Murders, Ghosts, Hauntings, Oh My! Florida Real Estate Disclosure!

As the listing agent of a home Bluewater Bay, Florida, I was recently asked this question by a buyer’s agent. Her client wanted to know:

“Have there been any deaths in the home?”

Since it’s almost time for Halloween, I thought this was an appropriate topic for discussion.  I looked up Florida Statutes 689.25, available online and found this:

“The fact that a property was, or was at any time suspected to have been, the site of a homicide, suicide, or death is not a material fact that must be disclosed in a real estate transaction. A cause of action shall not arise against an owner of real property, his or her agent, an agent of a transferee of real property, or a person licensed under chapter 475 for the failure to disclose to the transferee that the property was or was suspected to have been the site of a homicide, suicide, or death.”

I asked my seller  “Have there been any deaths in your Niceville home?”, and she replied no, although admitted that one of the pet cats had peacefully passed away in the back yard. My curiosity brought me to call the Florida Association of Realtor’s Legal Hotline to ask the another question, my thoughts going from death to murder to suicide to ghosts….  “Do you have to disclose ghosts, spirits or hauntings” in a Florida property for sale?  The answer was “No”.

So, there you have it! Happy Halloween!