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Home sellers required to declare hauntings ?

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Kolchak, the Night Stalker
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« on: October 31, 2015, 09:36:37 pm »

Home sellers required to declare hauntings ?
Posted on Friday, 16 October, 2015




Would you buy a house if it was thought to be haunted ? Image Credit: sxc.hu
Some US states may require that sellers disclose the fact that their house has a haunted reputation.
One of the things that must be taken in to account when buying or selling a property is whether or not it holds a "psychologically impacted" status - something that tends to apply if the house was the scene of a murder, a suicide or some other event that might dissuade someone from buying it.

What isn't as well known however is the fact that a haunting can also fall under this same category and that the alleged presence of a ghost can have a negative impact on a property's value.

Despite the fact that many people do not believe in ghosts and that there is no realistic way to definitively prove whether a house is haunted or not, lawyers in some US states have taken the matter seriously enough to have pursued legal cases against sellers purely on this basis.

One infamous example of this occurred in a town north of New York City in 1991 when a woman who sold her house to a couple for $650,000 ended up in court when they later learned of its allegedly haunted status and demanded to be allowed to back out of the sale.

The seller ultimately lost the case on the basis that the house's haunted reputation, regardless of whether it actually was haunted or not, was enough of a factor to negatively affect its value.

So while the whole matter of declaring a haunting is generally seen as a bit of a legal grey area, there have been enough stories of such cases to warrant at least some degree of caution.

   
http://www.examiner.com/article/haunted-house-disclosure-real-estate-ghosts-can-squash-a-home-buying-deal
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Samhein
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« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2015, 09:40:34 pm »

Yes, there are instances where the value of a property which is stigmatized can increase as there are certain people looking to buy a house solely for it's infamous and well-publicized reputation but most of the time it does not. The property actually loose it's market value and become harder to sell.
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Daughter of the Rains
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« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2015, 09:44:00 pm »

Keep in mind ( in the state you posted ) deaths over 3 years old do not have to be reported. Same with most States, if not all I would imagine.
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qxcontinuum
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« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2015, 12:19:10 am »

Most people hearing tarmack level decible house disturbances like we did will naturally check for normal causes first. Just like we did. But when none could be found (how can you explain the sound of a 2x4 dropping on a hard wood floor from 6' with nothing disturbed?), we had to explore other possibilities. Then the evp we got on audio confirmed what we suspected. Though up until that time I was sure it was the guy who had the house before who died. So I kept addressing the ghost as him...which probably angered her even more until I played my guitar for her.
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Daughter of the Rains
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« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2015, 12:20:43 am »

Well, it is a fact that some things do occur more commonly at places that is uncommon at others ~ and if something really bad occurs someplace, chances are certain things are prone to happen at those places. Does not have to have anything to do with the paranormal or ghosts ~ ~
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Kolchak, the Night Stalker
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« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2015, 12:22:41 am »

Then why are there so many articles online explaining to realtors how to sell stigmatized property, including haunted houses? http://www.realtor.org/field-guides/field-guide-to-dealing-with-stigmatized-properties
http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/duty-to-disclose-selling-stigmatized-property.html
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Thanato
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« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2015, 12:24:34 am »

Well if you live in a hot climate I would declare the spooky hang-ups and charge more cash for my house. Just think of all those cold-spots where the spooks do their stuff, no need for fans or air cooling systems.
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Ashotep
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« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2015, 12:27:06 am »

Full Disclosure: What You Need To Tell Buyers About Your Home Another issue that sometimes causes problems is when a home has been a crime scene or if someone died on the property. Sellers may not want to disclose this for fear of stigmatizing the property, but if the buyers find out later they can sue if they believe the property’s history will hurt its resale value. From your link, within the "Full Disclosure:" part, there is no mention about ghosts. I do think that if a house was once a grisly crime committed there, they are required to disclose that.
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Samhein
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« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2015, 12:29:09 am »

 Why are there so many articles saying Bigfoot is real? Look at realestate laws, and talk to realtors.......They do really laugh at this. There is no " is this house haunted " question for them.
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Okane
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« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2015, 12:30:42 am »

There's actually somewhat of a market for haunted bed and breakfasts so maybe it could be a boon for some potential buyers?
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