Some homeowners in Indiana might be among those who reported in a survey at Realtor.com that they had heard a house was haunted but moved in anyway. However, not all residents may be as informed. While there are certain things about a home that sellers are obliged to inform buyers about, the belief that a house is haunted is not one of them.
Among survey respondents who said they believed their house was haunted, almost two-thirds said they were unaware of this fact before they moved in. More than one-third were aware. Furthermore, more than 20% said they would be willing to live in a haunted house, and another 21% said they might be willing. Over 40% said they would not mind if the house next door to them was haunted.
Most respondents did not believe they had lived in a haunted house, but more than 20% said they had, and 20% thought their house may have been haunted. Nearly two-thirds of people said they believed their home was haunted because of strange noises. More than half said shadows made them think the house was haunted while just under half said things moved on their own in the house. Respectively, 46% and 44% said they were touched by a ghost or felt spots in the house that were unusually cold or hot.
Some of these issues, such as strange noises, could be attributable to problems with the home’s construction that the seller might actually be responsible for. People who are buying or selling a home may want to work with an attorney to ensure that they understand and protect their rights and that any necessary disclosures are made. If problems with the house are discovered after the home has been purchased, an attorney might also be able to help.