personal safety Archives - Real Estate News and Commentary

January 2, 2020June 3, 2020

Holiday Home Safety

For some, the holiday season is a time of enjoying family and friends. For others it’s a time of giving. Regardless, many agree that it’s a time we wish each other joy and happiness. Here’s some thoughts on holiday home safety keeping your holiday safe and enjoyable.

Holiday home safety includes protecting your home from fire. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (cpsc.gov), from 2014 to 2016 there were “about 100 Christmas tree fires and about 1,100 candle fires that resulted in 10 deaths, 150 injuries, and nearly $50 million in property damage each of those years.” If you have a live tree, make sure it has plenty of water so it doesn’t become potential tinder. If you have an artificial tree, make sure it’s “fire resistant” (check the label). Keep your tree away from the fire place and candles. If you’re using candles, keep an eye on them as they burn. Make sure they are away from curtains or other flammable items. Remember to blow out candles when leaving the room. To lower the fire risk, consider using “flameless” candles. When using holiday lights, check to make sure they are safety rated by a “nationally-recognized testing laboratory.” Throw out your old lights if they have: cracked sockets, frayed insulation, bare wires, and/or loose connections. Make sure your holiday decorations are flame retardant.

Holiday home safety is also about avoiding accidents. More stats from the Consumer Product Safety Commission indicate that the potential for accidents increase during the holiday season. Consider that there were five holiday decorating deaths during the 2018 holiday season. There were about 18,100 holiday “decorating-related injuries” during the 2017 holiday season. Since many holiday injuries are the result of falls, make sure you use a proper ladder or step-stool when decorating. Also consider having a helper to help stabilize the ladder or step-stool.

Children are typically at high risk for injuries, especially during the holiday season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov) recommends to keep an eye on children during the festive season. During the holidays, be mindful of age appropriate toys, some toys can be choking hazards to young children.

Holiday season is prime time for thieves, so don’t make it easy for them. Secure your home just as you would any other time of the year. Security experts concur that it typically takes sixty seconds for a burglar to break into the average home. Because their risk of being caught in the act increases with every second, they will likely move to the next house if they can’t get in within a minute or two.

Don’t forget to deploy your deterrents and other preventative measures to discourage burglars from breaking-in, especially if you’re traveling. Besides the usual measures, there are other precautions to consider during the holidays. Don’t allow would-be thieves see your presents, place them out of site. Be aware that trash and recycling can also reveal your new and expensive items.

If you’re expecting deliveries when you are not at home, plan ahead to thwart porch pirates. Consider having your packages delivered at work or to a neighbor who is home during the day. Use parcel lockbox that keeps the package out of site and locked away. Install a camera to see front door activity.

More information about holiday home safety can be obtained from the CPSC, CDC, and your local government agencies (such as the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, and the Montgomery County Police Department).

Original article is published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2020/01/02/holiday-home-safety/

By Dan Krell
Copyright© 2019

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

December 10, 2019December 13, 2022

Home Prices and Safety

Home buyers have various criteria when searching for a home. Some are concerned with schools, while others may be interested in a house’s proximity to mass transit. However, one of the top items home buyers consider when buying a home is neighborhood safety. Which begs the question, Is there a correlation between home prices and safety?

Home buyers don’t have to justify their preference for a safe neighborhood. However, concern for neighborhood safety go beyond protecting their families, it is also a consideration to protect the financial investment in their homes. And a rich body of research validates home owners and buyers concern for neighborhood safety by documenting correlations of crime and home values.

Research about home prices and safety

An early influential study connecting home prices and safety was conducted by Sheila Little in 1988, which investigated the effect of crime on property values (Effects of Violent Crimes on Residential Property Values; Appraisal Journal; 1988, Vol. 56 No. 3, p341-343). Little discussed an appraiser’s duty to consider violent crime when determining property value. Because property disclosure has is onerous, material facts such as violent crime must be considered in the valuation process. She stated; “It is part of appraisers’ responsibilities to make an effort to ascertain the effects of violent crimes on market value of properties.”

Another study looking at home prices and safety was published by Allen K. Lynch and David W. Rasmussen (Measuring the impact of crime on house prices; Applied Economics, 2001, 33, p1981-1989). They found that when weighted over a large metro area, crime per-se doesn’t have a significant impact on the average metro home sale price. However, they did find that “house values decline dramatically in high crime areas.” Besides being identified through statistical means, high crime areas may also be perceived as such because of relative juxtaposing of neighborhoods. The authors suggest that localities can reduce loss of tax base by “reducing the probability of neighborhoods crossing the high crime threshold.”

A 2010 study by Keith Ihlanfeldt &Tom Mayock looked at seven types of crime and the effects on home prices (Panel data estimates of the effects of different types of crime on housing prices; Regional Science and Urban Economics, 40; 2–3, May 2010, p 161-172). They concluded that robbery and aggravated assault had “meaningful influence” on property values.

A 2009 study concluded that home owners respond to crime by moving (Hipp, Tita & Greenbaum; Drive-Bys and Trade-Ups: Examining the Directionality of the Crime and Residential Instability Relationship; Social Forces; 2009, Vol. 87, No. 4, pp.1777-1812). Besides discovering that violent crime significantly increases home sales the following year, the authors also found evidence of a downward trend of home sale prices for the same time period.

Not all home owners decide to move, as remaining residents can stabilize their neighborhood. Galster, Cutsinger, and Lim concluded that communities are self-regulating and can adjust over a long period of time (Are Neighbourhoods Self-stabilising? Exploring Endogenous Dynamics; Urban Studies; 2007, Vol 44, No.1, pp. 167-185). Stabilization takes “considerably longer” if the shock to the community is substantial. They concluded there are social, economic, and/or political reactions to neighborhood crime.

If you’re buying a home, it’s unlikely that your real estate agent will provide answers about neighborhood safety (because it may be construed as steering and a violation of fair housing laws). However, you should contact the local police precinct and ask questions to make your own determination of neighborhood safety. It’s also a good idea to talk to your potential neighbors. You can also view additional metro crime data compiled by the FBI (fbi.gov).

Original article is published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2019/12/10/home-prices-and-safety/

By Dan Krell
Copyright© 2019

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October 9, 2014November 23, 2021

Real estate, a dangerous profession

If you asked anyone on the street to name the top dangerous professions, “real estate agent” is not usually considered. But the recent murder of Arkansas Realtor® Beverly Carter highlights, once again, the dangers of selling homes. Carter went missing in September after she planned to show a house, and her body was later found in a rural area.

Although the details of the murder is yet to be revealed, it feels reminiscent of the 2010 murders of two Ohio real estate agents killed in separate incidents within the same week. Vivian Martin was found on the floor of burning home, Martin’s death was found to be by strangulation. Andrew VonStein, was found shot in a vacant home (usatoday.com).

Dealing with the public on a daily basis puts real estate agents in contact with a wide range of personalities and potentially dangerous situations. And although reports of general crime may not grab our attention until we hear about a life being taken prematurely, other daily dangers that agents may face can include stalking, robbery, assault, and rape.

Here are a just few reports from this year:

Over the summer, a Pennsylvania real estate agent was allegedly carjacked at gunpoint, then allegedly sexually assaulted and forced to stay in back seat. While the alleged assailants drove her SUV, it lost control and ran into pedestrians a fruit stand. Two Philadelphia men were charged with the deaths of three children and their mother, as well as the kidnapping, aggravated assault and sexual assault of the real estate agent (cnn.com/2014/08/08/us/philadelphia-carjacking).

The Charlotte Observer reported May 14^th that a man was arrested and charged with rape, attempted rape, felonious restraint and kidnapping, and two counts of sexual assault. Police stated that the alleged assailant arranged to view a number of homes with the real estate agent the day before they met. The two drove together, and while in the first home the agent was choked and was threatened to be killed with a knife lest she comply. The agent was sexually assaulted in the home; the alleged attacker ordered her to take him to the second home, where she was assaulted again (charlotteobserver.com).

Earlier this year, ABC-7 WJLA reported that a Maryland agent was robbed in a New Carrolton home. Police stated that a man followed the agent into the vacant home, when a purse and other items were taken by threat of an alleged weapon (wjla.com/articles/2014/03/real-estate-agent-robbed-in-vacant-maryland-home-101466.html).

A recent story out of Arizona (kpho.com) tells of a buyer texting female real estate agents to see a home. Seemingly innocent, the would-be buyer would initially text the agents about a house listed for sale; however, quickly changing the topic to the agents’ feet and foot wear. As bizarre as this story may sound, one of the affected agents seemed to think that this foot-fetish pervert was harmless; she stated to in this CBS-5 KPHO story, “You very much have to trust your instincts and intuition…If something doesn’t seem right, ask questions…”

Most real estate agents are personable and service oriented, but don’t be surprised if your call to urgently see a home, with an agent whom you have never met, is answered with deliberate caution. The recent murder of Beverly Carter once again puts safety first in the minds of many agents and others in the industry.

By Dan Krell
© 2014