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Old Locks = House Party

wellington florida real estate Last Friday my clients closed on a beautiful short sale. Unfortunately changing the locks was not at the top of their list since they were not moving in right away.

I always advise my clients to change the locks after closing because you never know who has a key. In the case of these buyer's the previous owners son still had a key and was unaware that the property had been sold.

Thinking his parents still owned the home he decided to throw a huge house party, DJ and all. The neighbors called the police on the 30-40 party goers, but since the young man had a driver's license with that address the police did nothing.

The next day my clients received a phone call from the HOA president notifing them of the incident. It appeared the son didn't want his parents to find out about the party and the house was spotless. This situation could have turned out much differently.

This is a reminder to change your locks immediately after closing.

Michelle Gibson REALTOR®
HANSEN REAL ESTATE GROUP INC.
561.333.0446

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Posted by Michelle Gibson REALTOR® Wellington Florida Homes for Sale on 11/16/2009 12:53 PM

Comments (67)

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Originally posted at: Where's Wellington?: Old Locks = House Party

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67 Comments on Old Locks = House Party

NOV

2009

Hi Michelle how are you.....

Ha....you never know do you! What a story! I guess it is a good idea to change the locks as you never know what might happen.

Patricia/Seacoast NH

By the way, would it be ok if I reblogged this post? I like it.

Advise please,

Patricia/Seacoast NH

Hi Michelle, You are so right ! This could have turned out very differently. I thought the story was going to be about a disgruntled seller doing a trash and dash !

Wow, talk about lucky, could have been so much worse.

oh my gosh! that is so hard to believe, it MUST be true!

Too funny ~ This story could have ended differently! Luckily for the young man involved it didn't! I offer the same advice to clients once their home closes ~ Change the locks, you just never know!

Michelle - what a crazy story!!! Ha! It's just as crazy that the parents didn't tell their son they had sold the house. If my parents had done that to me, it probably would have hurt my feelings. LOL

How crazy- there was a story in our local paper recently where some kids 'Broke into' a vacant home listed for sale and threw a huge party. This time though they left a mess. Yours had a much nicer ending.

Patricia - You never know and feel free to re-blog this

Bill - It definitely could have ended differently

Lori Bowers Group - It could have been

Chris - I know, just when you think you heard it all

Terrie - Now I have a story of why the locks need to be changed immediately after closing, not a week or two later.

Lina - The son is in college, lives on his own and nobody told him. We just found out that this isn't his first party he at the house either since it's been vacant for almost a year.

Martha - It was a very lucky ending.

Hi Michelle ~ That is mind boggling! And a story I will remember as a cautionary tale. Amazing that the house was ship shape afterwards. Unreal.

Liz

Liz - I too will be using this story as a cautionary tale.

Even when I bought new construction, I requested as a stipulation of the purchase agreement that all the locks had to be re-keyed. It is one thing to have a little going away party, but you never know who has walked through the home while the home was actively listed. Great piece of advice that every home buyer should follow.

James - Hopefully when I tell this story to future buyer's they will make it a priority.

Michelle- Oh My Gosh! This is a great story to tell your clients about why they need to change their locks! I can't believe how many people never do!

Whoa! You would have thought the son would think something was up as we are sure the furniture must have been missing! Can't imagine, great advice Michelle

Katerina - I agree and think it will be more effecitve than just telling a buyer to change the locks.

Al & Peggy - This house was vacant for almost a year and the buyer's hadn't moved in yet, so the son didn't think anything of it.

NOV

2009

Geat advice! Oh the horrors that could have been! Makes me shudder just to imagine...

Oh wow Michele, you are so right, this could have had a very messy ending! You gave your clients pretty sound advice, I'm sure they have listen and changed them by now!

Cute story, Michelle! It's like a scene out of that old movie about a teenage melee! Glad it had a happy ending.

Very good reminder, thanks. These folks living right to have this story end like this.

OMG Michelle!

Close call! Because we KNOW the house would normally have been thrashed...

Good reminder...ALWAYS change locks!

Great to read that this story had a happy ending!

Great post and I too love happy endings. I've had some nightmares - GREAT REMINDER!!!

Wow.....thank heavens for good endings. It could have been a lot different, at least the son was clean.

I've never heard of that happening! How lucky for the homeowners that it turned out this way. It's always good to have a story to reinforce your suggestions. That will be a great one to tell!

Glad that turned out well--I was afraid I'd read a tale of horror. May I use your story with my buyers? Perhaps the close call will motivate some buyers more than a tale of woe.

This sounds like something that belongs on Snopes.com!

A funny story, with a good ending, which serves as a great reminder---all great things. Thanks for sharing.

Could've ended up so much worse. I also tell my clients to change the locks. Maybe this story will help them to remember to do it sooner rather than later.

WoW... a little bit funny and a little bit scary. A great post that I am sure I will repeat as a way to drive home why you want to change the locks!

Oh my gosh. That could have been really bad! I'm glad it turned out okay for your clients.

Great piece, Michelle. Its just one of those things people fail to consider with all of the items to deal with in a home purchase.

Oh wow. That could really have had a different ending, but I'm glad that it turned out positively! It makes you think, though. I always advise clients to have their locks changed upon taking possession, but now I have a good story to tell as to why. Might be a good closing gift for clients....Gift certificate for rekeying!

Glad the son had a conscious. I always stress that the locks not only on short sales but forclosures too be changed immediately the day of closing. Also highly recommend it to any other buyer of a normal sale.

When I was on the Condo Board of my first home I found my house key opened every lock in the community. Turns out I had a Master Key.

Glad it turned out well. In our second home market, some of the unoccupied homes are targets for teenage parties.

Some buyers of mine are closing on a Freddie Mac property this Friday. What closing gift did I get for them? New entry door locks! No house party there, unless it's their party!

Congrats on the feature!

Vanessa - Me too

Cynthia - They did have them changed right away

Patricia - I'm glad too

Robby - You are welcome

Candice - I think after this story all future buyer's will make it a priority

Ralph - Thanks for commenting

Knolly - Thank you for commenting

Karen - The neighbors said he even brought his own trash bags

Cathy - Unfortunately I think it might take a story like this for buyer's to make it priority

Lottie - Absolutely tell future buyer's, I plan to do the same. As I mentioned I always tell buyer's to change locks, hopefully this story will motivate them to do it right away.

Weichert - Thanks for commenting

Courtney - It definitely is a great reminder

Catherine - I'm hoping so

Dianne - There is always a possibility of something happening maybe a story of a close call will make it a priority

Carly - I'm very glad too

Ron - It was on their list, but not at the top

Susan - Definitely a great closing gift

Jackie - I'm glad the son thought his parents still owned the house otherwise it might have ended differently

Gene - Wow, I once had a listing and the garage door opener opened the neighbors garage as well. It was new construction, so the owners never knew.

Tamara - Ours too, thankfully this was his parents house, thought they still owned it and treated it that way

Chad - Great closing gift

I am sure his parents found out anyway and are not too happy with him, even though they don't own the home.

Good story with a good moral. Change those lock! I'm going to send this to all of my agents and cover it at our next monthly meeting.

Jennifer - He actually would have gotten away with it if I didn't contact his parents.

Gary - I can never stress the importance of changing locks. Now I have a story to tell future buyer's.

Yikes! Glad it turned out OK. Definitely a good lesson to share! Thx!

While I am sure that the new homeowner wasn't too amused, that is actually a pretty funny story!

Crista - I am very glad as well

Carol - I told them it was unfortunate that they weren't even invited to their own house warming party, which they did find funny, but that was only after the details came out of who had the party.

Amazing that he would take the time to clean up after be as disrespectful of his parents as he was.

I always recommend my clients to change their locks. Great post. Thank you for sharing

I think you have me convinced to always recommend that my clients change the locks.

NOV

2009

Great blog and post. This is an absolute must to do with every closing.

That's the first time I've ever heard of anything like that! I always tell my clients to make sure they change the locks but I think I'll be telling your story a few times along the way now!

Man, I wasn't invited to the party.....lol.

Jeff Burnham, Rosen & Co West, Las Vegas NV

Wow! Sounds like some party! Glad the story has a good ending because now you can share with others. Changing your locks now can save a lot of headache later.

Linda - If he didn't clean up his parents would find out, which they did anyways because we notified them.

Inez - Everyone should

Jirius - I hope so because you never know who has those keys

Mike - I agree 100%

Jenny - I'll be telling it too hoping it will become a priority for buyer's

Jeff - Neither were the new owners, I told them they weren't even invited to their own house warming party.

Amanda - Yes it did and I'm shocked college students were that respectful and no damage was done

NOV

2009

Your clients did get very, very lucky. It isn't worth it not to as it only takes maybe $20 and an hours time to change all the locks on a house and you can do it yourself. Their delay could have cost them thousands, I'm just glad it turned out well, but it certainly could have been bad!

Todd Clark - www.LivingBeaverton.com

Rule #1 when having parties... Always invite the neighbors so they don't call the police!

Todd - I completely agree and I think telling future buyer's this story will motivate them to change the locks immediately.

Paul - You make a very good point

GREAT Story to use to make an impression on excited buyers.

Yikes, what a break that the son was a decent kid. I always advise it but with REO's you just don't know who still has a key. My last foreclosure, 'someone' changed the lock and neither the asset manager, listing agent, or condo assn knew who did it. They just happened to forget about the back door and we got in that way. That was that buyers #1 thing to do.

DeAnne - I don't recommend sharing this story with excited buyer's, only excited new home owners.

Lyn - I think buyer's who purchase a REO are much more motivated to change the locks, but no matter what type of sale it is the locks should be changed right away.

That is funny only because there was no damage and nobody was home. I moved around with the military 12 times in 26 years. I always changed the locks. I even added bolt locks at my own expense to government quarters. You can never be too careful when it comes to safety.

NOV

2009

Donna - You are absolutely correct

Funny Michelle. It could have been a bad situation. Since it was okay in the end...it is very funny.

NOV

2009

After 25 years in this business and many many mistakes in gift giving. I gave wine to an AA member and candy to a diabetic to name just a few.

Then we gave return address stamps to make all of the changes to bills and subscriptions. Got ripped off by that supplier, but so much is online now, that it isn't as pertinent anymore.

Finally landed on the idea of paying a locksmith to re-key the locks. We negotiated a slightly better than average rate because they get regular promotions from us on each closing.

This makes us feel better that we are assisting in making it THEIR HOME.

So happy to hear that your story had a "Relieved Ending".

NOV

2009

Joy & Jeff-

Great closing gift idea!

NOV

2009

Mark - We did laugh about it after the fact and I'm sure it will be a running joke for many years to come.

Joy & Jeff - That is a great closing gift

Deborah - I agree

NOV

2009

There are soooo many ways this could have gone wrong, and your story is well taken. Funny story to tell to break the ice at a dinner party and to get the point across to a buyer. Of course, don't tell the end until after a long pause.

DEC

2009

Wow, this story sounds very familiar but it was well before I became an agent. My stepson ran away from home for 5 days. He would call us from pay phones but we didn't know where he was (before cell phones). We found out when a neighbor called saying there were a bunch of police surrounding his mother's home which had just sold (she moved to Hawaii). All that time he had been 2 miles away staying in the basement of his old home (he slipped in through the basement window)! I almost forgot about that until I read your blog. The homeowners didn't press any charges, lucky for him.

Bev & Bob - I agree

Leanne - Wow now that's a story. My clients didn't press charges either.

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Michelle Gibson REALTOR® Wellington Florida Homes for Sale

Wellington, FL

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Hansen Real Estate Group Inc.

Address: www.WellingtonHomeTeam.com

Office Phone: (561) 333-0446

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