No Noise, No New Construction: Why Savvy Homebuyers Are Embracing Graveyard Views

Living next to a cemetery is not for everyone, but this spooky season, some out-of-the-box buyers are looking past the stigma to embrace the surprising benefits of dead-quiet neighbors. According to recent estimates, there are over 144,000 burial grounds scattered around the contiguous U.S., ranging from modest family plots to sprawling national cemeteries, making it all but certain that a notable share of U.S. homes will end up adjacent to a cemetery.Real estate agents who have handled listings adjacent to graveyards say that, contrary to popular belief, a somber resting place is not an automatic black mark against a home and rarely hurts property values.For house hunters expecting a bargain, that means a location-based price cut is unlikely. "Typically, you don't see much of a discount for that sort of property," Nathan Weinberg, principal broker at MW Real Estate in Nashville, TN, tells Realtor.com®. "What I do think you would see is the one that wasn't next to the cemetery would sell first. The demand is different for unencumbered property compared to a property that has that kind of a stigma attached to it, and so your pool of buyers is smaller."Weinberg has represented listin...