When your home is for sale and you hold an open house, potentially hundreds of people may walk through. Some are not just viewing your granite countertops and soaring vaulted ceilings, but also are eyeing your antique china, pearl necklace, and credit card statements. That may be because you have left these items in plain view. But it may also be because not all of the visitors to your open house are there to buy. Some might be there to rob you blind. Just ask Elizabeth Craig.
No, Craig is not a victim, but a suspect in a number of burglaries that occurred at several open houses in and around Colorado Springs, Colo. She was arrested Sunday for felony theft after police tracked her down by the license plate on the dark green Jeep Grand Cherokee she drove to several homes for sale where jewelry ended up missing during the past two weeks.
Although Craig has only been charged and not found guilty at this stage, home sellers should still take this as a valuable lesson to protect their valuables.
"I would recommend to anybody holding an open house, or just for showing their home, to hide their valuables, and not just out of sight, but in a lockbox," says ERA Shields real estate agent Jared May, who has a $200,000 vacant listing at 180 Cobblestone Drive, just a few doors down from the home where Craig was arrested.
"Valuables, prescription drugs and personal information are all high on the list of criminals for this#mini_module
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