form of identification from walk-in customers. Sellers usually do not have the same options but can certainly tell a friend, neighbor or family member that they will be accepting a stranger into their home and how long that visit should last.
When a property is advertised for sale it presents an opportunity for nefarious individuals. One should never advertise a home as "vacant" or "move in ready." Stories of burglaries abound and our local police reports reveal missing appliances, wiring or other fixtures that can easily be exchanged for drugs or money. Ask any contractor and they probably have a story or two of lost equipment or stolen fixtures from a construction site.
When you are lucky enough to attract a potential buyer you undoubtedly set about tidying up prior to their arrival. As part of this effort, valuable personal effects, prescription drugs and heirlooms should be securely tucked away. No one can be sure the prospective buyer is not also a prospective burglar responding to an advertisement as a way to explore opportunities to exploit the seller.
In this day and age, most people lock their homes, but do you? How about the windows? Many folks like to sleep with their windows open and close them in the daytime without remembering to lock them. An unlocked window is second best to a would-be thief when looking for easy access. Even a locked door can be jimmied open. Sliding doors are often easy targets. Sliding doors can be made more secure with a simple track lock from your local hardware store or even by placing a stick in the slider track to prevent it from sliding open, even if the lock has been tampered with. Though the track type locks are better.
What about those pictures you display to remind you of the joy your family brings you? Do you really want some pervert knowing that you have young children or grandchildren? Does a prospective buyer need to know about the expensive toys that you so proudly display in the photos of your activities? Remember, pictures are decor and personal photos are, well, personal.
We do not want to make anyone paranoid. If you remain vigilant there is no reason to be.
Trust an expert...call a Realtor. Call your Realtor or visit www.cdarealtors.com to search properties on the Multiple Listing Service or to find a Realtor member who will represent your best interests.
Kim Cooper is a real estate broker and the spokesman for the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors. Kim and the association invite your feedback and input for this column. You may contact them by writing to the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors, 409 W. Neider, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 or by calling (208) 667-0664.