What would it take for you to buy it?

Hello everyone,

My wife and I have been having a discussion about the Overland Park house where the guy killed his wife (I will resist the temptation to call it the "Murder House"). We drive by it every once in a while to see if it has sold. As of this weekend, the lock box was still on the door and the "For Sale" sign was leaning against the side of it.

Personally, we can't envision any scenario where we would want to live in that house. I didn't even feel comfortable about my wife turning around in its driveway. To us, it just has bad karma and we wouldn't step foot in it, let alone buy it (even at a deep discount).

Anyway, here's my Monday morning question, from which I hope to stimulate some discussion (and let's keep it general so that we don't stray into the realm of bad taste): would any of you consider buying a house in which a murder took place? Would you buy it at market value? Would you buy it at a discount? If so, how deep would the discount have to be? $100k? More? I am curious to hear what others think about this.

 

"karma" is bs, IMO. I guess if you are going to dwell on things, then it wouldnt be a great idea to buy it. But I'm willing to bet if the person didn't know and the neighbors didn't tell the stories, then everything would be fine. I would buy it at a discount to take advantage of people that are scared to.

 

Unless you buy a brand new house ..who really knows what happened in the house you just purchased ... I lived in a house that was almost
60 years old and had several owners before me in the 80s ( when I bought it ) ... now who knows how many people were killed / died in that house ... from what cause ....

 

Interesting viewpoint, boomer, but it would seem to be a minority one. You can almost measure "time on the market" in hours around here, yet the Overland Park house is still on the market after several months.

I have heard that realtors have a duty to disclose if a killing has taken place on a property. This is the only explanation that I can think of for this house still being on the market.

Here's another question: even if you wouldn't live in the house, could you buy it as a rental property, and withhold its history from potential tenants? It might be a good investment if you could get it at a discount. And I wonder if you have a duty, when re-selling it, to disclose its history to potential buyers (i.e., is there a statute of limitations for how long you have to disclose this fact to buyers)?

Any realtors out there know for sure?

 

I heard that it was priced comparable to the other "non-murder" houses in the neighborhood. IMO that is the main reason it hasn't sold.

And to answer your rental question, if I had the means, I would absolutely buy it (I think a $35000 discount would be sufficient), but I don't think I'd want to live there.

In a few years I don't think the history will matter as much. But the "alleged" suspect hasn't even had his trial yet, so it's still too fresh

 

My issue would be where the murder took place. If it took place inside the house then one would assume there would need to be a lot of cleaning. And like fire/water damage, how well can you really clean that particular area w/out gutting the inside of the house (or room) & starting over? I just wonder how well this house was cleaned.

To touch on the bad karma subject, some people may take the opposite view and say that the house now needs happiness and love, or good karma so to speak. Then again, there are people who want to live in haunted houses so..what's better than living in a "murder" house?

 

Is it clear that the murder actually took place in the house? I haven't followed the story.

 

I'd have no problems living there. People get killed everywhere every day. Do you go out of your way to avoid places on roads where people have been killed (marked by roadside memorials)? I think karma is bull too, it all lives in your head...'reality perceived is reality indeed'. Who knows what happened on the grounds your house is built on...nevermind what actually happened in the physical house.

That being said, I think it would make an excellent location for a neighborhood haunted house this haloween.

 

I've actually had this same discussion recently regarding a house in Reston where someone wife was brutally murdered a few years ago. Personally, if I was aware that a person was murdered in the house, then I don't think I could buy it and live there - regardless of cost.

That being said though - most people don't know the true history of most houses that are for sale. Especially with the history in this area. My assumption is that there's a lot more of this type of stuff that happens than people realize.

 

You could make a killing... great idea, brim!

 

You're not sleeping on the roadside memorial. I think there is a big difference between walking through an intersection where someone was killed in a car and taking a bath in a tub in which a woman had been dismembered. But that's just me.

 

we just purchased our home right around the time of the murder and i mentioned to my realtor, "wow! someone's going to have a hard time selling that house!" she told me that they no longer are required by law in Virginia to disclose that! scary! and if there are any long time loudoun residents that can remember back in the 80's a woman in sterling killed herself in her garage (by car fumes) and then the garage exploded...they rebuilt that garage and sold the house many, many times to unsuspecting homeowners. also, if anyone's kids go to ashburn peds, their old building (an old victiorian house off old ashburn road near parlows) was supposedly haunted and used to be a brothel back in the day, wonder if that's why they moved?

personally, you couldn't *pay me* to live in a house where someone was murdered, but luckily for some, others don't seem to mind.

 

If there is no requirement to disclose the killing, I wonder why this house hasn't sold yet? Assuming, as mdcrim says, that the house is competitively priced, a buyer without knowledge of the killing should have already bought it. Very strange...

 

Even though there is a lock box, the house was "removed from the market" according to the MLS about two weeks after it went on. I would imagine there is some legal hitch involved since the house is in both names (husband and deceased wife).

 

That is so funny (well, not funny per say). But I totally remember that house. It was on my bus route to school and every now & then when I drive by I'll remember what it looked like the day after.

 

Perhaps the ghost is knocking over things and opening/closing doors during open house and walkthroughs.

 

According to a deputy I had a conversation with, she was most likely killed in the house.
I read in the paper there were legal issues with the house (just because the guy is in jail for murder, doesn't mean he can't still own a property) and that may be why the lockbox is still there and the house is unsold.
If the house could be bought at a good discount (after taking into account the cost for a thorough cleaning and carpet replacement), I'd buy it. In a few years, other than the current adjacent residents, no one will remember or know that a murder took place there.

 

I don't think I would buy it with a relatively recent event such as murder having taken place and living in this community while the event happened. But I have no doubt that given the area it will sell. As time passes on there will be less and less of a stigma attached to it, especially as people move in and out of this area as they do. It's not the same as living in a small rural town where families have lived for generations..then I could see such a house as always having a stigma and being referred to as "the murder house" or something similar.

When I was living in Pakistan I bought a village jail as it is so unique and beautifully handcarved. Many folks thought I was crazy given what it was and how it was used. In fact, several commented how did I know whether anyone had died in it or not. I guess since the piece was so old and I was not involved..ie, never lived in that village and simply saw a unique piece of furniture, it never bothered me. But I chose to have it converted into a very large cupboard (my conversation piece) with shelves and partitions installed.

 

It's a "stigmatized" home. It will sell, at a small reduction, and with everyone's short-term memory (no offense) it will yield the eventual buyer a handsome profit (like all the other real estate in the county).

 

Here is he reason why the house is not listed any more..

from leesburgtoday news paper:
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the family of the man’s wife has filed a civil suit against the suspect in Loudoun Circuit Court in an attempt to save some items from being sold, including the couple’s home in Ashburn.

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