buying "haunted" homes

[SummerSmiles]

Well, I was able to do a little bit of research... in my state, sellers do not have to disclose whether the property is stigmatized to prospective buyers. Buyers can do a "neighborhood review" which covers this, among other things.

The coworker who sold her "haunted" house said that she would just recommend knocking on the neighbor's doors and talking to them about any rumors that are being passed around. Would that be weird for someone to just go door to door asking about the neighborhood?

[SummerSmiles]

Originally Posted by Bklynguy

Other than following the advice above regarding stigmatized property, there probably isn't a whole lot else you can do.

However, I will say that if someone in your family has an unexplained aversion to the home, it is probably a good idea to take them seriously and let them have their say instead of falling into group think because, "We love the house so much and it is so perfect and..."

Good luck with your search and please keep us posted!

Definitely if something just doesn't "feel right" we won't go for the house. We've already had this happen to us once during our search. We found a home with the exact floorplan that we loved, for a great price, in a good part of town, and both the neighborhood and the home looked to be well-maintained. On paper it was perfect. We were so excited about seeing it when our Realtor sent us the pictures, but for some reason when we got into the house it just felt really uncomfortable to both DH and I.

[Bklynguy]

Originally Posted by SummerSmiles

Definitely if something just doesn't "feel right" we won't go for the house. We've already had this happen to us once during our search. We found a home with the exact floorplan that we loved, for a great price, in a good part of town, and both the neighborhood and the home looked to be well-maintained. On paper it was perfect. We were so excited about seeing it when our Realtor sent us the pictures, but for some reason when we got into the house it just felt really uncomfortable to both DH and I.

Makes sense. And it could have been a presence, or just that you weren't comfortable. Either way, you wouldn't want to be in a home in which you are uncomfortable. I like the ideas of talking to the neighbors--it seems weird, but most people like giving advice and talking about the neighborhood. Ask any person in a given neighborhood, or apartment building, and most times, he/she will be happy to give you all the gossip.

[Melissa]

I don't fear it--but then I'll never have to move again, and the house I'm living in now is one I consider a "happy house" (it was my grandparents).

I did live in one in which oldest son reported seeing (hmm, this hat man thing is interesting but he was way too young to have read about it) a man in a top hat in the upstairs (where the bedrooms were. We'd moved early due to the house getting ready sooner than anticipated (and a good thing--I went back to the apartment we'd left intending to clean up. One of the reasons was that the roof leaked *BADLY* and the landlord didn't want to fix it. When I went back two days after we'd moved (and 8 days before we were supposed to have moved), a large 3 foot by 3 foot square of ceiling had come down (having absorbed way too much water) in the room that had been my bedroom).

Anyhow, we'd had our house blessing scheduled and didn't change the date when our move date changed. Oldest son never saw the figure again after that.

[SilverLight]

Originally Posted by Melissa

I don't fear it--but then I'll never have to move again, and the house I'm living in now is one I consider a "happy house" (it was my grandparents).

I did live in one in which oldest son reported seeing (hmm, this hat man thing is interesting but he was way too young to have read about it) a man in a top hat in the upstairs (where the bedrooms were. We'd moved early due to the house getting ready sooner than anticipated (and a good thing--I went back to the apartment we'd left intending to clean up. One of the reasons was that the roof leaked *BADLY* and the landlord didn't want to fix it. When I went back two days after we'd moved (and 8 days before we were supposed to have moved), a large 3 foot by 3 foot square of ceiling had come down (having absorbed way too much water) in the room that had been my bedroom).

Anyhow, we'd had our house blessing scheduled and didn't change the date when our move date changed. Oldest son never saw the figure again after that.

I also believe I saw this hat man but he did not have a top hat

[tafan]

I don't think it would be a big consideration when buying a house. I am not one to say that ghosts don't exist, but they are harmless. Maybe a demonic possessed house is a possibility, that would be scary.
I would have laughed at this thread, but a couple of years ago we had some really strange things happening in our house. The kids were convinced for a while there was a ghost in it; I did not see the ghost, but I suspect they were correct based on the evidence. It only lasted two or three months, no big deal. It does make for a good family story.

[Marchmain1987]

Originally Posted by Bklynguy

In other words, Satan and his angels can disguising themselves as otherwise harmless spirits? I ocassionally watch shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. First of all, I take the shows with a grain of salt. Having said that, I always found the "children spirits" quite baffling---sometimes I would actually think to myself, "Why would God leave them in the lurch?"

Yes. The point is to open the door of conversation with them. And they do the rest. The “test” is to see if they actually speak (in whatever form).

I watch Celebrity Ghost Stories – once in a blue moon – I’ve always liked Joan Collins’ Venice story the best. However, I think the stories are just made-up.

[SilverLight]

Originally Posted by Marchmain1987

Yes. The point is to open the door of conversation with them. And they do the rest. The “test” is to see if they actually speak (in whatever form).

I watch Celebrity Ghost Stories – once in a blue moon – I’ve always liked Joan Collins’ Venice story the best. However, I think the stories are just made-up.

I agree and I think half of the ghost shows are fake because I have tryed doing an EVP also and its not as easy as they make it look.

[horselvr]

Nope, never open up any communication. I have the best luck with ignoring stuff that ocassionally goes on and it does not escalate.

I live in the south and this whole area has strange happenings. There were quite a few massacres in this area and people around here are always complaining about one strange thing after another.

Before I bought this place I looked at a wonderful property on 10 acres with wrought iron fence all around it and hugh floor to ceiling windows in the living room with a beautiful panoramic view and the rest of the house was wonderful----from the outside. I had heard the previous owners were going through a divorce and the property could be had for a song.

While the realtor was showing me around the upstairs we heard terrible but muffled arguing downstairs, a man and a woman having a terrible argument. The realtor thought maybe someone was in the house, downstairs and called out to them and then we heard every window in the living room crash to the floor.

We ran to the balcony only to find everthing was intact and not one shred of glass anywhere. We looked at eachother and bolted for the door. Ya know how two people get stuck in the doorway as they are trying to leave in a hurry---well that was us.

To this day whenever I see her daughter she will comment on that incident and tell me how her Mom is still shook up over it. That property is just down the road from me and every now and then I get the urge to ask the new owners if they have ever experienced anything but just in case that they haven't, I back off so they won't think I'm some sort of nut case.

But no, never engage in any dialog. Ignore, ignore, ignore.

[englishredrose]

Originally Posted by SummerSmiles

My DH and I are currently looking to purchase our first home. And as we're looking, we're talking with friends, family, coworkers etc. to try and get as much information as we can to help us make a good decision. The topic of haunted homes has come up quite frequently recently.

One friend purchased a home from a deceased person's estate and now claims that the old homeowners are still in the house. They're not doing anything threatening; just mischievous things like moving items from one room to the other. A coworker just sold her home that she believe was haunted. She recently returned to the home to see if her cat, who keeps returning to the old home, is still around and the new owner asked her if that house is haunted. We've heard similar stories from a few other people as well.

So, is there any way to avoid buying a home like that? And what happens if we get into a house, and then figure out that weird things are happening in it? I'd like to think I'm just being paranoid, but we've talked to many people who have claimed to have things happening in their houses so it's difficult for me to just brush it off. Of course, we could just have our Realtor ask the sellers if anything strange happens around the home, but I'm not sure that many sellers would be willing to disclose that information... suggestions?

this kind of ghost thing .... just for entertainment and not real. If you are concerned about a home you buy you can approach your priest and he will offer the right blessing on your home so you are no longer troubled.

[Bix]

Originally Posted by Marchmain1987

Yes. The point is to open the door of conversation with them. And they do the rest. The “test” is to see if they actually speak (in whatever form).

I watch Celebrity Ghost Stories – once in a blue moon – I’ve always liked Joan Collins’ Venice story the best. However, I think the stories are just made-up.

This would be a very, very, very bad idea. You should never try and converse with anything like this. Ever.


Ignore, pray, call a priest.

[TheRealJuliane]

Originally Posted by SilverLight

The Hat Man....I saw him to in the doorway to the hallway mine did not have a top hat but still.

How is he "The Hat Man" if he wasn't wearing a hat??

[Tabone]

I would buy regardless.

Now, what to do when they're there? Well, that sounds fun to me....

Step 1. Point out the obvious. The ghost is dead. You bought the house fair and square. The dead have no rights. Tell him to get his newly-homeless dead self out. Calmy point out the dotted line where his living relatives sold his house. Tell the ghost how they spent the money on drugs. Tell the ghost to get out.

Step 2. Kill the ghost's emotions. Call the ghost a 'freeloader' and 'good-for-nothing'. When you find something out of place, get your most exhasparated voice on and tell him, "You're rearranging deck chairs on the titanic". Point out how useless and meaningless his non-existance is... "You're even less usefull dead than alive!"

Step 3. Annoy, annoy, annoy. Find the most annoying children's song you can. Turn it on loop everytime you leave the house. If the ghost turns it off, buy a cheap radio and put it next to the stereo. Claim loudly you're trying to measure 'ghostpower'. Find out how many annoyances your ghost can handle. Add another for good measure.

Step 4. Get a cat to chase it. Cats love chasing things. Doesn't some unloved kitten out there deserve the potential joy of endless ghost chasing? Heck, get three.

Step 5. Enjoy your home. Ignore the useless freeloader who keeps the cats busy. Host big parties. Once all the guests leave, don't forget to act all disappointed the ghost couldn't attend. Hold 'ghost hunts'. Charge admission. Buy a laser pointer. Shoot the ghost with it. Frequently. Five points for the head!

Ah, well. Your resident freeloader will probably move at this point, depriving you of any more fun.

Best of luck! Happy hunting!

[SummerSmiles]

Originally Posted by Tabone

I would buy regardless.

Now, what to do when they're there? Well, that sounds fun to me....

Step 1. Point out the obvious. The ghost is dead. You bought the house fair and square. The dead have no rights. Tell him to get his newly-homeless dead self out. Calmy point out the dotted line where his living relatives sold his house. Tell the ghost how they spent the money on drugs. Tell the ghost to get out.

Step 2. Kill the ghost's emotions. Call the ghost a 'freeloader' and 'good-for-nothing'. When you find something out of place, get your most exhasparated voice on and tell him, "You're rearranging deck chairs on the titanic". Point out how useless and meaningless his non-existance is... "You're even less usefull dead than alive!"

Step 3. Annoy, annoy, annoy. Find the most annoying children's song you can. Turn it on loop everytime you leave the house. If the ghost turns it off, buy a cheap radio and put it next to the stereo. Claim loudly you're trying to measure 'ghostpower'. Find out how many annoyances your ghost can handle. Add another for good measure.

Step 4. Get a cat to chase it. Cats love chasing things. Doesn't some unloved kitten out there deserve the potential joy of endless ghost chasing? Heck, get three.

Step 5. Enjoy your home. Ignore the useless freeloader who keeps the cats busy. Host big parties. Once all the guests leave, don't forget to act all disappointed the ghost couldn't attend. Hold 'ghost hunts'. Charge admission. Buy a laser pointer. Shoot the ghost with it. Frequently. Five points for the head!

Ah, well. Your resident freeloader will probably move at this point, depriving you of any more fun.

Best of luck! Happy hunting!

[LemonAndLime]

I work in a hospital and like most staff who work nights I believe in ghosts and have had experiences.

As the saying goes, there is no reason to fear the dead, they cannot hurt you. Only fear the living.

(But ghosts do still make me jump every now and then. )