Wow, I didn't even think that something like this might happen to me when I pre-screen homes or show them to buyers.
This information is for agents, builders, and contractors alike. As agents, we are taught, to keep our eyes open, and to always keep the buyers in front of us, not in the way of our safe escape. Many of us make copies of our buyer's driver license and leave it at the office, along with introducing the buyers to co-workers; all as safety measures.
Now we have a new area that we need to be aware of, the vagrant. Maybe something like this has happened in your area, but this is the first that I have heard of it happening around Waco, Texas.
It happened in a home, which Wendy Montoya and I, have preview, and shown together three times during September. The home is very nice, and list for $235,000, which is a good $100,000 above the average price paid for homes in the Waco area.
Wendy and I were at the closing with our buyers on their home that was over $250,000. The home we were closing on was only three blocks from the house where the attack took place. In addition, the couple was the ones that we had pre-viewed the home, where the attack took place, for and taken them there to see twice. Stranger still was that the other agent at the closing was also the listing agent for the home where the attach took place.
Sharon, the seller's agent, told us that the builder during closing that there had been an attack at one of her listings. She said, "The building wasn't expecting anything, and the man already had Jimmy's face slice, from the top of his head all the way down his face, before Jimmy knew what had happened".
As you can imagine, all of our mouths dropped open in shock; as Sharon went on to tell us that the attacker then sliced, the length of Jimmy's arm, as he raised it before his face, to protect himself. The attack was so swift that Jimmy fell backward and down, and the attacker lost hold of the bottle, there by saving Jimmy's life.
Sharon said, "Thank goodness this gave Jimmy time to get his knife out of his pocket. Once the attacker was on the defensive, he fled. The attacker was an AWOL soldier from Killeen, Texas."
It turned out, that after the attacker ran away, Jimmy had to drag himself to his truck and call 911. Thankfully, he will survive, but will be left with a large scar on his face and arm.
The report from the newspaper is a little different, but Sharon heard it first hand from Jimmy. If you would like to read the newspaper article go to: http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/09/29/09292007wacAWOL
soldier.html.
So, our office has now learned to even be careful when entering vacant homes; and be sure that someone in the office knows which homes you are going out to pre-view or show. That way if you need help they will know where to send it. If possible go in pairs or take a family member when pre-viewing vacant homes.
Be wise, heed the warnings, and safety tips, we don't want this to happen to you.
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Hi Norma, thanks for posting this. Realtors, Builders, be careful out there. Vacant homes are a perfect place for bad apples to hide. I feel so fortunate that I was not the one attacked, but feel horrible for the builder. Norma, hope you don't mind, but here is the link to the article. Please read and heed the warning as Norma has already said. http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/09/29/09292007wacAWOLsoldier.html