There is a lot of info that I would like from a realtor before buying a home.<\/p>\n
For instance, I’d like to know about crime statistics. I’d like to know about the quality of schools. I’d like to know about the racial and religious make-up of the community. What are average incomes? What is the environment like? Are there any concerns?<\/p>\n
Well, all these perfectly valid questions can not be answered by a realtor. It is against the law. What law? The Fair Housing Act.<\/p>\n
How could such a beautiful sounding act be so restrictive of free speech? This is crazy. This is why I’m libertarian-conservative.<\/p>\n
I’d prefer the government butt out of these discussions.<\/p>\n
It is a good thing that National Review columnist John Derbyshire<\/a> is not a realtor.<\/p>\n Here are some depressing details from AOL<\/a>:<\/p>\n Household income: Wondering if a neighborhood is considered upscale? Don’t bother asking your agent. Klein says he can’t discuss economic class with prospective buyers. <\/p>\n But it’s relatively easy to find demographic information online, including average household income for a particular area. At Neighborhood Scout, for example, you can get a description of a neighborhood’s “look, feel and character” that includes information about residents’ age, income level, ethnicity and other factors. <\/p>\n Schools: As with income level, sharing information about schools “might be perceived as steering someone into a certain neighborhood,” says Klein. “However, as a Realtor I can direct people to sources of information about education in that area.”<\/p>\n Here, too, the web offers prospective home buyers a wealth of information. Buyers can find useful school statistics, including enrollment, class size, and reading and math scores, at sites like School Matters and Great Schools.<\/p>\n Religion: The religious makeup of a neighborhood is another topic that’s off-limits for real estate agents to discuss. If a buyer wants to find out about active religious communities in a particular neighborhood, Klein directs them to local houses of worship for information. <\/p>\n Crime statistics: Surely an agent can answer questions about local crime statistics, right? That’s pretty public information. But it turns out that even this data is considered a sensitive topic under the Fair Housing Act. <\/p>\n Once again, buyers have to do their own research to find out if a certain neighborhood is considered safe. Homebuyers can find crime statistics online, including where sex offenders live, by logging onto Family Watchdog.<\/p>\n Read On<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There is a lot of info that I would like from a realtor before buying a home. For instance, I’d like to know about crime statistics. I’d like to know about the quality of schools. I’d like to know about … Continue reading