Criminal History of Home? (bedroom, cold, better, buy)

[maja]

We are moving across the country to a state where we have no friends/family. Is there a way to check to see if the home we are looking to buy has any kind of past activity that might later make us feel uncomfortable in it. Also, we have done a sexual predator check but should we be checking out other types of potential criminal activity in the neighborhood and if so, how does one do that? Although, as I type this, I'm thinking that maybe I have a bit too much time on my hands today as the area we are moving to is such a nice/safe area! Oh well...any ideas???

[KonaKat]

Are you buying or renting?

Many municipalities have a "crime statistics map" usually on the local police or sheriff's website. Google around a bit and see what you can come up with.

As the tenant, or the buyer (aside from the lawful disclosure laws) it is your responsibility to investigate the area and decide if that's the place for you.

It might help if you told us the area to which you are moving.

[Ummm]

we called the local police dept/sheriff (forgot who exactly) and they were able to look into past records and tell us if we gave them an address, and also other criminal activities within a 3 block radius.

[bellalunatic]

Everyone has already given you suggestions that are very helpful, I'm sure, but you didn't mention what state you were moving to, so I just wanted to mention this to you.
There is a weird distinction in California for disclosures on a property... for instance, we have some friends who purchased a house where a nationally covered kidnapping had happened. They had no idea until after moving in and a neighbor asked them how they felt about having their kids in that house. The sellers agent never told them of this, despicable? yes, illegal? technically, no. Apparently since the child was not murdered in the home, it was not legally required to be disclosed...how f**ked up is that?

[snobdrblinkchik]

Originally Posted by bellalunatic

Everyone has already given you suggestions that are very helpful, I'm sure, but you didn't mention what state you were moving to, so I just wanted to mention this to you.
There is a weird distinction in California for disclosures on a property... for instance, we have some friends who purchased a house where a nationally covered kidnapping had happened. They had no idea until after moving in and a neighbor asked them how they felt about having their kids in that house. The sellers agent never told them of this, despicable? yes, illegal? technically, no. Apparently since the child was not murdered in the home, it was not legally required to be disclosed...how f**ked up is that?

When my parents were buying a home in NorCal the realtor told them that they had to tell a potential buyer if a death occured in the house, but that realtors never tell without being asked first. I though that was particularly interesting.

The part about the kidnapping- i don't think that's really important. i mean, what are the chances that another kidnapping would happen in the same house??with deaths/murders i'd be scared of the ghosts and yes i do believe in them...lol

[ShaneSA]

I recently sold a house and had to mark on the seller's disclosure if the house had ever had any meth activity. That's a new one to me. At least it's catching up. Meth can be deadly in a house with the after affects.
As for a death, you only have to disclose if there had been an unnatural death. So, granny could have died in the bedroom and you would not have to tell. So much for ghosts. Better hope granny was happy when she died.

[teachertype]

As long as they disposed of the body before closing, it's no problem.

[Coldjensens]

A home cannot have a criminal history. Homes do not commit crimes. Only people can commit crimes. Once they are caught, they are rmeoved fromt he home, so it does nto matter.

[Cisco GT]

I bought a remodeled home a few years back... I didn't find out until much later that it was empty for nearly 2 years & being used as a flop/crack house for some of the less than desirable locals (pre-remodel).

We never would have guessed this because it was in a nice area. The previous owners checked out fine... I didn't learn about the house's negative history until a year later when a neighbor told me about it.

[maja]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

A home cannot have a criminal history. Homes do not commit crimes. Only people can commit crimes. Once they are caught, they are rmeoved fromt he home, so it does nto matter.

Yeah. Maybe in most cases. But a few years ago we were looking at homes and then found a news story on one of the houses that told how it was home to a father who murdered his five year old daughters and then himself in the house. THAT one would bother me, not to mention my own daughters if we had bought that house and they had later learned about it.