There is a reason why our front yard looks like the local Halloween store threw up all over it. We have been accused (and rightly so) of overdecorating for the holiday. Small children are known to scream and cry upon approaching our front porch. No worries. We will provide a bowl of candy at the end of our driveway for the more skittish. For those like me however, the true hallmark of the holiday is not the candy; it is the fear factor.

That is why I dragged my oldest daughter to Frightmares with me last Saturday. There may have been some bribery involved, since I had to lure her away from spending the day with her newly dubbed boyfriend, but so be it. For as long as I can remember, I have always been one of them: a thrill-seeking competitor that loves a challenge that can be associated with an adrenaline rush. The fright factor feeds my cortisol connection. Truth be known, my daughter has this same genetic mutation. Lucky.

Either way, once we finally parked the car at Utah’s famous amusement park, we found ourselves nearly running like animated 12-year-olds to be first in line at the Malevolent Mansion. As we entered the spooky abode, two dark figures jumped into our path, eliciting a loud scream from each of us. As it turned out, we were staring at ourselves in a mirror.

The rest of the day went much like the first and we both decided to wrap it up a few hours later and stumbled out of the park feeling as if we had just paid to be in a car wreck.

While temporary entry into these houses of horror can be had at any day in the month of October, there are documented cases of real-life hauntings in certain buildings and homes in our very own backyard. Union Station and Peery’s Egyptian Theater, both in Ogden, have had many rumored ghost sightings. The old hospital in Tooele, Ophir Mining House, Bensen Grist Mill, and Skinwalker Ranch are just a few more reputed haunted sights nearby. In fact, the famed Skinwalker Ranch is owned by a prominent local real estate developer. He purchased the ranch in 2016 in order to investigate the strange, alien-like phenomena that has been reported for over two centuries.

Lest one thinks he got this ranch for a steal (after all, it was known to be haunted), he likely did not. Although the amount he paid remains undisclosed, the fact that it was a well-known reputed property may have even increased the ask price.

While some properties are considered “stigmatized” due to recent negative events, a death or even a ghost sighting, this fact does not have to be disclosed to a buyer in Utah unless specifically asked about it. Once the word is out though, it is difficult to keep quiet, even to the least savvy of buyers. Neighbors talk, and they tend to talk loudly and often.

Not to worry. For those who do live in a home filled with poltergeists, apparitions and spooks, rest assured that there is a buyer for every home. In fact, according to a recent study, 35% of buyers would go all in for a spirit-filled home if it were priced below market value. A full 32% of buyers would move forward with a haunted house purchase if it were in a desired location. And a pool, big backyard or oversized garage would convince 40% of the buyers to move in alongside the ghosts. Why then, pray tell, is no one willing to come to our front door?

Jen Fischer is an associate broker and Realtor. She can be reached at 801-645-2134 or jen@jen-fischer.com.