Smurl Hauntings -

“Deal,” Frank said. He handed the Barlows a small, polished stone. “That’s the Smurl Stone. If the house starts acting up again—different kind of weird, not the fun kind—just rub it. I’ll come back with more pickled eggs.”

“Charming fixer-upper,” Frank told the young couple, the Barlows, as they stood on the porch. The doorbell, a tarnished brass cherub, suddenly played a perfect, mournful chord of “Auld Lang Syne” by itself. “See? Original details.” smurl hauntings

Frank Smurl passed the business to his daughter, who added a new clause to the Smurl Guarantee: We do not sell homes with malevolent ghosts. Only homes with strong opinions. The sign outside still reads SMURL REALTY , but if you look closely, the word “Hauntings” has been added in smaller letters underneath, written in a brass so new it hasn’t yet tarnished. “Deal,” Frank said

The sign above the door read SMURL REALTY – “Homes with Character” in chipped gold leaf. Frank Smurl, third-generation broker, believed it. He’d sold houses with crooked floors, houses with bats, even a house where the previous owner had walled up his coin collection. But the house on Vicker’s Lane was different. It didn’t just have character. It had a cast . If the house starts acting up again—different kind