By Jeff Adolph
Haunted Homes
Who would have guessed that the haunting business could have been so lucrative? With entrepreneurs claiming to earn well over $400,000 a season, this art form is a growing industry that many years lacked conviction, with anyone renting a vacant building and converting it into a haunted house on a spur of the moment whim. A simple splash of red paint, a few people dressed in eerie costumes floating through the abode, and plastic bloodied corpses hidden in non-descript locations and 'voila' a haunting could be felt coming on, however, times have changed and today the 21st. century demands much more.
As Larry Kirchner, once president of the International Association of Haunted Attractions and now the owner of HauntWorld.com said, 'people expect more. They want a Hollywood-quality thing.'
And, with approximately 50 odd establishments marketing the props, equipment and paraphernalia needed to set-up a fiendish home of horrors it seems the business has grown ten fold over the last decade. To the point that conventions, trade shows and publications as well as websites are emerging based entirely on the profession.
Terry Campbell knows first-hand just how profitable the business is especially when he gave up his position as an executive for a major media research company to un haunted houses full-time.
The Haunted Network, as Terry aptly named his business has invested nearly $1 million dollars into several establishments in the Louisville and Jeffersonville areas, and claims to have earned 'well over $400,000' for this season.
As Campbell added, 'it is a very profitable business if it's done right.'
Real estate, props, equipment and operators are the businesses biggest costs, but with 'more than 17% of American consumers' from all walks of life joining the queue for the scare of their lifetime it is an investment that will pay off.
As the National Retail Federation predicts, some of these consumers are die-hard fans and thrill-seekers who will go online to find scary attractions in their region, or nationally, and then visit several.
Kirchner estimates there is now between 1000-1200 haunted houses in the country, all of which register at varying levels on the scare-o-meter.
And, for those of you who are obsessed, or is that possessed, by the idea of living in your own haunted home, and yes I am referring to real ghosts and ghouls not the special effects kind, you can ask your Realtor if they know of any in your area.
Rita Gallant, a Realtor in Plymouth confesses, 'in most cases people are intrigued by the thought of living with the spirit of a dead person. I have actually had buyers who thought it would be 'cool' to share quarters with a ghost.'
Is this a possibility for a new niche market?
Gallant added, 'natural causes have virtually no impact on property value or sales, but a violent death or suicide does.'
So, if your one who loves a good scream every now and then, or like to feel your heart race, the nearest haunted house may be just for you!
For comprehensive state-by-state listings of haunted attractions visit http://www.hauntworld.com, and be warned some are real and all are not for the faint hearted.
Sources: Ward, K (2006) Scaring Up Spooky Attractions is a Growing Business: available online at http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/15883000.html
Stein, A (2006) Selling Haunted Houses can give Realtors Nightmares: available online at http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2005/10/28/news/news/news02.txt
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© 2006 Jeff Adolph GayRealEstate USA
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