Investing in a Murder House Might Actually Be Worth It
In an unaffordable market, a house in which someone was murdered can offer prices to die for
If you’re thinking about buying a murder house, the first thing you should do is find someone like Randall Bell.
Bell is a real estate appraiser who specializes in “stigmatized properties.” According to an article published by The Hustle, Bell has priced and sold dozens of murder houses, including the home where Nicole Brown Simpson was killed and the house where, in 1997, 39 Heaven’s Gate cult members committed ritual suicide.
Bell says that, unlike most real estate—which pretty much only gets more expensive as time goes on—a murder house’s reputation can decrease in value by up to 25 per cent, making it much more affordable for potential home-buyers.
If the fact that someone died in the same bedroom you plan on sleeping in strikes you as a bit of a turn-off, there are a few things you can do to make the most of it. You could make the house into a tourist attraction by charging people as much as you want to explore your potentially haunted abode and ultimately turn a profit off of it.
You could also consider demolishing the house and building a new one, though you might want to sprinkle some holy water on the site before building your new and improved home.
Unfortunately, there could also be some unforseen downsides to owning a murder house. If you happen to buy one where a “famous” murder took place, be prepared to have people constantly creeping around your property trying to peek inside. People are curious, and they love to snoop around, so just make sure to put up “No Trespassing” signs everywhere.
Also, your home might come with some weird stains. You might be walking through your living room and come across something that looks like ketchup on your green carpet, but once you sniff it you come to realize it’s more likely to be a 20-year-old pool of blood. Sometimes the only way to get rid of gross stains is by renovating the whole place, but that takes a lot of money.
Another potential disadvantage depends on whether or not you believe in ghosts. If we’re being honest, if someone died in your house, their spirit might still be there looking at you as you eat or even as you go to the bathroom. Being paranoid in the supposed comforts of your home is the last thing you want.
Murder houses are intriguing, and there is a clear and significant difference between living in them and just touring the place. When living in the house, you have to put all your effort into making your new home comfy and welcoming for you and your guests. Some people will probably judge you for living in a place where someone got killed, and that won’t feel very nice.
If that’s not a problem for you, and you’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind ghosts or spirits and has lots of friends who enjoy visiting mysterious places, then murder houses are definitely for you.
