I stumbled across this article and had to share it. Most historic home owners that I know have not experienced any paranormal activity in a historic home ... much to their dismay. As it turns out, at least with certain lenders and appriasers, that is a very good thing.

(Historic Home) Buyer Faced Ghost of a Chance on House
A buyer from Massachusetts hoped to purchase the vacant Perea Casa, a historic home in Corrales, N.M., before it fell into foreclosure. Then the ghost problem started.

However, his plans were hampered due to a 2004 appraisal indicating that the property's original owner haunts the place and throws orange peels at guests. A string of lenders refused to finance the transaction because of the purported haunting.

According to a spokesperson for one of those lenders, California-based WMC Mortgage Corp., "It's just something that's so out of the ordinary, that if you had to foreclose on it, there would be a limited buyer pool."

There are several articles on the Web site of the National Association of REALTORS® about stigmatized properties, meaning those that have been the scene of hauntings, suicides, and violent crimes. NAR's Walter Molony notes that data has not been collected to determine whether the presence of ghosts hurts or enhances property value. The buyer of the haunted Corrales home, meanwhile, obtained financing immediately after a new appraisal was performed.

Source: Albuquerque Journal (03/17/05); Gray, Autumn