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Would you ever buy a house if you could get a really good deal on it, and it was right next to a lovely park and a trail, but a murder-suicide happened in it? (And it was cleaned and repaired)

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  • Correct me if I’m wrong, but here in California you don’t have to report if someone died in your house after a certain period of time. The only exception, I’m told by my realtor, is if the deceased were a minor.

    As long as it doesn’t affect my ability to resell, doesn’t bother me at all.

    • Do you have to report all deaths, or just violent deaths?

      • I think all deaths, but I’m not sure. I’m not a realtor! :)

        • I've found two links related to this:

          Do You Have to Disclose a Death in a House?

          This Website Can Tell You If Someone Died In Your House

          According to that, in California the period is 3 years for any deaths, except from AIDS, and no limit for violent deaths, but in some other states there is no obligation at all. The second website seems to keep records from 1980 and earlier.

          Kind of weird, all of it.

          • So weird! And why AIDS? Seems a little bit alarmist.

            • I may have expressed that somewhat ambiguously. The AIDS is an exception to the 3 year rule of reporting all deaths:

              AIDS Brings Another Twist to Disclosure Rules

              If the death had taken place within three years, the law is not as clear. If the property had been the site of a sensational murder or something similar that affects the value of the property, it must be disclosed. Short of that, a lawyer may or may not advise disclosure.

              However, if the cause of death was AIDS or an AIDS-related illness, the seller has no obligation to disclose the information at any time under the law.

52 comments