What would have happened at your Home today?

T

TXAZ

New member
There was an open house around the corner, so the realtor put the "open" sign in our corner lot with an itsy bitty arrow pointing to the right (at our house) but assumed meaning take a right here. Shortly there after, people started walking into OUR home. No knock, no doorbell and we didn't (before today) lock a the door when we are in and out w/ yard work, etc.
(Added for clarity: the homeowner and occupants had no idea the sign was there until after the fact)

So I'm curious, what would have happened if this had been at your house?
 
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Wow. The scary part to me is the people that just open the door and go on in without a second thought. They have no pause about it at all. You an the family could have been in the back yard, and people would have been wandering around inside.
I wonder how different people handle this situation when it's a married couple and two kids that "break in" VS whatever we picture the bad guy as.
I suppose the correct answer is that no one would handle it any different, the threat would be identified and detained until the police arrive.
 
Water-Man said:
That's the routine for an Open House. People just walk in and look around.
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That's correct. That's pretty much what "Open House" means -- it's an open invitation to walk in and look around. Around here, in decent weather the front door isn't even closed.

Any complaint here is not with the potential buyers who thought they were entering a house that was for sale, the complaint is with the nitwit real estate agent who put up a confusing sign.
 
I always leave the security door at the front locked, and usually teh front door itself also. The security door allows for airing out the house without exposing myself totally to walk-ins. IT would take a good bit to come though that security door.

I do all yardwork via access to the garage, garage to back yard and garage to front yard. This prevents any walk-ins and i dont' have to worry about locking myself out. I used to use the sliding glass door to the back yard, but it has an automatic door-closer on it for pool safety from kids, and i've locked myself out once. lol
 
The sign would have been removed from my property immediately.
The doors would be secured fully.
A sign explaining that the open house was NOT HERE would have been posted together with the address of the correct house.
 
Step 1: Explain their error to the first arrival.
Step 2: Lock the door behind me as I escort them out of my house.
Step 3: Modify the signage to make it more clear, or remove it and inform the realtor.

To be honest, this would not have happened at my house because I am not trusting enough to leave the front door unlocked to begin with.
 
They would not have gotten past the locked door...... Before the flood of posts begin about drawing down on the "intruders" its important to remember that home security begins with basic common sense. Lock the door. :D
 
I live in a suburb of Dallas. It's not wise to leave your door unlocked. I understand what you mean though. I am even cautious at night when entering the house from our back alley garage. I am working so we can retire in the country.
 
Explain the error to the "guests".
Politely show them to the front door.
Search the house.
Take the sign down.
Lock your doors.
Call and complain to the manager of the realty company.
 
What happen to another wouldn't have happen in this house.
If any entrance doors are by chance left open. Their full glass brass caning storm door is always locked. {That's just second nature for us here.} If worse comes to worse. We got the meanest little overly protective male Pincer (dog) that's been trained to press/sick anything or anybody into submission. Only dog I know that will snatch the balls off man or beast when told too. Frankly one would suffer less being shot for his attempted crime rather than having to tangle w/Bliggee I think.
 
To be honest

I would have been taken aback by the first person to stroll through the door, ask ask "Can I help you?". Once the situation has been understood, laugh like hell, walk them out, and try to figure out the confusion. Then, work with the realty company to make the signage less confusing. Laugh like hell with the realtor.

Sometimes, a mistake is made. It happens. The best thing we can do is laugh about it, correct the problem, and laugh some more.
 
Lots of folks still live in places where the majority do not lock their doors.
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How about car doors? I understand living where locks are a second thought. bad things can happen in good to very good places. Just my opinion now, bad practice not locking doors while at home or not.
 
WOW!!
I live in a declining neighborhood; once was the suburbs and now becoming inner city.
In the past couple years we have had two high profile home invasion cases just blocks from where I live that ended in homicides.
Breaking and entering is a common crime in my area.
I’m always within arms reach of a firearm.

That would not have ended well at my house for either the person walking in or the fact I just drew and possibly shot someone.

The only saving grace is I always lock my doors.
Even when I lived way out in the country many years back, I locked my doors.
 
I live in a small rural community and most often either the regular door or the screen door is locked. Even when we are in the house. If we are out in the yard and no one is in the house it is locked. If I go over to my shop the house is locked. When I am not in my shop the doors are locked and when I am in there after dark the doors are locked.

Even during the day when I am home my cars are locked in the driveway.

My friends laugh at my "paranoia" I just smile because I have never had anyone just enter my home or steal anything from my home, cars, or shop.
 
Don P said:
How about car doors? I understand living where locks are a second thought. bad things can happen in good to very good places. Just my opinion now, bad practice not locking doors while at home or not.
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Many folks around here don't lock their cars either.

You gotta under stand where we are...

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Sure, bad things can always happen. I know a number of folks, including myself, who carry guns either always or usually. Still, very little DOES actually happen. I've never even heard of a home invasion anywhere near here, with the exception of meth lab on meth lab revenge/violence. I've never even heard of a home robbery, where folks were home. A burglary every now and then, no robberies. The bank downtown gets robbed every 7-10 years. There's never been any violence. Usually, when the county fair comes around there's a few burglaries. Everybody knows it, folks lock their doors and windows that week.

I remember back when I first joined this forum and got my CCL. One fella told me that I'd better OC at my pizza shop or "You WILL be robbed." He was from Atlanta, as I recall. Sure, there's a gas station that gets robbed somewhere within 15, 20 miles, every few years. Most places never have any issues in generations of business.
 
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