Nearly one third of Americans say that they would be willing to live with a friendly ghost if it meant being able to afford a nice home, according to a new poll.
According to Realtor.com’s annual Halloween survey, “ghostly happenings and nightmarish neighbors are all fair game if it means being able to afford their dream home in the current market.”
The survey of 2,583 U.S. adults, conducted online in Sept. 2021 by HarrisX, found that Americans are willing to live not only with a ghost, but also with other “ghoulish going-ons.”
Twenty percent of Americans said that they would be willing to live in a home where a murder had taken place.
- Three quarters (75%) say they’d require a discount to buy a home where someone was murdered, with most (69 percent) wanting more than 10% off market price.
- Some want even more money off: one quarter (24 percent) would need a discount of more than 50 percent to buy a home where someone was murdered.
Another 17 percent said that they would live in a haunted house, and that number jumps to 46 percent if they’re able to get the haunted home at a discounted price.
Additionally, 30 percent said that they would be willing to live next to a cemetery and 25 percent said that they were fine with having a haunted house next door.
“In today’s ultra-competitive housing market, buyers are looking for a break,” Realtor.com Deputy News Editor Clare Trapasso said in a press release obtained by Timcast. “The majority are willing to consider homes that are rumored to be haunted, especially if they can get these properties at a discount. Nearly half of those surveyed would live in a haunted house if they can get a good discount, which to many buyers is more than half off of the market price.”
People who are hoping to buy a home in the next year are even more open to spooky residences — especially at a discount. The pollsters found that 63 percent are willing to live in a haunted house at a discounted price, with most looking for a discount that’s more than 20 percent off market price.
“Homebuyers who are concerned about a home’s past should be sure to ask questions and do some research before they buy a new house. Only a few states require sellers to inform house hunters if someone died on the property. Some people who find themselves living in a home they believe to be haunted turn to specialists — like paranormal investigators, spiritual healers, and even church-sanctioned religious leaders,” said Trapasso.
The survey was conducted online within the U. S. from Sept. 23 – Oct. 1 among 2,583 adults by HarrisX. The sampling margin of error of this poll is plus or minus 1.9 percentage points. The results reflect a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Results were weighted for age by gender, region, race/ethnicity, income.
