Have you ever been asked if the house you are showing is haunted or if someone died there? I was once asked this question at a house I was selling that was over 200 years old. My initial thought when asked was, I would imagine that in that timeframe 'someone' must have died there.
This prompted me to find out how to handle such a question in the future.
According to Massachusetts Law (Ch. 03, Section 114 Stigmatized Property Law) 'you are not required to disclose suspected paranormal activity or deaths that happened on a property. These situations fall under the psychologically impacted property statute. Essentially, a death or paranormal activity at the property is not a material fact under the law to be disclosed to potential buyers.
You do not have a duty to investigate or proactively disclose information about murders, suicides, paranormal phenomena, or other potential stigmas associated with the property. However, if a prospective buyer directly inquires about these events, a REALTOR® is obligated to provide a truthful answer. If you do not know the answer or if the buyer requests additional information, REALTORS® should guide the buyer to an appropriate resource.'
Some Appropriate Resources for property information
- My resource for buyers has always been to have them contact the local police department and ask about any activity at the property and its immediate neighborhood.
- Another good idea is to google the address and see what may pop up. This has been a good source of information as well.
- I've had buyers speak with a neighbor and ask questions about the house and neighborhood
- When reading a Realtor.com article, it referenced a website (DiedinHouse.com) that, for a fee, will search a property to check for history of a death at the property, check sex offender list within proximity of property, check history for meth activity such as labs, dumpsters or chemical seizures, check for fire activities at property and proximity to Cemetaries from property.
Every State is different so check your state's laws!

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