We spend a lot of time telling sellers how we’ll market their home, and while that is obviously important, we rarely address their true concern: how to keep their home safe while it’s open to the public.
Here are 10 anti-burglary tips:
Maintain your property. Especially in the wintertime, many people stay indoors and neglect issues such as peeling trim or an overgrown yard. But if the home looks unkempt, thieves may think it’s abandoned and, therefore, an easy target. Shoveling your walkways to clear them of snow and debris and removing holiday decorations and fallen tree branches in a timely manner will signal that the home is occupied.
Know your neighbors. Many people don’t really know their neighbors; it’s more than just saying hi and being friendly. Invite them over to see your home before it goes on the market, and introduce them to the people they may see regularly stopping by during this time (especially your agent). Then they’ll know who is and isn’t supposed to be at your home and can better assess when there may be a threat while you’re gone.
Assess your home’s vulnerability. Walk to the curb and face your house. Ask yourself, “How would I get in if I were locked out?” The first thing you think of, whether it’s the window with a broken lock or the door that won’t shut all the way, is exactly how a thief will get in. Think like a burglar, and then address the issues that come to mind.
Respect the power of lighting. Criminals are cowards, and they don’t want to be seen. The house that is well-lit at night provides a deterrent because thieves don’t want the attention and the potential to be caught by witnesses. It’s wise to invest in tools that make nighttime light automation easy. That includes dusk-to-dawn adapters that go into existing light fixtures and motion detectors. But beware of leaving your exterior lights on at all times, which signifies the occupant is gone for an extended period of time.
Use technology to make your home look occupied. In addition to lighting, smart-home technology has made it easier to make it appear like people are home, even when they’re not. Systems that remotely control lighting, music, and appliances such as a thermostat can help you achieve this. Though not considered smart-home tech, simple lamp timing devices available at hardware stores are also good for this purpose.
Yes, it has to be said: Lock your doors. It’s amazing how many people think they live in a safe-enough neighborhood not to have to lock their doors when they leave. Some facts sellers should know: In 30 percent of burglaries, the criminals access the home through an unlocked door or window; 34 percent of burglars use the front door to get inside; and 22 percent use the back door, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report.
Reinforce your locks. A good door lock is nothing without a solid frame. Invest in a solid door jam and strike plate first, and then invest in good locks. Know the difference between a single-cylinder and a double-cylinder deadbolt. Double-cylinder deadbolts are recommended because they require a key to get in and out. For safety and emergency escape purposes, you must leave the key in when you are home. But double-cylinder locks are against regulations in some places, so check with your local police department’s crime prevention office.
Blare the sirens. Burglars are usually in and out in less than five minutes, and they know police can’t respond to an alarm that quickly. Their bigger concern is witnesses to their crime. For that reason, an external siren is invaluable, whether as part of a monitored security system or a DIY alarm. Even if you don’t have an alarm, it’s not a bad idea to invest in fake security signs and post them near doors.
Consider surveillance cameras. The Los Angeles Police Department started a program encouraging homeowners to install a device called Ring, a doorbell with video surveillance capability that allows homeowners to view what’s outside their door on their smartphone, in a neighborhood that was a target for burglaries. After Ring was installed in hundreds of homes, the burglary rate dropped by 55 percent, according to reports. Most state and local regulations require posting a warning that people are being recorded. (But again, this can be effective even if you don’t actually have the cameras installed!)
Mark your valuables and record details. Use invisible-ink pens or engravers to mark identifying information (driver’s license or state ID numbers) on items. Log serial numbers and take photos of your belongings. Check to see if your police department participates in the Operation Identification program. They will have stickers for you to place on doors or windows warning would-be thieves that your items are marked. These steps may prevent them from pawning or selling stolen items and can help you reclaim recovered belongings.
Here we are in the second week of January, and I found myself in the middle of four competitive situations already this week – and it’s only Thursday!
My listing on La Costa Avenue has been shown regularly over the last 67 days, and we had a deal previously until the home-inspector saw the lumpy carpet and thought the home was falling down.
It must have been our turn as an attractive offering this week, because we received three offers, and two other threats. I always want to counter for their highest-and-best offer, because that’s what is fair. I want to give every buyer an opportunity to compete, because nobody knows how much they might pay until they are faced with the fear of loss. I also want to give the agents the chance to earn a paycheck – hopefully they will do the same when the roles are reversed.
The three offers came in at $400,000 and under, and we ended up at $427,000. All three buyers and agents had an equal chance to win, and my sellers are much happier with $427,000 than just taking the highest offer.
The highest-and-best process should be a standard in the business, but sadly, it is not. I had buyers in the other three contests, and none of the three listings agents countered for highest-and-best.
Why don’t listing agents do what it right, and counter for highest-and-best? Are they just fat, lazy, and stupid? No!
They haven’t been on the other side of the table enough and gotten burned to recognize how unfair it is to all parties involved – especially their own client, the sellers. THEIR SELLERS DESERVE BETTER!
You can’t blame buyers for offering less than list price just a week or two into the new year. It is typical for a buyer to mentally deduct repair costs, or base their offer on other comps they’ve seen when they think there won’t be any competition. But when faced with the threat of losing the property, they might be willing to pay more – and they deserve the chance to do so!
I don’t believe that the decision was ‘extremely difficult’. It was a cold, calculated move last January to secure the rights to go to L.A. before committing to a public vote here – and both were announced the same day.
Spanos insisted on a downtown stadium, which was pie in the sky. If he really wanted to stay, then he would have been working on a new stadium at the current site, which is a much better location with excellent freeway and trolley access.
They will be lucky to sell out the 27,000-seat StubHub Center next year.
I feel sorry for the players – they don’t get a vote.
But hey, we’ll get more Mission Valley condos when they tear down the Murph!
You’ve probably heard the notion that a more-expensive house takes longer to sell. Is that true in today’s fast-paced, low inventory era?
2016 Detached-Home Sales
Area
Median Sales Price
Average Days on Market
All SD County
$560,000
37
NSDCC
$1,170,000
45
La Jolla
$1,912,500
58
We know that the $560,000 market has been hot as a pistol, yet on average, it only takes three more weeks to sell a house in La Jolla.
What does the average DOM mean?
It’s the average time before a listing is the best deal in its marketplace.
Because sellers are so consistent about wanting more than the last guy, you could say it’s just a matter of time – you just need more listings to hit the market around you.
If a listing is on the market for months and not selling, something must be really wrong – but price will fix it!
This tends to be a blog for analytical folks, so let’s further dissect the market stats to assist in making better comparisons and decisions about home buying and selling.
We’ve discussed how the supply and demand for one-story homes is quite different from the staired variety. Older folks are hanging onto their single-levels so the supply is lower, and with 76 million baby-boomers heading into retirement with bad knees and arthritis, the demand is growing.
Our MLS imposes a cap on the number of listings for research at 650. So I broke down the numbers below into price categories to help demonstrate the differences in pricing between one-story homes, and not-one-story (two-story, three-story, four-story, split-level, and other):
Pricing of NSDCC Annual Sales Between $1,000,000 – $1,400,000
Year
One-Story Avg $$/sf
Non-One-Story Avg $$/sf
2013
$586/sf
$381/sf
2014
$616/sf
$407/sf
2015
$612/sf
$389/sf
2016
$638/sf
$389/sf
Pricing of NSDCC Annual Sales Between $1,400,000 – $1,800,000
Year
One-Story Avg $$/sf
Non-One-Story Avg $$/sf
2013
$661/sf
$468/sf
2014
$693/sf
$468/sf
2015
$701/sf
$466/sf
2016
$710/sf
$478/sf
It’s probably not a big surprise to anyone reading this that one-story homes are more popular. But let’s note two important points:
One-story homes are carrying the load, statistically – their pricing is appreciating at a steady clip, while the pricing of two-story homes has been flat as a pancake.
Only use one-story comps to valuate the single-level homes, and likewise, only use two-story comps to put a price on a two-story home. The pricing of one-story homes is so much higher that, if included in a two-story analysis, they will skew the pricing artificially higher.
A quick search online found several shipping containers available for sale for less than $2,000. Couldn’t a contractor make this his specialty, and produce customized granny flats? House the homeless? Create a commune in the desert?
