Wanna Buy A Haunted House?

An agent in my office has some clients who are actually considering the possibility of purchasing a "haunted house"! Word around our office is they're hoping they'll be able to contact deceased relatives! Truly! I'm not kidding! I was showing property yesterday when I was reminded about the "scariest" house I've ever shown. My client -- a first time home buyer -- who was fascinated with the properties we were visiting, during the course of our conversation, wanted to know the highest priced property I've ever shown and sold? "What about the "grossest" property you've ever visited," he asked. "How 'bout the scariest property you've ever shown a client?" Before I share my "scariest" experience showing property, I'm amazed at the number of potential home buyers who are interested in stigmatized properties or properties rumored to be haunted. Home sites where murders or suicides occurred often sit on the market for extended periods of time -- but as they say -- eventually there is a buyer for every property regardless of its history. Reports of "friendly ghosts" don't seem to scare some people from buying a real haunted house. It's funny, I've noticed when I open the door to a basement -- many people are afraid to venture into a dark basement -- even when I'm the one leading the way. Likewise, it's the same with attics too. Yup, attics and basements can send some folks reeling with fright. Recently while visting property with clients we found a "secret room" behind a floor to ceiling bookcase. Their kids thought that was pretty cool. Teressa Bent of Southfield, Michigan, shares a story this week where she tells of buyers who were actually seeking a real haunted house. In her newsletter today, Teressa tells the story about clients who toured a whole house before asking the owner if they could visit the attic. The home owner was worried that the buyers would be scared away by the attic. Oh, no, not the attic. Anywhere but the attic. The house's owner reluctantly opened the attic door and stepped aside as her two visitors trod into the dark gloomy room. "All I know is we walked into the attic with her, and it's cavernous, and we were just looking hard, and I don't know, this freaky feeling came over me, this "warm feeling," Craig, the buyer said. "I looked at my wife and she felt it too." They were thinking of actually buying this 111-year-old Victorian house on a tree-shaded street in Fanwood, N.J. The owner had grown up in the house and was trying to sell it now that her parents had died. She knew an uncanny presence threatened to scare away potential buyers and drive down the house's value. The owner had not yet told the buyers about the mysterious sounds and frightful sights that unnerved her -- and terrified her husband. "We were walking out of the attic," Craig says, "and my wife asked, "Any ghosts?" And the lady said, "Well yeah." “We were like, "cool, tell us about it." The owner didn't go into much detail, but she said people had seen and heard things over the years. "We told her we kind of think of it as a positive thing," Craig says. They decided then and there to buy the eight bedroom house, a fixer upper built in 1890. And, they paid the full asking price. Sometimes "ghost houses" are able to fetch the full price -- and sometimes not! I'm not sure my "scariest" experience is the right description -- but it fits into Halloween and so I share it with you as I did with my client earlier today. One of the first houses that I showed to clients after becoming a Realtor was a vacant foreclosure property. When I unlocked the front door, it was readily obvious by cobb webs, spiders, and crispy leaves that were deteriorating in the house, that the property had been vacant for an extended period of time. As we walked in the front door we all looked at each other. It felt like the whole house was "breathing". It was weird. It was like the house was moving – but it was obviously vacant – no furniture left behind. But it seemed to be breathing -- literally breathing! This was a large house with a two story foyer and dramatic staircase. To the right of the front door was the formal living room. Straight ahead from the front door and down the hallway was the kitchen. We entered the property and turned to the right to walk through the living room (more breathing). From the living room we entered a formal dining room before turning left into the kitchen which led to a family room. The house still seemed to be breathing. Between the kitchen and family room was a door to a deck. I began to unlock the door to the deck, when I realized the house truly was breathing! As a unlocked the door, something startled me as it seemed to fall in front of my face from the top of the door. Some doors have valances with curtain rods above the door -- just like valances or curtain rods above windows. I was stunned to be staring into the eyes and triangle-shaped head of a snake! The house was loaded with snakes! These reptiles where evidently left behind by the previous owners and most measured about two to three inches in diameter. Snakes were wrapped around the valance of every window in the house! We were in the back of the house, and now we had to pass more snakes on our way out of the house. As we hurried down the hallway to the front door, snakes were wrapped around the dowels of the staircase and the banister too! That experience was the most unusual and unnerving experience I’ve ever had as a Realtor! Luckily my clients were very understanding albeit frightened and unbelieving of our experience that day! Eventually they purchased a great house! They still love their home and look back on our experience with laughter now. Luckily! Sara Hibbard is a licensed Realtor in the Atlanta metro area. Sara promises to keep you away from any homes that might be inhabited by snakes, ghosts or goblins! Call Sara with your many questions regarding the Atlanta metro real estate market in general or specific questions regarding the relocation / buying / selling process. Sara is easily reached at 404-660-2481. Sara Hibbard is Glad Georgia Real Estate is on Your Mind!