Whether you are thinking about buying a new home or if you are simply curious about the home that you currently own, learning more about its past can be quite interesting. In some cases, however, you may find that your home’s past is a little frightening as you uncover its deep, dark secrets. If you want to learn more about your home’s past, there are several steps you can take.
Ask for Full Disclosure When Buying
If you are purchasing a home, you can learn more about its past by asking specific questions about the home’s past. Laws vary from state to state, but sellers are generally required to disclose information when specifically asked. So, if you want to know if anyone died in your home or if your home was used for illegal activity, ask the seller or the real estate agent representing the seller. Just be sure to ask specific questions regarding the home’s history.
Talk to Neighbors
Of course, there is always the possibility that the owner truly doesn’t know about the home’s past or you may be in a state where full disclosure isn’t required beyond a certain timeframe. Or, if you are already living in the home, you obviously can no longer expect the former owner or real estate to discuss the home’s history with you. In this case, simply talking to the neighbors may help you learn more about the home’s history. If the home has a dark past or if some sort of illegal activity took place there while the neighbors were living in the neighborhood, they will likely be able to tell you more about it.
Search the Internet
Thanks to the power of the Internet, a whole lot of information is available at your fingertips. Simply conducting a search of the home’s address may actually bring up a newspaper article if some sort of criminal activity took place in the home.
Check Out Police Records
Another option is to look into police records related to the home. Many police precincts will provide you with a printout of any calls that were made to the police within the past few years from a particular address. You will likely have to pay a small fee for this information, but it can help you get a better idea of what took place in the home before you took ownership or before it went on the market.
Investigate City Records
City records can also give you a better idea of what may have taken place in the neighborhood where your home is located. For example, they may reveal is the plot next door was once a cemetery or whether or not it was torn down and rebuilt, which could indicate something dreadful once took place there.
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