Need cash now? Grave’s gotta go

By BAIRD HELGESON
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: June 25, 2008

Linda Ledesma needed a little extra money to help pay the rising costs of living in Florida.

So she decided to sell her burial plot in Sylvan Abbey cemetery in Clearwater. The newspaper classified ad noted its scenic location “in Garden of Ascension, near waterfall, under shade tree.“

At $2,500, the asking price is a relative bargain. The cemetery is selling similar plots for $3,995.

Ledesma has joined a small but growing number of people who are selling unwanted cemetery plots. The trend is particularly pronounced in states that drew millions of retirees who have grown more accepting of cremation or are rethinking their earlier plans to be buried in their adopted state. Others say they’d rather have the money now and worry about their final resting place later.

Since cemeteries generally aren’t in the business of buying back or selling secondhand plots, sellers often turn to newspaper classifieds, a handful of national brokerages, even Craigslist.

Add in a tanking economy, it begins to look like a sell-off.

“The selling market is absolutely flooded right now,“ said Terry Robertson, owner of American Cemetery Property, a brokerage company he started in Charlotte, N.C. “As the economy dips, I am getting more and more calls every day.“

Robertson started American Cemetery Property in February 2006 to fill downtime in his own funeral business. Swamped with calls, he hired three people to handle the deluge of interested sellers.

These days, buyers can find deep discounts, with sellers touting their plot’s proximity to natural amenities, such as trees and gardens. Many ads indicate the owners are willing to deal, and some say they need money quick. To sweeten the pot, one recent ad noted: “Never used.“

Some might find it odd or even tacky to shop for their grave site near an ad for a used Toyota Corolla or for a Golden Retriever seeking a home.

Several of those selling plots remain hopeful that the low prices will offset any queasiness about how the sacrosanct land is bartered.

Michael Vacchiano inherited 14 plots from his grandmother in Royal Palm cemetery in St. Petersburg. He is selling 12 for half the going price, about $995 a piece. He plans to keep two.

“I will use the extra money to purchase health insurance so I won’t have to take up residence anytime soon,“ he said.

Cemeteries that oversold decades ago and the increase in cremations are the major reasons why so many plots are being put on the market, said Robin Heppell, a consultant who helps cemetery owners market their businesses and products on the Internet.

“Much of it is the result of pretty good salespeople 20 or 25 years ago who were selling plots fast and furious,“ Heppell said.

At the time, many people who snapped up plots saw traditional burial as the only viable option for their remains.

Christians have long preferred burial over cremation.

The Roman Catholic Church banned cremations in 1886, viewing it as a pagan practice that would prevent the body from being resurrected. Church members were excommunicated for arranging cremations as recently as World War II.

The church, along with several other faiths, has softened its position in recent years.

Debbie Mills and her husband bought four plots several years ago at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Thonotosassa, Fla. At the time, their religious convictions prevented them from considering cremation.

Mills and her husband divorced and he moved out of state.

Her religious convictions changed, too. She has become comfortable with the idea of cremation.

Now she wants to sell her two plots for $5,000.

“I am not even sure I’ll be in Florida the rest of my life,“ said Mills, who is in her mid-40s. “I could really use the money now.“

The Rev. Johnny and Sandy Hasick of Cairo, Ga., turned to their Internet-savvy daughter, Aubrey, when they wanted to sell their burial plot and concrete vault.

Aubrey Hasick posted an ad on Craigslist hoping to sell their property at Royal Palm North Cemetery in St. Petersburg. The Hasicks moved to Georgia about 10 years ago and have no use for their Florida plot.

“We do hope to use the money from the burial plot to buy one in Georgia,“ said Aubrey, 20. “We haven’t gotten any calls about it yet, we just keep patiently waiting.“

Those who decide to sell their plots have found little interest from those looking to buy. Several sellers have run the ads for months, without a single phone call.

“I didn’t realize it would become such a beast of burden to get rid of them,“ Mills said.

Cemetery owners and experts point to the deep discounts and chilly response to ads as a sign that the number of buyers has not matched the number of sellers.

“A lot of people are selling, but not a lot of people are buying,“ Heppell said.

Some cemetery managers said they have not seen a dramatic increase in the number of people who want to transfer deeds to the plots, which is generally required for a sale.

In the Tampa Bay area, cemeteries charge an administrative fee of about $50 to transfer the deed for a plot. In other states, such as Texas, some cemeteries charge as much as $360 to transfer deeds.

Cemeteries will likely begin to charge more to transfer deeds if private sales increase to the point where they cut into the staff time and hinder their ability to sell their own plots, said Robertson, with American Cemetery Property.

“The funeral home and cemetery business already is struggling,“ he said. “As this submarket grows, the costs will certainly go up.“

Ledesma, who is selling her plot in Clearwater, never imagined she’d sell the land next to where her husband, Tony, was buried 10 years ago.

“I need to sell it to pay for condo insurance and health insurance,“ explained Ledesma, who is in her mid-60s.

She plans to be cremated and have her ashes buried in her husband’s plot, a practice that’s becoming increasingly common.

To date, she’s had only one call from a woman who wanted to see the land.

“I really hope she likes what she sees,“ Ledesma said.

Reporter Baird Helgeson can be reached at (813) 259-7668 or .