Because my husband's and my home has been for sale until recently with folks we don't know coming in and out, we've been extra cautious about security measures. Little did we realize that house stealing can occur from far, far away, but once folks become aware such a threat exists, the battle to thwart the highjacker's plans is actually a pretty simple one. So let's see the methods these crudballs use to boot us out of house and home and what we can do to prevent this theft:

1. Once they obtain property records, which is pretty easy to do, experienced crooks then hop on over to any office supply store and buy $10 property transfer forms. They forge the signatures of "sellers" and file paperwork with the city or county recorder's office. (Scary point: in many states, deed recorders and those who oversee property closings aren't required to confirm buyers' or sellers' identity! Some lawbreakers simply create fake IDs and steal the real homeowner's identity, and no one even bothers to check the validity.)

2. With a newly issued deed, outlaws then sell stolen homes, sometimes for a fraction of their worth to cash-paying buyers (who're often also scammed). However, these swindlers frequently prefer to use hijacked homes as collateral to get new loans.

3. In general, lenders are more likely to issue new loans to homeowners with no existing mortgage. Unfortunately, and far too often, the elderly are prime targets. In this instance, they've followed all the rules, been conscientious consumers, paid off their home loan debts but still get hurt, according to AARP.

Tennessee isn't a sanctuary for these con artists, though. In May, WREG-TV in Memphis investigated allegations of house stealing that then opened the door for the state's General Assembly to work overtime. (See www.wreg.com/wreg-house-stealing-story.) The House passed a bill to punish "innocent" offenders, such as notaries who don't check facts like they should before issuing deeds, but the Senate has yet to vote. Perhaps we should all contact our state senators about this matter. In the meantime, we need to protect our own homes as best we can by following some simple steps:

-- Check all property records periodically with your local deed recorder or register's office to ensure all documents and signatures are legitimate.

-- The FBI urges homeowners who receive a payment book or other information about a loan that isn't theirs to open it and follow up with the company that sent it. Under no circumstances should we just toss it in File 13 (the trash) and forget about it.

-- Some deed-recording offices use specific software to alert homeowners whenever a transfer is made on their property. Check to see if your local office does or doesn't; if the latter, climb up the governmental rung and find out why not.

-- If you discover your home has been stolen, immediately report it to your district attorney and state attorney general.

Editor's Note: Ellen Phillips is a retired English teacher who has written two consumer-oriented books. Her Consumer Watch column appears on Saturdays in the Business section of the paper. An expanded version is at www.timesfreepress.com under Local Business. E-mail her at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com