Emily Chan
You would think that most people would be entirely against living in a haunted house, not wanting to deal with the creepy late-night footsteps, unexplained shadows, and flickering lights.
But it turns out that the majority of homebuyers wouldn’t mind moving into a house with a haunted past if it contained everything they were searching for in a home.
A recent survey from Zillow showed that 67 percent of prospective buyers could be persuaded to purchase a haunted house as long as it was affordable, had appealing features, and was in a good location. With housing in short supply, owning a home has become a significant challenge for many Americans.
“The combination of high prices, limited inventory, and rising interest rates is creating a witches’ brew of trouble for would-be homeowners,” said a senior population scientist at Zillow, Manny Garcia.
As a result, avoiding ghosts is low on the priority list, which points to the extreme compromises that buyers in today’s market are willing to make just to acquire a house of their own.
Lately, the supply of homes for sale has started to increase slowly, but the numbers are still 10 percent lower than last year. So, finding the right home has been harder than ever.
According to the survey, 40 percent of prospective buyers would buy a haunted house if it had attractive features, such as a two-car garage, a big backyard, or a pool. About 32 percent would also buy a haunted house if it were in a desirable location.
Next, 35 percent of buyers said that they would consider buying a haunted house if it was listed at a lower price than the rest of the homes on the market.
Mortgage rates are at an all-time high, and a new analysis from Zillow found that buyers now need at least a six-figure income to afford an average home in the United States.
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