It's the time of year when most of us look forward to the spookiness of Halloween, and of course, haunted houses.
Most Realtors can tell some pretty scary stories about the horrendous homes they've walked through and the terrifying tales sellers have shared about so-called hauntings.
But does a seller really have to share that information?
Amber Montanio, a licensed real estate broker and owner at Black Label Real Estate Advisers in New Braunfels, Texas, said when in doubt, disclose.
"It can be a slippery slope," she said.
According to the Texas Property Code and HAR.com, sellers must disclose if someone was murdered in the home. Failure to disclose that type of information could land the seller in civil court.
However, sellers don't have to disclose if someone died in the home by suicide or natural causes, and they don't have to legally disclose if they think a house is haunted.
Nikki Barnett, a real estate professional for RedKorr in New Braunfels, said it's not uncommon for her clients to check and see if spirits are lurking in a home.
"My clients frequently ask me to find out if a home has had any paranormal activity," she said. "I even once tried to convince a client to go look at a supposedly haunted house that I thought was a great deal and they declined."
Lora Farmer said she lives in a haunted home and has not only seen the spirit but has heard it moving around the house.
"I live in a house that used to be an old doctor's office way back when, and there has been a suicide in my house as well," she said.
Barnett said while some might think it charming to hear the sound of a piano playing in the dead of night on its own, some might considered it downright creepy.
"Obviously, there is some stigma that can be attached to a home that is supposedly haunted," she said. "However, with the growing 'haunted house industry,' having a ghost could actually be a feature for ghost tours, especially if the home is able to be rented as a vacation property."
Barnett said she would never personally buy a haunted house, but she said she definitely has no qualms selling one.
"Would I sell one? Heck yeah," she said.
