Real Estate Agent Finds Dead Body Inside Foreclosed Home

A real estate agent called 911 on Friday morning after going to check on a foreclosed home in the 25000 block of Pierson Road and finding a dead body inside, said Sgt. Walter Mendez of the Riverside, CA County Sheriff's Central Homicide Unit.

The agent left the residence immediately and called authorities.  Deputies from the sheriff's Perris Station responded and confirmed there were two dead people inside the home, Mendez said.

The deaths were being treated as suspicious and were under investigation by the sheriff's Central Homicide Unit.

 

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What would you do in this situation?  The agent reacted very appropriately by leaving the premises immediately and calling law enforcement authorities.  Real estate agents are not law enforcement, detectives, eviction specialists, etc......When walking in on this kind of situation--or any other unauthorized person in a property--leave immediately and call authorities from a safe location.

Kudos to this real estate agent for doing the right thing and for staying safe!

Man Kidnaps and Robs Realtor After Viewing Listing

Police said a man admitted he kidnapped and robbed a real estate agent at knife point after the woman showed him one of her listed properties in West York, PA.

Gregory S. Knaub, no fixed address, was arrested after responding officers found him hiding in the waters of the Codorus Creek, according to West York Police Chief Justin D. Seibel.

Police said the victim, a real estate agent for Prudential Bob Yost Realtors, had finished showing Knaub a property when he got into the back of her car, pulled a steak knife, and demanded money or an ATM card.

The victim did not have money on her, so Knaub ordered her to drive to an ATM, police said.

She was forced to withdraw cash from the ATM and then ordered to drive to the intersection of Belvidere and King streets in York, where Knaub jumped out of the car and fled, police said.

About an hour later, an investigating officer spotted Knaub sitting on a park bench in Bantz Park. Knaub saw the cruiser and fled into a wooded area along the creek, police said.

Officers from York City and West Manchester Township assisted in setting up a perimeter around the woods and were waiting for a bloodhound to arrive when Knaub popped up from beneath the water and was arrested, police said.

Knaub said he was hiding in the water and was popping up for air every few seconds in an attempt to hide, police said.

He was charged with kidnapping, robbery, unlawful restraint, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and false imprisonment.

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This article stated that the suspect had no “fixed address”, which means he had no permanent address.  I can’t help but think that if the agent had met him at her office and required a driver’s license or some other form of identification, she would have determined this “client” was not legitimate. 

Another option would have been to refer him to a mortgage lender for a pre-approval letter.  That would have determined very quickly if this person was qualified to purchase a home, and if he was who he claimed to be.

I can’t overstate to real estate agents the importance of a great mortgage lender as part of your professional team.  Lenders not only qualify your clients for home purchases, they also pre-screen them and act as a first line of security.

Safety is not an accident…..it is the result of smart procedures and solid planning.  Before meeting clients, make sure they are pre-approved and pre-screened!

Until next time, 

Stay Safe!

Realtor startled by thieves while showing home to clients

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. —

A DeKalb County realtor got a scare Saturday when she surprised two copper thieves inside the home she planned to show to a client.

Dianne Dougherty said she entered the Tucker house when she heard strange noises coming from the basement. When she went around to the back of the house, she spotted the two thieves making their getaway.

"Real quickly, two guys ran out," said Dougherty. "They hopped in their truck, and I'm yelling at them, but then the thought crossed my mind, maybe they have guns."

This wasn't Dougherty's first encounter with crime inside a home-for-sale. She said in 2009, armed men ambushed her and her realtor husband Mike, then forced them inside a home they had just sold.

After they dragged them into the home, they pistol whipped the both of them before running away. Later, they discovered the men had kidnapped a woman and had her tied up in the back of the house.

"We put up a fight, but they nonetheless got Mike in there after they knocked me over the head," said Dougherty. "Pistol whipped him pretty bad."

Dougherty warns other realtors to be careful when showing a house and to always let people know when and where they are showing them.

DeKalb Board of Realtors President Darryl Pierce said safety is always part of the training for new agents.

"If you're going to show a property, call someone," said Pierce. "Let them know when you're going and where you're going."

 September is Realtor Safety Month........