Would you buy a house someone died in? Are you facing this question? Let’s look at this and help you get to an answer you feel comfortable with.
Man, this morning’s radio shows were off the hook! There were TWO really interesting convos going on at different stations so I’m gonna post one up today, and then the other in a few days ;)
Today’s question is brought to you by sir Elliot In The Morning – the king of talk here in DC. And the crazy who WOULD live in a house where someone passed away! Even if they were outright murdered! That guy’s got balls. And dreams of steel too – I couldn’t do it. *Maybe* if the previous occupants died of old age, it wouldn’t be as scary, but even then it gives me the heebie jeebies.
But what if you could get a house at a bargain?! Say, instead of $250k you can pick up a jaded house at $200k? Or $150k? Would the price eventually win you over?
Would You Buy a House Someone Died In? Let’s Look at This From All Angles
I think there are a lot of variables to consider when asking the question, “would you buy a house someone died in.” Here are the biggies that come to mind:
Are you afraid of ghosts?
This has to be number one when looking at this question about would you buy a house someone died in? Or a better question, do you BELIEVE in ghosts?
Cuz if not, then you wouldn’t be haunted or creeped out every time something creeks in the middle of the night ;) I get freaked out pretty easily so it’s an automatic sleep depriver for me. That, and I happen to believe in ghosts because I’ve actually SEEN one with my very own two eyes. You probably don’t believe me, and that’s okay – no one does until the day they come across one themselves – but when you experience something like that it tends to open up a world of possibilities. Remember how I used to live on an old Civil War campground? Well, we believe he had something to do with that. I did dig up a lot of artifacts after all :) It was a kid-ghost too, so I like to think he was just coming to find his belt buckle, haha…and on the plus side, I now believe in “nice” spirits! (we can talk about this later if anyone’s interested. I can go on and on.)
Do you believe in bad luck?
If someone died in that house right before you, do you think YOU could be next? Elliot got on this whole kick to begin with ‘cuz a beloved principal person who had moved into a house like this here in Silver Spring, MD recently died in the same house too! Police were saying it’s the first time in like 30+ years this has happened. There didn’t seem to be any connection to the deaths, but you gotta admit it’s pretty strange. On one hand you can argue that if someone died in there once, the odds it would happen again are slim to none so you should be golden! But on the other hand, if it’s a super un-lucky house, then maybe it attracts such occurrences? And we’re talkin’ about middle-class neighborhoods here, not the projects. Which brings us to the next variable.
Where is this place located?
When the call lines were opened, a number of people called in to share their own experiences in relation to the question would you buy a house someone died in. One in particular said that he was checkin’ out a place in a not-so-nice area that was a HUGE bargain (like, $50k I wanna say. Which, in the DC/MD/VA area is incredibly cheap). It was a foreclosure and pretty much boarded up. But here’s the nasty part, when he opened up one of the closets a body fell out! A BODY!!! Needless to say he didn’t buy it, but my word. The next caller said that was fairly common in the lower class areas because it was a perfect place for drug dealers to drop those who crossed them or couldn’t pay up. (Am I freakin’ you out yet?) My point though is that location matters. If we’re talkin’ about an area where crime is high these deaths may not phase you. If it happens right down the road from your million dollar estate though, you’re gonna be thrown. At least for a second.
What is the PRICE?
I tend to think that everyone has a price tag for *something*. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, but usually when it drastically swings one way or the other people seem to cross that border more ;) I can tell you to your face I wouldn’t spend $500k on a haunted mansion, but if you hit me with $50,000 it’s going to be much much harder to turn down – not taking “flipping” into consideration, of course. I’d take that transaction in a heart beat! But if I had to LIVE there? Toughie.
But that brings up another question…if real estate is an investment and thus a business transaction, you’re supposed to keep the emotions out of it right? Based on price alone it would be stupid NOT to pick it up. So it would also depend on why, exactly, you’re looking to buy. You might not want to live in it, but as a rental property it may be worth it (which brings up yet another question – do you TELL prospects about the history?)
How’d they die?
We already touched on this a little, but I think this goes up there along with price in the top 2 variables of consideration. If someone died accidentally, or of old age, I’d imagine that changes your views. But if they were shot/committed suicide/anything else equally as horrible, it may be enough to scare you away for good. Another interesting question Elliot brought up was if the home owner did die, but he/she did so out of town – say, like on a vacation or something. So basically it didn’t happen AT the house. Does that change things? Cuz if we’re takin’ it to that level pretty much every house would fall into this category, yes?
Final Thoughts
Okay, I’m gonna stop there :) This very well may be my most morbid post yet! And it scares me that I can keep on talking about this as if it were anything else. Haha…guess I’m just fascinated by this one. So help feed my intrigue by telling me what YOU think! Would you buy a house someone died in? Or are you much more mature than I am? I want stories.
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(Creepy photo by GenBug)
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I would definitely buy a house that someone died in. With some houses being around for decades or even hundreds of years – there’s a very high chance that someone has died in a house.
As long as there wasn’t blood stains on the wood floors, I’d buy it, and probably wouldn’t think twice about it.
I think it depends. If someone was murdered in the house, I don’t think I’d want to be the next owner. If it was years / decades ago, maybe the stigma would have worn off. If someone died of natural causes, I don’t think that’s a big deal. First, I’d say it happens more often than you probably think. Second, the person died in the place where they’re most likely the most comfortable and have happy memories, so I don’t see the ‘haunting’ as any sort of an issue. My grandmother passed away in her condo and I had no issues moving in a couple of months later to save money while her estate was settled.
I guess the better way to think about this is to realize that people die every day and all over the place. Would you refuse to shop in a place where someone died? Well, chances are someone has died at the mall where you shop at some point. Would you refuse to be treated in a hospital room where someone passed away or to be operated on in an OR where someone died? If that’s the case, then sit down, because I have really bad news for you.
I guess what I’m saying is that in most cases, I don’t think it’s a big deal at all. Death is a part of life.
A teen died in the house we bought, but it was from cancer. Although very sad, I would have a much harder time if someone went all Charles Manson in a house.
I would run as fast as I could if a body dropped out of a closet on me. You could never chase that memory away as long as you lived there. Well, I guess that memory would linger no matter what, but every time I got sheets out of that closet, I would think of the dead person draped in a sheet, or whatever. No amount of money is worth that to me.
Is the body still there? If it is, I’ll pass. Other than that, it’s not a big deal.
Depending on how old your house is, chances are someone has died in it. My grandpa died in his bed, but we certainly aren’t going to advertise the fact when we sell the house. I would guess most houses have had someone die in them. =)
We bought 100 year old home in the historic district at a great price. It was boarded up foreclosure and the crime tape stickers on the windows were a sign the house had some recent history. We quickly learned from neighbors that an elderly homeless woman had been found dead in the closet. She had apparently been dead for several weeks when they found her. So far, we have only been hunted by a funky odor from the closet when the humidity is high. We have tried bleach and all kinds of things to clean the closet, but the odor keeps returning. So if anyone as advice on removing dead body odor from a closet we would welcome that. Otherwise we love the neighborhood and the house.
I saw on a home improvement show that they used the must heavy duty primer that they could find. Animals had been living in the walls and were found dead everywhere. That is what worked to get the smell of death and pee out of the house. When the house was finished it didn’t smell anymore.
freaky! better than human bodies everywhere though (*shiver*)
Oh, also, I had a neighbor that committed suicide in his bathroom. Someone bought the house, fixed it up, and sold it to someone who probably had no clue what happened. So you never know what crazy things have happened in your house before you owned it.
I don’t think it matters especially if its a great bargain. You can always rip up the carpet, paint it new, and everything else to make it brand new.
If I knew about it, I would probably stay clear. Then again, if I didn’t know about it, bought the house, and then someone told me about a horrible murder that happened there AFTER I bought it, then I might be freaked out and run far, far away. Maybe we need to google addresses before we move to them…just to be on the safe side.
Also, is there anything wrong with buying the house for the property and tearing it down to start over?? :)
Yeah, if I know about it, the answer is probably no. The bedroom I grew up in was haunted. Not in a bad way, a nice ghost, as you put it… one of the previous owners had a daughter with Leukemia, and they brought her home from the hospital and she died at home. Guess which bedroom was hers? I don’t recall ever seeing her, but apparently when I was really young, we played together. And somehow I ended up with a barrette that had a rusty clasp and I told my mom that the “little girl who lives in my room” gave it to me.
Jenn – my sister is the same. very sensitive to spirits (without making her sound wacked). She lived for awhile in a house here in town. Said there was a spirit there. She described him and something triggered in my memories. I got my jr high yearbook out and flipped it open. There were 2 classes of 25 kids each showing. I said “do you see him?” She scanned and immediately pointed to one picture. He had lived in her house while growing up and at 16 worked at a flagman with the highway crews. A truck didn’t slow down, hit him and killed him. Eerie.
To answer J- probably not. I just don’t think I could.
I’d rather not “know” that someone died in the house, so that I would not be obligated to disclose this fact when selling the house. Assuming I would be thus obliged . . .
I don’t think that you have to disclose that someone died in the house unless a crime was committed there. And even if I was a realtor I would probably have people mention if there was a suicide – but I think the other poster was right and I bet the old age deaths, or from sickness, are actually quite common.
I can’t think of a better post for me to break back into blogging with!! I’ve been out of commission with overtime, but I can’t NOT post on this one.
1) GHOSTS ARE FREAKING SCARY!!!! And yes PLEASE email me details on what happened. I’m totally obsessed and terrified of the topic.
2) Have you ever seen Paranormal Activity. Yeah…that answers the could I ever do it question pretty easily.
3) BUT again, I’m a big believer in saving money and trying to be logical. SO…who really knows if I would or wouldn’t do it. Everyone has a price right?
Don’t most sick people die at home? For instance if they have a terminal illness and don’t go to hospice? As long as the person wasn’t murdered in the home, then I don’t see what the problem is.
My mother and I are also VERY sensitive to ghosts and I have once lived in a home where ghosts were present…and they were not “nice ghosts” either.
I would be really, really nervous about living in a houst someone had died in but I think I maybe *could* do it…after some intense holy water and prayer have gone on in EVERY.SINGLE. nook and cranny of that place.
I wouldn’t buy or live in a house for free, that had a bad history or was cursed. As far as someone dying in the home, it would depend on the way the death occurred. Sometimes one does not know the history of the house, though. As far as ordinary, natural death, we are all “next”. We just don’t know when.
We bought a 150-year old house. There are some electric malfunctions in the house now and then like a light getting turned on in the middle of the night when everybody is sound asleep. I don’t know if it is a ghost or not, but if it is a ghost we are pretty convinced that it is a friendly ghost, maybe a child ghost who plays a prank now and then. — I am pretty sure that more than one person has died in our house. But what is the problem with that? Is it not a great privilege to die in your own home in the midst of your family and familiar surroundings?
another good question before making the decision would be how long after they died in the house and before they were found dead in the house? if there’s like permanent flesh decay stench soaked into the walls i’m not interested
I also saw a ghost! and I am not crazy! He was a nice ghost, though. He just did walk-throughs of his old house now and then.
I think that things you wouldn’t want to know about have happened in the majority of houses. Abuse, trauma, death, etc. I don’t particularly want to know about it, so I don’t seek that info.
If I knew someone died in the house…this is going to sound really weird….I would need to get a read on the presence, if any, still in the house.
I’m pretty good at knowing if someplace is haunted, and if it’s a ghost you want to be around or not…
repeat. i am not crazy.
Hey my name is doug. I have a problem. My 8 month pregnant girl friend and I are moving into a house with a friend of ours bit the problem is there was a family of four murder with a hammer ther. I don’t know what to do.
Nobody wants to die in a hospital. Why, then, would the idea of someone having died at home creep out a potential buyer? Hmmm.
My mom died at home. I would totally buy her house except that (a) it’s not for sale because my stepdad still lives there and (b) I don’t want to live in a gated Florida community.
I’m not saying that I don’t believe in ghosts, and I can understand being unsettled by a home with a violent past. But burn some sage or hire an exorcist or something.
I guess I *am* more mature than you, J$. Then again, who isn’t? ;-)
I want to know about your ghost experience!!!!
I lived in a haunted apartment for 2 years in college. Once I figured out they were there it didn’t take me long to figure out they were nice enough. And seemed to be from probably a hundred years or more ago, so they can stick around. I’m pretty sure I could live with ghosts again.
Buy it and rent it is my vote. Best of both worlds!
My imagination tends to run away with me, esp. at night. The night I watched The Exorcist was the worst night of my life (along with many nights afterward)…and I was 19!
i strongly believe in what happens after death, and i believe spirts do rome their houses when they die. my father in law recently passed away. 4 days ago. and before he had died i found a home for his two dogs, well the day he died, that evening my friend said no wonder the dogs could not sleep. and my niece saw her grandpa standing there looking at her lying in his bed. i have seen ghosts and yes it spooked me out and then it was gone. it has freaked me out about seeing ghosts, but they are not there to hurt me they are there to see me one last time and make sure all is well. i have lived in houses where ghosts live and its really not that bad a little fready but nothing serious to be concerned about, i would rather not know what happened at a house before.
Honestly, every plot of land in the US has seen blood in my opinion so regardless of if the HOUSE actually was occupied by a dead body anytime during it’s history, you are probably living in a house or the cursed spot that someone died in.
Taking that into account, Iwould have no problem buying and living in a house that someone died in or even was murdered in. My wife on the other hand..
GREAT great stories everyone, I love it!! I could seriously read and talk about ghosts all day long :) Reminds me of this ghost tour we took last year actually, so interesting!!! I still wouldn’t live in one if I could help it, but it fascinates the pants off of me (don’t look).
I’ll agree that many people have died in their home and that down the line I’d like to do the same myself. I guess I just don’t WANT TO KNOW if that happens – unless, like, it was my best friend for loved one. That actually might be kinda cool. Having your relatives around watching out for you and stuff? I guess I’d like that :) it’s really the murder/suicide crazy events I can’t take. I’d never fall asleep, and I’d feel wrong not telling future renters/buyers about the history of it (whether I have to legally or not).
Okay, since some of you have asked, here’s my ghost story :) Actually, kinda a few stories…
As I mentioned, we used to live on an old Civil War campground. We only lived there for a few years, but I can recall a few different times strange stuff was going on. Sometimes glasses would randomly fall out of cabinets and onto the floor, and others my friends and I would see someone walking through the woods (in full military suits circa the 1800s or whenever) but then they’d just walk into disappear-land. I $hit you not. One time I saw this old man walk UP my driveway – only 50 feet away from me or so – and as soon as I walked out the door to greet him (a full 5 seconds from the window to my front door) he was gone. It was physically impossible for him to have gone anywhere within that time frame – esp since our driveway was like 100 feet long. Just in case though I circled our house, and then our neighbors, and then screamed out to see if anyone was there. Nothing. But this wasn’t the freakiest sighting, although it did happen within weeks of it.
The major time I saw a ghost was when my sister and I were just finishing playing hide and seek in my bedroom. She’s a few years younger than me and would always try and sneak up next to my bed and scare me :) Well, on this fateful night it was getting late and I hadn’t seen her poking around my room yet. It had been a good 15 mins and I thought she was just waiting for me to fall asleep. She almost got her wish.
I was about to drift off when I felt this weight lift off of my stomach. I had felt this happen to me MANY many times before, almost every week, but I had never opened my eyes to see what it was about. It’s kinda hard to explain, but i never FEEL the weight there, I only know it was there cuz I feel it lift off me and I feel lighter. Does that make sense? Well anyways, for whatever reason I happened to open up my eyes and look down (where I felt this “weight” had gone). AND THERE “IT” WAS!
At first I said something like “Very funny Margie (my sister’s fake name i’m using here)” but as I was saying it I realized that that was NOT my sister. First, it was smaller and dressed in raggety clothes. It was on it’s legs and arms like it was crawling, and it seemed to be a child. Maybe like 8 years old? Anyways, it stopped crawling and just looked right at me, and I looked right back at it IN SHOCK. I literally smushed my eyes together and pinched myself (just in case!) and i was def. awake. And I was def. looking at this thing.
In fact, it was so real that I reached out my arm to touch its head – but then I froze. It didn’t seem harmless or scary in the sense that it would DO something to me, but I was just too in shock (and afraid) of what i’d feel, if anything. So I stopped. Which I’m REALLY mad about today – I really wish i tried it!!! Haha…
After what seemed to be a lifetime the kid started crawling again and literally went right into my bookshelf. Which is reason #2 I believe it to be a ghost :) I even touched the bookcase and tried to see how the person got through it but all was normal.
I ran into my sister’s room and she was fast asleep. I then ran downstairs to tell my parents and my dad just looked at me like i was a loon, and my mom was in shock and followed me back up so I could show her what happened. And that was the very last time I felt that “weightless-ness”! It never happened again, and I never saw another spirit again going on 15 years now.
The end :)
Do I believe in ghosts? I don’t think so. Do I believe in strange unexplainable things happening? Sure.
I remember one time when I was younger I was playing hide and seek with some cousins at a lake cabin we were staying at. I remember going out to hide – and not realizing that the rest of my siblings and cousins had already gone in the house – i was out there alone.
While I was hiding i heard a voice behind me whisper my name, and tell me to come here.. back from the dark forest behind where i was hiding.
I thought it was maybe my cousin or something – but I found out later that they had all been in the cabin at the time, and couldn’t have said it. Kinda freaked me out – especially since we were in the middle of nowhere – and the voice knew my name. freaky.
VERY freaky! Wow… you should go back there one day in the middle of the night and see if it happens again ;)
I’d buy a house that someone had died in. I’m not sure what it is that creeps everyone out about it! Chances are pretty good that any older house (I live in one more than 100 years old) has had someone die in it! A tragic murder might be a different story, but I think if I could get a good deal I’d just go for it and have the best “haunted house” at Halloween!
Well, when you accept that dying is a part of living, buying a home in which someone has died, or even was murdered in, isn’t such a big issue. (Yes,I do believe in ghosts so I’d have the house cleansed if it was a murder!)
In the “old days” lots of people dies at home, not in hospitals! And, may families did not use funeral homes..
In my Italian family, in the 1950’s some relatives still “laid out the body” in the living room after a death. I recall seeing the casket with my dead granpop in it, in the living room of the row home, as relatives came to pay their respects and bring a “covered dish.” I grew up with no fear of death.
I guess death is a taboo subject in American culture right up there with sex and money!
Madeline, that sounds sensible and natural to lay out the body at home. Death is big business these days, and it became that way along with changes in attitude toward it. What I wonder is whether it is even legal to have a dead body in your living room for viewing, etc.
Yana, I was at a writers conference lately and one of the murder mystery writers had a ton of info about this topic! State laws vary but it is perfectly legal to have a viewing in your own home–there are laws about embalming (not always necessary!) and whom the funeral homes can release a body to,etc.. You can even bury your deceased on your property IF it is a certain size lot and a section has been designated as a family plot, other wise can’t just dig a hole– many many fascinating topics..I actually am thinking of writing a book on this subject!
In my state of Arizona is is not legal to bury your pet in your own back yard but all the vets WILL release your pet to you, we have two passed-away kitties in a tiny section of the yard, with their little headstones–I feel comforted by having them near me..
Death is just a part of the circle of life…
Thanks for the info, Madeline. I’d probably buy your book! I knew about the embalming being optional. Didn’t know that in Arizona you couldn’t bury your pet in your own back yard. That kind of thing makes me wonder what home ownership really means, along with freedom.
I’ve read a bit about these things, as the cost of dying is rather high if one just goes along with the sales people. If people care about money, they need to get informed. I used to think that it was a great thing to prepay one’s own burial and have all arrangements made in advance (my mother did that), but now I’ve seen news stories that those who have paid are not getting what they paid for – like paid-for plots sold to someone else.
My grandmother actually pre-paid for both her and my grandfather’s funeral costs! I think like back in the 80’s so when both these sad days came all was taken care of already. I should ask my dad who organized it all to see if he thinks it was worth it and if anything went awry or not.
Also like the idea of being buried in your own back yard if you had like a family estates or something that’s been passed down for generations and your entire family was there :) would be kinda lonely by myself behind a newish townhouse! haha…
Yup, I would buy and live in a home that anyone died in and it really doesn’t matter the nature of the death either. People die everyday, everywhere, it’s a fact of life.
Our last home was built in 1874 and not only did the people die in it through the years but they were also shown (as in funeral) in the front parlor of the house, because that is what was done in the time.
Yes, I do believe in ghosts. I have seen and had experiences with them. Not in the last house though (although on really quiet nights I know for a fact that I heard the low rumblings of voices in conversation)…call me crazy, I don’t care- you don’t make me cry. I know what I have seen and heard and it doesn’t really matter whether you believe me or not.
Were the ghosts running around yelling “bugy, bugy, bugy”, no not at all. Maybe one day I will tell you about them.
I suppose realistically that I kind of take death in my stride. I see it as part of everyday life and while I still get upset when someone I know passes away, I don’t shyaway from the topic of death or feel any fear about when my time finally comes.
But then I don’t believe in ghosts. I can happily walk through a grave yard late at night. No problem.
So for me the decision would be easy. If I got a bargain I’d happily live in a house where someone – even several people – had died. But I also know that if I told my friends about it, they may not be keen to come and visit me – least of all to stay for the weekend ;-)
I’ve lived in four homes where loved ones have died, and I’m sure I’ve lived in other places where people I don’t know have died. It doesn’t bother me one bit. Even if someone died violently, I’d not hesitate – the dead aren’t going to bother me, even though I do believe in ghosts. If I can get a real bargain on a house because someone died in it, I’d take it in a heartbeat. My husband, on the other hand, wouldn’t move in if the house was free! He’s certainly not going to let my funeral service be held in my home, just as he wouldn’t have buried me in the back yard of my old home (it is legal there).
Bugy Bugy Bugy!!!
Um Died in the house like……in the house? Or just someone who became sick and passed away in the hospital afterwards? The dead body incident…NO Freakin Way! I would be out of there faster than Speedy Gonzales. Actually, I would probably stand there screaming at the top of my lungs first, but then I’d run! No way would I buy the house, regardless of how cheap it was.
I would probably buy a house someone died in. If it was a murder I would be very hesitant though because of possibly angry or confused spirits, but a suicide wouldn’t bother me ( why would they want to stay there in death if they didn’t want to in life?) or a death from natural causes. In any case I would use the death to negotiate an even lower price.
My gf and I just bought a house in which a 41 year old man died of cardiac arrest just 4 months ago. I’m not afraid at all and am probably getting on my gf’s nerves with the ghost jokes I keep making. His wife and kids moved, obviously, but the guy grew up in this house and left a lot of his stuff behind that I will probably use (workout bench, punching bag, foosball table). I don’t really believe in this stuff and have never seen anything supernatural, but I’m open to anything and would love to have my mind changed.
Also, in CA, the seller must tell the buyers if a death occurred there within the last 3 years, even if it was non-violent. That disclosure did not phase us a bit, and we probably got a better deal because of it.
Haha…. you’ve both got some balls, that’s for sure. I couldn’t do it. I’d feel like he was watching and making sure I was taking care of the place and not jackin’ it all up! Poor guy – 41 is so young :(
Yeah, its pretty sad, especially considering he had two young sons. His parents owned the place and have been real jerks to us, so its been hard to be sympathetic towards them. We wonder what happened as far as the wife was concerned since she was out of the house almost immediately. We don’t know if she left on her own or was run out by his parents. I’ll have to find out the circumstances surrounding the situation and I also want to find out where exactly he passed away. I don’t believe really, but part of me hopes to see something!
The guy was apparently a workout buff and former football player, so we wonder why he died so young. My mom thinks it may have been steroid related, so we’ll see if we have a ‘roid raging ghost in our house!
My gf’s best friend believes in bad energy and that sort if thing, so wants to do a ‘cleansing’ before we move in. I think its kind of silly, but I have no problem with her doing it, especially if it makes my gf feel better.
Woahhh that’s crazy talk! no way in hell i’d want to know where it happened ;) but good call on the cleansing part. Although if that stirs anything up I’d be freakin’ out. But if you don’t believe anyways, then yeah no worries! We used to hear all sorts of noises in our current place (no one died here that we know of) but then we blessed our bedroom with holy water and all has been smooth since
I have a morbid curiosity (and sense of humor sometimes), so I definitely want to know all the details! It’s also a good anecdote for friends, relatives and guests. My gf’s friend is into spiritual stuff but isn’t religious in a Christian sense, so its more of a new agey cleansing. I myself am an atheist, so it means nothing to me and using holy water amounts to little more than flinging water around.
Even though I don’t believe in any gods, that doesn’t mean I know there is nothing else out there and has no relation to belief in ghosts. Even if there is some spirit left lingering, I figure if he has human feelings and some kind of consciousness, maybe we can just reason with him (if there is such thing as ghosts and if he is lingering about). I’m kind of looking forward to finding out if there is anything to this ghost business.
I’ve been to the Queen Mary, the supposedly haunted old courthouse in San Diego, Civil War battlefields, etc.and never saw a thing, so maybe now I’ll get lucky!
question should realator tell you if someone died in the house you are buying? If they don’t can anything be done?
I live in a house a son shot his mom and dad and hung himself in which is my room now…..i pretty much have not seen or heard anything creepy other than i dont belive in ghost. I believe when some one dies they either go to heaven or hell and that there spirits dont linger but thats just my opinion. I also believe ghost spirits etc. is all in your head. Your imagination is a powerful thing and can play huge tricks on you from shadows to even noises good luck
woahhhh man you are good! no way in hell i’d last one night ;)
@Annie – I think legally it depends on the state, but I’d hope they’d tell you if you were seriously considering a place! I think it’s common courtesy, but I know others would disagree with me.
In California, I think you have to disclose if someone died in the house within the last 3 years, although it could be more. We were informed right before we went into escrow, but it didn’t phase us a bit. In fact, it made the house even more intriguing to me.
I used to believe in ghosts and the whole heaven and hell thing, but not anymore. We’ve been in a house that someone died in for over a month now (he died last April of a heart attack at 41), and other than the weird creaks and pops of a 60 year old house, I’ve seen, felt, and heard nothing supernatural. I was kind of hoping I’d be proven wrong about the existence of ghosts, but haven’t been yet. The place is disappointingly un-creepy.
Haha…. “disappointingly un-creepy” that’s quite the description. I give it another few months ;) If nothing happens I may have to go over there and play some tricks!
Didn’t realize there was a waiting period for ghosts to appear! XD Maybe we’ll get lucky and see something on Halloween, since that is supposedly when the spirits come out to play. ;) Either way, we’re not going anywhere, so if it happens I’ll be ready. It will also have to be more than just sounds and a weird shadow orsomething for me to even consider the reality of ghosts, and even then I’ll have to be sure its not just because I’m half awake or hallucinating for whatever reason! I’ll keep you posted if anything happens, but don’t hold your breath.
Oh wow must be so fun to live in a haunted house, where someone has die, I would just love to.
Hi there. I´m in the process of buying a double homicide scene of crime, both of the residents were elderly. I have been fortunate enough to find photographs of the murdered couple, and find out what happened, and I have to say the two victims were kindly, intelligent and from loving close knit families. I can´t imagine their heartache. The house is beautiful and apart from being empty of personal belongings has a nice vibe about it, sunlight shining through the windows gave a peaceful warm ethereal feeling, no one in the group felt fearful, not even a three year old child who loved the place. I intend to take my positive energies and let happiness and light once more flood through the building. I am not spooked at all by this house, in fact quite the opposite as it jumped out at me as I perused 1000´s of properties online. I am looking forward to lighting candles and having the neighbors visit us to prove that there can be peace after murder and mayhem. May the former residents rest in peace, and if they like, they can join us for a sherry or two. After all, it was their lifelong home.
Ps. The murder suspect killed himself soon afterwards.
Any thoughts anyone?
@Oh – Really? Man you’re much more adventurous than me, that’s for sure.
@Saffron – “I intend to take my positive energies and let happiness and light once more flood through the building.” I love that!!! Helluva great way to think about it :) Couldn’t do it myself, but I like the way you think.
Wow. These are all great stories and experiences of people living in houses/residences that previous people had died in. I am not religious or advocate any organized religion but I do believe that some sort of energy/spirit can exist of a person or animal. I am considering purchasing a house that the previous owner’s relative died from a drug overdose in the house. The house was once very beautiful and pristine but now is a neglected and ugly mess. The house also has $7000 in back taxes from the previous three years which will be cleared up by the seller at closing. As a rough estimate, the house is going to need about $20-30,000 worth of work done to make it livable and presentable and will be worth it because the selling price is more than half of what the house is appraised for on the tax rolls.
I’ll let you guys know what happens after I hopefully can purchase it.
Yeah, let us know! Very interested to see if you get any inklings of “other” life once you move in…. this whole thing fascinates me :)
I’ve also moved into a house that someone died in… and it was the last resident. The other residents of the adjacent apartment building had stories moving between him committing suicide and just kinda dying as a result of depression and complications from a bad car accident that happened right outside our driveway. Previously, I would’ve said that would scare the shit out of me, but I’m a college student renting this place for $650/mo in the Philly metro area, and frankly that’s a damn steal. It’s old, like the original structure was built in the 1850’s so I wouldn’t be surprised if *someone* died here years ago… but I can’t afford much more than this. Plus it’s a nice place… a bit run down old fashioned, but it suits my needs for now. Plus, I have a huge yard and it’s private and *beautiful*! But at times, I do get a bit freaked out from noises and creaking, but I have to remember I live in the middle of a bit of forest and I have a cat and a rabbit, so I just shove it off and realize I’m a bit weird. I don’t really believe in ghosts because well, I haven’t seen one yet, but I kinda try to make peace with whatever’s here because I sometimes get a creeping feeling… He seems to friendly so far though, lol.
haha, well I’m sure it’ll all turn out okay :) that’s a great price for sure – good work!
It completely depends on how the person died. Dying from sickness or old age is one thing- happens all the time and wouldn’t freak me out- especially if it was a family member. However, if the home had been the site of a horrible murder where 3 or 4 people were brutally murdered- then no way.
yep – same with me! I’d freak out every time I heard noises!
When I was about 4 years old we lived in an old 3 story house in a pretty big city in Washington. The house was haunted, but I don’t know if someone died it in. When my parents left for an evening, my 3 sisters and I were left there alone. I remember them freaking out because doors up stairs would open and close.
Looking back I remember all of this but since I was so young nothing bothered me. I didn’t know why they were scared and staying downstairs. The house was old and creaky. The floors creaked, the wood was old and the house just felt old. I would go up the stairs and walk around.. nothing was there and I would tell them that. Was the house haunted? Yes.. but at the time I didn’t know anything about that. Its kinda freaky looking back and realizing that I would go upstairs by myself.
Woahhhhh, yeah I’d stay downstairs too! Haha… and then move out pretty fast ;)
Well, my sister committed suicide when she was 19 in our house…she took some pills, got in the tub, ran a hot bath, and died. My dad and I found her a few hours later, about 3 am. That was December 1998. I wanted desperately to move, but they wouldn’t. I flatly refused to shower in that bathroom for about a year, and though I eventually did have to use the bathroom, it ALWAYS freaked me out and I couldnt wait to get out of there. However, after we replaced the blood stained carpet in front of the bathroom and remodeled the house, it was a lot easier to handle. Being so long ago, I doubt that it would affect the sale of the house if we were to put it on the market now. It’s a nice house, built in 1990, so it doesn’t have any creepy vibes like some old homes.
OH. MY. GOSH. You guys are strong people!!! I wouldn’t be able to do it :( Though I wonder if it would be different knowing it was my own family? Like, feeling they’re still there with us or something? I know I DEF. couldn’t if it were stranger…. shiver… thanks for sharing! And sorry to hear bout your sister :(
My family moved into a haunted house when I was 8 years old. My family lived in the house for 15 terrifying years. There were a number of ghosts in our house, but the ones we saw the most were the ones that identified themselves as “Dave and Florence.” Dave was a tyrant of a ghost. Florence was simply present. The house still exists, though it was moved to another location.
My parents purchased the house far under market value. Why didn’t we move out quickly, like everyone else had for as long as the neighbors could remember? My parents said that they couldn’t afford to move.
I recall when my parents took me to the house the first time. I looked around and said, “Its awfully dark in here…” I didn’t have the volcabularly or experience to explain what I meant or felt that made the house appear “dark.” Now I do.
Living in a haunted house has its consequences, as the unseen presences affect the physical human being’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. One upside is that after experiencing the presence of a ghost, one will never question whether there is life after the death.
Wowwwww, I can’t believe you experienced all that! That is so fascinating and scary at the same time! Haha… thanks for sharing it with us :) And I’m glad you’re out!
Between these spammers and the “Apple is looking for iPad testers” spam on all our cell phones, it makes me wish that drugs would be legalized so that we can make room in prison for these ungratefuls. David Pogue from the NY Times wrote on how to get rid of the cell phone spammers, but it doesn’t apply for prepaid phones. Search for it; I won’t put even a good link after these previous junk posts.
Yeah, it’s frustrating… usually my spam filters catch these and delete before they even show up on these posts, but lately they’ve been giving me some problems… sometimes it takes me a few days to catch, but I always do and then wipe them off the site :) Hope all is well over there, my friend.
I bought a nice little place that I quickly found out was the site of an ax homicide where the victim was cut into pieces in the house and buried on the property. I gotta say that from the night I moved in I felt there was something to the place, it was odd. It wasn’t a bad or a good feeling, it was just like the house had a sort of ‘presence’ to it. Nothing that ever scared me but it was comparable to feeling watched a lot. That didn’t bother me as much as the psychological dimension to it, while I am neutral on the topic of ghosts it was more of the thought of where things happened and what had happened that really bothered me over time. I had this feeling that I had to build a ‘safe place’ in my room, like I couldn’t imagine falling asleep on the couch because of the proximity of where the living room was to the location in the house where the murder took place. Paranormal forces or fear in the mind? Not sure, regardless, there are people I know that could live in a place like that and feel alright and not think too much about it. For me, my imagination runs a little wild. Decided to move elsewhere. I feel all states should have laws requiring disclosure about these sorts of things. The previous owners never disclosed it but I feel they should have. Anyway. To each their own.
Ack! I wouldn’t have been able to last a tenth of the time you did, wow. I hope you’re sleeping peacefully now! :)
What about if someone passed away in a house from a fire? But…it was due to not putting the cigarette out correctly…and…the house has since been leveled. The lot has been empty for 5 yrs. There were 4 young men living there. Three of them were okay, but one died of asphyxiation (I believe in his sleep). He was 28 years old. I’m thinking of purchasing the land to build a new home on. But the thought that someone died there, when it was a mistake, still “haunts” me. What would you do?
Yikes! I’d be more okay living there than I would in the same house where someone died, but still gives me the heebie jeebies either way – bleh. I guess in the grand scheme of things people have died in spots all around us over the hundreds of years though, so probably not that different than what you’re describing, other than you know for a fact it happened and the story behind it :(
If it freaks you out too much I’d just keep looking around until you find another suitable place as there are plenty without deaths occurring (that you know of :)). It would be pretty hard/stressful to get all built and moved in and then realize you’re not comfortable :(
My family and I are looking at homes to buy in a city about an an hour and half away from where we live. Well one of the homes caught our attention right away. Not only for the low price for a 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath,or being a brick home in a nice neighborhood. But as soon as we stepped on the property, I immediately felt a sense of uneasiness and creepiness. My husband and I walked around the backyard and I felt like someone was watching us. I went straight back to the front of the house only then meeting up with my teenage daughter and she too felt uneasy. We both went the front door and we come upon a scripture from the bible written in black marker on the edging of the door. We both say out loud, that’s weird, why would someone put that there. After that point I was attempting to look into one of the Windows in front that I held myself back and made my way back to our car. My husband comes and says to me, why did you come back to the car. I tell him I just wanted to leave because that house doesn’t feel right. We were really considering to contact the agent to see inside but after feeling what we felt, I no longer wanted to go back. Well more to the story, I told some friends of mine about the house and how I felt and I was not interested in trying to get it even for the great price that it was. One of them says would I mind giving her the address because she might be interested. I did and no sooner does she come to me and says that she typed into the internet what happened at that address. Well a murder did. A woman shot her boyfriend. The news said she was leaving him, he was depressed and he was said he was going to end his life, but instead started beating her and she shot him several times. Come to find out, this only happened last year (May 2018) So just knowing that how our feelings were being at that house turned out to be because of someone being killed there was enough for us to say, no matter how low the price or how beautiful the house is. We rather just look somewhere else.
AHHHHHH that is my nightmare!!
So good you had those feelings and didn’t find out the hard way!! That is freaky!!!
And now have to go look at some cute puppies or something so it doesn’t fester in my brain, haha… ACK!
Yikes – this is a freaky story. Maybe they should add this question to the Property Disclosure paperwork!
I thought they had to, but after some quick googling it looks like there’s only a few states that are required to disclose deaths. The rest are not, unless it was a “violent death” that had occurred there and/or if anyone specifically asks if someone had died on the property (ie you can’t flat out lie about it!). Came across some interesting articles about how many elderly people end up dying in their homes, but of course I’m totally fine with a peaceful grandma spirit living there – just not the freaky ones!! :)