“Unusual homes” might sound gentler than “haunted,” but the distinction is mostly semantics. Either way, some houses insist on being remembered.

Most buyers aren’t eager to settle into a home rumored to have lingering ghosts, but the truth is many don’t discover the stories until after the ink has dried. Fortunately — or not — the neighbors are usually happy to enlighten them … if they dare.

It is not a requirement to disclose whether something “bad” happened in a home in most states. Utah is one of those states. By something “bad,” I’m not talking about a plumbing leak or the known existence of methamphetamine or mold. I am talking about “bad” as in a violent crime, a death, or ghosts.

Rest assured, however, that if you’ve already purchased a haunted — or unusually storied — home before learning of its more colorful history, there is still hope. After all, homes tied to famous ghost stories or even former residences of serial killers have sold, proving that a house’s history doesn’t always define its future.

One of the first homes that come to mind for me is the Amityville Horror House in Amityville, New York. The home originally belonged to the Defeo family but was sold shortly after the son, Ronald “Butch” Defeo Jr. murdered his entire family in 1974.

Sometime later, the five-bedroom home sold to the Lutz family for a fraction of its value. They lasted just 28 days before fleeing, claiming to have experienced what would become known as The Amityville Horror.

I remember reading this book when it was first published. I was 11-years-old and the year was 1977. The book was so terrifying to me and seemed so real (at the time) that I felt I had to reread it several times to get the full intensity of the fear. Each time I read it, however, I began to see hole after hole in the story until I just couldn’t believe it anymore. Either way, I’m sure I could have seen talking pigs and green slime for a cool $86.4 million as well.

I just don’t think I could stay in character long enough to sell it. I’m a terrible liar. Regardless, the last recorded sale of the home was in 2023 for $1.46 million. No hauntings have been recorded in the home since before the book was released.

Aside from the Amityville house, more than a few famously “haunted” homes have turned out to be lucrative ventures — proof that a dark reputation can still cast a profitable shadow.

Or consider the old farmhouse in Rhode Island that inspired the film, The Conjuring. The movie was released in 2013 and grossed over $320 million.

It told the story of the Perron family, Roger and Carolyn and their five daughters. After moving into the old farmhouse in 1971, they quickly realized something wasn’t right. Clocks stopped at 3:07 a.m., their dog refused to go inside, and Carolyn woke with unexplained bruises. The family felt a dark presence, said to be Bathsheba Sherman, a woman rumored to practice witchcraft.

They called in paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who discovered a malevolent entity attached to the family. Terrifying as the story is, Andrea Perron, the eldest daughter, insists that almost everything in The Conjuring — about 95% — is Hollywood fiction. Go figure.

The term “unusual” doesn’t just apply to haunted houses either. What about homes that feature rare views out the window? Of course, not every unusual home draws its intrigue from ghosts or legends. Some simply offer a rare kind of view — say, headstones instead of hedges. Living across from a graveyard does have its perks: the neighbors are quiet, and, if nothing else, it’s a short trip to your final resting place.

Speaking of graveyards and tombstones, it’s worth noting that not every unsettling home owes its reputation to spirits of the departed. Sometimes it’s not the dead people you’re seeing, but just plain weirdness woven into the walls. Although unique is a relative term, there are certainly homes that indicate caution should be advised before entering.

There’s a certain kind of unease that settles in when you step into a place where something illicit — not spectral — is unfolding.

More than once, I’ve entered homes that housed active meth labs under dilapidated roofs, with cardboard for curtains and bedroom doors battered and bandaged with duct tape. In fact, there was one home specifically that my client and I entered and we had to leave less than 30 seconds later because we both started feeling nauseas and dizzy. I can handle a fair amount of animal pee, but this was something different.

Of course, not every unusual home comes with illegal activity or tragic history. Some are simply strange in ways that make you pause, smile, or shake your head — rooms painted every color of the rainbow, staircases that lead nowhere, or kitchens equipped for a chef who clearly doesn’t cook (much like my own). These quirks can be charming, disconcerting, or a little bit of both.

Haunted or merely unusual, every home has a story — some whisper softly, some bang on the walls, and some will follow you long after you’ve moved out.

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