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Don't let a new identity theft study confuse your approach to warding off the crooks.

No matter the source of the pilfering, the fundamentals of ID theft prevention apply. Protect yourself from all forms of ID theft.

A new study indicating who is likely to steal your identity shifts the blame from people you know to those who are more likely to be strangers.

In its "Identity Fraud Trends and Patterns", Utica College's Center For Identity Management & Information Protection (CIMIP) tracked Secret Service arrests and convictions of offenders and found that identity thieves used these methods of operation.

• ID thieves used the Internet or some other technological device in the commission of the crime approximately 50 percent of the time. Among those who did not use technology, tactics like dumpster diving and change of address forms were used 20 percent of the time.

• ID thieves snatched information from service, retail, financial industries or other corporations in 50 percent of the cases in which the point of compromise could be determined. A family member or friend was the point of compromise in only 16 percent of those cases.

• ID thieves used their place of employment to gain access to information 43.8 percent of the time among those who worked at retail outlets including stores, car dealerships, gas stations, casinos, restaurants, hotels, hospitals and doctors' offices. Private corporations were the scene of insider ID theft in about 20 percent of those cases.

The study is in contrast to reports from Javelin Strategy & Research, which has studied the issue from the perspective of victims, rather than the crooks.

"Online Banking and Bill Paying: New Protection from Identity Theft," a study released several years ago by Javelin Strategy and Research, a consultant for financial services, payments, and commerce sector companies, analyzed findings from Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U. S. Postal Service reports, as well as its own studies.

That study said ID theft follows a paper trail -- 40 percent of all ID fraud starts with the theft of a wallet or a purse; 14 percent of the time when someone sets up a new account it's done with information the perpetrator took out of a mailbox.

Javelin also said the most likely culprits are friends and family.

James Van Dyke, responding to the Utica study, said he didn't see a conflict with his firm's results because the Secret Service takes on high-dollar cases -- the median loss in the Utica study was $31,000.

A recent Gartner Inc. survey of victims found the average loss to be about a tenth as much, $3,300.

Van Dyke also says smaller investigations are handled by local or state police.

It doesn't really matter how or by whom identity is stolen and used illegally, the experts says. Consumers are advised to guard all the possible approaches to personal information.

Learn about ID theft prevention strategies detailed on the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Site and get to know the ID theft protection provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and it's major overhaul, The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act.

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Silicon Valley consumers are more bullish about buying homes in the current soft market than they are about selling and probably for good reason.

With much of the region shaping up as a buyer's market, buyers who can find financing and can afford to buy can negotiate a pretty good deal with relatively low interest rates. If they stay put and ride out the soft market, they'll reap the benefits of the next upturn.

Many sellers braving the market are behind the eight ball, lowering prices, spiffing up the property, offering incentives and otherwise trying to sell without losing the equity gains of the last boom.

It's not surprising then that 45 percent of consumers recently surveyed said it's a good time to buy a home, but only 17 percent had the same sentiment about selling.

When the Survey and Policy Research Institute at San Jose (CA) State University polled a random sample of 652 Californians in early October, during its third quarter Consumer Confidence Survey, it found, among Silicon Valley consumers, an equal 45 percent also said it's a bad time to buy a home, but the vast majority, 73 percent, said it's a bad time to sell.

The buy vs. sell answers aren't tallied as part of the institute's broader confidence index, but they do represent sentiments about market conditions.

"I think that it reflects human nature. Sellers are trying to get top price and they know it's tough. Buyers are trying to get the best deal and think they are not going to see huge price decreases or that they are going to be offset by other bidders and higher interest rates," said Colleen Badagliacco, president of the California Association of Realtors.

"People on the sidelines may feel there will be some more softening, but we are in a micro market right now. That the (consumers are evenly) split (on buying) may reflect that," said Badagliacco, also co-owner/broker of RE/MAX Valley Properties in San Jose.

Silicon Valley's home prices continue to rise during the housing market's downturn because a greater share of home sales are in the more expensive, higher-end markets.

"We are having near record low transactions and record high prices. There's a real dramatic split in the market right now," said Richard Calhoun, broker with Creekside Realty in San Jose.

During the boom, everything sold and consumers were again split about buying but so bullish on selling, the numbers were virtually reversed.

Near the peak of the boom, for example, the institute's June 2005 survey revealed 44 percent of consumers thought it was a good time to buy and 45 percent thought it was a bad time to buy. For selling, 75 percent of consumers said it was a good time (the highest percentage since the question was first asked back in January of 2002), while only 13 percent said it was a bad time.

"In the spring of 2005, sellers were in fat city," said Phillip J. Trounstine, institute director.

What a difference a few years makes.

In September this year, the record low 521 existing single-family homes sales were down 38.6 percent from 887 a year ago. Existing condo sales came in at 222, down nearly 42.5 percent from last September, Calhoun reported in his Bay Area Real Estate Market Newsletter, compiled from data from the area's multiple listing service, the Northern California Real Estate Exchange (NCREX) of Campbell, CA.

"There were 571 transactions in February of 2001, going into the 2001 slow down. Next was 586 in October, 1989 which was the month of the Loma Prieta Earthquake (October 17, 1989, preceding a major slowdown). Volume was lower in September 2007, than it was in September 2001 (on September 11, terrorists attacked the nation, preceding another major slowdown)" said Calhoun.

The median price of resale single-family homes in Silicon Valley came in at $850,000, in September, down from record high levels this year, but up 10.5 percent from $769,000 in September last year.

The median condo price was $525,000 in September, also down from higher prices this year, but up 6 percent from $495,000 a year ago, Calhoun reported.

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Home-based business owners and other self-employed workers are the latest victims of mortgage market malaise.

Self-employed workers often use income tax returns, IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Form 1099 and related documents to prove their income and, as such, typically qualify for what's called "stated-income home loans" (SILs).

Unfortunately SILs, similar "no-doc" (for no documentation) home loans and similar mortgages are in short supply.

That's largely due to the high rate of failures that have hit the subprime and non-traditional home loan segment of the mortgage market -- even if most of the failed mortgages don't belong to the self-employed and home-based business owners.

Lenders who had portfolios heavy in any risky loans -- SILs, subprime mortgages, nontraditional home loans and others -- either failed or stopped making the loans or severely curtailed their availability to stay in business.

Today's lenders prefer writing less risky mortgages and that includes those with more conventional income documentation including pay-check stubs or statements and employer-generated IRS Form W-4.

The mortgage market squeeze has put the kibosh on SILs.

SILs remain available but the come in shorter supply with stiffer underwriting rules and higher prices.

"Most lenders now require that you have excess cash after the transaction -- reserves of three to six months," said Eric Nelson, owner/mortgage broker of The Honte Group in Campbell.

"They also pay more attention to the length of time being self-employed and they look for legitimacy of the business, meaning a copy of a business license and a certified public accountant's document that the business actually exists," Nelson added.

Home-based business homeowners and other self-employed workers looking to get the best SIL loan need to relearn the ropes.

Here's how.

• Put all your docs in a row. In addition to two or more years of tax returns, proof-of-licensing, business tax statements and other proof of self-employment, you should also get a professional accountant to sign off on a profit and loss or income statement to reveal home much money your business is making or losing over a specific period of time. The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offers an online tutorial on the statement.

"Adjusted gross income (AGI) is not reflective of a self-employed borrower's true earnings and these borrowers/applicants need to work with a lender (more importantly an underwriter) who understands cash flow and reserves, which more accurately reflect what a self-employed borrower is bringing in," said Cameron Street, a mortgage broker and editorial content provider with Santa Clara-based ERate.com.

The documents can take time to gather. Begin well before you actually apply for a home loan, refinanced mortgage, equity loan or other financing that stakes your home as collateral.

• Watch those write offs. Home-based businesses are offered a plethora of tax write offs, from office supplies to special child care deductions and health insurance, but the deductions reduce the amount of income against which taxes are calculated. A smaller income makes it tougher to quality for a mortgage.

• Use a savings strategy. The larger your down payment the better your eligibility requirements for the best, least expensive loan terms. If a lender offers a SIL it likely wants to reduce its risk.

• Crank up your credit rating. Good credit has never been more critical. Lenders have upped the credit score and credit report ante. Visit MyFico.com and learn what hurts and helps your credit score and credit standing. Keep tabs on your credit report, but only from AnnualCreditReport.com. Every four months, rotate obtaining one free report from one of the three major credit reporting agencies, to space out self-monitoring of your credit report.

Experts say the tighter underwriting standards alone shouldn't be enough to make home-based business owners and self-employed workers veer from their career path.

"There's nothing wrong with working from home, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area where real estate and office lease expenses run through the roof. What you don't spend each month in the way of a lease goes straight to your bottom line," said Street.

Real estate writer Broderick Perkins, executive editor of San Jose-based DeadlineNews.Com, writes regularly for this newspaper.

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It's a good time for a home inspection.

In today's flat markets, a home inspection can give buyers a negotiating edge.

Sellers, on the other hand, get an anti-haggling tool.

Actually, it's always a good time for a home inspection. Even in a seller's market, buyers ought to know what "as-is" really is.

Housemaster franchisee, Mike Kuhn, is also co-author of "The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Home Inspections" (Penguin Group, $9.95) and says for $350 to $500, a professional home inspector should review the major, visible and accessible components of the home and provide a detailed written report rating each element.

The objective report should include detailed information in a way that allows the customer to make informed decisions about the findings.

The inspection can also be a learning opportunity for a buyer or seller who attends the event. The inspection will let them get to know the home, see the inspector demonstrate systems and to learn maintenance tips.

It can also help buyers see through the veil of misleading staging and other cover-ups as well as help buyers uncover building permit and code violations.

Sellers can likewise use the inspection to determine what they need to do to put the home in competitive shape for the market, or price it fairly to sell as-is.

"Many Realtors and clients believe they benefit from a pre-listing inspection's ability to present the fundamental condition of the home to prospective buyers; discover defects that sellers can have repaired before the home is listed; and justify the price of the home, which reduces buyer negotiations," said Chris Shupp, a home inspector and managing member of Holmes & Watson Real Estate Inspection, LLC in Santa Clara.

While a home inspection, purchased by the buyer or seller or both, is more common than it's ever been, 25 percent of home buyers, or more (depending upon the source) do not buy a home inspection, says Kuhn.

Even new homes need a once over.

"New homes should be inspected for sub contractor issues, that are

missed by the contractor. Examples of new home issues include over-fused breakers

for air conditioning units, missing or improperly wired ground fault circuit interrupters, outlets, loose roof tiles and improper plumbing," said Bruce Carmichael a home inspector and owner of Advantage Inspection Professionals in San Jose.

Last year, based on data from 20,867 new single-family homes inspected in 2005, Quality Built found that the three most common construction problems discovered in single-family homes were in the building envelope (41 percent of the time); framing and structural elements (34 percent); and in the plumbing and electrical systems (8 percent).

As homes age, given the life expectancy of certain systems, the home inspection remains prudent.

Within 10 years, foundation settling could create drainage problems; by the age of 20, appliances are well outdated and the roof and wood components exposed the weather or moisture could need replacing; at 40 years the HVAC system will likely need replacement; and older historic or architecturally significant homes can develop structural problems and need restoration.

"We also find lots of safety hazards in homes. Examples are old sliding glass windows that are not tempered safety glass, missing smoke alarms and missing pressure relief valves on water heaters, said Carmichael.

The American Society of Home Inspector's (ASHI) "Virtual Home Inspection Tour" online can give you a sense of what a professional inspector sees, what areas he or she can't see and won't inspect and what the inspector is likely to find and where.

"Most homeowners have neglected their homes and have never done any preventive maintenance. We take better better care of our cars than our biggest investment," said Carmichael.

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A credit freeze isn't a silver bullet that will take out identity theft.

The shotgun approach remains the best weapon to keep ID thieves at bay.

Late last month, first Transunion, then Equifax, bowing to persistent consumer pressure, announced they would offer credit freezes for customers in all 50 states.

With rollouts scheduled for this October, and the hope that Experian follows suit, credit freezes lock, or freeze access to, your credit report and credit score. Without that information, lenders typically will not issue new credit.

When you want to resume credit use, a personal identification number (PIN) or password allows you to unlock access to your account.

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, says 36 states and Washington, D.C. previously enacted credit freeze laws the Union and others promoted.

California has had a credit freeze law since January 1. 2003, Civil Code Section 1785.10-1785.19.5.

There is no fee for identity theft victims who have a police report or Department of Motor Vehicles investigation report. Others pay each credit reporting agency, $10 to place the freeze, temporarily lift or remove the freeze and 12 to temporarily lift the freeze for a specific creditor.

Instructions for using the law are available from California's Office of Privacy Protection.

Credit bureaus' costs and services are likely to be similar.

Consumer advocates generally applaud credit freezes, but caution that a freeze alone won't make you invulnerable to ID theft.

"The credit freeze is only one useful tool in a set available to most consumers to lower the risk of identity theft," said Yan Ross, project manager for the Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE) in San Diego.

Government and private studies reveal ID thieves are more likely to follow a paper trail of discarded or pilfered documents, then to hack into your credit file.

A large percentage of ID theft begins with stealing a wallet, purse, mailbox items and other tangibles offering personal information.

ICFE also says many cases of reported ID theft aren't credit report related, but appear as employment fraud, medical benefit fraud, non-financial criminal usage, and government benefit fraud.

Credit freezes are most useful when used with other anti-ID theft measures, as outlined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which offers a vast Identity Theft Site online.

What's more:

• You can keep tabs on your credit report for free, at least three times a year, once each year (say four months apart) from each of the three credit reporting agencies by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com and asking for your report.

• You also can pay a credit bureau or other service to monitor your credit, but beware of fraud, extra costs, and services promised but not delivered.

• Turn off the paper trail and sign up for online account and billing statements and payments, preferably through a single trusted provider.

• Don't discard a computer without fully wiping or zeroing out all data.

• Filter out and ignore spam, unknown online merchants and fraud-heavy online areas like adult Web sites.

• Use a secure mailbox at home and at work for paper mail. Never place unattended outgoing mail in your home or office mailbox.

• Never give out your Social Security number, driver's license, passwords or other account numbers or private information unless you initiate the call or transaction.

• Know in advance what to do with each account if fraud is detected. Photocopy or scan into your computer images of the contents of your wallet or purse in case of theft.

• Use the federal Do Not Call registry and direct marketing opt-out lists. The Do Not Call registry was created in 2003, but the initial five year protection is about to end unless you re-up.

• Keep contact numbers of the three credit reporting agencies handy and call them to get a free fraud alert placed on your account, to prevent future infractions, should you become a fraud victim.

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Freeland, WA-based Barbara Moran founded a virtual staging company called Virtual Staging, virtually by accident.

Virtual staging typically includes online photos, videos and other marketing images of a home for sale and the text that goes with it.

Not long ago, Moran, by trade, an online content expert and author of "Crafting Multimedia Text: Websites and Presentations" (Prentice Hall, $21.40), was watching a friend browsing for housing.

"My friend would click through various slide shows for listings and if she saw one slide she didn't like, she'd leave the listing entirely. I wondered how many other potential homebuyers made major decisions about contacting a real estate professional based on the quality of the online slide show and its descriptive text," Moran said.

Apparently, quite a few.

"We live in a visual world," says Darrell Menning, an agent with Alain Pinel Realtors in Los Gatos, one of Silicon Valley's first real estate companies to go online in the Internet's early days.

"When competing properties are presented to the public, people will gravitate toward presentations that look engaging," Menning added.

In several focus groups, Moran asked participants to pretend to browse for housing. They repeatedly passed on certain listings, typically moving on because of one bad photo or boring text.

"That's when I thought I might be helpful," said Moran realizing many of the principles she writes about are unknown to most real estate professionals.

Virtual Staging was born to teach real estate agents what she and good Web designers already know: content -- good, eye-catching, revealing content -- remains king.

"I was shocked at how easy it was to find truly bad examples," she said.

The examples are posted on her Web site.

• A gloomy photo of a home's lake view by day, turned brilliant when photographed at sunset.

• A photo of a cluttered kitchen with refrigerator magnets as the focal point, compared to a photo of kitchen, uncluttered, well lighted and inviting.

• A photo that shows nothing but white walls, a closet and a door. Doh!

• Out of focus, too dark and too light photos that are hard on the eyes.

"A professional presentation of photos and text is always a better choice. A professional photographer and writer can provide a much better overall marketing package than a Realtor," said Rob Roham, broker/owner of RE/MAX Advisors in San Jose.

Moran offers agents five free evaluations. She will examine any existing or upcoming listing, email the listing agent an evaluation of the photos and written content, and offer suggestions to punch up the marketing.

Subsequent evaluations are $50 per listing, with discounts for 100 or more evaluations.

She also offers year-long exclusive territorial contracts to give agents, willing to pay the $10,000 fee, a competitive edge. Only one agent in a defined market area is entitled to purchase an exclusive territorial contract.

"All in all, it is an excellent idea, so long as it is cost efficient and the service can be provided quickly to get the property off to a good marketing campaign," said Roham.

But even current clients without territorial contracts say Moran has helped them boost their sales so much they fear giving up their competitive edge in the current soft market. They refused to go on the record because that would give away their location and invite competition.

Moran also offers tips to those engaged in virtual staging.

• Consider security. Keep photos and expensive possessions out of the picture.

• Don't doctor photos. Don't use image editing software to remove cracks from the wall, stains from the rug or kid's drawings on the wall. Fix the problem. Then photograph it. Use image editing to enhance photo quality, not content.

• Don't use verbiage. Don't be vague. Learn to spell. Use a spell checker. Get a writer or an editor. Errors reduce credibility.

• Don't make visitors sign in.

"If visitors see a listing they like, make it easy for them to find you, but let them browse around first without demanding personal information," Moran said.

• Avoid mystery room photos. Online visitors should quickly recognize the living room, bedroom, bath, kitchen or other room.

• Freshen stale photos. If your listing has languished, reshoot before you lower the price. New images and rewritten text may be all you need.

"It's like a photo shoot for the fashion industry," said Menning.

Real estate writer Broderick Perkins, executive editor of San Jose-based DeadlineNews.Com, writes regularly for this newspaper. < /font>

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