All Houses Do Not Have Equal Protection!
Well, today both my Sacramento home seller and myself learned a valuable lesson. Always read the fine print and never assume anything. At the buyer's final walk through yesterday, they walked through a very disturbing scene. Vandalism. The house they were buying, and I am selling, had been struck by vandals. The sink was gone, windows were broken, water heater unaccounted for, brand new carpet missing, cabinet doors un-installed, interior doors removed, bathroom vanities missing in action! 
That's ok we can call the insurance company right? Isn't that what we carry insurance for, emergencies like this?
Bad News....the property was not covered due to one exclusion, it had sat vacant for more than 30 days so the insurance policy would not cover the damages.
Home owners, please take out your policies, review them and see what your coverage consists of, don't wait until it's too late and there is nothing you can do. Don't be caught off guard in an unfortunate event such as this.
If you are selling a home remember, a vacant home is like a shiny Christmas present under the tree staring at a little child. Hard to resist! If you must leave the house, install an alarm, let someone who needs a place to stay for a while move in, take precautions so that you don't walk into a problem like this! If you find yourself in a situation where your house will be vacant, be sure to contact your insurance company and add on some type of endorsement to cover against any damages that might occur.
Please take some time to visit the California Department of Insuarance to find additional information on protecting your home.
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