Someone visiting one of Cindy Westfall's open houses a few years back swiped the seller's piggy bank. It was sitting on the dresser in the bedroom one minute, and then it was gone.

The Portland, Oregon, agent posted on the real estate website ActiveRain that, in eight years of holding open houses, "it was the first time I got a call from the seller saying something was missing."

Yes, the "five-finger discount" is alive and well in Realty Land. Face it: People like to touch and examine things at open houses. They like to open closets and drawers. Most of the time, it's innocent enough. But every once in a while, something goes missing.

Sometimes it's just one person who can't resist pocketing something and walking out. But sometimes, the thieves work in pairs: One keeps the agent occupied while the other roams from room to room, snatching whatever valuables he or she can find.

A few years ago, someone actually made off with a real estate agent's shoes. He had opted to remove them for the open house, rather than wear the floor-protecting blue booties that were available to prospective buyers. Michelle Carr-Crowe of Keller Williams in Cupertino, California, relates the story on ActiveRain: "It was not likely a mistake, as (the agent's) shoes were nearly new, inside and dry, whereas the 'trade-in' pair were old, well-worn and outside."

So, what are sellers -- and agents -- to do to protect themselves?

For starters, don't leave stuff lying around. That includes cash, checkbooks, credit cards, laptops or drugs, prescription or otherwise. It also means jewelry, watches and anything else thieves can shove in their pockets before making a clean getaway.

Also, take down any framed military discharge certificates. They sometimes include not only your name, but also your Social Security number. And log off the computer in your home office so people can't nose around and snatch your personal info.

Six years ago, a man in Silver Spring, Maryland, was arrested for stealing women's underwear from open houses. He was finally nabbed by an agent, who caught him rummaging through the owner's dresser. Turns out, the guy had dozens of women's undergarments from previous thefts.

Of course, while people tour your home, you can't carry the contents of your dresser with you. But where possible, you should keep valuables on your person, lock them up or remove them from your house altogether -- if not until the house is sold, then at least during an open house or showing.

Emmary Simpson of Long Realty in Tucson said she had an iPod lifted from a filing cabinet when she listed her house. After that, she removed everything of value, including expensive silver, and kept it at her parents' house. She also purchased a locking filing cabinet for items she needed to keep handy.

There are other precautions you can take, too. For example, make sure your bills and personal papers are out of sight. Don't just shove them in a drawer; organize them, box them up and put them away.

Guns and ammunition also need to be locked up and put away, if not removed from the house entirely. They tend to make would-be buyers nervous -- "If you need a weapon, is the neighborhood dangerous?" -- so remove them to another safe, locked location during the open house.

For you and your agent's personal protection, remove knife blocks from the kitchen counter. Every couple of years, an agent is attacked during an open house; don't provide would-be attackers with easily accessible weapons.

Also, make sure your open house is held by two agents. That way, one can welcome visitors and the other can walk with them as they tour.

That step would probably have stopped the couple who stole some $35,000 in jewelry from open houses in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a few years ago. The husband went to "look around" while the wife and kids occupied the agent. Or the two women in the New York area who made off with $73,000 in loot using the same tactic.

Another idea: Use "nanny cams" or other surveillance devices to keep watch on people as they move through your house. Or maybe just announce to visitors that cameras and microphones are hidden in every room.

Make sure your agent asks visitors for their driver's licenses and license plate numbers, and have the agent snap a picture of them and their IDs. Somewhat off-putting, perhaps, but the agent can say something like, "In this day and age, you can't be too careful."

Honest folks will understand, and the bad guys will move on to the next mark.

When people move to a new city, far away from where they once lived, the popular wisdom is to rent for a year before buying a home. That way, you have plenty of time to scope out numerous neighborhoods to determine exactly where you'd like to reside.

Seniors, though, have a different perspective. When they're checking out places to retire -- or join the 55-and-over "active adult" set -- their question is often, "How do I know I'm going to like the community I'm considering?"

That's the dilemma Mike and Robyn Bonitz faced when looking for a place to retire. After narrowing their choices to four retirement communities -- one in Summerville, South Carolina; one in Ocala, Florida; and two in Arizona -- the Connecticut couple gave all four a try, for a few days each. Now they're trying to decide between the two Arizona locations.

Staying at the properties for a few days "was extremely helpful," Mike says. "I would highly recommend it. You need a deep dive to see if these places live up to their reputations."

As it turns out, many major retirement properties offer so-called "discovery packages" similar to the ones the Bonitzes took advantage of. These "try before you buy" programs are an excellent way to experience the lifestyle as a resident.

I recently visited Sun City Festival in Buckeye, Arizona, which is one of the communities the Bonitzes are considering. I stayed with friends for six days, just across the street from the clubhouse and pool complex. I made great use of the workout room -- it was nice to lift weights with people my own age, as opposed to a bunch of young, muscular studs who make us old guys feel puny -- and the hot tub.

But had I known the Del Webb property offered a discovery package, I might have made use of that instead of inconveniencing my friends.

To attract buyers to Sun City Festival, the company offers furnished homes for two to four days, for up to four guests. They're not free, but the cost, depending on the time of year, ranges from just $49 a day for one or two people (in the summer) to $134 (in the high season, from February to April).

For that fee, you can live like an owner for a short while. The deal includes a golf cart, Wi-Fi, free use of the rec center, and golf at the residents' rate. The houses are outfitted with linens, towels, basic cookware and practically everything else you might need. Just turn the key and enjoy.

Sun City Festival opened in 2006, and some 3,000 people now live at the property. Residents enjoy amenities such as a golf course, tennis courts, cyber cafe, crafts center, classes sponsored by Arizona State University, numerous clubs and a playground for the grandkids.

Del Webb promises no high-pressure sales pitch with its discovery packages, but part of the deal is that you do have to meet with a sales consultant. Still, it beats staying in a hotel, and there's hardly a better way to relax and experience the property.

Sun City Festival is hardly the only place to offer a deal like this. Go to privatecommunites.com and click on the Discovery Packages tab to find dozens of others. Florida alone lists more than 30 places with "get acquainted" programs.

Here's the lowdown on a few other properties:

-- You can stay for four days and three nights at Retama Village, which is part of the Bentsen Palm gated community in Mission, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley. No charge for folks 55 or older. The property has four unique neighborhoods designed for people of all ages. For sale are homes from $129,000 to $140,000, and lots from $20,000 to $90,000.

-- Shea Homes offers try-before-you-buy packages at all three of its Trilogy projects in California. For $299 at Trilogy at the Polo Club near Palm Springs, the "Taste the Good Life" program includes a three-day, two-night stay in a standard two-room hotel, plus a pair of spa tickets, a $100 dinner voucher -- and, of course, a tour with a sales rep. This active lifestyle resort will have 750 residences adjacent to two polo clubs. Prices range from the mid-$200,000s to more than $800,000.

-- At Soleil Laurel Canyon in the Georgia foothills in Canton, you can stay for three days, two nights in a fully furnished home with at least two bedrooms and two baths. For $79, you'll also get to enjoy a round of golf or tennis lessons for two, breakfast or lunch for two, and the obligatory private tour of the eight model homes, clubhouse and tennis center. The gated community has bocce ball, an arts and crafts center, greenhouse, outdoor amphitheater, walking trails and a horticulture center. Two- and three-bedroom ranch-style homes are priced from the low $200,000s into the $400,000s.

Homeowners who are required, all of a sudden, to carry flood insurance have a way to appeal their property's placement in a flood zone.

The process isn't simple -- not by a long shot. But following it could save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, especially since premiums under the federal National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) keep getting bumped up.

First, a little background.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently remapped most of the country using 100-year flood plain projections. The result was that many homes were placed into flood zones that never before existed, despite the fact that many of them had never (or rarely) experienced flooding.

The bottom line: If a house's mortgage is touched by the government in any way -- insured by the Federal Housing Administration, backed by the Veterans Administraion or purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac -- borrowers are now required to carry flood insurance. And some lenders now require coverage, no matter what.

Flood insurance is not a bad thing. Indeed, damage from flooding is costly: The average flood claim to the NFIP is $30,000. Flooding is the nation's most frequent natural disaster, and it's not always associated with hurricanes or broken dams. Floods can happen from busted pipes and torrential rains, and they occur in all 50 states.

Consequently, many borrowers elect to buy coverage, even if their lenders don't demand it. But if you don't want it and it isn't necessary, you shouldn't have to pay for it. And you may not have to, if you follow the steps set up by FEMA to appeal your flood zone designation.

To appeal your home's placement in what officially is called a "Special Flood Hazard Area," you must show that the lowest adjacent grade, or the lowest ground touching your home, is at or above the "base flood elevation." That's the elevation to which floodwater is projected to rise during a so-called "100-year flood," also called a "base flood."

Remember, though, the term "100-year" is something of a misnomer. It doesn't mean that a major flood happens once every 100 years. Rather, it means that the area has a 1 percent chance of flooding every year. Another name for it is the base floodplain.

Wow! And understanding all that is just the beginning of the process.

To start, you have to submit a request to FEMA for a Letter of Map Change, which, according to FEMA, "reflects an official revision/amendment to an effective Flood Insurance Rate Map." The map is said to offer much useful information and represents the official depiction of flood hazards for your community.

All of this is outlined on the FEMA webpage at fema.gov/information-homeowners, where you can start the step-by-step process and find out what supporting documents you might need. Follow the detailed instructions to ensure that your request is complete and logically structured.

Meanwhile, bipartisan legislation intended to remove barriers to the development of a private market alternative to Uncle Sam's program has cleared a key House committee by a resounding 53-0 vote.

"In many cases, we have found comparable private flood coverage is much less expensive than the NFIP product," according to Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller.

Currently, only a few carriers -- most notably, Lloyd's of London -- offer flood insurance, primarily because many lenders are unsure if private coverage meets government requirements. Also, private companies may not cover higher-risk properties, leaving the NFIP as the only choice in those cases.

Another drawback to the development of a private market is that borrowers who switch to a private policy and then decide to return to the government's program will probably not be eligible anymore for any rate subsidy they enjoyed with the NFIP previously.

The bill by Florida representatives Dennis Ross and Patrick Murphy would require lenders to accept private coverage if it complies with state laws and regulations and includes the required limits of coverage. Acceptable policies would have to be issued by a company that is licensed, admitted or otherwise approved by the state in which the property is located.