Last year, in the “spirit” of Halloween, we ventured into some of the most haunted locations and brought you the Top 10 Spookiest Cities in America. However, there were five more frightening cities that should have been mentioned and it’s been haunting us since!
In preparation for this year’s All Hallows Eve, we examined the remaining five frightening cities and are revealing whether or not the housing market is just as scary. Take a chilling tour to find out… if you dare.
Bright and sunny
Key West, FL may not appear to be an eerie enough setting for spooky places, but this island getaway is “
home to some of the oldest – and downright creepiest – of all ghost stories.” The city’s extensive history with pirates may contribute to some of these haunting tales but it was the tale of an infamous doll that caught our attention. The island’s local museum contains many artifacts but by far one of its creepiest is known as “Robert the Doll” which is allegedly possessed by evil spirits. Is the local housing market also in a state of possession? Known primarily for resort real estate, this city’s current median listing price found on
Homes.com is $388,000.
(Calculated on active residential property listings found on Homes.com as of September 28, 2013)
Salem, MA is truly a town that embodies everything Halloween. “Much of the city’s cultural identity is reflective of its role as the location of the Salem witch trials of 1692: Police cars are adorned with witch logos, a local public school is known as the
Witchcraft Heights Elementary School,” and more. In fact, travelers here can “re-trace the actual events of the Salem Witch Trials with a visit to Gallows Hill.” As for residents looking to buy a home, you can expect a median asking price of almost $290,000 in this city.
As “the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, who is said to
haunt various locations in town,”
Baltimore, MD was also site to some of the nation’s most gruesome events. Its ghastly history includes the American Revolution, the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Because of the “hundreds of years of lost lives and spirits that remain” this area has become “popular among ghost trackers.” How popular is this city among home buyers? According to the recent
Homes.com Local Market Index Report, the Baltimore metro area ranks among the top increasing for home prices with almost a 2 percent increase on a monthly basis. Additionally, home buyers in this city can expect a very affordable median list price of $139,900.
Aptly named,
Tombstone, AZ is a “historic western city” that served as “one of the last
wide-open frontier boom-towns in the American Old West.” Unfortunately, this booming city once nearly turned to a ghost town (no pun intended) because of tensions that inevitably “grew into deadly conflict,” now known as the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. One of the most spooky spaces in this city is the Bird Cage Theatre, where “
the ghosts of Boot Hill Graveyard seem to still be hanging” around. Are ghosts also haunting the housing market in this town? The median list price for homes here is frighteningly low at $89,500, yet recent tourist attractions give credence to the town’s motto: ‘
The Town Too Tough to Die.’
As a setting to one of the most recognized spooky stories,
Sleepy Hollow, NY “was given its current name in 1996 when
residents voted to have it changed to honor” the story’s famous author, Washington Irving. Now represented in a modern day television show, this town’s cemetery, also one of the oldest in the country, “is where you’ll find tombstones with the names of many characters” from Irving’s book. How “sleepy” is the real estate market in this area? Located 30 miles north of Manhattan in New York City, the city’s current median asking price is a monstrous $654,000.
Buying a home can be a “grave” decision. These frightening five cities all represent some of America’s most haunting past but offer a variety of real estate options and home prices. Care to celebrate Halloween year round and take up residence in any of these spooky places? Check out Homes.com now for your new spooky space.
Get in the spirit for Halloween and join the Haunting #HomeChat Twitter chat Thursday October 17th at 8PM EDT. RSVP HERE for a chance to win 1 of 5 $50 gift cards during the chat!
