SANTA CLARA, Calif.,
Oct. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- Haunted houses are popular attractions this time of year,
but most Americans say they wouldn't consider living in one.
However, a majority of those who believe they currently live in a
home that is haunted say the spooky happenings they've experienced
are not reason enough to move, according to
realtor.com®'s annual Halloween survey released
today.
Survey results from more than 2,000 Americans reveal that 13%
believe they currently live in a home that is haunted, and a
majority of them -- 54% -- knew or suspected the house was haunted
before moving in. Although nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents
indicated they'd be unlikely to consider living in a house that was
rumored to be haunted, a majority (56%) of Americans who believe
their home is haunted have not considered moving.
"Haunted houses typically draw big crowds this time of year, but
we wanted to see how many people actually believe they live in
one," said Lexie Holbert,
realtor.com® housing and lifestyle expert. "Although
only a small percentage of respondents indicated they believe their
home is haunted, it was surprising to see how many are perfectly
comfortable sharing their space with spirits from the world
beyond."
Just where are these haunted houses?
The West led the
nation with the most respondents who believe they live in a home
that is haunted at 18%, followed by 13% in the Northeast, 11% in
the Midwest and 10% in the South.
Of those who suspected their house was haunted prior to moving
in, Northeasterners were most comfortable living with spirits at
76%, followed by those in the West at 57%, the South at 51% and 35%
in the Midwest.
What is it about a house that makes it haunted?
Asked
to select all the spooky happenings that made them think their home
was haunted, strange noises topped the list at 44%. This was
followed by:
- Shadows -- 38%
- Hot and cold spots -- 37%
- The feel of certain rooms -- 34%
- Odd pet behavior -- 30%
- Items moving and the feel of being touched -- 29% (tie)
- Levitating objects -- 17%
Interestingly, the survey found the denizens of the netherworld
don't necessarily make their presence known in the same manner
throughout the country. Regionally, here's what topped the list of
ghoulish sensory exploits:
- Northeast -- Feel of the room (41%), shadows (34%), strange
noises (33%)
- Midwest -- Strange noises (57%), shadows (37%), items moving
and hot and cold spots (36%) (tie)
- South -- Strange noises (58%), shadows (48%), the feel of a
certain room (44%)
- West -- Hot and cold spots (38%), strange noises and shadows
(33%) (tie), the feeling of being touched (28%)
Who's more apt to buy a haunted house and at what
price?
For most respondents, buying a haunted house is not
something they see themselves doing.
Fifty-four percent of men said they were unlikely to ever
consider living in a house that was rumored to be haunted, compared
to 70% of women. By age, those aged 55 and over were most unlikely
to consider living in a haunted house (64%), followed closely by
those aged 18-34 at 62% and 35-54-year-olds at 59%.
Regionally, 66% of respondents in the Northeast said they were
unlikely to consider living in a haunted home, while 65% of those
living in the Midwest and South and 52% in the West said they were
unlikely to.
When asked at what level of discount they would need to purchase
a haunted house, 39% of those between the ages of 18-34, 33% aged
35-54 and 24% aged 55 and over said the discount would need to be
greater than 10%. However, 37% of those 55+, 28% aged 35-54 and 23%
aged 18-34 said no discount would be enough to live in a haunted
house.
About realtor.com®
Realtor.com®
makes buying, selling and living in homes easier and more rewarding
for everyone. Realtor.com® pioneered the world of
digital real estate 20 years ago, and today through its website and
mobile apps is a trusted source for the information, tools and
professional expertise that help people move confidently through
every step of their home journey. Using proprietary data science
and machine learning technology, realtor.com® pairs
buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take
the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. For
professionals, realtor.com® is a trusted
provider of consumer connections and branding solutions that help
them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com® is
operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV]
subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National
Association of REALTORS®. For more information,
visit realtor.com®.
Media Contact:
Janice
McDill, 312.307.3134 or janice.mcdill@move.com
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SOURCE realtor.com