Was There a Death In The House You Are Selling?

When most folks start out to buy a home, the least likely question on their mind is whether there was a death n the house.  Most home buyers are more apt to be thinking about where their furniture will look best and whether they can afford the payments, than has anybody ever died in the house. But to some home buyers, a death in the house is a defect that cannot be overcome.

If the Sellers Died In the House Would You Buy it?
Many Dallas real estate buyers generally say it depends on how the seller died in the house. Some types of death carry stronger feelings and are hard to comprehend.  An elderly seller vs., a murder for example.
• Did the seller trip and fall down the stairs, crack open his head and instantly die?
• Did a burglar break in and surprise the seller by shooting him in the middle of the living room?
• Was the seller ill for a long time and died peacefully in her sleep?
• Was the home the scene of a homicide or a suicide?
Buyers of older Plano homes should realize that in the early 1900s, many people were born and died at the same home. It is more likely than not that a death has occurred in the house over the years. Does it matter if it happened 100 years vs. 10 years ago? You can be certain that many 300+ year old homes in France could have been involved at one point to the French Revolution and its occupants murdered.
Must Listing Agents Disclose if Sellers Died in the House?
Not all states require such a disclosure. For example, in Colorado, neither the agent nor his sellers are required to disclose if a person died in the house. But in Texas, if a "unnatural" death occurred in the house it's considered a material fact and must be disclosed.
Sellers should use common sense. If it's a fact that you would want to know when buying a home, then you should probably disclose it.  Some classes are protected, however, such as sellers who die from AIDS or AIDS related illness. Find a real estate agent to ask or check with a real estate lawyer to determine the laws that govern in your state.

How Does a Death in the House Affect Its Value?
Some of these houses end up being sold to one of those We Buy Houses companies that have a network of buyers.  We can all agree that there is nothing about a death in the house that will improve its value or marketability.  Most home buyers will move forward with a purchase of a house if they find that an elderly person has passed away in it.  On the flip side though, if they find that a violent murder or a suicide took place in the house they will probably not move forward with the purchase and it may take a step cut in the sale price to find a buyer.