A TV station in Omaha paid $266,500 for Roy Rogers' stuffed horse Trigger but how much can you get for a used dishwasher? $50, maybe? Burglars recently swiped a lockbox from one of my short sale listings in Natomas and made off with the sellers' appliances. They removed the gas range and oven, dishwasher and built-in microwave. So much for putting the lockbox on the gas meter. The thugs must have cut it off.
You'd think a neighbor would have noticed somebody out there with a reciprocating saw. It takes a long time to cut off a lockbox. I know this because when I bought my home, the agent left his lockbox on the railing and never came back for it. So I whipped out my saw, attached a metal cutting blade and went to work on the lockbox. It took me a good 15 minutes or so to cut through the steel. My hands vibrated for 5 minutes afterward.
I found out my lockbox was missing yesterday when a buyer's agent called me to ask its location. I told him it was on the gas meter. Nope. Wasn't there. Crap. The seller called a neighbor who peeked in the window and sure enough, the appliances were gone. The sellers were out of town, too. I suggested they call a locksmith and the police, and then their insurance agent.
I met the seller's mom at the property, handed my business card to the police officer, we changed out the locks and attached a new lockbox to the front door, in full view of the neighbor's. Of course now there's nothing left to swipe but the copper.
If your home is vacant and on the market, you might want to talk to the neighbors and ask them to keep an eye on the house. Suggest that if they see any unusual activity or a truck parked in front to call the police. Better safe than sorry.
Photo: Big Stock Photo
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
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It is terrible to have homes broken in to. We have a problem with people stealing air conditioning unit from vacant homes.
Wow, Elizabeth. That is terrible. It's sad what some people will do for an oven...
Sorry to hear about this. I work with some new construction and sometimes they get out appliances and tools if left by the contractors. It's a sad state of affairs. Woody
Hi Elizabeth, well first of all, it really bothers me to know that Trigger is stuffed. I used to love Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and proudly carried my little metal lunch box with their picture on it to grade school. LOL I hope the copper remains intact until the house gets sold.
Un-friggin'-believable.
It never ceases to amaze me the things people do for a buck. I usually see the short sale/foreclosures where the current/most recent owners have taken everrthing that's not nailed down, before the burglars can do it...
Featured @ Club Chaos
Always sorry to hear about these things happening! Hopefully one of the neighbors has a security camera that maybe caught them on tape? Good luck and I hope they get caught!
I've never had a lockbox taken from a vacant listing, but did have some brats that were bored to death over the summer knock down a yard sign. They hit every listing in the neighborhood, vacant or not.
Elizabeth - OK, I can see them sawing it off by the handle, but how could they open it? Sledge hammer?
Bummer. I put a full set of never used appliances on Craig's list yesterday and within a few minutes an email came with someone asked how I had come into possession of the appliances. Suspscion runs high these days or perhaps it was an undercover sting operation. Having tried to open a broken lockbox recently I too wonder how in the h&^% did they get the lockbox open. Can they share their secret?
Elizabeth, just this week we had squatters/thieves move into one of our vacant short sales. We were alerted by the buyer's agent. The buyer lives around the corner. On a drive by, our sign and lock box were visibly gone.
The owner, listing agent and the police all met at the house and went in (owner called them and said she had intruders). They arrested a man and woman on the spot - plus found loads of stolen items from computers to hi-tech toys etc.
The bad guys are now gone, locks changed, house not damaged, PLUS we received full approval on that same short sale this week. Ending on a positive note!
Be careful. You can get some bucks for copper. Happens in outlying areas from me all the time. Install the cameras.
As to the lockbox. What the heck could they do with a lockbox? Strange. But, the lockbox can be cut with bolt cutters easier than what a saw can do.
Elizabeth,
Yo just got to do it. On one of our empty homes we are lucky a cop lives across the street and he keeps his police vehicle on this empty house driveway.
I had some squatters in one of my listings in Foothill Farms a few months ago. They were sleeping there and using the shower. Thank goodness they left the appliances in tact! What people will do these days for a few bucks!
Sorry about that Elizabeth. Those who like to do bad things will always find a way. ~ Doug
That is too damn bad. I can believe it, but it is so disheartening to think about. I guess it looked like an easy mark to them...knowing they wouldn't be disturbed and probably done in the dark of night.
We've recently had two of our listings broken into as well. One wasn't clearly visible from any neighbor, but the other was. I love that I have great neighbors that watch over my place when I'm not there.
Elizabeth - unfortunately I guess this is a sign of the times. I too have had a lockbox cut off of one of my listings and then the appliances stolen. I was actually grateful though that they got in that way because I also have had windows broken recently and a door kicked in so that appliances could be stolen. It takes us so much more time and money to clean up the thieve's mess than the $50 they get for the appliances!
I had never thought that putting the lockbox in plain view of the neighbors would deter this, but it's a good idea. From now on my lockboxes will be going on the front door of my vacant listings. Also great neighbors watching over the house is definitely an added bonus.