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Do You Know Homeowners Who Seem Be Inviting Thieves Into Their Homes?

By
Real Estate Agent with Century 21 HomeStar Ohio DRE File# 245997

I was driving down my street yesterday and saw several homeowners who seem to be inviting thieves into their homes!

The next day was trash pickup day, and out on the tree lawn (or devil's strip) was the trash which include some well marked cardboard boxes which had contained flat screened TV's, Computers, and various other kinds of expensive stuff.

This just lets potential robbers know what good things are newly available inside your home. Is that something you want to tell them about?

Take those boxes to a recycling recepticle, or at least turn them inside out so the labels can not be read.

The laptop you save may be your own!

 

Comments (13)

Cindy Jones
Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA
Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

Thomas that's good advise and one that as you saw that homeowners don't even think about.

Dec 28, 2011 01:12 AM
Kathy Sheehan
Bay Equity, LLC 770-634-4021 - Atlanta, GA
Senior Loan Officer

This is very timely advice.  It seems that the number home break-ins are on the rise in our area.

Dec 28, 2011 01:13 AM
Bruce Hicks
Best Homes Hawaii - Honolulu, HI
Your Best Hawaii Realtor!

It's sad this is the fact. When I was young, everyone I knew left their houses unlocked, even the automobiles were unlocked and some would even leave the keys in their car in their driveway.  It's the change of social trends, the way we have brought up the next generation and financial times we are in.

Dec 28, 2011 01:17 AM
Ralph Janisch ABR CRS Broker
Janisch & Co. - Conroe, TX
Selling Northwest Houston to good people like you!

Anytime I have big boxes I just cut them up into managable peices and put them in the big trash can.  When you live in a dense population area you must be more conscious of what's going on around you.

Dec 28, 2011 01:35 AM
Doug Dawes
Keller Williams Evolution - 447 Boston Street, Suite #5, Topsfield, MA - Topsfield, MA
Your Personal Realtor®

Hahahaha Just this week my wife and I were saying if we ever got broken into at least they wouldn't take the TV cuz it was an old clunker. Then we walked into the house, after church on Christmas Day and our old clunker was GONE! We were flabbergasted. Now before you think we were broken into... Our sons replaced that ole clunker with a new flat panal TV and put the old clucker in my office. Wish they would have stolen it.

Guess what? We put the box outside for the trash guy. You bagged me. You a psychic?

Dec 28, 2011 02:00 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Tom. You know I never thought about this. You're right for sure. Thanks for the heads up and Happy New Year.

Dec 28, 2011 02:46 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Good advice and it's so obvious, it probably escapes most of us. Lol. Thanks for reminding us of good common sense behavior. Perhaps, you'll save someone some heartache.  Happy New Year Tom.

Jan 03, 2012 03:51 AM
Thomas McCombs
Century 21 HomeStar - Akron, OH

Thanks for all your comments! 

As a followup, I was driving down the same street the following week, and saw some folks stealing the boxes! I don't know, maybe they were planning to come back later and take the contents and just needed boxes to put them in. 

It is amazing what you can learn if you pay close attention.

I have found out about houses that were going to be on the market just by watching what they put out with the trash.

Jan 04, 2012 03:19 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Very good advice for home owners. 

Along the same lines, all should avoid talking about travel plans on the internet.  There will be plenty of time to talk about the trip after returning home.

Jan 27, 2012 04:47 AM
Thomas McCombs
Century 21 HomeStar - Akron, OH

Roy: thanx for stopping by.

When you think of it, a good bit of what is posted on the web about personal plans or situations should probably not be there.

Being  web savvy makes it is a lot easier to be a bad guy than it used to be.

Jan 28, 2012 04:34 AM
Toni Weidman
Sailwinds Realty - Trinity, FL
20+ Years Selling Homes in New Port Richey, FL

Tom, I never thought about that. Great tip for home owners. I can't believe when people post their vacation pictures while they are still away.

Jan 29, 2012 01:33 AM
1~Judi Barrett
Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK
BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK

Definitely something to think about.  I bet there were a lot of these kind of boxes around Christmas time.

Jan 31, 2012 02:37 PM
Todd Clark - Retired
eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR
Principle Broker Oregon

I've thought the same thing when I drive by a home and see those boxes out there. I'm glad they are more trusting of their fellow citizen than I am. 

 

Feb 05, 2012 03:37 AM