One of the greatest joys a couple can experience is buying a home together. Along with that joy comes important decisions that can also be tough and stressful during the process. One very important thing to do is to research the home together and not rely solely on your realtor. One couple failed to take this advice and rushed into a buy that turned into a nightmare when they learn a horrifying truth the realtor failed to mention.
AWM reports:
What would you do if a murder took place in a property you were planning to buy? Would you still purchase it? Would you ask for a discount?
In a strange investigation, Inside Edition found that a large number of homes for sale have a dark past that realtors are conveniently “forgetting” to mention.Do you think prospective buyers have a right to know the home they’re looking at used to house a serial killer?
In Monterey, California, on a quiet street, one home has a sinister history. And homeowners Scott and Laura Cotes had no idea about it until after they signed all the paperwork…
The homeowners med with Inside Edition and told the news agency that convicted murderer Alfred Powell lived in the home back in the 1980s and buried two of his victims on the property.
“This is where we found the body,” Scott Cotes said, pointing to the garden. “You could never be prepared for somebody to look at you and say a serial killer has been living in your house.”
The Cotes said the realtor never told them about the home’s history when they bought the house.
“It’s stunning, shocking and surreal all at once,” said Laura.
Because the realtor withheld this sensitive information, the Cotes are suing under California law, claiming he never disclosed the home’s sickening secret.
But it seems that the Cotes are not the only home buyers getting conned by real estate agents
In an effort to find other homes with dark pasts, Inside Edition’s Lisa Guerrero and a producer posed as potential buyers in order to visit homes with troubled pasts and see if realtors would admit the truth.
In Corbin, Kentucky, Guerrero visited a starter home that was the scene of a triple murder where a teen killed his mom, dad, and sister. The teen shot his family members in the head.
“I like [the home],” an Inside Edition producer told her. “It’s nice. Anything else I need to know?”
“Not that I know of,” she responded.
Guerrero asked her: “I’d like to know why you didn’t disclose the fact that there was a triple murder here?”
“I didn’t know,” she responded. “I had no idea. I’m saying I never heard of it, honestly.”
In many states including Kentucky, a realtor is not required to share information about past murders that took place in the home. Remember to do your research when buying a home.