In your search for a house, what if this Halloween you came across one thought to be haunted? Would you buy? Would you buy for a discount?
According to a 2024 survey, 54% of Americans who've never lived in a haunted house would consider buying one, but 46% wouldn't touch it under any circumstances.
On the other hand, what if it came with a discount?
According to a YouGov study, about 70 percent of potential homeowners would adopt a ghostly roommate for a big discount. That number rises to 82 percent if the house is going for below market value.
One Zillow analysis found that 29 percent of homebuyers are actually attracted to a haunted house. The same study found that 33 percent would never even consider such a purchase.
In real estate parlance, your basic haunted house is called a stigmatized property, any property with a spooky or notorious past.
Stigmatized properties challenge sellers, often lingering on the market longer and fetching lower offers. One actress bought a house where a famous murder took place. Although she lived in the house for 16 years with no problems, she had to sell it substantially under the asking price.
In a hot 2025 housing market, a haunted house may well provide rare affordability, especially for first-time buyers willing to overlook the eerie. But how many of these poltergeist-inhabited properties are there? No one actually keeps track.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.