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

A binding arbitration is a way to solve disputes without going to court. An alternative to the more expensive and lengthy legal procedures, a binding arbitration is basically the process ...

Legal obligation stemming from a civil wrong or injury for which a court remedy is justified. A tort liability arises because of a combination of a direct violation of a person's rights, ...

Property zoning having the net effect, intended or not, of excluding the poor and minority groups from living in a particular area. Building lot size is the most frequently used ...

Long, one-story house with the roof sloping toward the ground, often having skylights and contemporary windows. ...

An interest rate that is applicable when interest in subsequent periods is earned not only on the original principal but also on the accumulated interest of prior periods. ...

When a debtor defaults on a loan for which a deed of trust is given, the trustee is required to have a sale of the real estate security for the benefit of the lender. A deed of trust is ...

Current cost to replace property with an identical property after allowing for the depreciated value of the property. ...

Income reporting to the Internal Revenue Service using form 1099 stating income earned. For example, An employing real estate broker uses form 1099 to report commissions earned by a real ...

Long, wide piece of lumber having a minimum width of 8 inches with a minimum thickness of 1 inch for hardwood and 2 to 4 inches for softwood. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions