"Bugged" Properties
Apparently it is more and more commonplace for people to install surveillance devices in their own homes. Evidently the reason for this has been primarily to keep an eye on nannies or caregivers when the homeowners are not home. Well...one of the discovered uses of these devices has been to listen to Realtors and their buyers while they are there showing the property. This would give the seller an idea of what a potential buyer might think of their property...and thus a resultant edge when it came to negotiations. For example, if the seller now knew that the buyer "loved" the property, the seller might be less flexible when it came to negotiating. The lesson here is that when looking at properties, be very careful about what you might say when in the house...you never know who might be listening!