Real estate question?

Question

We just moved without selling our house. It is up for sale with realtor. She wants to put a lock box on it now that it is vacant(in the past realtors just called me as I had a new baby and needed to know) I am hesitant to put a lock box on it as it is vacant and a mobile home and not hard to break into. It has some really nice appliances in it.

What should i do? I am 6 hours away from it

Answer 1

depends on how bad you want to sell it, first just because it has a lock box does not mean its easier to break into only a licensed real estate agent may have access to the lock box

but without the lock box it means any time a person wants to see your place they will have to make an appointment with the agent versus just calling the agent

Answer 2

If you have a problem with a lock box, find an agent who will show it for you.  It may reduce the number of showings, but it will give you peace of mind, if that is what you want.  Many agents don't want to work for their commission anymore.  

Did you mean your home is easy to break into or the lock box?

Answer 3

If it isn't hard to break into now, how does a lock-box increase your risk?   If you don't use a lock box then showings will have to be co-ordinated between your agent and the buyer's agent or there will have to be a system of key pick-up and delivery.  If an agent is out with a buyer and showing your house is going to involve 3 times as much travel and arrangement time then expect it to be at the bottom of the list.

Answer 4

Lock boxes are DESIGNED to be just short of impossible to break into .  They are made of steel (this is the same material handguns are made out of), and it takes a code that only a licensed, MLS paying Realtor has.

If you want to sell the house, you have to make it convenient for the BUYER, especially in the mobile home market, where those are hard to sell to start with.

If you try to tie up your Realtor to being physically present at every showing, then you have just reduced your market by more than 75%.

Millions of people have lockboxes on homes for sale.  If they are going to break in, they don't need a key honey!

Answer 5

Ask her to use the electronic ones, they all have them these days.

It records who was in, at what time and for how long.

Answer 6

A lockbox is hard to break. Your key can only be accessed by someone with a Supra key, and those can only be obtained from the local real estate commission by licensed, due-paying agents. Each Supra key is specific to that agent, so any time an agent accesses your house with via a lockbox, there’s an electronic record of that person’s visit.  Without a lockbox, you’re going to make showing your home very difficult.

The lockbox wouldn’t concern me in the least, but a vacant home does. How often will your agent be checking on the property? Do you have neighbors that live close enough to the house to keep an eye on it? If so and you didn’t already, ask them to do so.

I would leave a lamp on a timer in the house, and ask the local police department to come inspect the home and suggest any ways to make it more secure. They should be willing to do that for free.