Who Died Here?
WHO DIED HERE? There are online services that will dig up data on deaths that have occurred in your home! Some home buyers and homeowners recently received a head-turning come-on in their email inboxes: “Unlock Death in Home Information Today.” Intrigued? “Surely you would want to know if a violent murder or suicide took place in the home before you sign a contract,” reads the email, and readers are told that homes where a tragic death has occurred can fare much worse on the market than others. “Death in Home” data is the latest dirt that purveyors of “pre-diligence reports,” are making available to the public – for a fee, of course. Availability of this data is particularly notable because real estate agents and sellers in most states aren’t required to disclose home deaths or a property's violent crimes to buyers, even though the information could theoretically make or break a deal. Prospective homebuyers who pay the $10-12 fee get reports of individuals who have perishe...