FAQ IX:  Will You Tell Me if This House is Haunted?

 This may not qualify as a frequently asked question but it does come up from time to time.  As a Buyer’s Agent (and I do mean acting in a full agency/fiduciary capacity), I am obligated to share with you any and all information that is pertinent to the transaction that I actually know (which, to a certain degree, minimizes my obligation to investigate, research, or disclose non-material facts).  In Colorado, Sellers are not obligated to disclose facts considered to be non-material or “psychologically stigmatizing”.  Among these are whether or not the property was the site of a homicide, felony, or suicide; whether or not a previous resident was HIV positive or had AIDS, and whether or not the house is reported to be haunted.

Wait, WHAT?  That’s right, if the Seller believes the house to be haunted, the Seller is not obligated to disclose it.  If the Seller tells their listing agent they believe the house to be haunted, technically, the listing agent must not disclose that to anyone.  But what if I, as the Buyer’s Agent, have heard rumors that the house is haunted?  You can rest assured that I will mention it to you.  The reality is, if it is widely (or even narrowly) known that the house you’re thinking about buying is reportedly inhabited by spectral beings – you’ll find out sooner or later.  Therefore, in good conscience, I wouldn’t withhold that information if I had actual knowledge of it.  That being said, if haunted houses are a concern, I probably won’t go door-to-door canvassing the neighborhood as a ghost-hunter.  It would likely be more fun for you to do that on your own, anyway!