{"id":16608,"date":"2020-02-20T08:34:31","date_gmt":"2020-02-20T16:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=16608"},"modified":"2024-05-29T13:50:04","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T20:50:04","slug":"property-value-next-to-cemetery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/property-value-next-to-cemetery\/","title":{"rendered":"I Live Next to a Cemetery. Will My House Sell for Less? Exploring the Impact of Property Value Next to Cemetery"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cPeople have never asked me, \u2018Put me next to the cemetery,\u2019\u201d says Bryan Kasprisin<\/a>, a top-selling agent in Joliet, Illinois. Nevertheless, he has sold several homes near cemeteries without a problem. And studies show that \u2014 when evaluating property value next to a cemetery \u2014 in general you’re not going to see a negative impact.<\/p>\n

Some homes in Ohio with a cemetery view sold for about 9% more than the median home price<\/a> in one suburb, one study found. Other research discovered that homes located less than 500 yards from cemeteries on average sold for about $17 more per square foot<\/a>. Let\u2019s address any apprehension you might have about selling a home near a cemetery, so that you and your agent can put buyers at ease and close a deal.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Source: (Kelly Lacy \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Location matters\u2026 but a cemetery might not<\/h2>\n

\u201cLocation, location, location<\/a>\u201d is more than a real estate catchphrase. Studies in The Appraisal Journal, <\/i>the peer-reviewed publication of the professional association The Appraisal Institute<\/a> of Chicago, Illinois, show that an ocean view and proximity to a golf course boost home values<\/a>. Closeness to shopping, public transportation<\/a>, and schools also tend to skew home prices higher.<\/p>\n

Likewise, several other location-specific factors can lower prices<\/a>: Highway noise<\/a>, cell phone towers, oil pipelines, freight rail lines, and proximity to a registered sex offender, the Appraisal Institute says.<\/p>\n

Although there are roughly 150,000 graveyards and cemeteries in the contiguous United States<\/a>, cemeteries don\u2019t automatically qualify as a plus or a minus when selling a house.<\/p>\n

\u201cA cemetery doesn\u2019t really affect value,\u201d said John Huston, a professional appraiser in St. Petersburg, Florida, who serves three counties and has appraised more than 3,800 properties since 1999. It\u2019s not a health or safety consideration, such as proximity to a gas station, which Huston said he records on the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report<\/a> for FHA loans because gas stations have flammable liquids.<\/p>\n

However, value<\/a> is different from price. \u201cValue is what the market determines. Price is what someone is willing to pay,\u201d Huston said.<\/p>\n

Cemeteries affect price with other factors<\/b><\/h2>\n

In one study of 575 single-family home sales in the vicinity of four cemeteries in Greene County, Ohio, researchers in The Appraisal Journal <\/i>found that cemeteries, in general, had no obvious effect on home prices<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The researchers looked at four samples of homes sold near different cemeteries. In one sample, homes with a view of the cemetery had higher prices \u2014 8.8% above the average<\/a> \u2014 while the homes in another sample sold for lower prices (about 10.1% below the mean<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Because the two other samples showed no effects, the researchers said that other factors could affect pricing beyond the cemetery view. In the sample where home prices were highest, for instance, the homes were newer (built from the 1990s onward), more had basements, all had central air conditioning, and a wooded area of deciduous trees provided a barrier between the homes and the cemetery. The cemetery also was well-maintained, the study said.<\/p>\n

In the area near the cemetery where the prices dipped, almost all the homes were single-story tract houses constructed during the 1950s, none with a basement. The maintenance of the nearby cemetery \u201ccan generously be described as moderate\/average<\/a>,\u201d the study said.<\/p>\n

Although selling a home near a cemetery doesn\u2019t require the same disclosure or care when handling \u201chaunted\u201d or stigmatized property<\/a> (such as a home involved in a crime), researchers have continued to explore whether a cemetery impacts a home\u2019s price.<\/p>\n

One study reviewing homes for sale near cemeteries within 90 metropolitan areas found that those less than 50 feet away sat on the market for about 11 days longer<\/a> \u2014 but sold for about $17 more per square foot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
Source: (Ayanna Johnson \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More houses with cemeteries in the oldest cities<\/b><\/h2>\n

The East Coast and the South tend to have the most homes for sale close to cemeteries, likely because of the original American colonies and the battles of the Revolutionary War and Civil War<\/a>. These areas include:<\/p>\n