When the owner decided to sell the Los Feliz, Calif., home where Eva Bizar and her husband were living, Bizar was prepared to be helpful. She polished the floors, kept the kitchen spotless and agreed to stay away from home for an afternoon during an open house arranged by the real estate agent.
What she wasn't prepared for was the two men who blended in with the crowd during the open house and made off with her jewelry - including a much-loved diamond anniversary band."I couldn't believe some people would go to an open house with the express purpose of stealing things," Bizar says.
But that's exactly what about 5 percent of the people who attend open houses are doing, says Gregg McMullin, a police officer for the Manhattan Beach, Calif., Police Department's crime prevention unit.
"You get a real cross-section of people at an open house," he adds. "You see buyers and you see burglars pretending to be buyers."
It's tough for a real estate agent to keep a constant watch on everyone who wanders through an open house, McMullin says, "so you need to control things as much as possible."
Bizar thought she was doing just that when, in preparation for the open house, she placed her frequently worn jewelry in a box and tucked it in the back of a drawer in the bathroom.
"I thought I was being careful," she says. "I didn't leave the jewelry out on a dresser, waiting to be stolen." But the thieves were in and out of the house in minutes.
Unfortunately, Bizar isn't alone. Homeowners all across the country have reported having expensive family heir-looms, collectibles - even prescription drugs - stolen during an open house. And many of these items aren't covered under a standard homeowner's policy, says Robert Ray, a registered representative with Prudential Property and Casualty Insurance Co. in Redondo Beach, Calif.
"Items stolen during an open house would be (covered under the category) `mysterious disappearance,' " he explains, noting that items valued at more than $500 should probably be scheduled separately on a homeowner's policy.
But even if these items are insured, he says, you should still take precautions.
"I tell people to put valuables in their safe deposit box during an open house," Ray says, "Why take the risk?"
But what if your autographed Mickey Mantle baseball won't fit in your safe deposit box? There are lots of safe places to hide your valuables, according to experts.
The main objective is to get your valuables out of reach, not just out of sight. Try the attic, the trunk of your car or the neighbor's house.
"You might as well pack up everything of value, because you're going to be moving anyway," says Susan Stearns, a realtor associate with Prudential Jon Douglas West Valley in Los Angeles.
"I always ask the neighbors to be on the lookout for suspicious activity when I'm having an open house," she adds.
Also, make sure everyone who enters the home signs the guest register, is acknowledged by the agent, and - if possible - is accompanied by the agent as they tour your home.
Having two agents working an open house together can be a great security measure for both the seller and for the agents themselves.
Keep in mind, as you're doing your pre-open-house security check, that a potential burglar may stop by the open house to check out your home for a future break-in.
"You want to make your home looked lived-in, whether or not you're living there at the time," McMullin says. For instance, don't leave a stack of unopened mail or newspapers in plain view.
It's also wise to mark large valuables, such as televisions or stereos, with your driver's license number for easier retrieval in the event of a burglary, he adds. Contact your local police department to borrow an engraver and then inscribe the number into the metal.
"And don't forget to write down the serial numbers of your television, VCR and stereo," McMullin says.
If you have an extra car parked at home during an open house, don't leave the car keys on your dresser or on a hook in the kitchen. That's an invitation to a car thief, McMullin says.
Credit card receipts left on the dresser are an open invitation to a thief who would love to have your Visa number. Toss them out, and while you're at it, take the trash out, too.
"Thieves like to look in your trash for credit card information and for information about your whereabouts," McMullin says.
Your family calendar - the one in the kitchen noting Jimmy's soccer games and Susie's school play - can also be a source of valuable information to a burglar. During your open house, don't let the world know you're heading to Grandma's for a week next month.
What if, despite all your precautions, you do have a theft during an open house? Is your real estate agent responsible?
"(Agents) really don't have any liability unless they are negligent," says Gov Hutchinson, assistant general council to the California Association of Realtors in Los Angeles.
Hutchinson explains that, when it comes to safeguarding a seller's property, agents are held to a "general negligence standard," and to be liable, "the agent would have to do something such as leaving the house unlocked or letting in a known criminal."
But even though the final responsibility generally rests with the homeowner, agents should explain to owners the element of risk inherent in holding an open house. And sellers should discuss with agents - in advance and in detail - how they want their property handled.
In the end, no matter how careful you are, you're still taking a risk when you open your home to the public. And while holding open houses may increase an agent's overall exposure and bring in potential new business, the average owner's chances of selling a home as a result of an open house are only about 1 percent, estimates Marty Rodriguez, co-owner of Century 21 in Glendora, Calif.
It's important for the owner to weigh both the risks and the benefits of flinging open the doors to the public. Just ask Eva Bizar.
"People need to be aware of the potential problems when they have an open house," she says. "I never thought this would happen to us."
While it's easy to remember to remove Grandma's ivory pendant from the jewelry box before an open house, here are some other not-so-obvious things you might want to remove from your home:
- Small electronic items. Remove portable CD players, radios, cameras, CDs and cassette tapes.
"Anything that's concealable is a possible target for theft," according to Gregg McMullin, a police officer for the Manhattan Beach, Calif., Police Department's crime prevention unit.
Cordless and cellular phones are also popular items.
- Guns and ammunition. While deterring theft is an obvious reason to remove these items, protecting curious children from possible disaster is even more important. Putting a gun on a high closet shelf isn't enough. Get it out of the house.
- Small items that might be fascinating to a child.
"I have a sterling silver bird from Tiffany's," says Delia Delgado, a real estate associate with Re/Max South County in New-port Beach, Calif. "I sure wouldn't want a child to walk off with it, thinking it was a neat toy."
While young children might not steal something intentionally, it would be easy for a youngster to go home with a bird in the hand.
- Valuable artwork, figurines and collectibles.
- Silverware and crystal. Pack it before moving and store it before the open house. An added bonus: Your cupboards will appear more spacious.
- Cash, credit cards, watches and keys. This may seem obvious, but how many of us have a change jar on the dresser, or emergency cash in the sock drawer?
- Garage door openers. "If you leave your garage-door opener in an unlocked car or on the kitchen counter, someone could walk off with it and break in later," Delgado says.