With Halloween right around the corner we see lots of stuff popping up about haunted houses. Woooo, scary right? Well only if you believe in those sort of supernatural things.
What’s the deal with selling or buying a haunted house you ask?
Religious or spiritual beliefs such as the belief in ghosts are subjective; meaning that everyone has a different opinion based on their past. It can’t truly be stated or disclosed that a home has otherworldly occupants, or can it? No, a haunted house does not have to be disclosed as such. If the seller and their agent believe in such things and are asked about it directly, they should tell the truth based on the information that they know and have. For instance, if the current owner is leaving because of supernatural activity in a home and the Real Estate Agent knows this to be the case, and the buyer asks if there are any active spirits in the house, the sellers agent should tell the buyer and their agent the truth about information they have. But it does not need to be brought up unless directly asked about it.
What is a stigmatized property? Unlike buying a haunted house, a stigmatized property is a home which a buyer may not want to purchase because of reasons unrelated to its physical condition or features.
A stigmatized property could have been involved in a gruesome murder, a heartbreaking suicide, a deadly accident or the previous home of some unsavory character.
So what’s the bottom line: In the State Of Massachusetts if it is not a material defect the seller does not need to disclose. Of course we would all love for our buyers and sellers to be happy with their purchase and the sale – so it would be a nice gesture of the home owner to let the buyer know of any things that might otherwise have sent the buyer running and screaming from the house.
If the idea of living in a haunted or stigmatized house is a turn off to a home buyer- they should ask the question outright and do research on their own before making an offer on a property. Because once you end up buying a haunted house and close on the property, there will be NO RETURN. Wahahahaha!
Are you a first time home buyer and looking to find out how to start this process? Here is our guide to buying a home.
Are you thinking about buying a new home? Here are a few you might like…….be warned though……who knows what might be lurking in those closets!