With Halloween just a day away, America’s fascination with spooky and haunted houses is in peak season.
Film has certainly played a role in that enchantment, where homes are often characters, and even antagonists.
Many times, the actual homes featured on the big screen find their way to the market and don’t have a problem selling. After all, they were just film sets … right? But the fictional homes may have you asking questions like: Who would buy this? How much would it cost? How would you market this?
And despite high interest rates, it’s still a seller’s market with a major inventory shortage, so even someone who isn’t a horror cinefile may consider such terrifying abodes.
So I’ll provide you with my thoughts on how they would handle such frightful listings.
“The Amityville Horror” (112 [formerly 108] Ocean Avenue, Amityville, New York)
The mother of all haunted houses, this 1927 Dutch Colonial is infamous for Ronald DeFeo Jr. killing six family members in it in real life. That and subsequent events spawned nine books and nearly 50 films, some more well-known than others.
What it would go for without controversy $1 million to $1.3 million
This home would easily fetch that price given the square footage, the boathouse (which typically can’t be built any more in that area of Long Island due to the environmental regulations), the two car garage, finished basement and location in Amityville.
It’s a high-demand area; you don’t see a lot of turnover there.
Amityville is a tight-knit community, it dates back to summer cottages, and dignitaries would come and summer there. That’s how it got started. If you’re not from there, you know it right away. They know who their neighbors are. It’s a beautiful community, really.
What it would go for if it were haunted: 5% to 30% off
If you walked in the house and heard voices say, ‘Get out,’ that would affect the value. After the murder, it took 15 months for the house to…