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Disclosing Haunted Homes And Murders in Real Estate Sales
Haunted houses are always fun to visit! But, if you are asked to live in any one of them, you’ll definitely say NO! So, that raises a "spooky" legal question.
To sell your home in California even in the best of times is a daunting task. The various deterrents you need to overcome to get a house sold. Every seller wants to sell the property as quickly as possible, and for as high a cost as the market will bear.
But, what happens when you are selling a home that is known to be “haunted with paranormal activity”???
"Haunted" properties fall within the category of stigmatized properties. So. Let’s start with-
What Is Stigmatized Properties?
It’s true that bad things do happen sometimes, and when they happen, you may have no control over them. Murder, suicide and different adversities happen routinely all through the nation and the world. A lot of these sad occasions occur in everyday homes.
Properties influenced by such occasions are referred as ‘Stigmatized’.
A stigmatized property can even be a property that has been the scene of recognized crimes, clique action, or well known infidelities.
Near about half of the U.S. states have laws dealing with stigmatized properties, but most don't require sellers to reveal if they trust they have a phantom. However, Disclosing the historical backdrop of that spooky house is the most reasonable game-plan.
Are you one of the owners of such a home? If yes, it is important that you know about the laws in your state concerning disclosure.
Here are the things that you need to disclose…
Contingent upon the state in which you live, there are various things a real estate agent could possibly need to unveil. Remember, if a realtor or consumer poses an immediate inquiry, then sellers are ALWAYS needed to answer sincerely.
Hiding information from a client can simply lead to getting sued. So, Voluntary providing information, is something which is actually needed. So, when it comes to real estate marketing, you need to provide a following disclosure to a consumer-
- If the house is haunted
- If any murder or suicide took place in a property
- If a sex offender lives next door or close to the home
- If somebody died from a disease like, AIDS or any other in this home
Every buyer would definitely love to know the answers to these questions voluntarily.
Let’s see what California laws say for stigmatized property…
The state of California has diverse laws concerning stigmatized property. The captivating thing about the California law is that it just requires disclosure if the event occurred in the previous three years.
It can't be exaggerated that each realtor should understand the disclosure laws in their state with respect to these kind of issues. A few home buyers won't consider buying a home in California if they know that a recent death or any mishappening took place in the property.
Making The Sale, Honesty And Protecting Yourself!
While making the sale, the most imperative criteria for what to disclose - should always be ‘the law in your state’. You can't take the risk of infringing upon any laws during your sale, so make sure you stick on to all laws that apply to your circumstance.
Remember that as a seller your loyalty is a must. The seller must tell their agents to disclose every paranormal activity that took place in the home. This creates a good relationship between buyers and sellers to sell your home fast in California.
No doubt, disclosure can be a dubious attempt in real estate, but Realtors or sellers should always remain on safe hands by making disclosures for the sake of selling.
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