These 5 Famously Creepy Homes Will Help You Get Into the Halloween Spirit

If you love screaming children in costumes, slasher movies, and fun-size candy, then Halloween is probably one of your favorite holidays.

For some, Halloween is all about dressing up and trick-or-treating for the largest bag of loot, but here at Realtor.com®, nothing gets us into the spirit of the season more than unearthing the dark truths behind some of the creepiest homes in the country.

So on this spookiest of days, we invite you to dim the lights, grab a glass of (ideally hard) apple cider, and join us as we tour five houses with notoriously grisly histories. Not all of these properties are haunted, but we’d hesitate to set foot inside any of them, especially on All Hallows’ Eve.

1. The real-life ‘Conjuring’ house

If you think this looks like an idyllic home in which to live out your farm-chic fantasy, you’re not alone. The Rhode Island farmhouse was sold to an eager buyer in May 2022 for $1.5 million, well over the $1.2 million asking price.

The news came as a shock to many after they learned that it was the house that inspired the 2013 horror film “The Conjuring.” Buyer, beware!

In real life, when Carolyn and Roger Perron and their five daughters moved in during the 1970s, terrifying supernatural events began happening. They included clocks chiming at 3:07 a.m., the family dog’s refusal to go inside the home (and subsequent mysterious death in the yard), and Carolyn levitating and being thrown about midair during a séance.

Then came Cory and Jennifer Heinzen, who bought the home in 2019. They reported seeing flashes of light, hearing voices and footsteps, and more inexplicable activity.

So what on earth could have motivated the current owner, Boston-based real estate developer Jacqueline Nuñez, to buy this haunted home?

Nuñez plans to spin it into a ghost biz of sorts, opening the home to paranormal investigators and allowing brave visitors to shell out cash to spend a night or tour the property.

2. The real-life ‘Watcher’ house

This stunning Dutch colonial built in 1905 is located in an upscale New Jersey suburb with great schools. Derek and Maria Broaddus thought they’d hit the jackpot when they bought the home for $1.35 million in 2014. They envisioned moving with their three children into their forever home.

But their dream quickly turned into a nightmare when a series of chilling letters written by someone named “The Watcher” showed up in their mailbox.

“My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I will find out,” read the first letter sent to the couple. Two more letters followed.

The Broaddus family never moved in. Despite their hefty initial outlay—including $100,000 in upgrades—the family eventually sold the house for $959,000 five years later. No further letters or problems at the house have since been reported.

The story of the home was chronicled in New York Magazine in 2018, and it recently inspired a new series on Netflix. “The Watcher,” written by Ryan Murphy, stars Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, and Jennifer Coolidge.

3. The Lizzie Borden murder house

This stately home makes an elegant impression. But would you want to live in the home where a brutal double murder occurred?

On Aug. 4, 1892, Andrew Borden, and his second wife, Abby Borden, were hacked to death at home. Their adult daughter Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted of the ax murders.

Believe it or not, that ghastly history was a selling point for Lance Zaal, who bought the infamous Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA, in 2021 for $2 million.

Zaal (who also happened to invent a “haunted” doll named Lily) has since opened an inn aptly named the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, for travelers with an appetite for a little blood and gore. Offerings at the B&B include historic tours, ghost hunts, and themed dinners.

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Watch: The Scary Truth About Horror-Movie Houses and What They Cost

4. The ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ house

This 2,700-square-foot home, built in 1919, is a dream (of the good variety) with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, walnut flooring, archways throughout, large windows, and French doors. Who wouldn’t want to live in such an elegant, historic residence? Perhaps viewers of Wes Craven’s horror megahit “A Nightmare on Elm Street” might have second thoughts.

The Los Angeles home’s exterior was used in the 1984 slasher classic, which was set in the fictional town of Springwood, OH.

The home was listed for sale in 2021 for $3.25 million, and the sellers highlighted the silver screen connection. Freddy Kruger, the movie villain, made a cameo in some of the listing photos, and offers were accepted until midnight on Halloween. It was eventually sold in January 2022 for $2.98 million.

5. The Phil Spector murder mansion

Phil Spector built the wall of sound, but then destroyed his legendary music career after killing model and actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. The murder took place in his stunning French-style chateau in Alhambra, CA.

And while this gem of a mansion—measuring just under 11,000 square feet with 10 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, two kitchens, and even a hair salon—is the kind of spread California dreams are made of, the home struggled to find a buyer.

Initially listed for $5.5 million in 2019, it was eventually sold for $3.3 million in 2021. It’s understandable—buyers typically don’t like purchasing properties associated with violent crimes.

Clarkson, best known for her role in 1985’s “Barbarian Queen,” met Spector one night at the House of Blues in Los Angeles and went home with him. She was found dead in his foyer on Feb. 3, 2003. Spector was convicted of the murder and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison, where he died on Jan. 16, 2021.

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Watch: This ‘Beetlejuice’ House in Arizona Will Make You Scream—With Delight

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