Definition of "Stigmatized Property"

Mandy Love real estate agent

Written by

Mandy Loveelite badge icon

Listing Leaders Prestige

Stigmatized property is a property that home buyers might back off on closing a deal due to factors that are not related to the property’s price, structural/aesthetic conditions and overall features.

The stigmas of a stigmatized property can include:

Criminal – a stigmatized property by a criminal activity. Say a house used to be a brothel or a drug den; it’s likely that a lot of home buyers will shy away from closing the deal worrying their doors will be knocked on a lot by former customers.

Debt – if the former owner of the property held a lot of debt, home buyers might look at the house as a stigmatized property fearing a lot of collectors unbeknownst to the change of ownership will come and annoy them.

Death – if there was a homicide or a suicide inside the house, home buyers might feel a bit weird living there. Some states and cities even demand the home seller disclose that information in their full disclosure. In California, for instance, it’s required that this information is made available to the home buyer if the death occurred less than 3 years ago.

Phenomena – Would you live in a haunted house if the price was right? Well, many consider a haunted house a stigmatized property, and some places do obligate the home seller to disclose that information.

Minimal – those are properties that are only stigmatized by a small group of people. Example: a person from one certain religion might see a property that used to be a temple for a “competing” religion, as a stigmatized property but people from the same religion as the temple will not care.

Public – it’s the opposite of the minimal; it’s that stigmatized property that everyone knows about its stigmatized history. A home where a slaughter of national dimensions occurred will fall into this stigmatized property category.

Real Estate Tip:

Need to know if a property is stigmatized – and how to deal with one that is? Get a
real estate agent and let him (her) show you how!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Before getting a loan to buy a property, you must know the definition of foreclosure. A foreclosure is the process of making a loan due immediately. Technically, a loan becomes due way ...

Total amount due at maturity consisting of both principal and compound interest. ...

Window having both screens and storm windows that can be easily interchanged according to seasonal needs. ...

Compilation of all tax maps of a given tax district that are bound together and kept at the local tax office. The tax book is a public record that may be accessed by an individual for ...

A lessee (tenant) subleases the apartment to a third party .The tenant is now sandwiched between the lessor and the sublessee. In other words, the tenant is acting as a lessee to the ...

The right of a person or business to renew a contract. For example, the tenant may have the right to renew a lease for a specified amount and term. ...

An individual, educated, trained, and licensed in the principles of designing structures, and rendering drawings, specifications, bidding requirements. ...

Right of a party, the assignor, to allocate the benefits of certain insurance policies to a third party, the assignee. Insurance on real estate may assign the policy to protect the property ...

Flood insurance is a type of home insurance created to protect a homeowner’s property against damages caused by floods. Flood insurance is typically not included in the regular ...

Popular Real Estate Questions