During the spooky season, it is interesting that most Americans would be willing to purchase a well-known haunted house to save money. Surprisingly, over half (52%) of Americans are open to this idea. A significant 71% would consider it if it meant a financial benefit, as indicated by a recent study conducted by Real Estate Witch, Zillowtastrophes, and Estate Media. And here are even more statistics revealed by the study:
In 2023, around 29% of Americans believe they have resided in a genuinely haunted house, as opposed to 24% who claimed the same in 2022.
Of those who have lived in a haunted house, 27% were aware of the haunting before moving in and still chose to live there.
57% of those who have lived in a haunted house admit to being scared, and 43% say their home caused them stress.
More than a third of haunted house homeowners (36%) regret their decision to live in a haunted house and 55% state that they would not purchase another home if they knew it was haunted.
Over two-thirds of Americans (68%) believe the government should mandate sellers to disclose if a home is haunted.
Only 31% of sellers would willingly disclose that a house was haunted to a buyer.
In 2023, 11% of sellers would refuse to disclose a haunted house, even if required by law, compared to 8% in 2022.
52% of Americans would consider buying a haunted house in 2023, a decrease from 58% in 2022.
71% of Americans could be persuaded to purchase a haunted house to save money.
Nearly two-thirds of home buyers (62%) would only make an offer below the market value for a haunted home, with one-third (31%) offering at least $50,000 less and one-ninth (11%) offering at least $100,000.
While ghosts may be frightening, 93% of Americans are more afraid of home repair issues, such as mold (60%), termites (57%), and a leaky roof (54%). Almost half of Americans (48%) would rather live with ghosts than purchase a home near a nuclear waste facility.
Americans also ignored a few spooky things in favor of more space inside the house (38%), a larger yard or more land (38%), or a better school district (34%).
If you fear ghosts, doing your due diligence before buying a house is a good idea. 73% of haunted homeowners learned their house was haunted after moving in.
You can visit Real Estate Witch to read the full report 2023 Data: What’s Scarier Than a Haunted House? Homeowners Reveal the Frightening Facts.
Mihaela Lica Butler is senior partner at Pamil Visions PR. She is a widely cited authority on public relations issues, with an experience of over 25 years in online PR, marketing, and SEO.She covers startups, online marketing, social media, SEO, and other topics of interest for Realty Biz News.