Spine Tingling Showings

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Halloween is a time to tell scary stories around the virtual campfire (aka blog!).

Once upon a time I received a call from a gentleman who wanted to meet me at a house. He said he owned the house and wanted to sell it, could I please come over. Anxious to ad a nice new listing to my inventory, I went to the house but no one ever answered the door. I had the creepy feeling I was being watched. When I got back to the office I checked to see if the man’s name was the same name on the tax records. It wasn’t. Guess I got lucky that time. (P.S. I NEVER go on appointments anymore without checking ownership.)

Another time I was showing a couple a home. We were in the basement where there was a door to a storage room. I opened it and at the same time all three of us screamed and jumped backwards. There was a body laying naked on the shelf! Of course it was just a life-size store maniquein. It curled the hair on our necks!

My favorite story occurred when I was showing a home to a prospective purchaser. It was an awful REO that had a huge, wet basement. I warned the buyer the basement was very wet, so please be careful. I took him down there knowing I could stand on the steps while he looked around. Instead the buyer decided to walk the perimeter of the basement. Each step he took, he sunk deeper into the mud. I watched him, my mouth hanging in amazement at how far he was sinking. Finally he finished with mud up to his knee caps! He acted like it was all in a day’s work. I didn’t say, “I told you so” even though I wanted too! BTW he didn’t buy the house, years later he became a home inspector. He remains my most favorite home inspector. We never talk of the mud.

My nose remembers another nasty REO where I had to have the locksmith break into the home because the homeowners had abandoned it. I took my contractor and the locksmith, because I always fear finding a dead body in a closet. Well this time we found a freezer (unplugged) full of formerly frozen game meat. It had been decaying for who knows how long! My contractor picked up the freezer intact and disposed of it. We didn’t dare open it again for the odor nearly killed us.

Once on holiday in Las Vegas a Realtor friend took us out to preview his inventory. I slipped away to use the bathroom while they were looking at the house. The home was obviously build by a budget builder, because the lock to the bathroom door broke, leaving me trapped inside. Luckily I’m not afraid of small spaces, but just the same I was annoyed at how long it took before they missed me!

Spooky stories are always more fun when they are told in past tense. What spooky stories do you have?

About the Author

Kristal Kraft
Kristal has been helping buyers and sellers in Colorado since 1984. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of the Metro Denver Real Estate market via blogging and in person while driving around the beautiful Rocky Mountain town of Denver! For fun, Kristal enjoys shooting things with a Canon. Visit Denver Photo Blog