[laskiblue]

I lived next to a cemetery on a cul de sac for a few years back in the 80s and it was very peaceful. I could sit on the front porch and play my guitar and sing and no one cared. The cemetery was well-maintained and pretty and it was pleasant to look at.

Now as for a cemetery in my front yard, well, it would depend on the property. If it has a lot of other desirable things going for it, the cemetery would not disturb me one bit and I would make sure it was taken care of respectfully. If it were in a high traffic area where pranksters might find the cemetery tempting to mess with, I would definitely think twice about purchasing or living on the property.

[SarahandSam]

I might pay extra for a cemetery! But my husband and I both love old cemeteries... we had our first date in one and he proposed to me there. (;

[Crackerdog]

I wouldn't have a problem with a graveyard itself but I would want to know what kind of restrictions it might put on the use of the rest of the land.

[Guin]

I think it would be cool! But do go to the Town Hall and check out easements and what other restrictions are on it. (Do NOT rely on anything the real estate agent says - he/she is just trying to sell the property.) But I'd loving having my own personal cemetary.

[Capall]

It would be a plus for me! I would love that. Another thing to consider though is to find out if there are any Native Americans possibly buried there, because if you ever have to dig up the area for any reason, then NAGPRA would take hold and it can be a big pain. There is a local area here where they don't dare dig up certain parts of where the old cemetery was, because although the graveyard was supposedly moved to another location, they only moved about 100-ish of the 200-ish known bodies. There are over 20 known tribes that have ties to the area, and it would be a nightmare if they found a grave and had to contact all 20 tribes and then try to establish what tribe the deceased belonged to. So, we just don't go there

[Guilherme]

Eighteen years ago I bought a place with a cemetery. It's no big deal.

G,

[grayarabpony]

I'd be more concerned with the condemned house than the graveyard.

[vacation1]

Concern at 2m - what sort of public access might I be required to give people to my front yard, since their family might be buried there.

Concern at 2am - given that I can't convince animal control to come corral a loose dog, do I want to have to deal with the zombie apocalypse all by myself?

[SarahandSam]

Concern at 2am - given that I can't convince animal control to come corral a loose dog, do I want to have to deal with the zombie apocalypse all by myself?

Very valid point. Damn. My dreams of a house with a cemetery are suddenly a lot more nightmarish...

[Halt Near X]

Concern at 2am - given that I can't convince animal control to come corral a loose dog, do I want to have to deal with the zombie apocalypse all by myself?

No worries -- The CDC can help you prepare.

[ReSomething]

I read a story once about a family cemetary in Eastern where the access road was blocked by the new owner, as the site of a new house no less, and eventually the courts upheld the rights of the family to have access to their burial plot. So there went the homeowner's privacy.

So bearing that in mind I think they are cool, there are many of them locally and the guy that lived on this property is buried about a quarter mile away on an adjoining property. It's just I hate seeing the one where the rock wall is the farmer's dump site and you can just see the monuments in our taller truck - it makes me sad that these folks' graves are ignored. Having one in the front yard you could make it a contemplative garden though, that'd be respectful and attractive, I'd consider it.

[Bensmom]

I wouldn't hesitate either, though I would also want to know what any restrictions are on the property. North Carolina may have the same sort of program with the state that Alabama does -- there is a registry of historic cemeteries maintained by the Department of State. The registry honors and preserves old cemeteries and attempts to record the burials within them.

I just found my great-great-great grandfather's grave, in a small family cemetery in a small town in Alabama, mostly due to the fact that someone, who appears to be unrelated, but just cares about old cemeteries, went to the trouble to record it with the State. It sits on property where there is a residential ministry and also where there is a home to the side of it. It has been fenced off with a small fence, and is really nice.

I would want to know what the access rights are -- you wouldn't want genealogy crackpots such as myself turning up all the time and trooping right past your kitchen window and showing up at your family cookouts

I love cemeteries! So many stories to imagine . . .

[Satin Filly]

No WAY! I get creeped out just driving by cemetaries!

[Huntersmom]

Our little 6 acre farm has a small cemetery on part of our land. We have never had any problems, Doesn't bother us at all. It is fenced off separate from the rest of the property,

[Megaladon]

I would totally buy! There is an old cemetery at the neighboring farm and I actually found a Revolutionary War vet in it---old cemetaries are awesome!!! And kind of on the same track as Mistyblue, it'd be nice to be a sort of caretaker.

[Windsor1]

It would be a plus for me! I would love that. Another thing to consider though is to find out if there are any Native Americans possibly buried there, because if you ever have to dig up the area for any reason, then NAGPRA would take hold and it can be a big pain. There is a local area here where they don't dare dig up certain parts of where the old cemetery was, because although the graveyard was supposedly moved to another location, they only moved about 100-ish of the 200-ish known bodies. There are over 20 known tribes that have ties to the area, and it would be a nightmare if they found a grave and had to contact all 20 tribes and then try to establish what tribe the deceased belonged to. So, we just don't go there

And the next thing you know the kids are disappearing into the damn TV and all hell breaks loose.

[bits619]

And the next thing you know the kids are disappearing into the damn TV and all hell breaks loose.

Aaahahahaha love it!

[headsupheelsdown]

I would absolutely love it and if it was my dream property where I intended to stay and hope that the next generations would stay, I would inquire about adding to the plots for my own family.

My own relatives are buried in cemeteries pretty far away and it is hard for me to stop by once in a great while to pay my respects. I am not the type to decorate gravestones for the holidays or anything like that, but I do like to visit once in a while. OTOH, one of our friends unfortunately had a young child pass away and were able to bury the child in a cemetery plot that is in view of their home. It brings a great deal of comfort to them. Not in the creepy way at all, they have made peace with the child passing, just comforting.

[Windsor1]

Aaahahahaha love it!

Capall just set it up so perfectly. Wasn't that the EXACT premise of what happened in Poltergeist--Native American burial ground with development built on top of it? Something almost identical to that, anyway.

[danceronice]

I'm considering a piece of land that has a condemned home, and a few outbuildings, but also has a small cemetery in the front yard. The cemetery kind of creeps me out, but the rest of the property has so much potential (and is in the BEST location) that I'm still tempted.
Would a cemetery sway you?

Abandoned, I assume old, house, old outbuildings and a cemetery? YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES YES! It's my dream property (except I'd want a workable house)! THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!

(Um...yeah, I might be odd.)

ETA: Yes, the cemetery plot itself is probably a permanent easement-you can't dig it up, develop over it, etc. without a lot more hassle than unused land. There may also be laws requiring you to grant access to family members, though depending on the age of the cemetery that might be an issue, and it would not, almost certainly, be UNRESTRICTED access (they can't just barge onto your land without notification at all hours, for example.)