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Ofgift G.


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517 posts

Went by to check out a house today, and talked to one of the neighbors.
She said she's seen a ghost in the house next to the one I am interested in, and knows other people who have, too.

She said that house is a rental, (it's for rent now) and that few people stay there more than a few months.

So, do ghosts go visiting?

If all else is acceptible, would you buy?

ofgift

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Eric F.

Real Estate Investor
Portland, OR
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1112 posts

Originally posted by "ofgift"
...So, do ghosts go visiting?

If all else is acceptible, would you buy?

I have not seen that question here before… Sounds like an adventure to me!

I do watch some of those ghost and haunting shows… I have never seen a ghost myself… But I have heard that some ghosts do “go visiting” as you put it… I assume what you meant by that was… “Would they come over to your house?”

My answer, from what I hear is possibly…

I may want to inquire more about the ghosts first, but I would still buy it.
Also, you may check on the “ghost house too” sounds like they may be a tired landlord!

Let us know how it goes.

Tom C.

Real Estate Investor
OH
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812 posts

You know you could capitalize on this ghost story. In a recent rehab, I was crawling around the attic and found an old paper bag stuffed between the ceiling joist. When I opened it there was an old doll in it. I did some research on the doll and couldn't find much on it. A dealer told me it was worth maybe 50.00 dollars. I put on EBay with the heading " Haunted Doll?" and told the story of how I found it. I had 6 bids on the doll and made $150.00 bucks.

There are a lot of freaky people out there that will pay for a little excitement in their life.

Jared C.

Real Estate Investor
Fort Wayne, IN
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426 posts

Ghosts in the rental? I would evict them if they aren't paying rent. :)

I have sold so many things on ebay that I have found in some of the houses I have rehabbed...

Ofgift G.


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517 posts

I went to see the house today with my agent. If they lower the price another $40-50K it might be worth considering, but there's way too many things not okay about it otherwise. And, it didn't feel good.

P N.


OR
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456 posts

I'd love to own a haunted house. I'd get premium rent for it.

If the tenants are moving out, either the landlord is not screening well, or, much more likely, there is a miserable neighbor that no one can get along with (probably the woman you talked to, she's sounds like she's good and crazy).

I rented an 800 year old house in England that ws haunted, and I was all full of hope that I would actually see a ghost, but I was there for 3 years and nothing happened, other than some creaking with the wind.

Jared C.

Real Estate Investor
Fort Wayne, IN
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426 posts

800 year old house???

P N.


OR
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456 posts

Sorry. 15th century. That's only 500 years.

The Abbey around the corner was built in 1090, and there was an old church much older than that (but I can't find the date).

If stuff is built to last, and it is taken care of, it lasts a very long time.

The house was a framework of gorgeous enormous oak beams with the spaces in between filled with woven willow branches, horse hair, and plaster. The roof was once thatch, but it had ben replaced with tile.

People used to be shorter. The beams inside the house were less than 6 feet off the floor and the doorways were really tiny. There was a spiral staircase where the treads were just inches wide, so you went up the stairs on your toes and came down sideways, clinging to the wall.

I loved that house, but never heard anything from the resident ghost.

MikeOH

Real Estate Investor
Ohio, Ohio
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2663 posts

A lot of my lower income tenants have reported seeing unusual things also. Now that I think about it, it could have been a ghost. On the other hand, I wonder if the tenants smoking crack could have anything to do with it?

I certainly wouldn't worry about a ghost. There are plenty of REAL things to worry about!

Mike

Eric F.

Real Estate Investor
Portland, OR
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1112 posts

Originally posted by "MikeOH"
...I certainly wouldn't worry about a ghost. There are plenty of REAL things to worry about!

Well said Mike...

Jared C.

Real Estate Investor
Fort Wayne, IN
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426 posts

Wow PNW, that sounds awesome! I would love to see pics of that place.

Mike... none of your tenants smoke crack do they?

Eric M.


Alabama
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171 posts

I have a couple of rentals that the tenants have told me are haunted. The strangest story is that 4 days after closing on one of the homes the neighbors told me that a 14 year old boy had stabbed his grandma to death and stuffed her into a gravity fed furnace in the home, he was later killed by another family member

Well, when the new tenant moved in she had been there a week and I was chattting with her about how every thing was going, and she said " Well great but the house is haunted" . The hair on my arms stood on end. She had been my tenant at a previous rental for over a year and I never had any stories from her at that house.

I asked her if she had talked to any of the neighbors and she said no. I just played like I didn't know anything. She went onto to tell me that the doors open on their own. She said that one night she went to the kitchen and there was a boy and a grandma standing there. She thought it was because the home backed up to a cemetary. I didn't tell her the truth.

Gary D.

Homeowner
San Luis Obispo County, CA
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66 posts

You know, this is an element that never even crossed my mind.

If the house doesn't sell, just turn it into a haunted home and charge admisssion! Ask Fodor's or Lonely Planet to put it in their tourist guides

But the grandma and boy thing is kinda freaky. I got chills!

Ofgift G.


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517 posts

The haunted house is NEXT to the one I was interested in. The haunted house is not for sale, but for rent. From what the neighbor said, she saw the ghost, a female, in the front yard, but other people see it or hear it inside, either in the kitchen, walking toward the kitchen, or they hear the shower running and the curtain being drawn in the bathroom.

Josh G.

Real Estate Investor
Bethlehem, PA
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51 posts

There's a haunted house no more than 1/2 from my current house. Its a rental, and def. very old colonial style. It has one of the quickest turnover rates I've seen.....If its not for rent within 2 months of the tenant moving it, thats a long time.

Its a huge house too.....but again, its vacancy rate has to be through the roof considering I see the for rent sign out all the time

Stan M.

Residential Real Estate Agent
Hallandale, FL
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27 posts

Very unusual topic! I never heard that investors discussed that before. But if you will think about it -- that is really great attractions... to some people. And scariest thing to others))

George B.

Inspector
georgetown, AZ
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16 posts

Sorry, but as much as the popular culture likes to believe in ghosts, they simply don't exist. Think about how many ghost stories you've heardand then think how many times in your life you've actually seen something that could only be explained as a ghost. I bought foreclosed home with all kinds of weird noises, but they all can be explained with simple physics. I would say to go ahead and get the house and forget about all the superstitious nonsense you see on tv.

Ofgift G.


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517 posts

Originally posted by "battongeor227"
Sorry, but as much as the popular culture likes to believe in ghosts, they simply don't exist.

okay, sing it boys and girls:
eeev'ry paaarty needs a pooper that's why we invited you!
paarty poooo--per!

ofgift
who disagrees with you. _I_ believe ghosts exist.

Northshore B.

Property Manager
Honolulu, HI
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473 posts

As with so many aspects of this Real Estate game, it is less important what YOU believe in (or what your intent is), what matters is the belief (or perception) of the other parties involved...tenant, prospect, buyer, etc. This belief/perception is oftentimes related to the customs or culture of the people involved.

Depending on your market, you may need to adjust your views, or lose out on otherwise perfectly good tenants/buyers.

For example, it is not uncommon here to hear stories about the Night Marchers in certain areas. It is also quite common to have homes, businesses, new construction etc. " Blessed" with much ceremony to assuage the restless souls. These ceremonies also serve to show the cultural sensitivity of the investors/owners/developers and aid in achieving good community relations.

Another prominent example is Feng Shui. I can't tell you how many times a prospective tenant has whipped out a compass to see if the rooms/house face the " proper" way.

You can ignore it, or worse, make light of it, and lose prospective business; or, you can roll with the flow...make lemonade out of lemons...Close the Deal.

Renee A.

Appraiser
Berryville, AR
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38 posts

If you think ghosts do not exist, then you need to come stay at my house. There are lots of things that happen here. It all started when we started doing some remodeling. Apparently someone is not happen about my choices! My 3 year old keeps seeing some scary guy and playing with a little boy named Lou (we dont know anyone named Lou). Also, things just fall by themselves like boxes, packages, etc. I have seem them pick themselves up off the table and fall to the floor. The lights to the basement are always turning off and on by themselves, at one point I thought maybe someone was living down there (I had heard of a man living in someones crawl space not far from here). The other day in the middle of the day I was upstairs in my office and heard a woman talking and laughing downstairs. I thought someone had come in without ringing the bell but no one was here or outside. My son and I both hears someone say his name one morning. The dog is always growling at things that arent there. My kids are the first little kids to live in the house, maybe that has something to do with it. The wierd thing is it only happens when my husband is not home. Maybe they dont like him, dont blame them sometimes. Ha ha. We live across the street from the only funeral home in town, maybe they think it is a bed and breakfast before going to the great unknown?!?!?