People are shocked that a home that was the site of a grisly murder-suicide last year has already landed a buyer — and only days after it listed for sale.
On Dec. 2, 2022, just after 11 a.m., police were called to 2830 Acacia Terrace in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where they discovered five bodies inside.
Thirty-nine-year-old Andrei Kisliak had killed his wife, 36-year-old Vera Kisliak, and their two daughters, 6-year-old Vivian and 4-year-old Amilia, and his mom, 67-year-old Lilia Kisliak, before then killing himself. A dog was also discovered dead in the home.
An autopsy report later revealed that they all died from “sharp force injuries.”
The Kisliaks purchased the estate for $655,000 in 2017.
Less than a year after the tragedy, on Nov. 8, the six-bedroom, six-bathroom home, which police later revealed was facing foreclosure amid mounting debt, hit the market for $899,000.
Only nine days after it was listed, on Nov. 17, the 6,100-plus-square-foot property found a buyer.
The home is currently pending on a contingent offer, but had many people online raising their eyebrows.
In a viral TikTok video, posted by Zillowtastrophes, one person revealed “I could not live there knowing the poor little children were harmed.”
“There is no way I would buy that house,” a commenter said.
“It’s definitely haunted now,” another wrote.
The hallway where some of the murders took place. Christie’s International Real EstateThe children’s swing set remains in the backyard. Christie’s International Real EstateThe home occupies over 6,300 square feet, and features six bedrooms and six bathrooms. Christie’s International Real Estate
But some were quick to jump on the offer.
“In this economy?! Bring in the Priest!!! Amen!” one person joked.
“All that for $899,000? Baby, open the windows and pray over that home!!” another quipped.
The listing makes no mention that the home was once the site of the gruesome murders. And by law, real estate agents are not required to disclose that information.
The listing shows photos of the home with all the furniture removed, but some of the art and paintings remain.
“Discover the pinnacle of luxury living in this extraordinary residence,” the listing starts out saying.
The expansive kitchen comes complete with a bar, a center island featuring a breakfast bar, Sub Zeros, and high end appliances.
Amilia and Vivian Kisliak. via CBS 2Vera Kisliak, 36 with daughters Vivian Kisliak, 6, and Amilia Kisliak, 4. Courtesy of Natasha Kuzmenko
The primary bedroom suite features two closets, dual vanities, and a master bath complete with a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower.
According to the listing, there is a basement that offers a game room, a workout space, a full bath with a steam shower and the “potential” for a second full kitchen.
Kisliak’s mother was found in one hallway dead from stab wounds, and the upstairs hallway was where the other family members were found lifeless.
The children’s playground equipment is still seen in the backyard.
TORONTO – One expert predicts Ottawa‘s changes to mortgage rules will help spur demand among potential homebuyers but says policies aimed at driving new supply are needed to address the “core issues” facing the market.
The federal government’s changes, set to come into force mid-December, include a higher price cap for insured mortgages to allow more people to qualify for a mortgage with less than a 20 per cent down payment.
The government will also expand its 30-year mortgage amortization to include first-time homebuyers buying any type of home, as well as anybody buying a newly built home.
CIBC Capital Markets deputy chief economist Benjamin Tal calls it a “significant” move likely to accelerate the recovery of the housing market, a process already underway as interest rates have begun to fall.
However, he says in a note that policymakers should aim to “prevent that from becoming too much of a good thing” through policies geared toward the supply side.
Tal says the main issue is the lack of supply available to respond to Canada’s rapidly increasing population, particularly in major cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17,2024.
OTTAWA – The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of homes sold in August fell compared with a year ago as the market remained largely stuck in a holding pattern despite borrowing costs beginning to come down.
The association says the number of homes sold in August fell 2.1 per cent compared with the same month last year.
On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, national home sales edged up 1.3 per cent from July.
CREA senior economist Shaun Cathcart says that with forecasts of lower interest rates throughout the rest of this year and into 2025, “it makes sense that prospective buyers might continue to hold off for improved affordability, especially since prices are still well behaved in most of the country.”
The national average sale price for August amounted to $649,100, a 0.1 per cent increase compared with a year earlier.
The number of newly listed properties was up 1.1 per cent month-over-month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
MONTREAL – Two Quebec real estate brokers are facing fines and years-long suspensions for submitting bogus offers on homes to drive up prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christine Girouard has been suspended for 14 years and her business partner, Jonathan Dauphinais-Fortin, has been suspended for nine years after Quebec’s authority of real estate brokerage found they used fake bids to get buyers to raise their offers.
Girouard is a well-known broker who previously starred on a Quebec reality show that follows top real estate agents in the province.
She is facing a fine of $50,000, while Dauphinais-Fortin has been fined $10,000.
The two brokers were suspended in May 2023 after La Presse published an article about their practices.
One buyer ended up paying $40,000 more than his initial offer in 2022 after Girouard and Dauphinais-Fortin concocted a second bid on the house he wanted to buy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
