How NOT to Buy a Haunted House

It’s Spooky Season, friends! 

Whether or not you believe in the paranormal or spirits that may be lingering around a home, there actually aren’t many (if any at all) protections in place to keep people away from haunted houses. It really IS buyer beware in these cases. If you’re worried about the not-so-friendly spirits, here are things to do to avoid buying a haunted house. 

Know Your Laws

Each state has its own real estate disclosure laws, and sometimes these rules on what sellers have to disclose even changes by city. What might be considered a haunted house is often referred to as a “stigmatized property,” which means a property that might be displeasing to buyers for reasons beyond its physical condition. Since paranormal activity isn’t necessarily something that can be proven, it’s not mandatory to disclose that information. 

Some states don’t even have requirements from crimes committed. For example, New Mexico is a state with no requirements at all for disclosing nonmaterial facts about the home. On the other hand, in California, sellers are required to disclose whether a death has occurred on the property… but only if it occurred in the previous three years. 

It’s important to know the law in your state or city so you know what information you’re owed.  

Talk to Neighbors 

If you’re genuinely curious about what happened in a home, hit the neighborhood streets. Neighbors talk and if there are rumors about your potential new home, they’ll know about it. When you’re out and about exploring the neighborhood, strike up a conversation with any neighbor doing yard work or walking their pets. Not only will this give you facts about haunted houses, but will give you a feel for the neighborhood as a whole. 

Research

When in doubt, turn to trusty ole Google. Seriously! A good old-fashioned search of the address can turn up lots of information. Additionally, if the home you’re interested in happens to be very old, you can do the same thing with digitized newspaper archives. Most local libraries have digitized their old newspapers, making them searchable online. Google and newspapers will be able to tell you if deaths or crimes occurred at the home that you should know about. 

It’s worth noting that the vast majority of buyers aren’t necessarily believers in the paranormal and this is all shared in good humor. But if you want to continue the conversation, check out Realtor.com for more tips and tricks to keep the ghouls at bay.