on the market less than four months. Bill Higgins of Prudential Higgins Real Estate in Hillsdale, N. J., says he dropped the asking price of a house where a man "blew his brains out all over the wall." It sold quickly. Ms. Scott, the Beverly Hills broker, says she once saw a hand draw back a curtain on the third floor of an otherwise empty, though allegedly haunted, house she was showing to a customer. "If a house has its drawbacks, it sells," she says. "In this town everything sells." Tell it to Mrs. Sylvain, of the haunted house in Cripple Creek. While her ghost, Ed, hasn't proven as good a salesman as he is a roommate, she doesn't blame the poltergeist for scaring off buyers. In fact, she recommends his company. "I never felt alone in that house," Mrs. Sylvain says. "I actually miss him." --- Stigma Statutes Disclosure laws vary from state to state, and you should seek legal advice prior to selling or buying a property. -- States requiring sellers to disclose physical conditions such as roof damage, structural defects or other problems: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin. -- States exempting brokers from disclosing property stigmas such as crimes, suicides or HIV status of a previous occupant: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, D. C., Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Virginia. Crime is a far more common issue. Sometimes a home's notoriety can attract buyers. Other times it can hinder a sale. The Menendez house was appraised at $4.8 million but sold for about $3.6 million. The Brentwood, Calif., townhouse where Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were slain has been on the market for a year with only a few lookers. Jeffrey Hyland of Hilton & Hyland Real Estate in Beverly Hills, who sold O. J. Simpson his well-known Rockingham Drive house, says that shortly after the murders, "there were people phoning me asking if it was available." Brokers say the smartest strategy is to be frank about a property's history and price accordingly, especially in full-disclosure states. That can help a sale, since many people aren't spooked by a house's history. "Normally it's not the type of thing that people are going to put at the top of their lists," says Philip Lapatin, legal counsel for the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. "They're more likely to ask about the schools and whether the roof leaks. Not whether it's haunted." But if a stigma becomes public, it can help a sale. The Menendez place was on the market less than four months. Bill Higgins of Prudential Higgins Real Estate in Hillsdale, N. J., says he dropped the asking price of a house where a man "blew his brains out all over the wall." It sold quickly. Ms. Scott, the Beverly Hills broker, says she once saw a hand draw back a curtain on the third floor of an otherwise empty, though allegedly haunted, house she was showing to a customer. "If a house has its drawbacks, it sells," she says. "In this town everything sells." Tell it to Mrs. Sylvain, of the haunted house in Cripple Creek. While her ghost, Ed, hasn't proven as good a salesman as he is a roommate, she doesn't blame the poltergeist for scaring off buyers. In fact, she recommends his company. "I never felt alone in that house," Mrs. Sylvain says. "I actually miss him." --- Stigma Statutes Disclosure laws vary from state to state, and you should seek legal advice prior to selling or buying a property. -- States requiring sellers to disclose physical conditions such as roof damage, structural defects or other problems: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin. -- States exempting brokers from disclosing property stigmas such as crimes, suicides or HIV status of a previous occupant: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, D. C., Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Virginia. PAGE 3 |
 |