When an owner decides to sell his home himself, hes in for a lot of work. He has to talk to interested buyers and schedule showings before he even gets to negotiations and contracts. More frightening is that the seller has to open his door to people he doesnt know. In todays world, thats scary. The homeowner is definitely taking a risk by inviting strangers into his home. He has to be extremely cautious of whos looking at his home. Theres a safety factor involved when marketing your home. A word of caution to homeowners wanting to sell is to be extremely careful, because plenty of Realtors have been attacked, raped and killed in the home selling business. When theres a For Sale By Owner sign in your yard, and someone stops and rings the doorbell, you need to be prepared. There are precautions you should take to maintain safety for you and your family. In our society, people are usually afraid to ask questions because they dont want to offend the other person. When it concerns safety, youre the number one concern, explains Eddie Edwards, crime prevention officer with a Dallas / Fort Worth area police department. Before you let that person go through your house, get some information. Get the drivers license number and a couple of references. Then schedule a time when they can come back and look. This gives you time to check out the prospective buyer, says Edwards. You need to put the information about the person in a safe place so if something happens, the police have a lead on a suspect, he explains. Explain to the lookers that you need information for your safety. If the buyers will not provide the information, then dont show the home. Its also recommended that the homeowner ask for a pre-approval letter by fax or email before the showing. Here again, check the information on the letter. Call the mortgage company and ask questions. Once youve checked references, and youre showing someone around your house, dont let your guard down. Listen to the type of questions asked. For instance, Do you have a safe? Do you have a security system? If theyre off-the-wall questions, then tell the person you have another appointment and show them to the door. During the selling process, Edwards advises home owners to call the police if theres a concern about your property. If theres a window partially opened, or a screen laying on the ground, something out of the ordinary, just call us. Even if you just feel uneasy, just call. Were out there on the streets all the time, and thats what we do -- keep people safe. With all the work it takes to sell your home successfully, dont take chances with your safety. Opening your door to a criminal is the last thing you need. |
