Who will buy the Amityville horror house next?
$1.15 million
It's a honey of a home, according to the real estate agents who looked it over and lived to tell about it.
"It's a beautiful house, but the basement is a little cold," said agent Denise Mierzejewski, laughing.
The five bedroom Dutch Colonial at 108 Ocean Drive in the sleepy Long Island community is listed by Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty for $1.15 million -- "The only thing scary about it is the taxes," quipped agent Rich Tancredi.
Well, not the only thing. The house first became infamous for the murders committed there. Ronald DeFeo Jr. was convicted of killing six family members while they slept in the house in 1974. By 1977, the book "The Amityville Horror" had become a best-seller. The work by author Jay Anson recounted 28 allegedly haunted days spent in the house by subsequent owners George and Kathleen Lutz. Among some of the paranormal experiences detailed: cold spots and the fragrance of perfume, a demonic pig-like creature with glowing eyes and green slime which oozed from the walls.
The book inspired several horror movies, the earliest in 1979 with Margot Kidder and James Brolin, and the most recent in 2005. When Riverhead Raceway owners James and Barbara Cromarty bought the house in 1977, they didn't believe any of the stories and they told us they still don't . However, they did change the address from 112 Ocean Drive to 108 to keep the curious away. "We loved the house and kept it for 10 years," offered Barbara.
The house has had a number of owners in the 36 years since the lives of six people ended there. The main residence and the boat house have been renovated. "We have people who want to buy it because they think it's haunted," quipped David Spiegel, another real estate agent who had just checked out the interior.
"When I was a kid, we used to ride our bikes and throw rocks at the house," said James Smith, a local real estate agent who admitted to NBCNewYork that he relishes the thought of the sales commission. He would gladly sell it or buy it - but not live there. "It has a special vibe, you can feel it," said Smith.
The present owner didn't return our phone calls and the listing agent had little to say except it's a lovely home, with or without the infamous history.
