Haunted House: Spooked Or Sold?

 

HAUNTED HOUSE: SPOOKED OR SOLD?

WOULD YOU BUY A HAUNTED HOUSE?

With housing inventory still tight, have you wondered how people feel about buying and living in a haunted house? Would you be spooked or sold? According to surveys by Clever Real Estate:

• Just 7% of Americans say ghosts are the scariest part of owning a home.
• 56% of Americans have a greater fear of unexpected costs, while 44% fear high interest rates, and 43% fear bad neighbors. 95% of Americans are more afraid of home repair problems, such as mold (80%), foundation issues (74%), and termites (73%).
• Approximately 72% of respondents said they would be open to buying a haunted house if the “price was right (i.e. lower).”
• Some 35% said they would purchase a haunted house if that entailed a move to a better/safer neighborhood.
• 32% said they would consider purchasing a haunted home if it had extra square footage.
• 29% said they’d purchase a haunted home if it had more bedrooms.
• 48% would rather purchase a haunted house than live within one mile of a waste management facility.
• Americans would rather live with ghosts (especially friendly ones) than near the the scene of a violent crime (47%); a former meth lab(45%); or within one mile of a prison (44%).
• 1 in 9 Americans (11%) knew the home was bewitched before they moved in and still chose to live there. However, 58% of Americans who have lived in a haunted house would not purchase another house they knew was haunted. 46% of Americans who have not lived in a haunted house would not purchase one under any circumstances.
  

 

A Zillow survey  showed that:

• 40% of  buyers would buy a haunted house if it had the right features they wanted.
• Some 32% buyers would buy a haunted house if it was in the right neighborhood.
• 70% of buyers would buy a haunted house if it checked everything on their list of “must haves.”
• Nearly 30% of prospective buyers say they would be more likely to purchase a home if it were haunted.
• 12% of homeowners are convinced their home is haunted.

 

 

SPOOKED OR SOLD? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BUYING A HAUNTED HOUSE:

Whatever your personal feelings about buying and living in a haunted house:

• Buying or selling a haunted house can turn into a legal and financial mess. In some areas, sellers are legally obligated to tell potential buyers if a home is said to be haunted, whether they ask or not. In other areas this is not a material or a required disclosure, so you really need to know the rules in your area. In North Carolina, there is no requirement for a home seller to disclose information about ghosts. In South Carolina disclosure is required only if asked by the buyer. For a state-by-state list of what different states require in terms of disclosures about paranormal activities in a home, click here.
• Houses with a reputation for being haunted see lower value and can be difficult, if not almost impossible to sell. According to lowermybill.com, a haunted house can see its value reduced by as much as 17%.

 

 

NINA HOLLANDER CAN MAKE YOUR HOME SEARCH OR SALE TERRIFYINGLY EASY AND STRESS FREE!

No reason to be spooked if you’ve been thinking about buying or selling a Greater Charlotte area home (haunted or not) during the 2024 Halloween season. Nina Hollander with Coldwell Banker can promise you a  terrifyingly easy and stress free home search and/or sale process, just as I’ve been doing for Greater Charlotte region home buyers and sellers since 1999.

 

 

 

 

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