Many homes have spooky stories that reflect something horrible that happened in the past. It is not always easy to know where these homes are located. Most buyers expect the seller or the real estate agent to reveal details about the home's past to them especially if they have plans to buy. If you are looking for a home in Maryland or Virginia, don't expect the seller to tell you about that odd man who appears in the middle of the night and then disappears. Or even about that gruesome crime that occurred in the home two or three years ago. The burden is on you the buyer to discover these spooky details. Many buyers think this lack of disclosure is not fair. Whether its fair or not, you can see how tricky this disclosure is. There are some people who see dead people and others who simply do not.
If this is important to you; there are three simple steps you can do. Remember as a buyer the burden is on you to make the discovery.
1. Ask the seller specifically about events that may have happened on the property in the past. Sellers may not be required to volunteer this information but they are required to answer truthfully.
2. Search the property online and look for the news articles as well as police reports.
3. Talk to the neighbors-neighbors never miss a chance to share the neighborhood gossip.
If you are one of those buyers who are never shaken by spooky things, THEN KEEP CALM AND PROCEED TO PURCHASE YOUR HOME.
