GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Buying a home is a big deal.
And you probably have a lot of questions.
But did you know, in North Carolina, your realtor does not have to tell you about someone dying in a home.
That includes suicides, accidents, and even violent crimes. This has been codified in state law. Experts say lawmakers were trying to destigmatize properties with violent histories.
"I mean it's not against the state law but I feel like it’s something that needs to be disclosed," Chelsea Flanders said. She was pregnant when she moved into her new High Point home, completely oblivious to the fact that it was the site of a murder just months prior.
The murder and attempted-suicide happened in the basement of their Spencer Street home. WFMY News 2 covered it:
"I mean I was livid I was like 6, or 7 months pregnant, we just moved in and paid a boat-load of money," Chelsea said affirmatively. "And then to find out that information, it’s a little overwhelming especially when you’re about to have a kid."
Flanders and her boyfriend Joseph White thought about moving out, but ultimately decided that would be too expensive.
"Honestly, when we did find out when it happened, me and my girlfriend was like lets just move out," White said.
But if you ask the seller if there's been a death in the home, they can't knowingly lie to you.
"I just kind of felt like they should have told us," White said. "And I wanted to know where the body was found at."
White got his answers from the property managers. He called them after he found out about the crime in his cozy home, from a neighbor.
"{My neighbor} pretty much was like 'such and such happened, police came and banged on the door, it was a domestic dispute.'"
White was informed the victim's body was found stabbed to death in the basement. White ended up finding blood splatter in the laundry room after he moved in.
"Certain spots on the walls like in the laundry room, it was like little specs of blood and stuff still, and we had to clean that."
To avoid running into a horrific situation like that, let's go over what does, and does not legally need to be disclosed during a home sale.
NEEDS TO BE DISCLOSED:
1. Any sort of structural problems like a faulty foundation.
2. Health risks like mold infestation.
3. If your prospective home was the site of a meth lab.
4. Lead-based paint. Federal law requires that before being obligated under a contract to buy housing built prior to 1978, buyers must be made aware of this potential hazard.
DOES NOT NEED TO BE DISCLOSED:
1. A death in a home, all causes included.
2. Registered sex offenders in the neighborhood. Visit the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry to do your own research before you buy.
3. The quality of the school districts in the area.
4. Whether or not your property is believed to be haunted.
Bottom line: do your homework!
You can google the address to see if any negative news stories pop up about that home.
You can also call your local police department to look up the home history, if any at all.