Do You Ever Get Spooked When Appraising Vacant Homes?

[spittman]

I'm not talking about vacant and prepped for sale. I mean abandoned homes where it looks like the occupants left abruptly.

Fifteen plus years in the business and I still get a little uneasy inspecting these types of homes. Takes me a good 10- minutes just clearing each room and looking in closets and out the windows before I even start my inspection.

The really old houses with basements [rare in Texas] are the ones that really creep me out. Should be interesting as Halloween approaches.

 

[KeyWhiz]

Only near Halloween.

 

[Highlander416]

Yes, on a couple of occasions.

 

[mikep7394]

I just had one a couple days ago. Asset valuation for REO property in rough neighborhood. The house was vacant and I had a lockbox combo, but I checked the other doors while inspecting the outside and found one with a locked doorknob but when I pushed it opened right up. This door was towards the back of the house and I immediately thought about the 3 window screens I noticed had been cut as if someone wanted to test the windows to see if they were unlocked. So I walked down the street to where I noted a cop was babysitting a road maintenance crew and asked him to keep an eye on the house. I asked that he send help if he didn't see me drive away within 30 minutes. Wouldn't have helped if there was someone in there but at least someone know where I was.

 

[JTip]

http://appraisersforum.com/forums/threads/dress-code-no-firearms.208959/page-14#post-2625266

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

Vacant hoarder house in Beachwood Cyn. Sketchy.A month later they ordered a new appraisal, and it had been trashedout and white box painted. Exposed lathe sans plaster and all.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

There is a SpookLight about 50 miles north of me...I dare anyone to see it and not have the hair raise on the back of their neck

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spooklight

They claim it is reflected light from autos miles away and several experiments support that, but does not explain why it has been well documented since 1881.

 

[Doug Wegener]

I'm not talking about vacant and prepped for sale. I mean abandoned homes where it looks like the occupants left abruptly.

Fifteen plus years in the business and I still get a little uneasy inspecting these types of homes. Takes me a good 10- minutes just clearing each room and looking in closets and out the windows before I even start my inspection.

The really old houses with basements [rare in Texas] are the ones that really creep me out. Should be interesting as Halloween approaches.

I carry a police whistle for just that very reason.

 

[glenn walker]

In the last 30 years there have been two times that I experienced strange activity. The one home was vacant but not a REO and in a very nice neighborhood. I entered the property and all was going well and then the back door opened. I walked from the kitchen to that area and the door was wide open. I looked outside and yelled thinking maybe a Realtor had entered the property and there was no response. I shut the door and locked the dead bolt. A few minutes later I heard a fan turn on in the kitchen area and walked into the kitchen and it was over the range and oven. I turned it off. At this point I was getting a little wiggly and did NOT feel comfortable. I decided to take my final interior photos and heard noise coming from a back bedroom and at that point I ran out of the home into the front yard. I called the listing agent and asked her if the locks had been changed. She said yes why are you asking ? I told her my story. she then-informed me the owners had fled the house and her and another agent had been in the property two times and both were to scared to go back into the home. I asked her for specifics and she said her partner was in the bathroom and the door slammed shut and she could not get out and at the same time the front door was opening and closing by it self. I have no idea if they were freaking out but I will tell you I left the house and never went back .

Second bad experience : Home built around 1898 another nice neighborhood of vintage homes. I entered the front door and I started my inspection. Large two story with two bedrooms in a tower on the second floor . It looked like something out of the Bates Hotel Movie . I was done inspecting the first floor and I climbed a long winding stair-case to the second level. When I got to the top floor I entered the first bedroom and there was a women sitting in a rocking chair. I panicked because the home was vacant and I asked the women who she was and then poof she was gone. I was completely freaked out and ran down the stairs and jumped into my truck and took off. I called the agents and once again I was told there had been others who would not enter the property. *** I am not saying these were ghosts but I have no explanation.

 

[factsandtruth]

Crazy story