Today I was out at a number of listings and saw something that seemed worth mentioning here. If your house is for sale, with any luck, strangers are going to be trooping through it on a regular basis. Yes, they will be accompanied by a licensed real estate agent, but it's impossible to watch every move everyone makes every second.

Today I saw a diamond ring laying on a dining room table! Anyone in this business for any length of time has heard horror stories about things going missing from homes for sale. It doesn't happen often and there's much you can do to protect yourself. First of all, get expensive jewelry out of the house if you're not wearing it. A safe deposit box is an excellent idea unless you've already got a safe in the house. Don't leave valuable items laying in plain sight where it might create a temptation. And the temptation doesn't have to be an inclination towards theft. A toddler seems something pretty and shiny and wanders off with it. Believe me, these things happen!

One of the other things to think about is prescription medication. This is especially true if you have any medication in the house that is likely to sell well on the black market, think anything in the narcotic family. Hide these in a place other than the medicine cabinet.

And it's always a good idea to start packing up now! Rent a storage unit or stick boxes in basements or garages.

Some things are an annoyance if they go missing. Other things are irreplacable. Whatever the case, you're much better off taking precautions ahead of time!