Yet more vacant property theft news in the Puget Sound area…

Staging Thefts Reported

January 29, 2007. It was reported to NWMLS that a theft of Staging items took place in Area 21 (Tacoma). The thieves broke off the door knob to get the Keybox and were able to retrieve the keys. A long list of items where stolen, stripping the house from towel racks to bedroom doors, including the kitchen island with butcher block on top. The Police Forensics Officer said, it looked like the thieves took things they needed to complete another house. If you have any information please call the police and reference case number #070280683.

It looks like thieves are getting even more gutsy and just putting a keybox on the doorknob isn’t the most secure. Agents – take note and work with your client to set up a safe method of access. Sellers – talk to your agent about the best way to secure your belongings and property. Perhaps come up with strategies for best placement and securing of keyboxes. For those with a vacant house perhaps it makes sense to not have a sign out front that makes it obvious to thieves that your property is on the market? I don’t know if these folks are accessing online systems to find houses for sale – but certainly it might help and it would force a thief to be more crafty than just seeing a sign outside.

The information at the top of this posting comes directly from the password protected NWMLS site for agents as did the previous post that noted thefts from other areas, noted by the codes the NWMLS and agents use to define territories.

10 thoughts on “Yet more vacant property theft news in the Puget Sound area…

  1. Alan,

    I was thinking the same thing. “Let’s talk about how dangerous it is not to have an agent.”

    Not this post, I haven’t read it yet. But generally it seems there are more posts about the dangers of the marketplace these days. Not because the housing market is changing though…hope you didn’t mean that…I can’t agree there.

    The marketplace is changing for sure, but as to the housing market…it appears to be booming.

  2. What kind of keyboxes do you use up there? The only we’ve found to break into a house with the Supra boxes we have is to throw it through a window. You’ll get a compliment from a bubble blogger before you get the key out.

  3. “The Police Forensics Officer said, it looked like the thieves took things they needed to complete another house.”

    That’s not what I’d call desperate because of a rising foreclosure rate… stupidity, greed, meth… but not the foreclosure rate, the bubble, or the economy 😉

    So far we’ve only had a smattering of this stuff here in Boise, and one that I’ve heard of was apparently a “disgruntled” sub getting what he thought he was “due”

  4. There was yet another one – a staged house in Renton got burglarized a couple of days ago. Had a keybox but the thieves just busted through the back door.

    On another note, would be thieves could just walk on it. I’m amazed at the number of homes I preview/show where windows are open and the back door is unlocked. I’m betting it’s careless agents who didn’t secure the property after a showing.

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