Did a Seller Die in the House You Are Buying?

It's sort of creepy to think about, but home owners die in the house with greater frequency than you might imagine.

Of course, they die only once. But my point is it's not that uncommon to buy a home where a seller or other person has died inside. Occurrences of death in a home are not limited to older homes; people croak in new homes, too, because few of us really know the exact moment our time on earth will end. However, for some home buyers, a death inside the home is a red flag, cautioning them not to buy it.

In general, Americans are not very comfortable with the idea of death. Few of us want to view our own mortality. We grieve for our departed loved ones in private, but I wish we were felt it was more acceptable to embrace the fact publicly.

My neighbor is a Sikh. When her husband died in a freak accident, hundreds from her temple came to her home to mourn with her, loudly and openly. Women dressed in white lined the walls of her living room and sobbed in unison. I joined them. It seemed to have a cleansing and healing effect.

But I do hope my neighbor doesn't decide to sell. Some people are very squeamish . . . read more about death disclosures.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub, click below:

• Disclosures and Material Facts
  
• Agents Duty to Disclose
  
• Buying Swimming Pool Homes

_{©Big Stock Photo}

Technorati tag: die in house death disclosures