Homes with grim histories usually hit the market with plenty of affordable price tags, but not many house hunters are willing to overlook the bad juju that comes with it.
When a charming home in Yorktown, Virginia, came on the market for just $250,000, it caught the attention of 44-year-old attorney James Fiorito.
Fiorito was stunned by the shockingly low price, considering homes of the same size in the area typically sell for at least $450,000.
He viewed the property with a flashlight, as there was no electricity, and asked the real estate agent what the deal was. They told him the previous owner had been a hoarder.
After making a cash offer for the house, Fiorito did some further investigating and discovered that a man had actually murdered his sister and mother in the house and then kept their bodies in the empty pool in the backyard.
When a charming home in Yorktown, Virginia, came on the market for just $250,000, it caught the attention of 44-year-old attorney James Fiorito. kept their bodies in the empty backyard pool
The harrowing incident took place in March 2020. Andrew Donald Buchert, 55, killed his 83-year-old mother Patricia and 63-year-old sister Linda
The harrowing incident took place in March 2020. Andrew Donald Buchert, 55, murdered his 83-year-old mother Patricia and 63-year-old sister Linda.
Their bodies were dumped in the abandoned swimming pool at 201 Aspen Blvd – the house Fiorito would later almost buy.
“I think it's the proximity to evil and the reminder that there are terrible things in the world,” Fiorito explained his decision to the Wall Street Journal.
The disturbing scene of Buchert's murder is said to be selling for $285,100 and the buyer is unknown.
Living in a house with a troubling history is a tricky situation because the house will likely be difficult to sell, but the residents will likely want to escape the memories and association of the house with the unfortunate circumstances they faced.
The effect a frightening event can have on a property's reputation depends on the event's notoriety, said Deanne Rymarowicz, associate counsel for the National Association of Realtors.
“If it was violent and the police were called and it appeared in the newspapers, it could affect the value,” Rymarowicz said.
The infamous Los Angeles mansion where the tragic murder of Sharon Tate and others by members of the 'Manson Family' took place had to be demolished in 1994 to regain some of its value in the very expensive neighborhood.
Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate's cursed home at 10050 Cielo Drive was on the market in August 2019 with an estimated price of $97 million.
It was back on the market in January 2022 for $85 million, reduced in price to just under $70 million in June 2022.
The so-called Los Feliz Murder Mansion in Los Angeles is being rebuilt after a group of investors bought the house for $2.35 million in 2020. In 1959, the house was the scene of a tragic murder-suicide involving a successful doctor who murdered his wife and then committed suicide, attacking his daughter
The so-called Los Feliz Murder Mansion in Los Angeles is being rebuilt after a group of investors bought the house for $2.35 million in 2020.
In 1959, the house was the scene of a tragic murder-suicide involving a successful doctor who murdered his wife and then committed suicide, attacking his daughter.
Dr. Harold Perelson brutally beat his wife to death with a hammer before beating his 18-year-old daughter and ending his own life with a mixture of water, acid and tranquilizer pills.
After some serious renovations, the house was put up for sale in July 2022 for $5.5 million and then taken private in January 2023.
A proposed LA Wildlife Ordinance could limit the size of future homes built in the area – so the group of investors decided to seize the opportunity before the new rules come into effect to make the most of the land.
Ephi Zlotnitsky, a managing partner of the investment group, said he believes the house could fetch “north of $17 million” if they finally complete construction and put it back on the market within a year.
Different states have different rules when it comes to informing potential buyers about the gruesome history of certain properties.
In California, sellers must disclose if a death, including death from natural causes, has occurred in the home at any time in the past three years.
In Alaska and South Dakota, homicides or suicides must be made public, but only if they occurred within the past year.
For Nevada, sellers only need to disclose a death on the property if it was due to a defect in construction, for example, if someone was killed because a staircase collapsed.