Month: October 2021

Half of us knock on wood, wish upon a star, and won’t open an umbrella inside. We’re superstitious. And a home with murder, death, and ghosts are definitely bad feng shui. But how do you know if a house you’re considering buying has had any of those spooky occurrences? What does the seller have to disclose?

A peaceful death in the house

It’s usually not necessary for a seller to disclose a peaceful death unless the buyer asks. Keep in mind that a vast majority of us (80%) hope to die at home. So it’s not always a bad thing to have someone have died in the house. A peaceful death in a home is fairly common (20% of people die at home) and not something most states require a homeowner to disclose. California, South Dakota, and Alaska are a little different though. In these states, they do have to disclose it if it happened within the past three years. Everywhere, however, some types of death (such as by AIDS) cannot be disclosed.

If the death was directly related to the house, as example, if someone was killed by falling down the basement stairs because there was no railing, almost every state will require it to be disclosed (even after the safety issue was corrected).

Violent death in the house

Murders and suicides are a different story. Most people don’t want to build a life where tragic things happened. In the case of a violent death, the property is considered stigmatized. Like a physical defect such as water or fire damage, a violent death is something that can affect the home’s value. Sellers in many states are required to disclose the events.

See what must be disclosed in your state: nolo.com/state-seller-disclosure-requirements

Ghost in the house

If a home is known to be haunted – either in the community or nationally, it’s treated differently than if the homeowner only feels like it’s haunted. Famously haunted houses are stigmatized and its value and potential to sell is impaired. These types of hauntings should be disclosed. If an owner has seen a few strange things during their time in the house, but it has never been officially documented, they’ll probably keep this knowledge to themselves.

What can you do?

In general, the rule is “buyer beware” when looking to purchase a property. Do your own research. Ask questions. And talk with your real estate professional if you have any concerns. Companies like diedinhouse.com can even provide you with a report on deaths, drug activity, fires, and other information you may want to know before you buy.

If you have any questions about getting a loan for a spooky property, talk to your local Mann Mortgage loan professional. They live in your community and can help you find the neighborhood with the best Halloween parties. Find your local loan officer: mannmortgage.com/find-a-loan-officer.

Mann Mortgage announced the winners of its annual loan officer awards program, the Champions Club. Membership in the club is based on how many loans the individual has closed in their communities over the year. This year’s winners come from offices across the United States and represent the best of the best.

“These men and women have done an incredible job. They’re all small hometown lenders and they’re working directly with borrowers. They’re creating personal connections and really getting to know each borrower so they can suggest the right loan product for their needs,” says Cassidy O’Sullivan, chief strategy officer.

Award recipients are broken into two categories. Champions Club and ChairMANNs Elite.

Champions Club members are our top 20% of performer. This year, they are:

• Tony Reynolds of Kalispell, Montana
• Bernie Dittenhofer of Hood River, Oregon
• Betsy Rispens of Helena, Montana
• Brady Angelos of Allied Mortgage Resources in La Grande, Oregon
• Brody O’Connor of Homeseed Home Loans in Bellevue, Washington
• Chad Cole of Missoula-South, Montana
• Christa Nadeau of corporate loans
• Colin Myers of Monument Home Loans in Arlington, Virginia
• Cory Henderson of Reno, Nevada
• David Dohman of Wet Lynn/Lake Oswego, Oregon
• Davis Kempton of Silver City, New Mexico
• Doug Olson of Kailua, Hawaii
• Jake Van Cleave of Redmond, Oregon
• Jennifer Bunton of Great Falls, Montana
• Jodi Krause of Life Mortgage in Longview, Washington
• Jonathan Hughes of Lewiston, Idaho
• Juan Baltazar of Homeseed Home Loans in Bellevue, Washington
• Justin Blodgett of Missoula, Montana
• Keith Valentine of Kalispell, Montana
• Lara Hawkinson of Clatskanie, Oregon
• Matthew Brown of Eugene, Oregon
• Matthew Fleming of Las Vegas, Nevada
• Michelle Fiala of Allied Mortgage Resources in Baker City, Oregon
• Mike Hogan of Chimney Rock Mortgage in Spokane, Washington
• Mike Yutzy of Las Vegas, Nevada
• Narda Lopez of Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Salvatore Viti of Las Vegas, Nevada
• Sarah Bender of Homeseed Home Loans in Bellevue, Washington
• Shane McChesney of Kalispell, Montana
• Steve Thurston of Great Falls, Montana
• Tanya Torres of Eugene, Oregon
• Toby Gilchrist of Whitefish, Montana
• Valerie Mills-Smith of Allied Mortgage Resources in La Grande, Oregon
• Vickie Tuskan of Virginia, Minnesota

And the ChairMANN’S Elite winners, who represent the top 5% of our loan officers:

• Angelina Rice of Life Mortgage in Longview, Washington
• Carolyn Cole of Polson, Montana
• Chris De Leon of Homeseed Home Loans in Bellevue, Washington
• Corey Hill of Helena, Montana
• David VanScoyk of Safford, Arizona
• Deb Criddle of Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Isaac Morris of Stafford, Arizona
• Julie Lapham of Missoula, Montana
• Mike Flores of Low Cost Mortgage in Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Rob Fleming of Missoula, Montana
• Robert Martinson of Monument Home Loans in Arlington, Virginia
• Ru Toyama of Monument Home Loans in Arlington, Virginia
• Ryan Howard of Las Vegas, Nevada

Congratulations to this year’s winners. Each receives travel, lodging, and meals for themselves and a guest at the next award ceremony location in addition to a selection of other perks.

Join Mann Mortgage’s award-winning team. See job opening at mannmortgage.com/careers.

The first step in determining whether your house is haunted is trying to debunk what’s happening. Older homes, failing appliances, and living pests are sometimes to blame for odd occurrences. Start by looking into the most common home issues that are mistaken for hauntings.

Easy to debunk

Doors slamming shut
Check for drafts. Try opening and closing a few doors and windows to see whether they create a breeze or pressure that can open your doors. You should also grab a level to check whether your home is off a few degrees. It’s possible gravity is pulling your doors shut. For windows, check to make sure they’re being held open securely.

Knocking on walls
A lot of older homes have plumbing or heating elements that make noise. Pay attention to when the knocking begins – is it right after a toilet is flushed or the heater kicks on? You can also contact an exterminator to look for mice, raccoons, or other animal infestations. They might be responsible for noises as they walk through your home or get stuck in your walls.

Strange smells
If you smell something odd in your house, stop and take a moment to figure out where it’s coming from. As a human, you’ve got a better sense of smell then you likely realize. You can recognize thousands of smells, even when they’re practically imperceivable. Dead rodents, old food, outdoor smell, even scents left by previous homeowners can make their way into your nose. If you smell something odd, pause, breathe deep, and try to follow the scent to its source.

Objects falling from shelves or walls
Like doors slamming shut, this might be due to a breeze. Check for open windows and try closing and opening doors in the room where the object was location to see if it creates airflow that might knock the object down. Vibrations could also be to blame. Do large trucks regularly pass by your house? Sometimes even heavy footsteps can be enough to jolt an object.

Harder to debunk

Dark shadow forms
This one is a little harder to blame on common household problems. If you see an odd shadow, remain calm and investigate where you saw the shape. Perhaps there’s an old water stain on the wall or shadow being cast by a car’s headlights outside.

A weird feeling
Check for carbon monoxide in your home. It’s a colorless and odorless gas produced through burning wood, propane, and other fuels. Being poisoned by it often has symptoms we’d associate with a classic haunted house: headaches, paranoia, a sense of dread, weakness, confusion, and more. Make sure to check your carbon monoxide detectors are working or ask a professional to check for leaks.

Learn more about carbon monoxide and its impact on you: cpsc.gov//carbon-monoxide/carbon-monoxide-fact-sheet

A house in disarray
If you come home or wake up to a house that’s been ransacked – cabinets opened, contents spilled, chairs upturned, install a camera. Your pet or an animal intruder may be causing the mess, but it’s more likely a human doing it. Sleepwalkers or intruders may be to blame and catching them on camera is your best way to know for sure. Set up a camera to see whether you can catch the disruptor.

Next steps

If your house needs improvements more than it needs a ghost hunter, Mann Mortgage may be able to help. Your local loan officer can go over your options for a cash-out refinance or other way to get funds to make needed repairs.

Find your local Mann Mortgage loan officer: mannmortgage.com/find-a-loan-officer/

If you can’t debunk the weird things happening in your home, share your experiences with your roommates or family members. A Newsweek poll shows 45% of Americans believe in ghosts, so you’ve got a good chance they will take your experiences seriously.