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I agree with you Tootie the Brave: in theory it should not matter what events occurred in a property. However, this thread has shown that it apparently does matter to many posters/future buyers. I don't know if other states require such a disclosure, as again, in theory a murder/suicide should not financially detract from a property as a flood zone disclosure would for example.
We are in the market for a house right now, and like you mentioned, we are considering new construction. Don't know which would be worse: dealing with builders or "ghosts" potentially "living" in a resale.
Last edited by NCInMyMind; 07-31-2009 at 07:36 AM..
Reason: spelling
I'd have to side with the posters who would walk away... Given that you'll be in it for the long haul, I'd rather not have any "surprises" along the way, if I could have avoided it in the beginning.
If you have 2 equally desirable houses to pick from and one of them disclosed some sort of "event" occurred there, wouldn't you pick the other one? It's all hypothetical, but that's what it comes down to in terms of resale doesn't it?
In CA if the death occurred within 3 years it has to be disclosed. We bought a house from a woman's estate. She had recently passed in the house due to cancer. We purchased it to be a rental and did let the renter know the previous owner died in the house. Apparently, 2 of his young daughters saw "a woman" in their bedroom fairly often and they weren't aware of someone passing in the home. I'd purchase if it were a peaceful passing, but I'd get a weird feeling knowing someone was murdered or committed suicide in a home. I tend to get "feelings" about houses though and something about the master bedroom of our previous house never sat well with me once we moved in.
This isn't the Amityville Horror here people. It's a home, and while I understand some people getting the heebie jeebies over someone offing themselves...while it's tragic, it does not deter from the value of a home IMO. People die...it happens. Does this mean that someone should be more open to purchasing a home is a life was brought into this world under the roof? I would think not so why the opposite?
This isn't the Amityville Horror here people. It's a home, and while I understand some people getting the heebie jeebies over someone offing themselves...
While that may be completely true, it's better that someone else confirms that's the case.
We are in the market for a house right now, and like you mentioned, we are considering new construction. Don't know which would be worse: dealing with builders or "ghosts" potentially "living" in a resale.
When I was a child my parents built a house in CT. The land that our neighborhood was built on had been sold after the original owner died never wanting it to be developed (this was in a very pricey NYC suburb so that was pretty unrealistic). There was also a fatal accident in the neighborhood involving one of the developers--I believe a descendant of John Deere--who died on some sort of a John Deere tractor. Anyway, I was told these two individuals haunted the neighborhood. My point is my parents had to deal with builders and ghosts! BTW, I personally don't worry about ghosts, but I don't think I'd want to buy a home where someone had recently committed suicide or been murdered.
while it's tragic, it does not deter from the value of a home IMO
Except for the fact that it can and (sometimes) does. Don't take my word for it though...do the research on this and look at the sales data on some homes that were sold in which a homicide took place there. Look at what the home sold for vs. the homes in the same area.
Except for the fact that it can and (sometimes) does. Don't take my word for it though...do the research on this and look at the sales data on some homes that were sold in which a homicide took place there. Look at what the home sold for vs. the homes in the same area.
The Peterson house was orignally listed for $1.175 million, but sold for $640,000 in July 2004.
The Peterson house was orignally listed for $1.175 million, but sold for $640,000 in July 2004.
And before it hit the MLS they sold tickets for the public open house for ghoulish people.
Just to reduce the number of lookie-loos from otherwise pestering agents for free peeks.
Last edited by MikeJaquish; 07-31-2009 at 03:08 PM..
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