Recently, a home in Canada hit the market for thousands of dollars less than homes of similar size, and stature. Located in a small town, the home has new paint, new flooring, new walls, a deck, and fenced backyard. Sounds like a great home, with equity. Well, there's one other thing about this property that you may want to know. It was the scene of a triple homicide last year.
This 1,000 square foot home was the scene of a murder involving a husband, wife and child. In the small town of 57,000 everyone remembers the home, and what happened at the site. While the agent was not required to disclose the events that took place on the site (disclosure of murder is not required in Canada), he did make mention of the “violent crime” within the listing. Realtors debate both sides of properties with this kind of history. Some say that buyers look for a good deal, and won’t let such a thing bother them. Others say a property with a stigma like this one, won’t sell at all.
A newly updated home, in a small town, with equity going into the deal. Despite the violence that occurred, the question is… would you buy it?
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At first glance this seems like an easy "No thanks" for the following reasons. I would not purchase the property due to the fact that its located in such a small town. In larger areas a property can shed its stigma over time as property turns over and new people move into the area. In this case, if its rumored the property is "Haunted" that may last for generations. But after looking it over again the question is what type of market are you in? Scott Peterson's (accused murderer) home sold for a premium due to the stigma. So bottom line, know your market. And remember just because the Realtor priced this atypical property below the typical market value, doesn't mean that buyers aren't willing to pay a lot more!
Posted by: Lou Davis | August 14, 2007 9:26 AM | Permalink to Comment