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When a real estate agent works with a prospective home buyer, they are required to point out the physical or material defects of the property.
A death on the property? It depends on the state in which the home is located. In most states, death does not count as a material defect requiring disclosure.
Some houses are considered “stigmatized properties,” or homes that have been “psychologically affected by a past or suspicious event at the property, but no physical impact,” according to the National Association of Realtors.
Stigmatizing events include murder, suicide, alleged hauntings or a notorious previous owner, NAR noted.
Different people interact with stigmatized properties in different ways.
Harrison Beach
real estate agent and managing partner at Coalition Properties Group in Washington, DC
Which states require disclosure of death
Listing agents will have different requirements by state about what they must disclose to a buyer. Most states have no death disclosure requirements.
Among those that do, the rules may be clear and expressly require that there be a previous death disclosed to home buyers. Even these rules may only apply to recent deaths or more stigmatizing events such as murder.
In Californiafor example, a seller must disclose if anyone has died in the home in the past three years.
Meanwhile, in Alaskathe listing agent must advise if any known murders or suicides have occurred in the last year. South Dakota requires sellers to disclose deaths in the past 12 months.
Regulations will depend on said stigma. In New York, a seller does not have to disclose whether the home was the scene of a death or crime. But if a seller has made claims for paranormal activity home, they must inform the buyer of alleged ghosts on the property, experts say.
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Often, it’s up to home buyers to ask the agent directly about the property’s history. States like Georgia do do not require estate agents or sellers to disclose in advance whether the home was the place of death. But they must be honest if a prospective buyer asks.
Aside from the disclosure laws in a particular state, listing agents have a fiduciary responsibility to sellers, said Harrison Beacher, a real estate agent and managing partner at Coalition Properties Group in Washington, DC.
“If someone asks me about it, I can point them to empirical resources to get answers, but I have no requirement to go into detail,” Beacher said.
Here’s what homebuyers need to know about properties scarred by murder, suicide, alleged hauntings or infamous previous owners, and how to find out more about the home’s history.
Who buys blighted properties?
Blighted homes can be a “turn-off” for homebuyers who believe in ghosts or spirits, said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, an online real estate brokerage.
“Some people are horrified,” Fairweather said, while others may “seek out these houses.”
Nearly three-quarters, 72% of potential homebuyers said they would buy a “haunted” home for less, according to new report from Real Estate Witch, a data site owned by Clever Real Estate. The site polled 1,000 US adults in September to find out their views on buying and selling supposedly haunted houses.
Some buyers don’t care what happens to a blighted property “if it can get them a discount,” Beacher said.
About 43% of Americans surveyed said they would offer at least $50,000 below market value on a haunted house, according to the Real Estate Witch report.
In 2021, the LaBianca mansion, the home where Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered by Charles Manson’s followers in 1969, was sold for $1.875 million. The previous owner, Zak Bagans, a paranormal investigator, initially he put the house on the market for $2.2 million, but later dropped the price to $1.9 million.
“Different people interact with stigmatized properties in different ways,” Beacher said.
In 2023, about 67% of would-be buyers said they would buy a supposedly haunted house if it met their desires, such as having attractive features, the right location, or a more affordable price; according to on Zillow.
But buyers should know that “every property has a story,” said Connie Vavra, managing broker for RE/MAX, a real estate franchise, in Elgin, Illinois.
“We can’t erase the history that’s been made there… That doesn’t mean you can’t have good energy in there and have [a] good living experience in this house.”
How to learn the history of a house
If you have questions or concerns about a property’s history, the first thing you should do is ask the real estate agent. In some states, real estate agents must provide truthful information upon a buyer’s request or, at the very least, point you in the right direction to find out.
Here are two ways to check, experts say:
1. Talk to neighbors and officials
Watch out for the property’s neighbors, experts say. In addition to the real estate agent, neighbors can give you first-hand experience of the area, as well as information about previous homeowners.
You can also call the county administrator where the property is located, said Theresa Payton, a former White House intelligence chief who is now CEO of the cybersecurity firm Fortalice Solution.
Ask the county manager’s office about the property you’re looking at and if there are any criminal records associated with it, he said.
2. Follow the paper trail
A web search can find details. If police respond to any activity at the home, the incident will likely be reported in the newspaper and be a public record, Payton said.
You can do an advanced search online through newspaper headlines and police reports because “all that information is free,” he said.