A local realtor in Warkworth has taken honesty in advertising to new heights in describing this home's sordid past. (Glen Woodcock/SUN MEDIA)

Everyone who has ever trolled the real estate listings in search of a new house knows the lingo.

"Cozy" means small. "Needs tender loving care" means it's a money-pit. And "fixer-upper" means bring in a bulldozer.

So you have to give real estate agents John and Tanya Hudson credit for the ultimate in forthrightness in the following ad:

"Three bedroom, 1-1/2 bath, two-storey home in Warkworth (municipality of Trent Hills) ... Generously-sized kitchen and living area. Property being sold in 'as is' condition. Please note: the property has tested positive for mould spores. There has been a murder and burial on the property. (We hope you appreciate full disclosure!)" And all for only a low, low $84,900!

But Hudson had his reasons for being so candid. "I don't want people to think they're getting a typical power of sale," he said. "I want people to know up front."

And it's certainly not your typical power of sale.

The house, an unprepossessing vinyl-clad box on the south edge of the village southeast of Peterborough, became notorious last year when it was the scene of Warkworth's first murder in 55 years. The body of 33-year-old Michelle Barnoski was found in a shallow grave in the yard on June 13, 2008. A 14-year-old boy was charged with her murder and a 35-year-old man, Marc Vickers, was charged with being an accessory after the fact. His charge was later upgraded to second-degree murder and then to first-degree murder.

The youth's trial is set to begin with jury selection on Oct. 13. No date has yet been set for Vickers' trial.

In the meantime, the house and its nearly two-acre lot sat empty and dreary until it was repossessed by a bank and Hudson was asked to take the listing. It was a tricky situation, he admits. But he and sister, Tanya, his agent partner, have handled a number of awkward sales lately, including the sites of several suicides.

NEEDED A SHAMAN

"We've even dealt with people who have had a shaman go in and smoke a home to get the spirits out," he says. "We have to respect people's wishes."

When his ad appeared, other agents thought he was crazy. Agents, both local and from Toronto, began to phone him asking why he was advertising the property's history. Meanwhile, people in Warkworth -- population 600 -- began to wonder who would buy such a property. Would they turn it into a Halloween haunted house? Or would they just enjoy the notoriety? A biker gang for instance?

Me? I thought the decent thing would be to tear it down, which is what happened to the notorious residence where Paul Barnardo and Karla Homolka carried out their grisly crimes. And Hudson admits that "would be the best-case scenario once a place gets a history like that."

Having bought quite a few houses in my life, I wondered how many years it would take to sell. But what do I know?

In only a week or so, Hudson has had phone calls, a showing -- and an offer.

As they say in the real estate biz, location, location, location.

Apparently, a corpse in the backyard pales into insignificance next to a prime location on the edge of town priced well -- and with a multi-million dollar insurance agency across the corner.

Funny old world, isn't it?

CONNIE.WOODCOCK@SUNMEDIA.CA