Would you buy a house that someone was Murdered in?

RubyXI

This may sound like it belongs in After Hours, but it's a serious question. After a bit of googling on a house I was interested in I found that a man was murdered there in 2008. It is a bit creepy in it's own right but it also makes me worry about the safety of the area. I would have thought it was a safe enough area (if such a thing exists) I know this kind of thing happens anywhere but you also do need to feel comfortable in your own home.
So.. would you buy a house someone had been murdered in?

djimi

In terms of safety, it depends very much on the specifics of what happened. A lot of murders happen and it has nothing to do with the area or general safety.

In terms of whether Id live in a house where someone was murdered in; probably not if Im honest. Id find it hard to feel comfortable knowing what happened. Thats just me though.

TwoShedsJackson

phi3 wrote: »

This may sound like it belongs in After Hours, but it's a serious question. After a bit of googling on a house I was interested in I found that a man was murdered there in 2008. It is a bit creepy in it's own right but it also makes me worry about the safety of the area. I would have thought it was a safe enough area (if such a thing exists) I know this kind of thing happens anywhere but you also do need to feel comfortable in your own home.
So.. would you buy a house someone had been murdered in?

You can be murdered anywhere, and it'll most likely be by someone you know too unless you're a criminal so I wouldn't let that put me off.

If it puts you off, forget it and find another, there are loads of houses out there which will suit you and in which someone has most likely not been murdered.

L1011

Probably, if I got it vastly vastly cheaper than it would have been otherwise as there's a damn good chance it'll be unsaleable afterwards.

There is also a possibility that a bank would refuse to lend on it in the first place - I was asked questions about details from the EAs website by the bank so they can use Google as well as anyone else clearly.

Ray Palmer

MYOB wrote: »

Probably, if I got it vastly vastly cheaper than it would have been otherwise as there's a damn good chance it'll be unsaleable afterwards.

There is also a possibility that a bank would refuse to lend on it in the first place - I was asked questions about details from the EAs website by the bank so they can use Google as well as anyone else clearly.

What are you talking about?

It is very unlikely to have any impact on the sale of the property unless it was a particularly sensational murder. If it was a wife who killed their husband after some fight no relationship to the area.

Their was a house on the road I grew up on and that is exactly what happened and made difference to the sale of the house.

Why the bank wouldn't lend on it is a mystery logic to me.

NIMAN

Do you believe in ghosts? That's a serious question too by the way.

cali_eire

I am not sure about here in Ireland but in California where I worked most of my life in property, a murder had an impact on value of a house. Depending on the circumstances, it could have value impacts from 10% - 20%.

RubyXI

NIMAN wrote: »

Do you believe in ghosts? That's a serious question too by the way.

Kind of but I'm not scared of them

username123

Wouldn't bother me. Humans have been around for approx 1.5 million years. Dozens of people could have been murdered on the site where I live and I wouldn't know anything about it.

ScottStorm

Yes

RubyXI

username123 wrote: »

Wouldn't bother me. Humans have been around for approx 1.5 million years. Dozens of people could have been murdered on the site where I live and I wouldn't know anything about it.

True. This one was in 2008 though.

death1234567

Yes, of course.

mickdw

I believe there is a compulsory disclosure law in the US when selling property where anyone died of un natural causes and as stated earlier, it will alter value of Property significantly.

L1011

Ray Palmer wrote: »

What are you talking about?

It is very unlikely to have any impact on the sale of the property unless it was a particularly sensational murder. If it was a wife who killed their husband after some fight no relationship to the area.

Their was a house on the road I grew up on and that is exactly what happened and made difference to the sale of the house.

Why the bank wouldn't lend on it is a mystery logic to me.

You are seriously, seriously underestimating the damage to the sale price of a house that having any "bad" history does to it. Murder would be quite high on that scale. A house formerly lived in by a relatively minor criminal will often knock a fair % off the value, if enough potential buyers know or are made aware of it.

Bank doing even the vaguest bit of due diligence in to lending will find out what happened there pretty quickly.

Your attitude here is actually bewildering.

cali_eire

mickdw wrote: »

I believe there is a compulsory disclosure law in the US when selling property where anyone died of un natural causes and as stated earlier, it will alter value of Property significantly.

Yes, in the US a death on property (whether natural causes or something else) is a mandatory disclosure to perspective buyers.

username123

phi3 wrote: »

True. This one was in 2008 though.

It really depends on the specifics tbh. The fact of the murder itself wouldn't bother me but perhaps if it reflects the safety of the area, or if the house has been seized from some gangland murderer and sold by CAB it might put me off.

username123

MYOB wrote: »

You are seriously, seriously underestimating the damage to the sale price of a house that having any "bad" history does to it.

Meh, my childhood family home had some very bad public history and it had no impact on the sale price.

RubyXI

username123 wrote: »

It really depends on the specifics tbh. The fact of the murder itself wouldn't bother me but perhaps if it reflects the safety of the area, or if the house has been seized from some gangland murderer and sold by CAB it might put me off.

Far as I can tell it's an old man who was broken into and murdered. It's unknown whether he knew the person and let him in or whether he tricked his way in.

username123

phi3 wrote: »

Far as I can tell it's an old man who was broken into and murdered. It's unknown whether he knew the person and let him in or whether he tricked his way in.

And was the murderer caught?

Don't think that'd bother me too much, change doors, locks etc...highly unlikely lightening would strike twice eh?

RubyXI

username123 wrote: »

And was the murderer caught?

Don't think that'd bother me too much, change doors, locks etc...highly unlikely lightening would strike twice eh?

Ya he got life. The place was last sold in 2010 and totally renovated.

Faith

phi3 wrote: »

Ya he got life. The place was last sold in 2010 and totally renovated.

Was this is cork city? The details sound very familiar.

I'd be sketchy about it but again, it depends on the details. If it's the case I'm thinking of, there was more to it than was published in the media and it changes things a lot, for instance.

RubyXI

Faith wrote: »

Was this is cork city? The details sound very familiar.

I'd be sketchy about it but again, it depends on the details. If it's the case I'm thinking of, there was more to it than was published in the media and it changes things a lot, for instance.

Ya it was Cork City. I don't know much about it.

username123

What does life mean in this country? Could he be back out in a few years?

As Faith says, depends on the details.

bladebrew

I thought it sounded familiar, As Faith said there were very odd things about that case its like parts of it were covered up or something,
To answer the question no, not a chance i would live in a house where i knew a murder had taken place,

goz83

I would pass it up myself. Plenty of places around without the stains of evil in them.

handlemaster

On the positive side they will probably not come back to murder him again !!

For investment I would buy but not to live in myself.

Ray Palmer

I just wonder how many people avoiding going in to Jervis Street Shopping centre? I mean it was a hospital so lots of people died in there.

At least 2 people died in my first house. One fell down the stairs and broke his neck. Made no difference to me.

Superstition only seems to count if you know about the history or think about it.

username123

goz83 wrote: »

I would pass it up myself. Plenty of places around without the stains of evil in them.

See - this only holds if you believe in "evil". I believe in mental illness, brain damage, neurons misfiring, drug abuse etc...

Evil is a religious concept, so it wouldnt bother me in that sense. People die and are killed, raped, beaten, tortured etc all over the place. Tallaght is built on a mass grave - the name even means Plague Burial Place, thousands of Partholonians died there of some plague. Maybe some of them killed each other?

Im sure if you could stand in one spot and go back in history you would see murders going on around you.

RubyXI

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I just wonder how many people avoiding going in to Jervis Street Shopping centre? I mean it was a hospital so lots of people died in there.

At least 2 people died in my first house. One fell down the stairs and broke his neck. Made no difference to me.

Superstition only seems to count if you know about the history or think about it.

Ya people have dies in nearly every house in the country. But a brutal murder is slightly different.

RubyXI

username123 wrote: »

See - this only holds if you believe in "evil". I believe in mental illness, brain damage, neurons misfiring, drug abuse etc...

Evil is a religious concept, so it wouldnt bother me in that sense. People die and are killed, raped, beaten, tortured etc all over the place. Tallaght is built on a mass grave - the name even means Plague Burial Place, thousands of Partholonians died there of some plague. Maybe some of them killed each other?

Im sure if you could stand in one spot and go back in history you would see murders going on around you.

I think I'd be less worried about the fact that it was a murder and more worried that this man will get out of prison in a few years time. What if he wanted to come back. Or people connected to either of the men involved. I know it's unlikely but I just wonder whether it's something that may be on my mind.

Pat Mustard

phi3 wrote: »

would you buy a house someone had been murdered in?

If the location is good (etc.), I doubt that the resale value would be generally be affected for the reason of one murder alone.

That said, if it was suspected that a crazed killer remained at large, it could affect prices in the entire locality. Take the example of Toormore, Schull, County Cork. I have been told that after Sophie Toscan du Plantier was murdered, local property prices were depressed, and I am unsure if they ever fully recovered. I have no hard evidence of this, but that's my understanding.

One would have to bear in mind that there was a lot of negative publicity, nationally and internationally.

username123

phi3 wrote: »

I think I'd be less worried about the fact that it was a murder and more worried that this man will get out of prison in a few years time. What if he wanted to come back. Or people connected to either of the men involved. I know it's unlikely but I just wonder whether it's something that may be on my mind.

Yeah, thats why I said earlier that the specifics would be good to know.

goz83

username123 wrote: »

See - this only holds if you believe in "evil". I believe in mental illness, brain damage, neurons misfiring, drug abuse etc...

Evil is a religious concept, so it wouldnt bother me in that sense. People die and are killed, raped, beaten, tortured etc all over the place. Tallaght is built on a mass grave - the name even means Plague Burial Place, thousands of Partholonians died there of some plague. Maybe some of them killed each other?

Im sure if you could stand in one spot and go back in history you would see murders going on around you.

It can be. But you don't have to believe in religion, or God'(s) for the word "evil" to apply. To murder someone is an evil thing to do. There are few circumstances where it would not be an evil thing to murder a person. Look up the definition of the word for yourself (wicked, immoral etc).

username123

goz83 wrote: »

It can be. But you don't have to believe in religion, or God'(s) for the word "evil" to apply. To murder someone is an evil thing to do. There are few circumstances where it would not be an evil thing to murder a person. Look up the definition of the word for yourself (wicked, immoral etc).

"stains of evil" is the phrase you originally used. I cant really understand how someone who commits a murder leaves a "stain of evil" unless its being used in a religious context.

Faith

phi3 wrote: »

I think I'd be less worried about the fact that it was a murder and more worried that this man will get out of prison in a few years time. What if he wanted to come back. Or people connected to either of the men involved. I know it's unlikely but I just wonder whether it's something that may be on my mind.

It's not going to happen in this case, IMO. Why would he come back? It wasn't his house, he just killed the guy living there.

RubyXI

Faith wrote: »

It's not going to happen in this case, IMO. Why would he come back? It wasn't his house, he just killed the guy living there.

Ya I think it's illogical alright.

goz83

username123 wrote: »

"stains of evil" is the phrase you originally used. I cant really understand how someone who commits a murder leaves a "stain of evil" unless its being used in a religious context.

hmmm yes, I see your point, but it was not in a religious context. The stain of evil is left there because someone committed an evil deed and this has been recorded for the OP to be able to find using Google.

Myself and many others would find it hard to not think of someone being murdered in a house we lived. That would be the "stain" I am talking about.

username123

goz83 wrote: »

hmmm yes, I see your point, but it was not in a religious context. The stain of evil is left there because someone committed an evil deed and this has been recorded for the OP to be able to find using Google.

Myself and many others would find it hard to not think of someone being murdered in a house we lived. That would be the "stain" I am talking about.

Oh I see what youre getting at.

I thought you meant an actual stain of evil on the property itself, as in, it could taint someone else living there.

But I think now what you mean is that any reference to the property is tainted by the fact of the murder.

That wouldnt bother me. My childhood family home had a bad thing happen, its gone from Google now, there isnt unlimited server space for news stories to leave old items available to search engines. No doubt a bit of digging would uncover it but youd have to know what you were looking for.

Gooners37

Yes, wouldn't make any difference to be honest.
People can get murdered anywhere, whether in a good location or a bad location. I would not let that affect my decision at all, plenty of other things to think about when buying a house other than someone died there years ago.