While growing up, every neighborhood seemed to have that creepy, empty house that all the kids on the block would steer clear of. Okay, so maybe vacant homes aren’t quite as spooky after the grade school years, but it can still be an eyesore on an otherwise lovely neighborhood block. The good news is, according to Realtor,com, the number of vacant homes across the country is diminishing.
As of Jan. 31, 2016, the number of vacant homes in the U.S. fell to 1.6 percent, or 1.36 million homes. On Sept. 30, 2015, that number was at 1.8 percent, or 1.5 million properties. The number of vacant homes includes foreclosures, but the majority of these properties are vacation homes or investment properties whose owner lives somewhere else.
A big reason the number of empty homes is decreasing is due to the great deals homeowners are often able to get on these ghost properties.
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