Would you buy a home that is said to be haunted? (Photo: iStockphoto)
When your kids go trick or treating this year, is there a "haunted house" they'll try to avoid?
In my town, there are no true "haunted" houses that I know of, but there is this one old once-mansion that now is quite decrepit and appears to be falling down. My daughters do call it a "haunted house," sad to say. It's a shame because the home must have been wonderful in its day -- it looks like it was once surrounded by beautiful gardens, but they are now a tangled mass of weeds. Luckily, the owner is fixing up the home, but it has been a very slow process. The roof is covered with a blue tarp, and part of the home's exterior is just plywood.
The only other "haunted" house I know of in my neck of the woods is the Cranbury Inn in Cranbury, N.J. While now a restaurant, the inn was originally a home built in 1800 and has a fascinating history -- it is said to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad and a favorite dining place for Albert Einstein. When the movie, "I.Q.," which is a fictional account of Einstein's life, was filmed in Central New Jersey with movie stars Meg Ryan, Walter Matheau, Tim Robins and Susan Sarandon, some of the movie's scenes were filmed at the Cranbury Inn.
There are many tales of ghost sitings there. I once had the pleasure of writing a Halloween story about the inn for a local newspaper and was told several tales by the restaurant's staff about seeing apparitions throughout the home. Needless to say, the next time I dined there, I felt a little on edge.
Spooking buyers
Whether a place is considered to be "haunted" can affect the saleability of a home, according to a recent story by the
Wall Street Journal. However, Realtors aren't required to tell prospective buyers that a particular property is believed to be haunted, the Journal quotes Walter Molony, a spokesman for the National Association of Realtors as saying. (I would sure be angry at my Realtor if he or she failed to share that little bit of information with me!)
You can be sure that I would in no way would buy a home that is thought to be "haunted." (Even though a famous "ghost," Ocean Born Mary, is in my father's family, and is said to haunt her former home in Henniker, N.H. I've never visited the house, however.)
Nic Cage's haunted house
Of course, some people are drawn to such homes and would buy them for their "haunted" reputations. I suppose that's what drew Nicolas Cage to the LaLaurie house in New Orleans, which is said to be the most haunted house in the city. The actor supposedly has decorated the home with old horror movie posters and old skulls. (Yuck!) But the residence won't belong to the actor much longer -- a lender has foreclosed on the home (and another of Cage's properties in the city) and is set to go up on the auction block next month.
Wondering whether there are any "haunted" houses in your area? Try going to hauntedhouses.com and click on your state for a list of spooky homes in your locale.
Readers: Have your own haunted house stories? I'd love to hear them!—Lauren Baier Kim