1st Thought
One of the classes was called Dynamic Seller Services which was a class that was a four hour version of "do what you need to do to get it sold". In these types of classes, the discussion always turns to what you need to disclose about any given house, what you should disclose about any given house and what you must disclose about any given house.
Missouri law and Kansas law are differ on this subject but for the sake of my post today, I am talking about Kansas. In Kansas we have to always disclose adverse material defects about a house. Well...let's not say always.... If we know something that would impact the value, we are suppose to disclose it. BUT there is a provision in the law that says if the house has an inspection report by a qualified third party that states the physical condition of the house the agent isn't obligated to disclose the condition of the property. Do I sense a loop hole here???
Now this is where the class got kind of interesting. Kind of might be an exaggeration....but I did perk up slightly and listen for a few minutes. In Kansas we don't have ANY law that says we have to disclose psychological defects associated with a house. Other states require this but Kansas has NO law that discusses this. AND seemingly no one has ever sued anyone claiming they bought a house with a "questionable" past that they weren't already aware of.
So if you were a Realtor here in Kansas, it is strongly suggested that you tell a potential buyer anything negative about the house you are trying to sell them. The fact of the matter is that there isn't a law that says you need to spill your guts if the house has a psychological defect. If you know that the house has a foundation crack you are supposed to tell that to a potential buyer. On the other hand, if the place has been a scene of a crime....HMMM should I speak up???
Take for example:
This house is dirt cheap compared to other homes in the neighborhood. Not particularly attractive but then no one has lived there for a couple of years. I don't really know why there are trash cans out. It is listed way below the appraised value. It has been on the market since December of 2009.
If you knew that a house had a violent incident in it would you buy it? If I showed you this house (and I wouldn't) would you expect me to tell you why it isn't selling?
Would you buy a house that is haunted? Would you buy a house that has had a death in it? How about a violent death? Would any of that matter if you otherwise liked the house and could get it at a great price?
2nd Thought
In 2010 you could have bought a FAMOUS haunted house.
May 26, 2010 10:00AM
The Good For the Day...I loved this song when I was a kid.
The Bad for the Day...
My husband went to the classes with me as he got his real estate license just for the sake of getting one. This isn't what he does for a living. He took the side of "he would buy a house that had a violent incident in it for the right price and if he truly liked the house". I wouldn't of guessed this. If and when we ever buy another house, I will be eyeing him suspiciously and asking a lot of questions about the houses history.
The Weird for the Day.... The "fake" Amityville Horror House is currently on the market. This home located in New Jersey was used as the set for the 1979 movie The Amnityville Horror starring Nicole Kidman and James Brolin.
TOMS RIVER (AP) — The New Jersey home that was filmed for the 1979 movie "The Amityville Horror" is for sale.
The 10-room colonial-style structure in Toms River was built in the 1920s and is listed for $1.35 million.
For the movie, a superstructure was built around the outside to make it look like the home in Amityville, N.Y., whose owners claimed was possessed by evil spirits.
Owner Odalys Fragoso tells the Asbury Park Press the home isn't haunted.
The 10-room colonial-style structure in Toms River was built in the 1920s and is listed for $1.35 million.
For the movie, a superstructure was built around the outside to make it look like the home in Amityville, N.Y., whose owners claimed was possessed by evil spirits.
Owner Odalys Fragoso tells the Asbury Park Press the home isn't haunted.
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25 comments:
psychological defect? like ghosts? *goes back to read*
I would buy a house that had a death, but not a violent death? No way no how!! I'm sensitive that way.
I would buy the fake house, but never the real thing.
I would have no problem buying a house that was supposedly haunted, or that was once the scene of a murder or other violent act. If the price was good and I liked the house itself, I wouldn't care about the history. If anything, I think it'd be a cool conversation piece. But that's just me.
Great choice with the Rosemary Clooney song! She lived right near where I grew up, and her brother Nick (George's dad) is friends with my grandparents. I always wished I could've gotten to know her.
Okay, I would definitely want to know if something horrible ever happened inside the house I wanted to buy. Because if someone WAS brutally murdered inside of it. I would NOT buy it. I would be too freaked out.
And HELL NO. I would NEVER be able to purchase The Amityville Horror House. Not even for TEN bucks!
If I felt the negative spirit was still in the home I would not buy it. You may be surprised (ahem) but I actually have experience on this subject. Both subjects actually. I was caught in that effin' KS loophole. Enough said there. I lived in a home that was the scene of a violent death. I knew this the moment I stepped into the house and even pinpointed the exact room. Our friends did not tell us the history before showing it to us. It was when I was living on the Indian Reservation. Our friend's family owned the home but most of the tribe would not even step foot inside the house so it set empty and we needed a place to stay. They would stand in the yard and holler for us if they wanted to talk with us. The incident was on the second floor and after dark I would not go up the stairs alone. I lived there with another white friend. She didn't feel anything but a few nights when I was there alone I actually went out and slept in my truck especially if it was stormy. So I will stay in a place of violent death but I would not buy one because if I own a house I shouldn't need to sleep in my car occasionally.
yeah, things like murders, suicides, ghosts, accidental deaths...a push...oops I mean a fall down the stairs resulting in a death.
That is how I feel too, but I think the concenses is pretty much 50/50 on the subject of would you or wouldn't you. A lot of people, including my husband doesn't feel that the past would have any relationship to the present. I wouldn't want to be in a house that I knew has a tragedy or anything of a really negative vibe attached to it.
I would buy the fake house in a heartbeat. I don't get why they are even saying "it isn't haunted". It was used in a movie. There weren't actually any deaths there.
Hi Kimberly, That is exactly what my husband said about the "would you or wouldn't you". I think I wouldn't want to buy a house that has some negative history. In some ways, I probably would steer clear because I would be concerned about the resale value and sellability of a house that is linked to somthing bad. AND while it is illogical I think it woud creep me out a bit if there had been violence in the house.
As a kid, we supposedly lived in a haunted house. They neighbors claimed they heard things but we never did. My mother thought all the neighbors were nuts and told them so. Didn't make her the popular one on the block.
"That is very cool about the Clooneys. I am with you. That would have been fun to know her.
I agree that I think it would creep me out knowing that there was violence but I don't think I would necessarily dismiss a house if someone passed away thru illness or something like that. I would only buy the "fake" house that was used for the movie location. That could be fun to have a house that was in a movie.
House used in a movie = Yes.
House where actual horrible crimes were committed = No!
That is interesting that you felt some type of negative vibe. I don't think I am particulary sensative to pick up on things. Still I wouldn't want a house with a violent history.
The Indian reservation??? Was that in KS? The only reservation I am aware of is the Kickapoo Reservation Northeast of KC.
Junebug, you certainly have led an interesting life.
I'm not overly freaked out by the thought of spirits in a house. But those of folks that were murdered in one- not so much.
I am thinking I don't want even a Casper type friendly ghost. He might decide to be a crabby ass on a particular day. Frankly one crabby ass per household is enough over here.
Nope, I would never live in a haunted house. But not because it's haunted. Just because there are already too many damn people living in my house as it is. Who needs to add ghosts on top of it all? With my luck, the ghosts wouldn't even be evil, they'd just be messy and whiny and annoying. Kind of like everyone else in my house.
I am with you on this. When I want to be alone, I mean ALONE. No howling, no things going bump in the night, no shifting of things or closing and opening of drawers and doors. That would be totally annoying.
Real estate rules are weird but in order to really understand whether or not living in a house with "psychological defects" is something you would want to do - you had to have lived in one.
I've lived in some seriously haunted houses in the past. I've seen the cloud of smoke appear from no-where and float across the room. I've seen the apparitions walking across the room. I've had stuff thrown at me. I've even been grabbed a time or two. Yeah - freaky is not the word I'd use.
For me, I'll take a house with no history, no ghosts, no weird negative energy causing events... I walk in and get a weird vibe and I don't buy. Period.
Call me crazy, but your husband would change his mind if he lived in the houses I've lived in.
Clicks!
--Trina
PS I wouldn't buy that cheap house cause it's just ugly! LOL Someone wasn't thinking about curb appeal when they built that one!
Hi Cheryl
No Way! I am not living in or buying a house that had bad history.
Killed, Fell down the stairs, died naturally, What ever... No Way not doing it!
I just finished working on a house like this. Uncle Joe's house who passed away needed new windows. We were told you may have to move him, he is over there on the table in front of that window.
We were also told weird things happen here but don't pay attention to it.
We all seemed to have a moment on this job but I think it's because something was said to us... Or was it?
Can you say Put the Damn windows in and run baby run.
Clicked the button.
Wolfbernz
PS. We kinda fought over who was moving Uncle Joe :)
I am sure if anyone had the experience with haunted houses as you have had, they would be very careful about which house they would buy in the future. That is amazing stuff. You could write a book and I would be one of the first to run out and buy it. WOW
I do agree, I want just a plain house without any drama or excitement attached to it. Well, unless the previous owners won 3 huge lotteries and I got the sense that there was some lucky hex on the place.
I think when we were talking about if we would be ok with a house we were talking about if a crime had been committed. We were talking a specific circumstance. I don't think either of us would consider one that has rumors of hauntings.
I agree about that house being ugly. I think it must have been modified in some way but I don't get it. There was a death in that house that sent the owner to prison and it went into forclosure a couple of years ago. I can't imagine it will sell anytime soon.
You are really funny...put in the damn windows and run is right. I haven't had to put in windows but I certainly have gone into houses that made me want to get out in a hurry. There are some seriously creepy homes out there.
Oh...and some seriously creepy home owners as well.
I would have let you have the honor of moving Uncle Joe. You win!!!
I really enjoyed this post. I found the term psychological defects of a house an interesting choice of words ... I didn't know houses even HAD psyches, although I guess the haunted ones might. My Inner Scientist says I'd live in a house with a history but my Inner Chickens says, "No Way!" My Inner Chicken would win. I once saw the ghost of my Uncle Will in my parents's house ... if you come by on Halloween ... or navigate back to last Halloween on my blog it's the subject of my post, Uncle Will."
I am fairly sure the reference to the psychological defect is referring to what happens to the human that moves into their dream home and the new neighbor tells them in graphic detail what the dining room wall looked like with the former owners brains spattered on it.
California is one of the states that has a law to protect homebuyers. There I think it is called a stimatized property law. Realtors have to disclose any death that was in the home in the prior 3 years. I guess if you own a home that has had a brutal murder in you just need to plan on living in it more than 3 years. Ghosts must not stigmatize a house in California.
Well, *cough*... we are trying to sell my husband's home. We have two homes and two mortgages. We decided to put his home up for sale. Right now we're in the "fix it up" stage - painting, glaze on the tub. We need to fix the ceiling area in the kitchen. It's a process and in this area, there's huge competition for selling. It's a buyer's market, not a seller's :(
But if I was going to buy a home? Haunted? Murder? oh heck no!
It is a buyers market here also. Tons of inventory just sitting, which makes it a very competative market for sellers. Here you nearly have to remodel to get something sold. A house that has a "shaky" past woudn't stand a chance.
Hope you extra house sells quickly. I was talking to someone yesterday that had 3 offers come in on their house. It can happen even in a bad market.
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