Saturday, March 15, 2008

Could You Buy This House?

Last night my husband and a friend were watching a video, and when it ended some TV show was on HGTV that followed people who were house hunting. The Big Guy and I commented that it seemed like a boring concept, but our friend remarked that you got to see some interesting things. Which reminded me of the most interesting thing we saw in all of our three hunts for a home.

We were house hunting in Long Beach, California. The home was currently being rented out, but the owner was tired of renting it, and wanted to sell it. From the street it was well kept and in a nice neighborhood. Sago Palms grew by the front door. Our agent rang the doorbell, and a thin man wearing a large ram pendant answered the door. He was a bit grumpy about letting us in (as renters in homes being sold often are) but was polite enough. There was gorgeous tile around the fireplace, hardwood floors, and interesting light fixtures. We walked through, admiring the home. The appliances in the kitchen were older, but in a quaint way, not in a 70's avocado green way. So far so good. We continued into the first bedroom.

On the floor was a large pentagram. In the center of the room was a coffin. Clearly, the room's inhabitant SLEPT in the coffin. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a tall dresser, which held many candles and more pentagrams. Leaning against the window were bumper stickers with cheerful messages like "Kill Christians." We peeked in the closet (we were house hunting after all...) and saw a closet full hooded robes in various colors.

The other bedrooms were unremarkable.

In the backyard we noticed outdoor lighting and speakers. As if perhaps it were a party place. The ground was plain dirt, but as we walked over it, we noticed it wasn't packed down as if from dancing party goers, but rather soft earth, as if perhaps it had been recently dug up. The Big Guy and I exchanged a glance as our agent said "The guy selling this house says he had this back yard beautifully landscaped before he rented it out."

Fortunately we didn't care for the layout of the home, so didn't have to wrestle with the question of could we buy a home we'd feel the need to have an exorcism performed in. But what if it had been perfect? Could we have gotten over it and bought the home? Could you?

*****
Monday's Mission is to write a post in the form of an obituary.
***
The floor is still open for interview questions.

28 comments:

Kyla said...

Oh my! That's horrifying and a bit funny. I don't think that's ever what you expect to see on a house hunt.

Angela said...

The first house we rented was two coffins short of the place you describe. We had to paint the upstairs bedroom six times to cover over the eloquent messages scrawled along the walls. We stayed one year. We burned a lot of sage.

Family Adventure said...

Could NOT have bought that house...your description alone gave me the shivers....though I had to wonder if it was all a joke gone wrong?

Heidi

Angela DeRossett said...

Oh no.... we could not have bought that house. No way. I would never feel safe there.

Girlplustwo said...

this post is exactly why i love you.

exactly, exactly, exactly.

Jen said...

Um, I think that would creep me out kind of permanently. I do feel that houses hold some of the karma of their inhabitants. Ick.

Bea said...

I have a friend who likes to tell earnest true stories about the importance of exorcising any resale home you buy, so I'm well-practiced in the suppressed-sigh-and-eyeroll.

But. That house - I dunno. I don't think I could do it.

Unknown said...

my sister poured flower essences in my labor/delivery room to, you know, move out anything that needed to go. So, I guess we could try that again. I'm just wondering how long it took the get that house to sell.

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Um, no. No, I couldn't.

We looked at another house, similar to the one we bought, that had a room of questionable use. Between that feeling of eeriness and the purple carpeting, we decided to go with our current home, instead.

niobe said...

Interesting. The whole set-up sounds too extreme and elaborate to be staged, but I can imagine a renter who didn't want to have the house sold out from under him making sure that he "decorated" in such a way as to scare off potential purchasers.

Beck said...

ACK.
No, I could not. I am much, much too easily freaked out.

Run ANC said...

I'd have RUN, not walked, right back to the car.

Ew.

Magpie said...

Whoa.

That totally tops the weirdest thing we saw - a colonic irrigation set-up installed in an upstairs bathroom, in a house with a hot tub for eight.

But the coffin thing? Whoa.

Laski said...

Um. You are kidding me!?! I don't know if I would have continued the tour after seeing the coffin. I'm thinking I would have said a prayer and headed for the door . . .

I watch House Hunters. I'm addicted. It is a strange show to be addicted to, but I love seeing where people live, what people like/don't like, how much things go for in different areas, the strange tastes people have--it is all so, well, voyeuristic, I suppose.

Kat said...

No, no, no, no, no, and no.
Could not, would not buy that home. Too scary.
When my hubby and I went house hunting we saw one house that I couldn't even go upstairs to see the bedroom because I felt such a bad, um, presence there. It felt haunted. And when I asked the agent if someone might have DIED in the house he said "Yes, upstairs." Bah!!!
My NUMBER ONE priority in buying a house is a warm cozy feeling when I walk in. I know. Not very concrete, but that is where hubby comes in. :)
Great story!

thirtysomething said...

OMG. How utterly strange and somewhat frightening. I would have never been able to purchase the home, even if it was my dream home.
A coffin...really?!?!

Ashley said...

Uh, heck no! I could NOT do that. I'd be calling a priest and exorcising it right then lol. That's crazy!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely NOT. I'm all about energy, places.. and no.. absolutely not.

Angela DeRossett said...

By the way... YES you may come on over for dinner. :) Come right over and join us.

Thank you for the birthday wishes!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

This is where I say - HELLZA NO!

Mad said...

I would have put in an offer and made it conditional on the coffin coming with the house.

Not. A home inspection should not involve having the yard dug up in an effort to find evidence of human sacrifice.

My mission is up, btw.

Furrow said...

Um, yeah, that's really weird. Don't know if I could have bought the house, but B and I are attracted to houses with ghost stories attached to them. We also like House Hunters. It is a bit voyeuristic, which makes it fun.

Amy Y said...

Oh my gosh how creepy!! I think I'd have high tailed it out of there without looking back!

Tania said...

Mmmmmm, I think I'd pass on the house. Bad vibes.

Creative-Type Dad said...

Uhhhh, yeah that is really bizarre.

Or that renter really didn't want anybody to buy the house.

Melissa said...

That is the best real estate story ever. I was realtor in a past life and I saw some strange things, but that one is the best.

girlymom said...

That's just freaky! I could not buy that house...it would take me way too long to get over that coffin feeling! Yikes

Kate said...

I would like to think I could buy the house and get over it but I know I wouldn't It would freak me out too much! I like your blog.