Can't find a reason why I cannot buy a house in whenhelm. There always is some trouble and it's not ready, thaqts all I get. How can I or is there a go around to activate this?

Have you started the civil war? If you are an imperial you can buy it after Windhelm is taken, if a Stormcloak you can buy it a bit earlier.

Yep, it's the only house you have to pick a side to get. And do several quests in the chain to get.

It's a beautiful home, but buggy as hell. In addition to what the other guys have said, you need to complete the quest Blood on Ice before buying Hjerim.

I could never live in that house.

It would be like living in 29, Cromwell Street or 10, Rillington Place!

Windhelm. And you cannot buy it until you either take Whiterun and Falkreath for the Stormcloaks, or take Windhelm as the Empire.

civil war won, i play imperial. and it wouldn't let me buy after windhelm was overthrown. BUt not sure if I did the Blood on Ice quest...where does it come from?

If you arrive in WIndhelm at night, you might find a dead girl and a bunch of people in the graveyard. Sounds familiar?

It begins in Windhelm. Find some NPCs standing around in the graveyard.

EDIT: - Dang. Ninja'd by Aurora

Blood On the Ice is a very bugged quest. I'd read up on it and its known issues before attempting.

It's on record for being the buggiest quest in the game by USKP.

Might be a bit late then, it is best to do Blood on Ice early. if you have not noticed a murder occurred, instead of fast traveling into town, go to the stables and walk through the gate one night and see if anything happens.

Not only that, but, to make matters worse, I think some of the conditions that trigger quest stages can be insanely unintuitive.

Also if you get to the buying of the house part, be sure to scroll down the menu and buy the cleanup part. It is only offered at the time you first buy the house. If you choose not to buy it, your house will always have bloody debris throughout your home.

Read http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Blood_on_the_Ice, . If it has already started and you can't progress the "normal" way, there are other way's to get the quest going so that you can buy it. Just make sure you save alot, during the process, because as mentioned it's buggy.

Almost all of my characters do Blood on the Ice, even if I know they won't want the house, aren't going to do the CW to be able to buy it anyway. I just check the grave yard every time that character goes into Windhelm or leaves a cell after dark. ex, if they leave the alchemy shop and it's dark, I check the grave yard before heading to the Inn.