Most Americans Would Buy a Known Haunted House to Save Money

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Oct 17, 2023, 08:46 ET

In 2023, 63% would offer below market value on a haunted house. A staggering 72% of prospective buyers, however, would feel uncomfortable living in a haunted house.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1 in 4 Americans (29%) believe they've actually lived in a haunted house — up from 24% in 2022, according to new research from Real Estate Witch, an online publication owned by Clever Real Estate that connects readers with expert real estate advice, Estate Media, the first real estate personality-driven media company with a network of agents, professionals, and creators, and Zillowtastrophes, which showcases bizarre, head-scratching real estate listings to more than 700,000 followers on social media.

What would convince you to buy a haunted house?

Of those who have lived in a haunted house, 73% were not aware of its paranormal reputation prior to moving in. Unsurprisingly, 40% of those who knowingly bought a haunted house were swayed due to a lower price tag.

Despite the cost savings, 36% of haunted homeowners regret living in a haunted house, and 55% would not buy another home they knew was haunted.

A resounding 68% of Americans believe the government should mandate sellers to disclose if a home is haunted. Paradoxically, only 31% of sellers would actually provide such information willingly due to fears of the home being harder to sell.

Although haunted houses make Americans uneasy, more than half (52%) remain open to the idea, and 71% would consider it if they could save money.

Most Americans (62%) would only offer below market value for a haunted home, with 1 in 3 (31%) offering at least $50,000 less. Notably, 48% say nothing could convince them to purchase a haunted house.

Just 7% of Americans say ghosts are the scariest aspect of homeownership, though — 93% express a greater fear of home repair issues, such as mold (60%), termites (57%), and a leaky roof (54%), than the presence of ghosts in their homes.

Americans say the most terrifying aspects of homeownership are all financial in nature: unexpected costs (50%), high interest rates (46%), and an inability to pay their mortgage (42%).

Read the full report at: https://www.realestatewitch.com/haunted-real-estate-2023/

About Real Estate Witch
Real Estate Witch is a web property of Clever Real Estate, an online platform that connects home buyers and sellers with top-rated agents at a discounted rate.

About Estate Media
Founded by real estate, media and investment leaders Josh Flagg, Griff O'Brien and Andrew Shanfeld, Estate Media brings together established and emerging talent with a combined audience of more than 25 million followers to develop original IP and branded content across social and traditional platforms.

Estate Media's slate of original podcasts, weekly newsletters, digital series, and educational shows offers real estate enthusiasts a wide variety of content that entertains and informs.

About Zillowtastrophes
Zillowtastrophes showcases the most bizarre, hilarious, and head-scratching real estate listings on the market. Each new day brings weirder and more unique houses to enjoy on TikTok (730k followers), Instagram (62k followers), and in a weekly newsletter, run by account creator, Jess More.

CONTACT:
Jaime Seale
PR Writer and Strategist
Clever Real Estate
417-439-2641

SOURCE Real Estate Witch