Homes Houses MLS Listings Properties For Sale Realtors Real Estate Agents in Haverford Township, PA Pennsylvania

Janis Peterson, GRI, ABR, CSP Realtor®
Philadelphia Main Line Homes and Real Estate
Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester Counties
Relocation Specialist

Telephone:	(610) 642-3744
Fax:	(610) 658-0267
E-mail:	jp4re@pahomes.com
Home page:	www.pahomes.com

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MLS Listings of Philadelphia Main Line Homes For Sale
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Please Visit www.pahomes.com

Subject: Tips for Safely Using a Lockbox

You've straightened up, fixed up, spiffed up, wiped down, thrown out, and generally prepared your home to be shown. During this, the listing phase, of the homesale, strangers accompanied by agents will invade your pristine palace to give it the once-over, some more than once.

For ease of access, your agent will very likely offer to attach a lockbox to your home's front or rear doorknob or to a side wall. This small metal container holds the house keys and can be accessed only by an agent's second key or combination. More and more, agents are turning to computerized key cards, which track a broker's name and time of visit.

Homeowners who opt not to use a lockbox may have a more difficult time selling the home. Very often, a motivated buyer will decide to see a property on the spot. But the prospect of losing time to pick up keys at an agent's office may dissuade the buyer from seeing your home. This holds especially true for out-of-towners constrained by tight schedules. If buyers can't inspect a home at their convenience, they may just move on.

Although the new computerized locks provide greater security in terms of placing an agent and buyer at a home at a specific time, homeowners should still take the following precautions:

Remove extra sets of keys from hooks in the kitchen, garage, mudroom or any other room where they may be easily seen and nipped.

Never leave money in plain sight. This includes piggy banks.

Consider storing jewelry or furs outside the home. Place jewelry in a safe or safe-deposit box.

Lock up or remove firearms.

Don't leave an itinerary or personal calendar open on a desk or hanging conspicuously on the refrigerator or anywhere else in the house. Along these lines, take down or put away flyers, theater tickets or any other items announcing times you'll be away.

Turn down the volume on the answering machine so no one can overhear private, possibly information-packed, messages. A car service may be calling to confirm your ride to the airport for your weeklong getaway.

Thefts from listed properties are not commonplace, however, it's wise to eliminate sources of temptation.

Ask your agent about other recommended steps to ensure the safety of your possessions during the listing period.

"Real Service in Real Estate." For a personal consultation on buying or selling real estate, Janis Peterson, GRI, Realtor® can be reached at (610) 642-3744, e-mail: jp4re@pahomes.com. Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors® is an independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.

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