Would you avoid buying a house where someone was murdered?

[Guest]

Today my real estate agent showed me a house and told me that she had to disclose that someone had been murdered there a few months prior. She said it would bother a lot of people. Didn't bother me. How common do you think this discomfort would be? Would you move on from buying such a house? Great for me if it brings down the price, I suppose....

[Kevin Slater]

The first apartment I bought was from the estate of someone who took her life therein.

 

Kevin Slater

[+ Lucky]

Suicide maybe, but no to murder. I would always be thinking of it. I once looked at the late Harvey Milk's apartment as a possible rental. They had to show me the closet where his boyfriend committed suicide. It's a bit of a turn off, plus living with the ghost of the famous Harvey Milk?

[BgMstr4u]

There is the creepy factor for the possible buyer - living with the knowledge of what happened could affect some people prone to morbidity or with an overactive imagination - or could possibly affect family members, especially children. But there is also the publicity factor. Most people in the neighborhood or wider population may not be aware but some will be, which makes that place, unknown to the buyer, an object of perhaps unwelcome attention.

 

Then there is the ever-popular world of liability litigation. The American legal system, run by lawyers for lawyers, has a way of attracting imaginative and potentially lucrative grievances. From which the real estate industry wishes to protect itself. “Your Honor, when I nicked my thumb with a knife, which then festered and required expensive medical attention, I did not know that a previous occupant had been stabbed to death in the very same place. I have no idea what caused me to do that, but there's something wrong with that place I should have been made aware of. I can’t begin to describe the trauma I now have to live with every time I need to slice a tomato.” An opportunistic householder with a greedy health insurance company, a 40% contingency retainer and an ambitious attorney, and you’re off to the races.

 

Would I move into such a place? I am single, without offspring who might be affected, and don’t much care what the neighbors think. I believe in the power of prayer for the well-being of people I don't know and who might have passed over to the other side. When I moved in I would have a formal house blessing (aka exorcism-lite), and then settle in. I am not careless with knives. So, yes, I would. Maybe a bit like gay people moving into a disadvantaged neighborhood and turning it around. Our willingness to look beyond the prejudices of the presenting situation and to take chances open up opportunities others might not take.

Edited July 11, 2020 by BgMstr4u

[+ poolboy48220]

I rented a house in the mid-80's, nice house & neighborhood. A few months after moving in, chatting with the neighbor, I found out the landlady had shot her husband in the house a few years earlier.

[Eggman]

The first apartment I bought was from the estate of someone who took her life therein.

 

Kevin Slater

 

Excellent sentence structure Kevin!

[Smurof]

So long as the place was properly sanitized since the act, and the perpetrator wasn't still on the loose, I see no qualms in living at such a place.

 

I would ask to see the room in black light for peace of mind.

 

If, however, separate murders with different owners happened in the home, I would never want to live in that, since it would turn into tourist attraction status.

 

Triple murders or more should require a wrecking ball, a street name change, and conversion into vacant land, with a memorial located elsewhere.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

I've known of a couple of houses where individuals died due to events at the house that had to be disclosed to potential buyers. (One was a double murder, the other a firefighter died in the line of duty.) In both cases, the new buyers were not bothered by these facts. The only concern both buyers ever voiced was the impact on future resale and the length of time it may take to find a buyer not concerned about the history.

[marylander1940]

Today my real estate agent showed me a house and told me that she had to disclose that someone had been murdered there a few months prior. She said it would bother a lot of people. Didn't bother me. How common do you think this discomfort would be? Would you move on from buying such a house? Great for me if it brings down the price, I suppose....

 

I wouldn't care. I would be more concerned about buying a house polluted by meth:

 

Wait! Are You Buying a House Contaminated With Meth?

[+ Lucky]

I wouldn't care. I would be more concerned about buying a house polluted by meth:

 

Wait! Are You Buying a House Contaminated With Meth?

Hmm, the housework might go faster in the meth house...

[marylander1940]

Hmm, the housework might go faster in the meth house...

 

Hilarious!

 

[BgMstr4u]

Hmm, the housework might go faster in the meth house...

Except for replacing the appliances and all the copper piping.

[marylander1940]

@Unicorn Would you buy a house that was a bordello ? ? ?

[+ sync]

I would probably be okay in a house that was the scene of a murder...until I heard something unusual during the night.

[CatDaddy]

Bordello yes, the others... well, likely no.

[MikeBiDude]

As a CA licensed real estate salesperson, I’ll offer 3 words of advice to sellers:

“Disclose, Disclose, DISCLOSE!!”

[+ Charlie]

For me it would depend entirely on the murder. I wouldn't want to own a house in which a famous murder had taken place, because it might be an unwanted attraction for people who were interested in the murder. A run-of-the-mill murder wouldn't necessarily turn me off, especially if it wasn't too recent. The first house we owned was almost a century old and had housed numerous occupants before us, so I had no idea what might have occurred there.

[RealAvalon]

Archie's dad's house (also orange coincidentally) on Riverdale, had a suicide there about 20 years ago.

 

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Edited July 12, 2020 by RealAvalon

[Guest]

@Unicorn Would you buy a house that was a bordello ? ? ?

You mean my current house?

[Guest]

For me it would depend entirely on the murder. I wouldn't want to own a house in which a famous murder had taken place, because it might be an unwanted attraction for people who were interested in the murder. A run-of-the-mill murder wouldn't necessarily turn me off, especially if it wasn't too recent. The first house we owned was almost a century old and had housed numerous occupants before us, so I had no idea what might have occurred there.

Well, the victim was a slightly famous person, and it definitely made the news. I don't think Hollywood tour buses would go up there, though, blaring "...and this is where so-and-so was murdered...".

[Guest]

@Unicorn Would you buy a house that was a bordello ? ? ?

Actually, I was thinking of letting my house be used for sets of porn flicks. Any of you every done that? It would be fun to watch. I don't think that this would be something I would have to disclose to future sellers, though I plan to live the rest of my days in my next house.

[marylander1940]

Actually, I was thinking of letting my house be used for sets of porn flicks. Any of you every done that? It would be fun to watch. I don't think that this would be something I would have to disclose to future sellers, though I plan to live the rest of my days in my next house.

 

No but I would suggest you start a thread on the subject.

 

I do remember an old thread about Michael Lucas renting a house and leaving a mess behind.

 

500k is a lot of damage!

 

MICHAEL LUCAS CREW ALLEGEDLY TRASHES AIRBNB MANSION DURING PORN SHOOT, OWNER SUES

 

 

How can you remove a stain of lubricant from this pool table? I guess they didn't use a towel!

 

[Guest]

No but I would suggest you start a thread on the subject.

 

I do remember an old thread about Michael Lucas renting a house and leaving a mess behind.

 

500k is a lot of damage!

 

MICHAEL LUCAS CREW ALLEGEDLY TRASHES AIRBNB MANSION DURING PORN SHOOT, OWNER SUES

 

 

How can you remove a stain of lubricant from this pool table? I guess they didn't use a towel!

 

Commercial use of a BnB property is prohibited. It's a violation of contract.

[Guest]

For me it would depend entirely on the murder. I wouldn't want to own a house in which a famous murder had taken place, because it might be an unwanted attraction for people who were interested in the murder. A run-of-the-mill murder wouldn't necessarily turn me off, especially if it wasn't too recent. The first house we owned was almost a century old and had housed numerous occupants before us, so I had no idea what might have occurred there.

I went back to the property tonight for evening/twilight views. A group of 3 got out of a car in front of the house, pointed to it, then went up what would have been my front walkway to the front door to have each of their photos taken in front of the house. They were polite and everything, but it really caused me to go eek, and probably put that house out of contention. What if people wanted to peer over the fence, etc.? I didn't think the dude was so famous, but apparently famous enough...

[IndyGuy]

I would never EVER purchase a home that someone had been murdered in, or even died in (assuming it was disclosed, and yes, I always ask!) HUGE creep factor for me. I was once looking at a large historic home that about half way thru the showing, the realtor disclosed used to be a funeral home prior to being returned to a private residence. Let's just say the tour ended there. LOL

 

On a related note, I'm morbidly curious about Jeffrey Epstein's NYC mansion. Said to be one of the largest private residences in NYC and valued around $50,000,000. Notoriety aside, I would never purchase such a home - bad karma.