Featured image credit: Warner Brothers
We like to dispel the myth that Los Angeles real estate is scary. But in this case, we might have to eat our words. The house from the classic 1982 horror film Poltergeist hit the market just a few weeks ago. And it’s already found its buyer. The single-family home stands less of a chance of hosting ghosts than some of the other properties we’ve highlighted over the years. But the Poltergeist house still had to overcome its creepy silver screen legacy on the way to new ownership.
Remembering the Suburban Scares of Poltergeist
When Poltergeist was released in 1982, it earned rave reviews from critics, securing its status as an instant classic of the horror genre. The story follows a middle-class suburban family moving into a new home only to discover it’s haunted by malevolent spirits. Often mistakenly remembered as a Steven Spielberg film (he did write the story and co-wrote the screenplay), the film was actually directed by Tobe Hooper. If you don’t already know that name, he’s arguably best known for the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. So, you might expect Poltergeist to get pretty raw. And while it’s much more family-friendly than Hooper’s earlier efforts, his in-your-face grotesque style is all over a few key scenes.
Real Challenges from Fake Ghosts
The Greater Los Angeles area has served as the filming location for several horror movies. After all, this is the home of the Hollywood dream… err, nightmare machine. You can even book entire Los Angeles real estate tours to see some of the most iconic abodes in horror cinema. We covered a few of them in our blog last Halloween. The Poltergeist house didn’t make the list, but it is pretty far out in Simi Valley.
With so many legendary houses of horror in the city, you’d think people could tell the difference between what they see on a screen and what stands before them in reality. But speaking to CoStar, listing agent Lauren Murdock of Equity Union admitted that some interested parties needed assurance that no actual spirits resided in the home. But in a movie where the home is so central to the horror element, the Poltergeist house has an added depth of infamy you might not assign to the homes from A Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween.
The Poltergeist Curse
And let’s not forget the Poltergeist curse. This urban legend attempts to tie together the tragic, untimely deaths of two of the film’s young leads, actresses Dominique Dunne and Heather O’Rourke. Dunne was murdered by her ex-boyfriend just months after Poltergeist’s premiere and O’Rourke passed away from illness several years later at the age of 12. Rather than accept the seemingly senseless randomness of death, fans began to ascribe a curse to the movie, pulling from other strange anecdotes. For example, actress JoBeth Williams alleges that Spielberg insisted on using authentic human skeletons on set.
The Poltergeist House Hasn’t Hit the Los Angeles Real Estate Market in 45 Years
While Murdock assured a few interested parties about a distinct lack of phantom roommates, the home’s dated appearance posed another obstacle. The sale was the first since the original owners moved in 45 years ago. If you’re keeping track, that’s just a couple of years before filming began, tying it to the Poltergeist legacy. Those familiar with the film would instantly recognize the wooden cabinets of the kitchen. The simple family room hasn’t changed much over the years either, though it may be hard to tell without bathing it in the eerie glow of television static. But the Poltergeist home has been updated where it counts offering structural renovation and new appliances.
Still, ghosts, curses, and outdated cabinetry weren’t enough to scare off interested homebuyers. The home didn’t last three weeks on the market. That’s not too hard to believe in the Los Angeles real estate landscape. Yes, even in areas at the outer edge of the Greater LA area like Simi Valley. The four-bedroom Poltergeist house also offers a fireplace, swimming pool, and even a home office with plenty of ADU potential.
The Mystery of the Final Sale Price
The Poltergeist home hit the market with an asking price of $1,174,999. Murdock can’t share the final sales price until the transaction closes. But we can imagine it’s a decent amount over the asking price considering she received several offers. The closing date for the sale is still pending at the time of writing.
