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I personally have only built new homes so I have never thought about it, but I would want to know and would probably pass.
With that said my FIL passed away in his condo. After a complete gut we were going to list it and my BIL decided her wanted to buy it so he bought out the other 3 siblings. Worked out great for all of us and he didn't mind at all that his father had passed away there.
We bought a house where the lady had died and they left her room exactly as it was - cosmetics open on the dressing table. A book half way through open face down on the side table. It was kind of eerie. Since they included the furniture from that bedroom in the sale, they just left it exactly as it was the day they carried her out. We had to remove the sheets, put away or get rid of the various personal items. There was a cool silver mirror and hairbrush by the bed, but we had to clean the hair out of the hairbrush and sanitize it. It was admittedly creepy. It did not stop us from buying the house though. In fact, we no longer have the house, but we still have the bed and dressers - and probably the mirror and hairbrush - not sure about that.
My dad passed away a few years ago in his sleep. He died peacefully without any struggle. Not a bad way to go, I'd say. At the time of his death he was in a lot of financial struggle. He was way underwater on his house, so there was no way to pay it off and sell it. It went into foreclosure and I stopped really thinking about it.
A year or so after he died, a friend of my wife was telling her all about the house they found, and how they had seen it twice and were waiting on an inspection. It turns out it was my dad's old house. My wife was thinking she owed it to her friend to tell them that my dad had died in the house. To me it wasn't a huge deal, since it was natural and not a suicide or a murder. I do know a realtor is required to tell you if anyone has died in the house. That is assuming the realtor knows about it, and assuming you ask. They never asked.
They decided to pass on the house right before the inspection process.
What do you guys think? I believe if you're in an older house, there's a decent chance someone has died in the house. In the old days, people wanted to die at home and not in hospitals or nursing homes.
If you were in my shoes, would you tell a friend that someone had died in the house they were interested in, even if it wasn't a family member but you still knew about it?
Sorry about your Dad.
No, I think it is a no brainer that if you buy an old house, someone has likely passed away in it at some point.
I think the only thing a realtor or owner has to disclose is if it is a violent death or unusual circumstances, not a natural death.
Regardless, I think your wife was being simply thinking about her friend....Usually you won't know the person.
But, I live in a 100+ year old house. I'm pretty sure someone may have passed away at some point. But, I have met previous owner, who's grandfather/grandmother owned my house when she stopped at my garage sale a few years ago......She was tickled to share how much laughter and love had been part of living in this house when she was growing up.
LOL....And, she asked if we had found her brother's "magazine" stash in the attic. We hadn't.....
My dad passed away a few years ago in his sleep. He died peacefully without any struggle. Not a bad way to go, I'd say. At the time of his death he was in a lot of financial struggle. He was way underwater on his house, so there was no way to pay it off and sell it. It went into foreclosure and I stopped really thinking about it.
A year or so after he died, a friend of my wife was telling her all about the house they found, and how they had seen it twice and were waiting on an inspection. It turns out it was my dad's old house. My wife was thinking she owed it to her friend to tell them that my dad had died in the house. To me it wasn't a huge deal, since it was natural and not a suicide or a murder. I do know a realtor is required to tell you if anyone has died in the house. That is assuming the realtor knows about it, and assuming you ask. They never asked.
They decided to pass on the house right before the inspection process.
What do you guys think? I believe if you're in an older house, there's a decent chance someone has died in the house. In the old days, people wanted to die at home and not in hospitals or nursing homes.
If you were in my shoes, would you tell a friend that someone had died in the house they were interested in, even if it wasn't a family member but you still knew about it?
Nope not brother me!... In most states I lived, the realtor only needs to disclose if it was murder, suicide or a violent act had occurred, and drugs dealings... Otherwise listing someone who died of natural causes etc, nope don't have to mention it... My sister passed two year ago in her home Calif, due to cancer, it wasn't required but my nieces did tell the new buyers because her neighbors would most likely mention it at some-point, since my sister lived there 10 years was well liked, it was bound come up!
The land I'm building my place on was sold to someone before I got the money together to buy it who put thousands down on it. Then they claimed there were ghosts in the woods there and walked from it. Which allowed me to buy it. I haven't had any issues with it. I know who owned it in the 1800's when it was farmed and know some people died there. Doesn't bother me. I grew up in old houses where people died. I lived next door to a funeral home for several years. No issues. I'd love to buy my great great grandfather's house if I ever strike it rich. Multiple people died there, all relatives of mine. Doesn't bug me at all. Now if violent crime took place somewhere I might have second thoughts if only because depending on the circumstances, more trouble makers might find their way there thinking the previous occupant was still around or I was tied to them. I find that unlikely though. Now I would like to own the last remaining privately held parcel that was part of my great-great-great grandfather's farm, at which my great-great uncle was murdered by a neighbor. I wouldn't want to live there, for many reasons, but the family history is so tied up with the place I'd want to eliminate any chances of future development destroying what little remains of that era there.
My dad passed away a few years ago in his sleep. He died peacefully without any struggle. Not a bad way to go, I'd say. At the time of his death he was in a lot of financial struggle. He was way underwater on his house, so there was no way to pay it off and sell it. It went into foreclosure and I stopped really thinking about it.
A year or so after he died, a friend of my wife was telling her all about the house they found, and how they had seen it twice and were waiting on an inspection. It turns out it was my dad's old house. My wife was thinking she owed it to her friend to tell them that my dad had died in the house. To me it wasn't a huge deal, since it was natural and not a suicide or a murder. I do know a realtor is required to tell you if anyone has died in the house. That is assuming the realtor knows about it, and assuming you ask. They never asked.
They decided to pass on the house right before the inspection process.
What do you guys think? I believe if you're in an older house, there's a decent chance someone has died in the house. In the old days, people wanted to die at home and not in hospitals or nursing homes.
If you were in my shoes, would you tell a friend that someone had died in the house they were interested in, even if it wasn't a family member but you still knew about it?
My answer to the "title question" is NO - absolutely not.
Should you tell a friend that your dad died in that house, if they were looking to buy it? No, not unless asked.
It's funny how differently people think about this subject. Both of my parents died in our family home, naturally, and my sister in the backyard (not so naturally). We did disclose it on the seller forms but it was never an issue. No one commented.
I later slept on the bed my mom died on and it never crossed my mind to think it was weird or anything.
The new owners seem pretty oblivious.
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