A Day In the Life of a Realtor®

Normally I don't blog about my daily experiences but something happened Thursday evening that has stayed on my mind. I wrote a post a few days ago without having personal experience with it but now it hit home. Well, it happened when I trekked out to show a home.

My client had gotten really excited about this one home. New enough to still have tax abatement. Very affordable. And the on line photos gave it great curb appeal and interior updates. I made the appointment with the listing agent, and set out to show it. Arriving a few minutes before the scheduled time, I decided to go ahead and open the door. That should have been my first clue. It was jammed. My clients arrived and with the help of one of them, we got the back door open, although that was not easy either. Once inside, the home looked nothing, anymore, like the on line photos. Dry wall smashed out of every room, particles all over the floor. Every piece of wiring was gone. The copper pipes were gone.

This home featured an updated bath with jetted tub and really nice fixtures. Well the bath was no longer nice, believe me. It was surreal. The three of us kept wandering around. My clients were a young married couple and the gentleman wandered into the basement first. He announced a flood. I checked it out, half of the basement had standing water because even though the vacant home had been winterized (which means water turned off so pipes don't burst in below freezing weather), the pipes had water in them and as they were ripped out a flood appeared. Now the home is not only vandalized but in this weather, in danger of becoming a festering haven of mold before you know it.

I of course called and left a message for the listing agent (who oddly has never called me back nor responded to my emails) to make sure she knew what was going on. My clients and I secured the windows and doors and left.

So you have a home, built in a neighborhood in need of revitalization. And less than five years after it is built, it's now trashed. There is something very sad about that. Peace Out - 3C

Selling Your Home and Living Elsewhere? Beware of Copper Pipe Thieves

An article on the Cleveland.com website by Donna Miller reminded me of this issue. Those of us in the real estate business are very aware and I personally know agents who have had vandalism/pipe theft in their clients' vacant homes. I'm glad three of the thieves in Akron were caught red handed.

What can you do to help protect yourselves? First I suggest alerting your city police or the Cleveland Police District in which your 'for sale' home is located. The police are always saying they will provide some extra neighborhood patrols to help.

Secondly, you might want to have your real estate agent provide keys in their office for other agents to show buyers, as opposed to a lock box. Times are tough and copper pipe provides a decent rate of exchange for thieves. Oh and by the way, hot water heaters have been stolen as well.

If you live in the area, visit your vacant home frequently and at irregular hours. Or have relatives or friends do the same. If a thief is 'casing the joint' they won't be able to establish a pattern of time when no one is ever home.

Keep lights on in the basement and/or other parts of the house. I know it costs money but it's much better than having thousands of dollars in home repairs if something is stolen.

If you have one of those beautiful Cleveland homes with the character of leaded or stained glass included and the house is vacant and for sale? Do not let your agent put a lock box on the door. Seriously. This is another area that experienced a rash of theft about a year ago. Agents from all brokerages networked and the solution we came up with was to not use lock boxes. Your agent can keep keys with them and provide copies at their offices. Just a few tips from the trenches. Peace Out - 3C