With Halloween fast approaching, most neighborhoods are a buzz of zombies, witches, superheros, and foxes?! As my husband and I took a short getaway in Kennebunkport, Maine I admired the homes that were decorated for the holiday and wondered with such old homes, if any were haunted?
The popular TV show American Horror Story's first season titled "Murder House" featured a Realtor attempting to sell a home that was overly haunted. And a recent episode of Long Island Medium featured a family worried about a ghost of a young child who died in the home. Buyers have a right to be concerned about all potential problems with a property, ghosts and murder history included! However, in the State of Maine, a seller is only obligated to disclose "material facts". This means things pertaining to the property's structure and land that is a known fact affecting the property, i.e. cracked foundation, leak in the roof, buried storage tank, etc. However, if a buyer is represented by a Realtor, and the Realtor is made aware of a murder or haunting, the buyer's agent should inform him of the additional knowledge regarding the property.
So, is it possible you could buy a home and not know whether the property is haunted? Yes. Could the seller know of the loss of life in a property and not disclose? Yes. If this concerns you, do your research, ask neighbors, google the address, and maybe hire a paranormal investigator. And if you are the seller worried about being "haunted" by not disclosing information you have on the property, disclose, disclose, disclose!
Safe trick or treating to all and enjoy the holiday!
The popular TV show American Horror Story's first season titled "Murder House" featured a Realtor attempting to sell a home that was overly haunted. And a recent episode of Long Island Medium featured a family worried about a ghost of a young child who died in the home. Buyers have a right to be concerned about all potential problems with a property, ghosts and murder history included! However, in the State of Maine, a seller is only obligated to disclose "material facts". This means things pertaining to the property's structure and land that is a known fact affecting the property, i.e. cracked foundation, leak in the roof, buried storage tank, etc. However, if a buyer is represented by a Realtor, and the Realtor is made aware of a murder or haunting, the buyer's agent should inform him of the additional knowledge regarding the property.
So, is it possible you could buy a home and not know whether the property is haunted? Yes. Could the seller know of the loss of life in a property and not disclose? Yes. If this concerns you, do your research, ask neighbors, google the address, and maybe hire a paranormal investigator. And if you are the seller worried about being "haunted" by not disclosing information you have on the property, disclose, disclose, disclose!
Safe trick or treating to all and enjoy the holiday!
No comments:
Post a Comment