Economy Forces ‘Grave Decisions’

Tough economic times are causing an increasing number of people to part with their final resting place.

• Multiple cemeteries report nearly double the number of clients seeking to sell back their plot.
• Websites that advertise plots for sale report an increase in postings, including one family in the process of removing a buried body so that a burial area worth about $350,000 can be sold.
• One cemetery reports widowers selling back plots next to their buried spouses.

The result? A lot inventory on the market, providing reduced prices and extra room for negotiation if you’re looking to buy your final resting place rather than sell it.

SeeAnn Marie Chaker, Where Real Estate is Still Hot, WSJ, Sept. 24, 2009.

Special thanks to Patrick S. Sylvester (Attorney & Counselor at Law, Sylvester Law Firm, PC) for bringing this article to my attention.