October 2014

Every house has a history, but what if the house you're trying to sell has a history that is a bit more...ghoulish than most? If you or your community believes a house is haunted, it can make selling a bit more difficult. However, there a several options for someone with a spooky property to sell. Just follow a few simple steps to get the haunted house off your hands.

"In New Mexico, a seller is not required by law to disclose if it was the site of a natural death, homicide, suicide or felony," Kim Clark, Association Executive for the Silver City Regional Association of Realtors. "The state legislature would have to change the disclosure statute to require sellers and Realtors to provide that knowledge to anyone looking to buy a house.

Even if you don't have to disclose, it's still a good idea to give your buyers a heads up. "If your house is known around the community to be haunted, the spooks will eventually let the buyer know," said Clark. "It can create a lot of goodwill if can tell potential buyers to expect a couple of bumps in the night." The death issue is really important to some buyers. Some cultures have strong taboos about being in buildings where someone has died.

There is a chance that your haunted house may even be a selling point. "Strange as it may sound, there are people who would love to live in a haunted house," said Clark. A survey from realtor.com®, revealed that 62 percent of respondents would consider buying a haunted house. "You can work with a Realtor® to tap into that market in your community, perhaps marketing to clubs or organizations with an interest in the supernatural."

If you can't find an amateur paranormal investigator to buy your house, it might be time to lower the price. That same realtor.com® survey showed that nearly one third of buyers would expect a haunted property to be discounted up to 30 percent.

"Haunted houses fall into the category of stigmatized properties. If you've tried everything and nothing has worked, bringing the selling price down might be your only option," said Clark. "If ghosts and ghouls have generated interest in your property, than a bargain price should do the trick."