# A nice house, with a spooky caveat. Would you still buy it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364 "2012-05-28T19:14:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/21 "2012-05-29T05:11:51Z")
Absolutely! However, knowing that selling might be difficult, I’d have to have an appropriate discount myself. This unfortunately would result in including me in maintaining superstition, but can’t be helped. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/22 "2012-05-29T15:06:03Z")
Does Jessica Lange live next door? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/23 "2012-05-29T15:17:00Z")
I wouldn’t care even a little. If I buy a house, I intend to live there a long time, so I don’t care much about resale. And it would be beyond silly to worry about magical death-fairies or what-have-you inhabiting the house. I would only be concerned if there were a danger that the murdered might be released, and bear the current occupants of the house ill-will. So long as that isn’t an issue, it’s all good. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/24 "2012-05-29T15:18:41Z")
I should add: I live in a large apartment building. It’s several decades old, and until a few years ago, this wasn’t a very good part of town. I’d be shocked if there _hadn’t_ been at least one murder here. And there have certainly been deaths, even if it was just old people dying in bed. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/25 "2012-05-29T16:56:15Z")
I’d buy it. If I believed in the supernatural, I’d live my life _very_ differently. Superstition seems like a pretty poor standard to base a major decision on. There’s hardly a spot in the world that someone hasn’t died on at some time or another. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/26 "2012-05-29T17:08:40Z")
Actually, a house having a reputation for being “haunted” can case resale problems. There was a house in NYack, NY that was (supposedly) haunted by the ghost of a Revolutionary war general. A young couple bought the house, but were allowed to back out of the deal, because the alleged “haunting” was not disclosed. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/27 "2012-05-29T17:21:45Z")
I’d be hesitant, but only if the house had a lot of notoriety and was getting hordes of gawkers all the time. That would be the deal-breaker for me. If it was perfect in every other way, then yes, I’d buy it. Someone dying in the house wouldn’t bother me. And I’d cover my bases by having my pastor bless it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/28 "2012-05-29T17:31:56Z")
I’m game. If no ghosts bother us, then we get the house of our dreams, cheap. If there are ghosts, I’ve got free entertainment when I have insomnia at 3am. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/29 "2012-05-29T17:40:04Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > A minus: not too many people show up to your parties. > > A BIG plus: no surprise overnight guests! Few relatives would invite themselves for a long-term stay! > ~VOW Good point =) > [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I’d buy it. > > If I believed in the supernatural, I’d live my life _very_ differently. Superstition seems like a pretty poor standard to base a major decision on. > > There’s hardly a spot in the world that someone hasn’t died on at some time or another. I wouldn’t change anything in the way I lived, I am not particularly superstitious either. I know for a fact that I have lived in a house people died in [of natural causes] and I have lived in a slum area, so it is very possible that I have lived in a building that someone died of violence in. I know for a fact that a woman was murdered in the building next to the duplex I lived in when I lived on 13th Bay st in Norfolk VA. I also do not believe that the whole ‘Indian Burial Grounds’ is a cause for alarm, unless I was trying to secure permission to build an additional outbuilding and finding something ended p causing my property to be declared some sort of bullshit historical site preventing me from building the new outbuilding. My whole personal take on it is that they should take the freaking remains and plant them in a graveyard on the damned reservation. In many cases in New England, the current ‘tribe’ is frequently not the original pre-white settlement tribe especially in Connecticut. I would like to point out that in many non-judeo-christian religions there is no particular reverence connected to remains and a lack of the whole ‘hallowed ground’ deal. Many groups practice sky burial, cremation and other burial forms that have no reserved ‘hallowed ground’ other than the body preparation areas. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/30 "2012-05-29T18:35:56Z")
> [@Sally\_Mander](#): > > I’d be hesitant, but only if the house had a lot of notoriety and was getting hordes of gawkers all the time. That would be the deal-breaker for me. True, that would be a downside. I understand that the Amityville Horror house gets lots of gawkers. That would drive me nuts, I am a pretty private person. Though making the occasional buck here and there renting it out to psychic investigators would be a bonus =) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/31 "2012-05-29T18:38:27Z")
I bet you a lot of the houses you live in or have lived in have had murders or deaths. Sleep better now. A great deal, good price, good location and I am going to turn it down because of some silly ghost story? i think not! I’ll buy it. I don’t worry about resale value because I probably don’t intend to move again. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/32 "2012-05-29T18:48:26Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Buying that house wouldn’t even cross my mind. The moment I was told we’d leave rather quickly. I’m curious to know your reasons. I would not have expected you to be superstitious, so I wonder if that’s it or if it’s the resale issue. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/33 "2012-05-29T19:18:48Z")
I’d buy it, move in, and play the haunted house stuff. I’d be able to keep those damn kids out of my yard. “Don’t go in that yard man. They’ll eat you!” No neighbor will come complain about loud noises late at night. “Say Zebra, that was bit loud last night.” “I know, the ghosts were screaming so I was trying to drown them out with Zeppelin.” It would be heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/34 "2012-05-29T19:44:52Z")
Sign me up – I have no worries about sleeping in [supposedly haunted buildings](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=486627) (sorry for all the dead links in my posts…maybe one day they’ll arise from the grave). ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/35 "2012-05-29T20:57:51Z")
Oh hell yes. In fact, should I ever decide to buy a house, I plan on doing exactly this — not finding a “haunted” house, necessarily, but one that I can get at a significant discount because people don’t want it for irrelevant (stupid) reasons. My go-to, which I’ve actually found a few of but haven’t been in a position to move on, is a house that’s cheap because while it itself is fine, various houses around it are piles of unkempt shit. A haunted house would be even better, since not only would the problem not directly affect me in any way, it wouldn’t even actually _exist_. What more could I want? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/36 "2012-05-29T22:29:21Z")
> [@perfectparanoia](#): > > I would totally buy it and have a minister come and bless it before I moved in. > > While I consciously know that it really wouldn’t make any difference, it would help my subconscious allow me to sleep at night. Same here, but with better talent: A Brunette in thick glasses & an orange sweater, a redhead in a purple dress with green scarf, a guy in an ascot, a stoner, & a Great Dane. Lacking _that_, a Moderately OK Dane would do nicely. Lacking _that_, **Coldfire**. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/37 "2012-05-30T11:44:53Z")
I’d worry about resale unless I liked the house and location enough that _I_ would be dying in it. People are pretty superstitious. Our real estate agent was reluctant to even show us a house that did nothing more than exist next to a cemetery, just because the issue was a deal breaker for so many people to whom he’d shown houses. (Nice house, but I didn’t like the layout. We thought about it anyway because it was a really great deal for the size and condition.) ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/38 "2012-05-30T15:09:22Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > I’d worry about resale unless I liked the house and location enough that _I_ would be dying in it. > People are pretty superstitious. Our real estate agent was reluctant to even show us a house that did nothing more than exist next to a cemetery, just because the issue was a deal breaker for so many people to whom he’d shown houses. (Nice house, but I didn’t like the layout. We thought about it anyway because it was a really great deal for the size and condition.) My mom’s house is 4 houses down from one of the town cemeteries. The only issue I would have about living next to a cemetery is the vandalism rate, which can be checked with the police. See, it isn’t just Halloween [which tends to be kids in costume running around and screaming] but the religious based crap [grave robbers for body parts or holding black masses/whatever] or vandalism [random older kids going in to smoke weed, get laid and tip over tombstones, spray paint mausoleums and crap like that] because frequently the vandalism and destruction can go on with the property of people living next to the graveyards. Or of course if the boundries wash out and coffins go wandering. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/39 "2012-05-30T15:29:01Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Or of course if the boundries wash out and coffins go wandering. See, this would bother me. I have no problem living right next to dead people, so long as they’ve the common decency to stay on their side of the property line. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364/40 "2012-05-30T15:50:20Z")
Ghosts don’t exist. Give me the cheap house. My ex was convinced that our old house was haunted. She convinced my daughter too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-nice-house-with-a-spooky-caveat-would-you-still-buy-it/623364.md?page=3)