If you’re selling a home in California, you’re required to disclose whether anyone died on the property within the last three years. In Texas? Not so much. So when Ron Condrey found out that someone had died in his house before he bought the property, he began to wonder just how many homes were the site of someone’s demise.
“I assumed it was part of the disclosure process,” Condrey said in this story, “but unfortunately found out that it was not. I discovered that most states do not have any laws to disclose a death occurrence in a property no matter how it occurred (murder, suicide, accident, illness or natural).
“What I also discovered is that there is not a single place to go and that the research is very time consuming.”
Wouldn’t it be more convenient if you could find out if someone died in your home by searching one database?
Condrey was inspired to found DiedinHouse.com, a website that promises to instantly search millions of records to determine if a death has occurred at the provided address. The South Carolina resident and software engineer says that at least 4.5 million homes across the United States have documented death on the premises. And now you can find out if yours is one of them.
For $12, DiedinHouse.com will tell you:
- Has a death occurred?
- Who died at that house?
- When did the person die?
- What was the cause of death?
- List of Names Associated to the Address
- Vitality Status of Previous Residents
- Additional information about the death
- Reported Meth activity, including labs, “dumpsites” or “chemical and glassware” seizures
- Reported Fire Incidents Related to the Address
If you still have doubts, this Forbes report found that the reports are quite accurate. I have yet to find anyone in my circle of friends willing to cough up the money to find out if their home might have been the spot where someone shuffled off this mortal coil. That’s not to say no one is buying, though.
DiedInHouse has sold more than 40,000 reports to date, but with the upcoming site redesign Condrey thinks sales will see boost.
When asked about skeptical, prospective users who might think the website is a scam, Condrey explains, “It’s a legitimate site. A DiedInHouse report is not a one stop shop. It’s due diligence. You should still ask your agent and talk to neighbors.”