Vacant homes in the the central Berkshire area are being broken into at an alarming rate, and copper pipes are being stolen from basements, walls and plumbing fixtures.  While all REALTORs try to secure vacant homes as best as possible, you may want to reconsider how you market vacant homes given the increase in theft – some changes to consider…  Should you remove a for sale lawn sign?  Should you hide the lockbox from street view?  Should you talk to homeowners about motion lights around the perimeter and inside lights set on random timers?  Encourage maintenance of security systems if present, or buy fake decals or signs to post.  Who knows, a beware of dog sign or security cameras posted might be a deterrent that you could suggest to your homeowner.  You should, in the least, make homeowners aware that this is a real concern when selling their vacant home, and establish that they will maintain appropriate home insurance until sale.  Unfortunately, the thieves are causing quite a bit of damage to the property in addition to the missing, stolen pipes.