...on resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated. We're in the process of selling our old home, 2 houses up the street, ourselves (For Sale By Owner) via Zillow FSBO and we're having an issue with someone stealing our FSBO sign at just one end of our street. They've stolen one a week over the last 3 weeks while the sign at the other end of our street has not been taken to date. The home owners at the end of the street are aware (actually one's an Aggie and told me it's okay to put it there as it's by their yard) of this issue and are keeping an eye out for me but it's not in plain sight for them and it may be getting removed during the night...we have no idea.

Anyway, so I've come up with a plan that I'm going to implement as soon as I can find another FSBO sign to replace the ones that have been stolen (3 to date) as the local Lowe's and Home Depot stores have sold out of them. I plan to create a laminated note with the following information on it and attach it to the metal wire stand that holds the sign:

Quote:

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To Whom It May ConcernSmile Cause You're On Candid Camera While Stealing My FSBO Sign

Call Me @903-814-3968 To Discuss If You'd Prefer I Don't Contact The Police With The Video And Also So You Can Return All My FSBO Signs You've Stolen To Date Without Police Action On My Part!

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Hoping this gets their attention and maybe they even return the stolen signs. So what do y'all think? Any other ideas or recommendations?

Is it in their actual yard or a ROW? Seems intentional given it's being done under cover of night but it also wouldn't shock me if it's HOA driven if it placed in a ROW.

03_Aggie said:

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Is it in their actual yard or a ROW? Seems intentional given it's being done under cover of night but it also wouldn't shock me if it's HOA driven if it placed in a ROW.

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It's in the corner of their lot in the ROW (easement area) and we don't have a HOA for our neighborhood.

I don't think a City Code person would just take them without contact...

Kenneth_2003 said:

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I don't think a City Code person would just take them without contact...

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We don't suspect a City Code person as the listing sheet at the home has our phone numbers on them so I'd expect them to contact us first...plus, the sign at the other end of the street goes untouched!

Game camera mounted in an inconspicuous location.

Make it a decent enough game camera to actually see something / the plate on the car. Otherwise it'll look like you have a Sasquatch on the loose.

Welp CRAP, the note didn't help as it's gone again today after putting it out Monday and it was definitely there yesterday evening when I last checked. I didn't check first thing this morning so I have no clue whether it was stolen last night or sometime before noon today when I discovered it gone!

Think I may have to invest in a game camera and set it up in one of the neighbor's yard...any recommendations?

Any other homes for sale near you? Competition may be stealing signs.
I assume you have your home listed online, not just a sign?

A game camera is an excellent idea.

give up? Who finds houses by driving around? Just make sure you are listed on the appropriate websites.

I work for a a City and code guys don't pull up for sale signs if it is advertising a house, at least not where I have worked. If it is pulled outside the hours of 8am-5pm, it is definitely not the City. This is bizarre that they are that persistent in taking your signs though...

Any desire/ability to just stake it out a night or two? If you put it out Monday and it got stolen Wednesday night, it's obviously somebody that goes through the neighborhood on a very specific route daily. If it was personal, they would likely be taking all your signs IMO. Since they're only taking one, that's likely the only one they're driving by.

Staking it out is the only way you're truly going to be able to see who is actually doing it. With a game camera, at best you're just going to get a pic of somebody that you won't be able to do anything with.

Well I contacted the city of Sherman to check to see if I was in violation of a code placing the sign there. When I told him we were selling our house, he immediately noted that that was in violation of city code as I'm only allowed one For Sale sign in the front yard of the house for sale or 2 max signs if it's on a corner lot. He said it's either code enforcement, a city work employee or the police removng the signs. He noted that the only other advertising that we can do is through the newpapers or social media or websites like Zillow (which we've done), etc. I went to the other end of the street to remove it and it was gone as well. Oh well...live and learn!

Unfortunate thing about FSBO via Zillow is that the request for information box lists 3-4 agents first and then my phone numberlast as the Owner. I've already had 2 potential clients say they clicked on the info request box and it contacted the first agent listed since its radial button is already checked. If the requestor doesn't click on my radial button, an agent gets the request. To date, I'm been informed that the agent they contacted stated that the house was "Off Market". I contacted one of the agents after receiving his name and number and he said when he looked the address up on Realtor.com it indicates the house is off market. Sure enough, I checked and that's what it showed. According to Realtor.com, the only way I can get that changed is either list with an agent or at minimum get it listed on MLS. Freaking agents get you coming and going!

Based on that info, we updated our description section to note the house is available and provided out POC information as the first bit of info so hopefully clients contact us directly. Unfortunately it's so much easier for the client to just click on the requestfor info box versus manually dialing a number or sending an email.

raise the price 8% and get a realtor

aggiepaintrain said:

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raise the price 8% and get a realtor

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seriously, pay about $300 and have a flat fee broker list it on the MLS. Be prepared to pay 3% to the buyers agent. Several brokers her will list it for that ballpark price.

ETA, then take the FSBO signs down