It was the last house on the tour, the one that the husband assumed his wife would love…until she came rushing out of the bedroom pale and shaking as though she’d seen a ghost.
There was a woman in the bedroom, she said, sitting by the window — although no one could be found. The couple quickly left the house, their home search to continue another day. But their agent, a KMS Partner, lingered in the home hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman herself…
Whether ghosts or spirits occupying a house is something you’ve experienced first-hand or only in the movies, everyone has felt the tingle on their neck when confronted by a strange noise or creak in the night. Most of us feel that tingle just talking about these stories — yes, this client’s experience is just one of several we’ve heard through the years.
It has been said that no one really ever owns a house, we merely take care of it (acting as steward) until we hand it off to whomever comes after us. Perhaps some prior owners remain attached, making sure the home is properly passed on? Once, while prepping an antique home (circa 1799) for sale, a member of the cleaning crew asked our client if she knew an elderly woman with white hair. Wondering why, she was told that they had seen such a woman knitting in the rocker in the guest room…a place where her mother had frequently sat and knitted.
In earlier times, some of the larger homes actually had birthing rooms for delivery and mourning rooms for family members that had passed away. Life happened in between these walls.
Buyers interested in antique homes often crave the history of the property and its inhabitants, curious about their lives. Homes owned by prominent early residents — the Bedfords, Wrights, Burrs, Jesups and so on, have a wonderful place in the history of our towns and the stories are cherished. Town historical societies are a wealth of information. We proudly sponsor the Weston Historical Society and applaud their efforts to keep the history of our towns and homes alive. Typically, current homeowners love to share their home’s history, oftentimes providing fun anecdotes that we can include in listing materials.
As real estate agents, we have a responsibility to share certain information about properties with our clients, by law those things impacting structural elements or buyer safety. Just as sellers are required to disclose information they know of — water damage, mold, lead paint and the like. Things that stigmatize a property — doors that slam for no reason, crimes committed onsite, a resident’s bout with an infectious disease or apparitions glimpsed at the end of hallways are considered nonmaterial to the property and therefore, not required nor permitted disclosure.
So when it comes to ghosts and their stories, we do not repeat rumors associated with any address. Rather, we suggest that any questions or suspicions of stigmatization be asked directly of the current homeowners, in writing. Should you get a hair-raising story in response, please share with us. After all, we all love a good ghost story especially around Halloween!