It’s not haunted, and it’s not located in Amityville, NY, but this colonial-style house boasts a connection to the infamous “Amityville Horror” home.
The shingled Toms River, NJ home acted as a double in “The Amityville Horror,” filmed in 1979. The classic horror film portrays the story of the Lutz family, who purchased the Amityville home only 13 months after the gruesome 1974 DeFeo murders, which took place in the home.
Shortly after the Lutzes moved in, they described a host of horrors ranging from slime oozing down walls and strange odors to moving furniture and slamming doors. They moved out 28 days later. However, the supernatural stories are largely clouded by controversy, including claims that the family made up the entire haunting. But the claims have done little to temper the story or the filming location’s notoriety.
Even though the New Jersey home is about 100 miles from Amityville, to this day, people stop by, take pictures and ask questions, homeowners told CNN. And just in time for Halloween, the shingled house at 18 Brooks Rd, Toms River NJ 08753 is for sale for $935,000.
Although the home looks like the Amityville house, the similarities stop there. The home was never the site of any murders or any supposed hauntings. Built in 1920, the classic structure sits on a nearly half-acre lakefront lot. Measuring 3,370 square feet, the 4-bed, 5-bath home boasts an updated kitchen with granite countertops, hardwood floors, backyard pool and dock.
Strikingly enough, the actual “Amityville Horror” house was on the market just two years ago. Property records show that the home at 108 Ocean Ave. sold for $950,000.
