Haunted Houses (Atlanta, Buckhead: foreclosure, felony, buying a home)

[ajax general]

I stayed at a friends 90 someting year old house in Cabbagetown a few months ago. My wife loves the old homes in that area, as well as Candler Park, Little 5 Points, etc.
Well, they say to be more afraid of the living than the dead? I say, if I can't kill it I'll go ahead and be afraid of it. At my friends house I kept hearing my name called with nobody home, seeing shadows pop in and out from doorways, and waking up in the middle of the night to see a shadowy figure in the bedroom only to have it disappear after refocusing.
As nice as these old homes are, man oh man, will I never buy one!
I understand this can happen anywhere, even new homes, but I'm am just a plain old punk when it comes to that stuff...creeps me out.
For most people, I would imagine that this kind of thing makes the homes more attractive...especially to the more bohemian buyers.

Anyone in these old neighborhoods experienced/experiencing anything similar?

BTW: I am not an urban kind of person, but to those interested in that setting, Cabbagetown must be undergoing quite a facelift as it's starting to look pretty nice...since last I was there.

[atlantagreg30127]

Ok, laugh if you want, but we have a ghost in my house. But she's an old lady who used to live here and loved it, and comes back to visit sometimes. I know her granddaughter who showed me her pic, and yep, it's her. Except for the fact she liked to smoke and apparently can still light one up in the afterlife (and we smell cigs in the house when she does), she's otherwise ok. My three dogs wag their tail and "follow" her as she walks around, and other than an occasional door closing or light getting turned on, there is nothing "bad" about her - the dogs keep wagging tails, so, she must be fine. Never felt anything bad or creepy when she's around - more like "grandma coming to visit" type of feelings.

The whole "hearing my name" , seeing shadows, and seeing a shadowy figure standing in a bedroom while you're sleeping that YOU have? Hell no - that's messed up. I'd have a priest in there waving holy water around in a New York second, and to back him up maybe a Cherokee Indian shaman or two.

There are a lot of haunted homes along the Peachtree Battle area in Atlanta, too. Beautiful older homes (cost $$ now) but some of them are seriously creepy. A friend of mine once house sat one and I went over there and he asked me to go into a particular bedroom to see what I could "feel" (not giving me any info) since my family is usually sensitive to junk like this. I went in and felt "fear". It got 20 degrees colder instantly even with the heat on. Just a very uncomfortable feeling that sunk deep inside you. I lasted about 15 seconds before I got out of there. He told me later that this was one of the few homes that was around during the Civil War and it had been used as a makeshift hospital to tend to those wounded in the local battle - especially that bedroom.

Oh, sure, I want one of THOSE homes - NOT.

I'm fine with my granny ghost. But the dead soldiers and shadow people? Nope. Not for me.

P.S. I think it's an actual law now that if you ASK if someone has died in the home in any way and a realtor knows the info, they have to tell you. Of course, they won't know about 80+ year old events, but at least if you're trying to avoid recent tragic events that may have taken place in a home, they have to disclose it.

[bonnie23]

I used to live in Cabbagetown in a very old home, but never had anything like that happen. We saw and heard a lot of weird stuff, but it was all from the living!

I had a friend years ago who lived in an old home in Buckhead (I don't think the Peachtree Battle area, but close to it). He swore there was a ghost in his house, but I never experienced anything.

[ajax general]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

I'm fine with my granny ghost. But the dead soldiers and shadow people? Nope. Not for me.

P.S. I think it's an actual law now that if you ASK if someone has died in the home in any way and a realtor knows the info, they have to tell you. Of course, they won't know about 80+ year old events, but at least if you're trying to avoid recent tragic events that may have taken place in a home, they have to disclose it.

I ain't laughin' brother!

I think you're right. The disclosure law is called something like "psychologically affected properties", or properties where a violent felony, murder, or death has occurred. But I think the buyer has to ask and the seller doesn't have to disclose it voluntarily.
I would be kind of embarassed to ask the realtor about it, but from the realtors I have talked to...all of them see it as a normal question, and some of them are sensitive and have had experiences of their own in the many homes they are in each day.
This is why I don't like buying a home from a divorce, or as tempting as it might be, from a foreclosure. I think this always leaves a lingering negative energy that can bring on or attract any dormant negative energy. I know I must sound like a kook! But hearing your name being called is not so creepy. It's when you answer back and no one is there that the goosebumps hit.
There is a neighborhood in Chattanooga called St. Elmo. 19th century homes built after the War of Northern Aggression , purportedley on mass graves of Union soldiers who rushed up Lookout Mtn only to be cut down by entrenched Confederate troops. Locals say the entire neighbohood is haunted, and the city has been paying folks to buy and renovate those old houses, but people don't seem to last very long. I've been there and it's pretty! Pretty darn creepy, that is. Gettysburg (Pickett's charge) is another place that gives me the creeps...to the point where I feel overwhelming sadness and my eyes well up with tears.

I think your benevolent Granny might actually be protecting you and your home from any bad ghoulies coming in. People that have good ghosts never seem to get bad ones...and visa versa.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by ajax general

I think your benevolent Granny might actually be protecting you and your home from any bad ghoulies coming in. People that have good ghosts never seem to get bad ones...and visa versa.

Who knows? I mean, the dogs like her, so that's all I need to know that she's ok. If you like dogs (whether you're alive or dead) then you're ok in my book. I just hope she's not watching when I shower. ick.

[netdragon]

I'm not scared of ghosts and the age of the home doesn't really matter. For instance, I lived in an 1870s home for a while in NY state that didn't have a ghost. You can always get rid of sentient ghosts (poltergeists) by letting them know they are no longer human and that their pain and confusion will go away when they let go of whatever is holding them here. The non-sentient energy signatures or patterns are going to repeat their patterns until it weakens (like side-band radio interference). People who can see them also sometimes mistake non-corporeal free spirits that aren't stuck here but just passing through as ghosts, but they aren't.

There aren't such things as bad ghosts or good ghosts. Generally, the "bad" ghosts or "demons" are just reacting to the energy around them. If you or others in the area give off fear and anger, and they don't have the ability to block it, then they absorb/feed on and project that energy. Ignore them, and don't give them energy, and they can't harm you. Feed them with fear and anger, and they can become harmful, but easily shut off once you stop feeding them.

[plessthanpointohfive]

I feel cheated.

When I bought my house my tenant upstairs was dating a woman who claimed she was sensitive...and that there was a female ghost who was not happy centered in the office (where I am now typing this). Our office is a room connected to our bedroom, a sort of antechamber. But, it's been one year already and I haven't seen or heard or felt a thing!

This ghost was supposed to wake me up every morning around 2am. My tenant and her girlfriend couldn't tell me WHAT it was the ghost did to wake everyone up because they said it was one of those things that are fuzzy because you're not quite awake.

Can I tell how many times I woke up at that time to see what was going to happen?

Sheesh!

Anyone know where I can find a nice ghost for my house???

[CreditWitch]

If you want someone to come in and investigate the houses you can call Patrick Burns. He is with the Ghosthounds. Just google Ghosthounds. Good bunch of people. In Savanah it is law you have to disclose if a house is haunted or not or ou could get sued. If someone does get sued for not disclosing andyou go to trial you need an expert to testify if the house is haunted or not. NOT making this up. Their resident expert is Muray Silver. He also works witht he Dali Lama.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

When I bought my house my tenant upstairs was dating a woman who claimed she was sensitive...and that there was a female ghost who was not happy centered in the office (where I am now typing this). Our office is a room connected to our bedroom, a sort of antechamber. But, it's been one year already and I haven't seen or heard or felt a thing!

This ghost was supposed to wake me up every morning around 2am. My tenant and her girlfriend couldn't tell me WHAT it was the ghost did to wake everyone up because they said it was one of those things that are fuzzy because you're not quite awake.

Can I tell how many times I woke up at that time to see what was going to happen?

Sheesh!

Anyone know where I can find a nice ghost for my house???

I'm guessing that "ghost" was somehow connected to the girl that said she was sensitive - maybe someone she knew? Relative? It probably followed her to wherever she went. LOL

Obviously I keep an open mind about all fo this stuff since I have granny ghost in my house and see "real" examples of this stuff all the time, but I also don't forget that fact that some experiences by some folks are Vodka induced, too.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Vodka induced ghosts, or VIGs, are wonderful for enticing one's creative self to come out and play...

Apparently, my tenant's girlfriend (actually, they are ex now), could feel this ghost through the floor since it was centered on the first floor and they were up on the second.

While I have not yet encountered a ghost in my old house I have seen a different kind of ghost - things I dig up in my yard from tenants past - tin jewelry, stepping stones, old clay pipes, and lots of glass from when the meth addict lived here and threw all his equipment out the back door in a rage. We may never be able to walk in bare feet....