I went with my friend once to stop by and say hello to a friend of hers who had just moved into a house in the area. We went in and he invited us into the kitchen and we sat down and had something to drink. We were just sitting there talking when I began to feel this overhwhelming feeling that is hard to describe, but it was a very strong uncomfortable feeling. The feeling grew and I blurted out “did something bad happen here?” The guy was incredulous and asked me how I “knew”. he went on to say that a ten year old girl had been murdered there and that the house had been on the market for some time.
I agree about the notoriety if there was a high-profile crime. I don’t want a bunch of looky-loos wandering around or reporters standing in the front yard every year doing anniversary updates.
The owner of the house that my ex and I owned had died of natural causes in it, and we knew about it right up front. Didn’t bother me in the least.
I would only hesitate if I found out Stephen King was basing a novel on it and it had a cellar. I may be a complete atheistic rationalist, but I’m not stupid.
I got thisguy’s apartment for half price, since no one else would rent it.
tl/dr: Bob killed his boyfriend, chopped up his body, and put it in the dumpster.
And had people over between the chopping and the disposing…
I slept like a baby!
As I understand it, the current owners have remodeled the house, getting rid of those so-well known attic windows - the ones that looked like eyes - specifically to make the house less of an attraction.
Yep. This is what it looks like now:
As to the OP’s question, I’d like to think that I could at least live in a home where people died naturally, because there shouldn’t be anything creepy about that. But as a long-time horror fan and a chronic nightmare sufferer, I’m not so sure it wouldn’t bother me anyway. And if it had been something violent? Oh hell no. < shudder >
I do live in a house where a tragedy happened. It was my tragedy though, so maybe that makes it different. My baby daughter died here, in our bedroom. She was very ill and expected to die and under hospice care.
My sister-in-law still lives in the house where her husband, my brother, shot himself in their master bathroom. She went back the very first night. She is a mighty strong woman, my sister-in-law.
It pisses me off to think that after all she has endured (she was pregnant with their fourth child at the time of my brother’s suicide) she would have a hard time if she ever needs to sell that house.
I have, and do.
The guy from whom we bought our first house was in his early 30s, and was a widower with a very young baby. We learned, from the realtor, that his wife had died, a few weeks after giving birth, due to complications from the birth. It wasn’t clear if she had died in the house, or at a hospital, and, honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered to me either way.
I grew up in a house where someone had supposedly committed suicide years ago. It was no picnic, but not because of anything that might have happened before we moved in.
If it were a murder/suicide, yes, but I’d have the house blessed first.
Garden variety death – no big deal.
Yeah! Although, if by “cellar” you mean “basement,” I couldn’t go by that because almost all houses here have basements. 
You know, my first response was no, I wouldn’t care much, but I don’t think I’d care to live in a house where some really heinous shit went down - I don’t really have nightmares, but I do have those, whatdyacallems, hypnagogic illusions or something (I sometimes see things in our bedroom that aren’t there at night), and I don’t think living in a bloody murder house would make that any better. Or not. I don’t know. I’m not a huge believer in vibes, but I don’t completely discount them, either.
ETA: I forgot to add, the house we currently live in was on the market because the owner died. We don’t know the circumstances of his death, though.
I would love this. Too many golden opportunities to fuck with people.
Like if I saw some “Lookers” on my front lawn, I might be inclined to burst out the front door in a blood spattered butchers outfit, yielding a machete; complete with Leather Face mask.
To answer a Q:
What a real estate agent is compelled to disclose is determined in the US by state law.
A few years ago, CA had a dicussion of this, and legislation requiring disclosure of certain grisly things was introduced.
Have no idea if it was enacted.
It is not common, but has happened that suburban developments have been built on ancient Indian burial grounds. Since the common building technique now used is to scrape about a foot down and pour a slab (yes, I do know about perimeter foundations), the builders never find bones it is always a member of the displaced tribe who shows up and points out the desecration.
Not a problem for us – our house was the site of a suicide a year or so before we bought it. We found out about it before we closed, but that was because our (future) neighbors told us about it, not because the real estate agent or seller disclosed it.
The ABA journal actually used a picture of our house in an article a few years back about disclosing the history of real estate prior to sale.
And so is her sister-in-law.
I live in a very large and old apartment building - I’m certain tragedies have happened there.
What kind of tragedy? Like a bad marriage or something?
I’m not very superstitious. I wouldn’t care. I’d rather get a house where something bad had happened if that resulted in a discount for me.
I would act all scared and wave a chicken bone around to try and get them to lower the price. Beyond that I wouldn’t care.
My grandmother still lives in the house where her first daughter died. I’d like to eventually buy it up, if I’m living in the area, have the money/can get the loans and the fight over it with my cousin doesn’t look likely to get horribly bloody. It’s also the house where a lot of Gramps’ attacks on his descendants took place (dude’s incest switch was off), part of the reason I’d like to live there is that I think the renovating would be sort of a cleansing experience.