Jack Uptmore said he was only going out for lunch, but during that short time, the new home he was building was hit by thieves.
"We were putting carpet in in a back room. I went to grab something to eat, came back, and the cook top was gone," said Uptmore, the owner of Uptmore Custom Homes.
Uptmore's story is one shared by many local real estate and property management companies in San Antonio.
Thieves are targeting vacant properties and stealing major appliances like refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers.
One property management company said they've been hit a dozen times within the last two months.
"They grab AC units, appliances, anything that's easy or they go to a site that has lumber or pieces of materials," Uptmore said. "They scope out where they're going to hide and come in and sneak in and steal it and there's not a whole lot we can do about it."
Many realty companies use heavy-duty locks to secure their properties, but local realtor and Vice President of the Texas Association of Realtors Bob Leonard said sometimes that's not good enough.
"Some of the older combination lock-boxes can be opened with a good sledge hammer," Leonard said. "(Thefts) have always been a little bit of an issue for all of us. It seems to have increased recently. I'm not sure why.
Leonard said larger real estate companies can afford to take more elaborate security measures, but smaller agencies must be more creative.
"You want to keep the grass cut … hedges trimmed on the outside … have timers on the lights on the inside. If you can, leave some furniture behind so that if someone is peaking through the window it looks like it's occupied," he said.
Leonard has even considered taking the "For Sale" sign out of the yard entirely, but he said the best thing a realtor can do is keep a watchful eye on their properties.
"The main thing you can do is be vigilant. If you have a home, especially if its vacant, what you really want to do is make sure it looks lived in. You don't want your home to be a target or at least a visible target."
For a list of recent stories Cory Smith has done, click here.