Police in the greater Toronto area saw report after report arrive telling a similar story. Jewelry, coins, antiques, and other valuables were going missing from open houses. It didn’t take long for the tally to reach $100,000, when the police found they were dealing with a string of related robberies from a couple dubbed the “open house bandits.” Continue reading
Tag Archives: open house
Stealing Prescription Drugs from Open Houses
On occasion, most of us will end up with a prescription for a pain killer. Whether you had an injury, surgery, or illness, it is not uncommon to head home from the doctor’s office with Vicodin, Percocet, or another pain killer. But when left alone in an open house, you may find your drugs have gone missing. Continue reading
Thief Cases Open House
Open houses are a great way to share a home with lots of potential buyers at once, but they also mean lots of people coming and going while the house is open. While the agent will walk around and discuss the home with the visitors, they can’t be everywhere at once. Continue reading
Open House Thief Caught
In Columbus, Ohio, police caught one of two suspects believed to be responsible for a number of area robberies that took place during Open Houses. When local Realtors first became aware of the problem they started photographing vehicle license plates of people entering their clients’ houses. These photos eventually helped to track down the suspects and catch one of them. Continue reading
Real Estate Agent Accused of Sexual Staging
Image created by ImageryMajestic provided courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A Maple Grove, Minn. couple has filed a lawsuit against a real estate brokerage company and agent alleging the agent used their home for sexual encounters while they were out of the country. Apparently there still are a few FULL service real estate agents out there. I’m not sure what the real story is here. Is it that the agent used a client’s home for sexual escapades or is the real story that those sexual escapades result in a $7000 cost to clean or replace the soiled furniture, bedding, carpet and other things. Continue reading
Voyeurs Invade Open Houses In New York City
image created by Naito8, provided courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Rather than being a buyer’s market or seller’s market in New York, open houses are attracting the voyeur market. Looking at real estate listings has become a spectator’s sport to see what the Joneses are up to. Almost half of the people going to open houses in New York are there to rummage in the closets, scarf down the free Hors d’œuvres, and look for decorating tips, according to a survey reported in The New York Post. Continue reading
Dead Body Found In Open House
Image created by Simon Howden, provided courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
No, this isn’t a home staging consultant’s tribute to Halloween. The owner actually died in the house and the agent was the first on the scene, showing the home to a potential buyer. In Texas, if the owner died of natural causes, you don’t have to disclose it. However, in this case, that buyer will probably figure it out without reading the disclosure statement. Continue reading
God Cancels Open House
Image created by Survo Datta, courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When Lynda Worthington, a Columbus Realtor, pulled up to one of her listings to host an open house, she might have been thinking “location, location, location,” but that soon changed to FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!!!! Apparently a tree near the house was struck by lightning and caught fire and started spreading to the roof. Luckily she caught it in time to minimize damage. If it wasn’t for the open house, the house fire might not have been caught so quickly and the damage could have been much worse. Continue reading
Thieves Target Open Houses & Other Real Estate Robberies
It’s open season on open houses. Home buyers aren’t the only people touring your home. Thieves are too. The Aldergrove Star reports “These crimes are committed by thieves posing as potential homebuyers attending open houses or walking through homes for sale with a Realtor. The thieves will distract the Realtor, perhaps asking for a tape measure, and while the Realtor facilitates the request, property is pocketed. Property targeted during these thefts includes laptops, jewelry, designer purses, small electronics, and other miscellaneous items.” Continue reading