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Are these words "offensive?"

Near the beginning of the year we get a list of words to be avoided in our advertising because they may be found "offensive." I have no issue with the idea that we should be courteous to our fellow human beings, and I understand that our society wishes to "celebrate diversity." That being said, when did Americans gain a right to not be offended? I ask that rhetorically because we can easily trace this back to the civil rights issues of the late 60's and 70's. However, it seems to me that we are taking this effort to not offend anyone just a little bit too far. The following is a list of words that are to be avoided in real estate advertising according to the NWMLS.

Offensive

Really! Some of these are pretty well established as not being PC, for example "cripple." I cannot remember the last time I heard of someone being referred to as a "cripple" although it was common place in my youth. On the other hand, "disabled," or "handicap" appears in every parking lot I go to. Are there really people out there who will be offended by these words? "Older person" is on the list, but so is "young?"

I really don't want to offend anyone, but c'mon America! I thought we were supposed to be a nation of strong individuals, the leaders of the free world. Are we so thin skinned that the terms Gentlemen, Child, Senior, Youth, Male, Female, and Child can offend us?

Whatever happened to the old limeric: "Sticks & stones will break my bones, but names can never hurt me!" Name calling may not be nice, but it can only hurt me if I let it. However, the PC police may hurt your wallet if you use these terms.

Posted by Ron Brown FHA & VA Home Loan Specialist on 01/11/2010 07:29 PM

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151 Comments on Are these words "offensive?"

JAN

2010

This is absolutely pathetic!!!! I agree that some of them should not be used anymore...but really! Are we going to be issued with a book of alternate words to use? Sign me up for a waiting list to move to the next human friendly planet please.

Gosh, Ron...I am so with you on this topic. Hopefully, realtors will have enough kahoonas to know which word would offend and which one wouldn't... Holy cow...you you young thang. Wait...is "thang" on the list?

"MOther in law" is on our list so no saying mother in law suite. Instead, you say "second master".

Sasha - It does make you pause to wonder what words are acceptable.

Claire - I think all of society really needs to stand up against this, not just realtors.

Donna - "Second Master?" Where do you suppose the roots of the term "Master" bedroom came from? It certainly wasn't coined because of the servant's quarters.

Maids room and servants quarters are sought after in luxury prewar Manhattan apartments and are still used in advertising. A classic six refers to a 2 bedroom with a formal dining room and maids room. Classic 7 or 8 can have 3 bedroom and a servants quarters or 2 maids rooms and a maids bath.

Some of the words on your list are not about offending people but about violations of Fair Housing laws and discrimination in housing. The innocent words take on different meanings in the context of advertising a property. "No children" "Men only" "Families only" No unmarried females etc.

The one that really gets me going is when I get flagged in the mls for typing in FAMILY!

Ron - as the great Clark Gable said, "Frankly Scarlet, I don't give a damn!" This list is getting just a bit ridiculous.

Some of these are just downright stupid. Hey, that word isn't on the list.

So don't say something like: Single family home with inlaw apartment for your unemployed lesbian alcoholic mother-in-law. No Irish, Please. That would be bad.

JAN

2010

We can't say America without offending someone. This is what I fought for in the Marine Corps for the last 14 years. Now the name of our country is offensive to some. While I agree that some of these words should be avoided, some of it is bulls***t. Just my 2 cents.

I'm offended by "Unemployed". Anyone "Unemployed" cannot possibly be pre-qualified!!! :)

Ron, NWMLS slapped my hand for including "family gatherings" in describing how the floor plan of a house would flow to absorb lots of people. I expect "family room" also would have bent them out of shape. And you are SO right on about the term "master."

Sherry - Family gatherings has the word "family" in it, and everybody knows that is a bad word. Shame on you.

Ron - This is ridiculous and sad, in my opinion. Unbelievable.

When we had a listing in Seminole Lakes, a name of a subdivision here- Realtor.com would not allow us to put the listing in realtor.com because the word Seminole was on the list of words to not be used. What the heck are we supposed to call the subdivision if not by its' name!

This is SOOOOO ridiculous and really gets me and Nestor mad. We have to call over 55+ communities, active adult communities but then that offends the ones who are not active.

How far will the word police go? They soon will be policing not just your words but your thoughts also. PC is not me, I don't want to be PC.

I also don't agree that if I am working with a Jewish Orthodox Rabbi and he tell me ( true story) that he needs to live within 500 yards of his synagogue I can not do that? I have to show him houses all over town that don't fit his criteria just because we are not allowed to show just the homes within that specific area because that would be considered a religious request? I just get so mad about this stuff.

The family word, oh heavens! ( oops, can't say heavens either, most likely) is so BADDDD! How dare any of us esteem the family. What if a family wants to live with other families. Why and how is that bad? I don't want my kids growing up without kids to play with! IT really goes too far.

There is nothing in our constitution that says that we have the right to NOT be offended. If you are offended, that is your problem. You allowed the person saying the words you don't like to offend you. That was your choice. You could have chosen to NOT be offended as well. It was still YOUR choice. But of course, everyone is a victim now of something or other.

Oh, one more thing, all our Spanish friends call me a Gringo and they call themselves Spanish! SO if they call themselves Spanish is that bad too or is that OK? What about then, the Hispanic Realtor Association, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce? Hmmm, we have a Polish American Club in Lake Worth, do they have to take down their sign now? What about BET, Black Entertainment TV? That is on this list. Does this only apply to Realtors? Does this only apply to homeowners, sellers, who is all encompassed? Because there are sure a LOT of double standards.

For the most part, I don't know why anyone would want to use the majority of these words anyway. Perhaps in our ads and promotions, they want us to just say "house." In my opinion a lot of the rules, regs, and other directives are derived from control issues.

I lived in Alabama for many years long time ago. . and I can tell you that I was glad there was perimeters set forth for people to behave around. . .it protected me and my family!

Ron,

I'm not mean-spirited in my words or actions, and if I have the occasional faux pax, I have to live with it.

Rich

who is the NWMLS.

it's okay if i'm referred to as an "employed" "white" "heterosexual."

now i've been insulted in my life and they made a much better effort with their vocabulary, than the words you were given.

now george carlin, he could've really given you a list of words which would be truly offensive.

I think most of these words are problems under the Fair Housing Laws. It might behoove everyone to really understand that law. The penalties are quite severe. Maybe we need to change the Fair Housing Laws.

This is an example of extremism to the nth degree. It makes no sense whatsoever for half of those words that ou mentioned to even be on the list.

Ron - You have got to be kidding me? The government under the guise of protecting people under the Fair Housing Laws has crippled our reasoning -

This is crazy-are we just supposed to mime now? When I tell my clients (after being asked directly) that I cannot discuss that topic or use those words-they look at me like I'M crazy-its not me, its them!

I've always found it interesting that we can't say English, Irish, Chinese or even American, but French (as in French doors) does not get flagged. What's that about?

Ft. Hood shootings, Crotch bomber, all because someone didn't want to offend.

'Nuff said!

I'm just wondering what word went in that blank area between "parish" and "perfect for two"...

You know, I go with what is taught in Fair Housing, blog about the house, the area, but not people. I don't have a problem with that or time to make this a cause. Has it reached a point of absurdity? Yes. That is usually what has to happen to return to common sense.

Just use common sense and you will normally not offend most people. Some people will get offended no matter what you do. I didn't see the word 'suck' on the list, for some reason that word bothers me more that most, of course what do I know. I am referring to the ED commercials on in prime time, try to explain the wording in those commercials to the little kiddies.

Ron:
My question to you is: How much do you think some idiot one was paid to create this list?

I am glad to see that Italian made the list - it offends me when people use the word Italian. I prefer to be referred to as "American of European Descent, Primarily of Latin Origin". That way I'm not identified with The Sopranos... because every one associates Italians with the Mafia, right?. [couldn't resist the sarcasm].

@Lisa: What would you call French Doors, if you were not allowed? Freedom Doors? :P

The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!

Fantastic topic Ron, great one to get all the Realtors fired up.

It's good to look at this list and understand how sensitive we do have to be. However, so many of these are easy to laugh at. How is "white" or "black" offensive? Are white or black cabinets offensive? What about a hosue with "white cabinets and black granite countertops" Call the Police! And Family has always blown my mind. It's a room in a house that's a more casual living space than the living room. I guess it must be a den or rec room. And then American is the most ridiculous. I am sure they are trying to tell us not to use it in a discriminatory way. But like the white cabinets and black countertops, what if the house is near American University? Most of these words are offensive and you'd have to have zero common sense or complete ignorance of fair housing, but some of them are just nonsensical.

men and woman !!!!!

what are we ???

he is rigth "I thought we were supposed to be a nation of strong individuals, the leaders of the free world. "

what happens to " yanqui go home"

any one in the world can use that ,and what we can do ??

by thw way i am LATINO; CUBAN; HISPANIC, AMERICAN; and proud of all

Mmmm. Let's see, Realtors can't use the word Negro but the Speaker of the House of Representatives can.

What a strange world we live in.

Ron - I agree that we have sometimes gone too far on the side of being politically correct, but then there is fair housing!

Ron,

You have struck a nerve!!!!! Some people need to get the chip off their shoulder and remove that bug up their behind! Can we spend our time doing something a little more productive...please? :-)

Insanity. Thin skin is contagious, apparently.

Heck, our Multiple Listing Input Form has several of those words on it!

Looks to me like the list is a good checklist to make sure your descriptions are compliant with Fair Housing. Quite frankly, if you are using most of those words in an ad or listing I'd be pretty worried.

I don't think the NWMLS is saying the words themselves are offensive but that if you use them to describe a home you're going to find yourself in hot water pretty fast.

I believe that Roger Ebert, Gene Shalit, and Leonard Maltin all gave this blog a thumbs up! ok, it was me....

Hi Ron, While we all may agree that this list is too severe a violation of the Fair Housing Law is much more so !

Hello Ron - Thanks for the list. Some of those seem outrageous. Since you can't say kid or child I thought that I would find y'all a list to work from:

adolescent, anklebiter, babe, baby, bairn, bambino, brat, cherub, chick, cub, descendant, dickens, imp, infant, innocent, issue, juvenile, kid, kiddie, lamb, little angel, little darling, little doll, little one, minor, mite, moppet, neonate, nestling, newborn, nipper, nursling, offspring, preteen, progeny, pubescent, shaver, small fry, sprout, squirt, stripling, suckling, tadpole, teen, teenager, teenybopper, toddler, tot, tyke, urchin, whippersnapper, young one, youngster, youth

Thanks Thesaurus.com - I'm sure many of these will be considered just as or even more offensive. Be careful out there!

Another thing, "Negro" is okay but "American" is not?

Or is that just if you are a dispicable, lying, windbag member of Congress?

This is a F__ _ _ _ _ House for any one !!!!!

Traditional? That boggles the mind. We all have to be careful what we say in our listings these days. Great list Ron!

Great blog, well put!

I find it interesting that anyone needs to be told not to use the word cripple in their advertising.

I really like the fact that we go out our way not to offend those who are in our country illegally!! It would be a shame to offend them! I mean really, how rude!!

Im wondering maybe some one should tell our governement to amend its own rule on the fair housing act

specifically the "housing for OLDER PERSONS act of 1995"

and approval ??? board approval??? sheeesh.

I suppose all that's left for us to be able to do is stand, grunt, and point at the home we're showing.

It is a sad day when we are stiffled from describing a home for what it really is.

This is all about Fair Housing regs. Our MLS not only passed out a similar list but went ahead and deleted all the words on the list from our remarks about the property in the MLS. I have a condo listing in a small, legally created, 55+ community. I had a sentence stating the condo was in an adult community and they deleted the word adult from the description in the MLS. Our Managing Brokers were sent notices of our violations. I called our legal hotline requesting explanation as it is clearly written in this condo association's rules that at least one owner of each unit must be 55 years of age or older and the MLS was giving me no way to convey that to the public (55+ is also a no-no). Surely there must be special dispensation granted in cases such as this. Nope, my MLS employs an automated program that scans and deletes these words. Period. The automated program doesn't know or care what your underlying documents state - - delete, delete, delete!

I am past the point of caring if I offend someone or not. I am sick and tired of this politically correct society. I prefer to NOT be politically correct.

I concurr with most of you guys. However, I don't see any discrimination in the words "Great home for family gatherings or social get togethers" Also, could you say "Perfect for singles or small families alike"? We are not really excluding the elderly. Sometimes marketing is to identify your target group and catering to their wishes. Different properties lend itself to different groups of potential buyers.

Would it not be vital information to advertise a property as "Handicaped accessible" if it were equipped with ramps and elevators. That indeed would do a seller a service by adressing a specific target audience who indeed might be very interested in such features. If we are not able to cater to nice markets anymore just because we are so affraid of alienating someone we will become single worded puppets and all listing descriptions will be "Great house in great location for everyone"

Nice work, diversity fetishists!

Hahahaha, Jim (#49) Some already do that!

I am offended that someone believes such a list is necessary.

And I thought our state was bad... It really seems as tho, so much is geared to protect the consumer, that we ,or any other business/professinal is finding it hard to make a living because of the consumer and what he or she may "think" or do.. Take a look even at the medical field which I highly respect,, there are so many doctors and nurses getting out of the business because of lawsuits !! This is awful.. I ironically, I see a lot of them getting into the real estate field. Well........law suit heaven !! I have thought too ,, if you think of all the people that have "bad named an agent" , they are the ones that are usually jerks.. We need to all be human and understanding, and forgiving... let the final judgement day take care of what we may or may not have done. Just be honest..

Marlene S. Giles, RE/MAX 1st Olympic,,30 years and still selling..

To quote someone above whose reply included this...."Can we spend our time doing something a little more productive...please? :-)"

SHE obviously doesn't realize that protecting our liberties is about as productive as you can get. You fall asleep on the job where that is concerned and you wake up in a communist country. Sure making money is important but keeping this country free is what it's all about.

I am not part of the NWMLS but I'd have to write them a letter telling them how rediculous some of those words are. Like "professional" for example. What if it's called Smith Professional Building? I mean I assume they don't want anyone to say, "young professionals allowed only" or something but who would do that anyway! We've taken protected classes wayyyyyyy to far at this point.

I live in a rural area that has a lot of one ethnic group. They rent a house and move 20 relatives in and trash the house and it takes months to get them out and then the house is worth zip. But don't you dare "discriminate" against them! Meaning, you better let them move in or the house will get trashed one night anyway, windows broken, grafitti, etc if you turn them down. Half of them are here illegally but what do you do? The law is on their side now. It's rediculous.

(and before I get trashed for what I said....let me state that my children belong to that same ethnic group but are here legally and would NEVER do something like this or I'd come down on their heads)

Agreeing with Terry.....what all these words have in common is that they tend to be used in a discriminatory manner. There is no reason to mention Hispanic or HIV or Synagoge or....well, you get the point. I know what you mean about political correctness gone crazy, but not sure if this list was to address PC as much as our Fair Housing laws.

It's getting pathetic like you said. It's beyond thin skinned & borderline insanity.

I'm not sure that these words are "offensive" as much as they are words that can potentially get you in trouble under the federal and State fair housing laws. Sounds like a good reminder from your MLS not to get "tagged".

Thanks for the post. You have just proved that PC has gone crazy in this country. What has happened to freedom of speech.? It appears everyone in our country is looking to be offended so they can sue someone. Thank you trial lawyers and the PC police.

Matthew Patrick

I agree. World War 1, World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Pakistan, Afganistan, Desert Storm, and the Persian Gulf War, just to name a few. How many of our citizens have to die to protect our Constitution and it's Bill of Rights. The first Amendment guarantees that we, as Americans, have the right to be offended. Each and every person has the right to his or her belief, thoughts, and ideas and the right to express them. The only words not protected by the first Amentment are word that are intended to cause hurt or intimidate another. Even that is only by a Supreme Court ruling, not a Constitutional Amendment. I personally find it reassuring when I get offended by something someone says to me. My offense is my proof that we still live in a free country and that our constitution is still in tact. However, that goes both ways.

Wow Ron, You really stirred things up. I am with you! Things are getting SO crazy I can hardly stand it with this PC nonsense. What ever happened to comon sense anyway?

It's getting pathetic like you said. It's beyond thin skinned & borderline insanity.

Some of these are really ridiculous. Here in FL we have alot of properties for seniors only (known as 55+) and we also have homes that are designed for the handicapped with wider doors for wheelchair access, wheelchair ramps and so on. Fortunately the use of some of the terms you mentioned don't create problems here so long as they honestly describe the property. Good post - it sure does make you think!

I would love to get a transcript of the meeting where the decision was made to determine what words are offensive. It would be a laugh riot.

Some people just need to quit crying about everything and get a life. Hey Karen, better watch telling people to get the bug out of there behind. That has got to be a viloation of the naughty rule. HA HA

This is so sad that our country has come to this. Our MLS also doesn't allow most of these words. It drives me crazy to have to use alot of other "acceptable" words to describe something that used to have an acceptable 1 word description - then they also limit you on the number of characters you can use. If a place has a family room and a den, you have to describe the family room as something like "there's another room where members of the household and invited guests can gather for a relaxing time". There's a push for conserving natural resources. How about an effort on conserving the English language!

I guess the Democrats just said it was OK to use the word Negro again. Even the president apparently wasnt offended by the word. Crazy.....

And the key to using any bad language or bad word you want to use is to just appoligize later. It works for actors, athletes, and politicians all the time.

INSANE!!! I also have to say Family??? MMMM, perhaps some people need more work on their plate so they don't have time for this non-sense.

Two thoughts:

1) Does anyone else find "politically correct" to be one of the biggest oxymorons ever created?

2) There are far more offensive things found on network/cable TV, movies, or music concerts than on this list, isn't anyone offended by them?

Give me a break...maybe it's time to revise the Fair Housing laws and drag them, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century.

Bypassing MLS automated censorship: "A D U L T community."

Otherwise, what should we do but just put "dwelling" in the description, and "must see to appreciate!"

Ron: It WILL be nice when the pendulum swings back to truth and authenticity as opposed to "politically correct." Great post.

We have to have rules because there are some really dumb people out there. Where have you been?

I don't understand why the terms executive or professional are on there. Absurd.

While some of the words are in poor tast, the existence of the list is what's really offensive.

Considering this list assists agents in abiding by Fair Housing Laws, I see no problem with the list. Actually, it appears to be a good reminder of what we can and can't do as we follow the law.

Just remember: Describe the house, not the people.

The list you sent is a helpful reminder that our advertising needs to reach everyone, ie be generic and broad reaching.

It may seem silly to say the word "gentlemen" or "senior" are problems but to the extent they DO NOT INCLUDE others, they are a problem.

Of all the things that need fixing in our industry, having our marketing be more generic is not one of them.

A wise man once said, "A man who is offended when no offence was intended is a fool." I agree. That statement has kept me from being offended many times...it reminds me that the offence not intended is in MY head.

And, I thought we had replaced "Master Suite" with "Owner's Suite" years ago!!

So who makes this stuff up anyway? I have to assume it is human beings---however misguided----can't someone "un-misguide" them?:)

We should start with TORT REFORM.

I can't believe they feel the need to put this list out? I hope that most professionals understand that not using a lot of those words is just plain common sense...but I think the list may go a little too far...Smoker? Interesting to say the least.

It is going too far. I guess we can no longer sell Oriental Ave on the Monopoly Board or any thing on Indian Springs locally. Disabled is a term used on our MLS to describe features that might be on a property. Give me a break.

There are terms I find offensive that the NAR feels free to bandy about like GREEN. Not that I have anything against the environment but I am tired of PC living and false guilt. BTW I could use a little global warming right now.

Ron, so true. and the list is sorta hilarious at the same time. It would be hard to have a conversation without using these words.

I agree. The word that also gets me most is "smoker." My MLS will not let me use the term "no smokers" in my description of a rental property. Isn't that against my clients rights? In the state of Connecticut, a person cannot enter a restaurant, public building and so many more places and smoke - in fact the sign used to be posted: "No Smoking Allowed." It does seem a bit silly that I or my client can't let a prospective tenant know that they would like to keep the air in the space they own and are willing to lease, free of smoke. I wonder if the legislature ever notices what they are declaring. Maybe there's too much smoke in the air.

A list of these words is offensive to professionals. But I would like to believe it is not meant for us that try to maintain our standards, rather for those that need guidance. It is still too long and inclusive of many terms everyone uses daily.

Retired? Wow.... so Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) would be unacceptable?

Ron ;

I would comment more but I can't because I am not allowed to by the 'Word Police'

I agree with you. We've become a nation of PC sensitive little cry babies. It's almost as if we need to develop a whole new language just so we don't hurt anybody's tender little feelings. This whole PC thing is pure rubbish and has turned our once proud and strong society into a bunch of sniveling little kids. I've been called a lot of things in my life and at 64 am able to shake them off and move on. Let's get real. While really bad things are happening in this world all around us we are getting caught up in trivial minutia. It's like I've always told my kids if someone says something that hurts your little sensitive feelings just get off of it, get over it and get on with it. Great Post!!

Let's see, in our board, there is a check list which is used to fill in our listings on line. The list includes the terms : FAMILY ROOM, MASTER BEDROOM, MASTER SUITE, MASTER BATH, HANDI-CAP ACCESSABLE, and a few more which slip my mind at present.

And wasn't/isn't there some program which has a parameter for walking distance as a criteria for being green or something like that.

Our local board has become pretty reasonable in word useage, obvious words will get you flagged, but most common terms have become acceptable. But....our local newspaper still has this list of words much like the one in this post which can not be used.....maybe this is just another reason the Press is going away as a major part of Real Estate advertising here. We went from three complete sections just a few years ago to a page and a half today. And this much in print is because the Press has offered such a low rate to try to get Realtors back to advertising with them...FAT CHANCE. The internet has surpassed them ...we can post everything on the net, show pictures, video, floor plans and include volumes of info plus post open house times and dates. The press can't match that without breaking the bank on one listing...plus they don't allow you to use many politically incorrect words, which is where this post started...

I agree with everyone else that this list has gotten extremely out of hand. Once again a small handful of activist has dictated how the majority must behave. Same thing is going on in CA "again" after the majority spoke their choice in a democracy vote. Sooner or later the majority will have to stand up and be heard and we will have to spend our association dues to watch out for these absurdities.

Ron,

I totally agree with you. Some words must be avoided, that are "meant to be hurtful"....and those others in the list that are everyday language...well, it's rediculous. It's usually pretty easy to see or hear how a word is used to be hurtful.

Thanks for the list...

Decorum dictates that we choose our words wisely without being INTENTIONALLY offensive. Stupidity and political correctness dictates that we must bear the brunt of our faux pas. Regards, Ernest O'Dell Author and writer of too many books to list here.

How ridiculous is it that in a Legal Update/ Anti-Discrimination class it was suggested that stating a house was "walking distance" to a subway stop was not appropriate because some people can't walk! Should we avoid mentioning the second story of the house because some people can't climb the stairs. What's become of us.

Great post. Really hit a nerve for a lot of people.

That is quite the list... Being "PC" is important but some of those terms seem a little obvious....our ads are meant to draw people in and if someone were to use most of those terms in there ads I'm sure they wouldn’t be in business that long!!!

Have we finally reached the pinnacle of absurdity...or is it PC to use those words? Thanks for the post; never realized "family" was now on the don't use list! And "adult" -- how does one describe an "active adult community"? And, agreeing with Ty, better not say more because of the "word police".

To further the stupidity that drives these types of lists, our local MLS appears to have an automated scanner programs that looks for any of the offensive words on its list of bad words and eliminates them fro the agent remarks field of the listing, no matter what context the words are used in. Since many "bad' words have more than one meaning, it can be relatively easy to be using it in one meaning and get flagged for its bad meaning.

I completely agree. How are you supposed to market a listing to the most likely type of buyer for a home if you can't use any words to describe that buyer or their lifestyle? Luckily, my MLS doesn't monitor what we say. Just yesterday I listed a 4 bedroom 3 bath walkout basement and used the term "family friendly neighborhood" in my local MLS description. Realtor.com wouldn't let me use the term family or even the school district. Ridiculous. Of course it is going to be a family who buys an inexpensive 2800 sqft house with very few upscale features just lots of space. It reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg joke "Sometimes I wave to people I don't know. It's very dangerous to wave to someone you don't know because, what if they don't have a hand? They'll think you're cocky. "Look what I got! This thing is useful. I'm gonna go pick something up!"

seems everyone has gotten far to sensitive or sue happy. I agree some words are inappropriate but some of these are really harmless.

Any word can be offensive it just depends on the situation, but most situations are not so feel free to use all of them.

I see now why the list exist. Some have used this as a way to express your dissatisfaction with the social order; others have used this as a way to use terms that should be buried. Kind of like a kid- saying your naughty words and smirking about getting away with it. There are close to 200000 words in the English language. You are mad at having to avoid a handful of words. Please! This is the profession you chose. It has rules. One of them being avoid offending your clients. We are not in the business of insulting people. We are in the business of helping people get into houses. Be professional and avoid problematic terms. It is really easy to do--unless your agenda is something else.

Hey guys, I agree we've reached a high point of craziness, but remember, it wasn't necessarily the government, the Fair Housing Authority or some liberal nut trapped in a dark room with nothing to do that started this avalanche of stupidity, it was the guy at the water cooler who insists on telling racist jokes, the people who claim you can't discriminate against white people because they're not a part of a minortiy (Jesse Jackson's claim) or the folks who stand idly by and watch any person being mistreated because of their skin color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, familial status, age, disability status or otherwise. We can take our world back from the Thought Nazis by policing our own behaviors and those who interact with us. Be brave, but not silly, the Thought Nazis can fine you and put you out of business for non-compliance.

This really isn't about "pc police" or offending people, it's about fair housing. If you write an ad saying, "Americans only" or "no lesbians" or "no children under 12," it's housing discrimination. You must not give the impression that a neighborhood is just for Jews ("Near synagogues"), or that children (or elderly or handicapped) are not wanted, etc. "Within walking distance of x" can mean almost anyhing, from 100 feet to 2 or 3 miles, and I've seen it used that way.

Some of these terms may seem to be on the list frivolously, and probably are (to protect agains the possibility of a suit). But if you ever looked at classifed ads from, say 40-50 years ago, you might understand a little bit better why things had to change--even if it seems silly to you now.

Someone mentioned that their MLS has an automated checking system that removed an ad because it mentioned that the community is only for persons over 55. That MLS needs to review how the system operates, because at least here in CA, if the area is a legitimate over-55 community, we are not only allowed to say so, we MUST say so...otherwise, we're guilty of a sort of "bait and switch" when persons under the age limit try to view the property.

I think folks need to take a clearer look at the fair housing laws and our past history, and calm down the rhetoric a bit.

I find it ironic that much of the information buyers (especially those relocating) want from their local realtor are the very things we are often prohibited from discussing. As a transferee I can verify that it has gotten much more difficult to extract data I need as someone from another state or area to make such an important decision. No matter how Google savvy anyone is there are certain things only a local person can "know". And typically as the Realtor we were the go to person to help with that.

Yes, I am well aware of the Fair Housing laws, how they have become over reaching and how I can't think of one single word that wouldn't be offensive to SOMEone.

Put the word "no" in front of many of those words on the list. There was a time when someone did. That is why Fair Housing and this list exist.

Al -

If that is the case, would it not be easier to have the Word Police limit the list to just the word NO?

Ron, it's too bad that here on AR we don't have opinions. Not!

Patrick #13, unfortunately, I'll probably have a relapse and use "family" again. Family, family, family! No word police on here.

Jay #20, Mea Culpa. NWMLS = North West Multiple Listing Service and is available for most of Washington state.

Perhaps this is a teaching moment. As you communicate with the citizens in your various communities, you may find it helpful educating them on what you can and can not do.

To your buyers you may reveal to them exactly how you will answer the question, "Is this a good neighborhood?" and why you must do so.

To your sellers and buyers, you wish them good luck finding the home they want since real estate professionals are prohibited from using descritive words such as family, 55+ or handicap accessbile to stay in compliance with the Fair Housing laws of the land. You may encourge them to write the powers that be, encouraging them to inquire why the can't find the home they need because the proper discritpives such as family room, handicap accessbile or professional home (hey, it's got of office by the front door) are prohibited.

So, now you've got something to talk about, so reach out and touch your community. Hmm, maybe we can develop a criptic lexicon to subvert this nonsense. OMG what a great idea! (sfh, HdiAcc, SFPH, FR, InS, SerEnt) Now citizens will call and ask.."what's SerEnt?" And you're respond..."Are you preapporved?"

It is too bad that so many in our country are so ready to be offended! Somehow there is a disconnect between the Fair Housing laws and the free-for-all that is available on the internet and in the "entertainment" industry. It does not matter that much of this is offensive! I agree with the comment about what Sen. Reid can say and seemingly get away with.

Amazing! It seems like some people's feelings are always getting hurt. If you call someone a "citizen" (according to your list) and they're offended would you consider them hyper-sensitive?

Now this is a post that really grabbed my attention! Andy (41) you got me to laugh out loud at your alternative list.

I am in the process of relocating to Alaska by spring. The laws are competely different, the language uses/descriptions are utterly different and so on. My point is that I am in the business and come at this with a lot more understanding of the process than other people looking to purchase from out of state. I hired a local agent in my new home town to guide me through the process. Being on the other side of the fence has given me new insite as to how bewildering it can be and the limitations of all the wonderful tools at our disposal now. Bottom line, I now understand how comforting it is to make contact with with a realtor in our business that is understands their market, listens to their client and empowers them to make the best decisons they can. My experiance in this business didn't prepare me anymore then anyone else as to how scary it can be on so many levels. My agent didn't win my confidence with fancy titles, facts or figures or any kind of sales pressure we are all accused of in this industry. She has my business, and respect because she is prompt, courtious, capable and shows that she cares about her business and her clients.

It seems to me that one thing is ultimately the same wherever we work out of. WE are the NAR. WE are the MLS, regional or otherwise. If WE don't like it WE have the power to change it. Just like the American people have the right to change things by using whatever they have the will and the resolve to change.

It is OUR dollars that pay the dues to the MLS and the NAR. They are supposed to represent US and OUR industries interest. We EACH control OUR conduct and OUR business practices. We all work within our systems of laws to shape our conduct as a nation and as an industry. With groups like Active Rain, participating within our local MLS regions we can make a difference, but only if we choose to.

We have reached the point of craziness --- enough of this worry about PC already -- just let's all go back to saying how it is -- and not worrying about all these words. Our 2 cents.

Ron,

I think "someone" had nothing better to do than compile a list to give to a higher-up to make them feel important! The longer the list the better or maybe they were paid-by-the-word to compile the list!!LOL!

I just write VERY basic ads and no one is offended!

working in the high end market, I can't imagine not using the words "executive", "prestigious", "private community", etc. What, I can only use "nice home that costs a million dollars"? The people who comprised this list are really taking the PC thing too far.

Ron.

It is a crazy world out there...everyone finds something offensive...pretty soon, we will have be wary of saying Hello! LOL

I can certainly understand if you use the words in a negative context or to discriminate against a person. But just prohibiting some of these seem ridiculous.

Ron, it is not the word but the context used. Change the "no" to "only". The issue still stands.

Al -

I understand your thoughts on this, and agree with you. No one should be discriminated against for any reason. The Post was written to get people thinking of just what it is that can be considered "offensive." I think the majority of those who have left commentary here are all in the same camp, but I have to notice that this list just gets longer every year.

Who the heck was "offended" by the word saint for Pete's sake!

Al, I agree. It isn't that many of these words are offensive in and of themselves, or in a context unrelated to real estate, but they are, or can be, discriminatory if employed in an ad for housing.

As a person of mostly Italian heritage, I would find "this neighborhood is mostly Italian" to be discriminatory and annoying--although probably not offensive. ("No Italians can buy here" WOULD be offensive.) What the first statement implies is that only Italians are welcome...and, by extension, they are NOT welcome elsewhere.

And why would such a remark be necessary to start with...unless you're trying to make a subtle (or not-so-subtle) point about ethnicity or race? It really has nothing to do with the desirability of an area otherwise.

"Perfect for two," to take another example from the list, is a backhanded way of saying "no children." Anyone looking at a very small studio or apartment would know this without having to be told. Providing the square footage in a ad would provide the same information without insinuating that children are not welcome. It's my understanding that fair housing laws forbid discrimination against families (parents with kids).

Really this issue has nothing to do with "pc speech" in general, and everything to do with nondiscrimination and the fair housing laws. That's why context is so important.

Ron, nobody would be offended by the word, "saint," especially not in a non-RE context. However, since religious discrimination is against fair housing rules, you can't say, "in Saint Stephen's parish," etc. Context, again. This is NOT about offending people in everyday life. It's about nondiscrimination in real estate sales.

The thing is people can be offended by anything you say if they are looking for a reason to be offended.

I understand not using some of the words on the list, but there are several I would have thought were just fine. I try to be aware and open to viewpoints of others, and adjust accordingly. However, I agree that some people can be offended by anything you say if they are looking for a reason to be offended.

Okay, I'll play devil's advocate here: Although some of these seem ridiculous to me as well (perfect for two, for example) - I can see the point in many of the other ones here. We are always encouraged to "keep up with the times" in other aspects of real estate, why not in this area too? Why don't we lead the population and be the trend who is respectful of every different kind of person out there?

I mean, here in the South, there are SEVERAL things I personally would be offended at if I heard another Southerner saying it...

Onward. May the South rise again. (only kdiding)

"Perfect for two" is another way of say, "No kids." That's why we can't use that or similar phrases...because property owners can't discriminate against families with children when they sell. The term certainly isn't offensive in ordinary usage, but it is discriminatory (or can be seen to be that way) when used in an ad for a home.

You guys all crack me up. Lenn....amen. Hector too. The more I meet my fellow realtors the more I like being around them.

Too bad sellers don't wise up and see they are the ones being discriminated against. We can't sell the property with an accurate discription (family for instance) and every year they must buy something extra to qualify for closing or sign another piece of paper. I'm not talking about the bad stuff, I mean the green expenses, etc.

Wow, this is one of the most extensive list of comments on a post I've seen. I didn't think the intent was to stir up a Constitutional or Bill of Rights discussion. I guess people have very strong feel that are close to the surface.

Soon the only description we're able to use and not violate Fair Housing reg is, House for Sale!

There is a simple rule to avoid descrimination and offensive words - "Describe the property, not the people."

Agree with Al and Sonsie.

I Love it. Michales Freedom Doors that is. I once listed a home that had not only NO Parking it had NO parking available for several Blocks.

I tried to put in the listing remarks that the Home was Close to Public Transportation. The Phrase Close To was Flagged.

I had read at one point that Master (like Master Suite), View and Walking Distance were to be avoided as groups were pushing for them to be added to the naughty list.

Really!?!

That list is Retar.....oops, nevermind, but seriously I am at the point that I don't care who I offend anymore, everything offends someone, I am sure I offended someone with this comment. at this rate we won't be able to say anything, just point at a house and smile

It seems to me that most of these "offensive" words have been deemed offensive as a way for someone to file a lawsuit.

I'm sure that someone could possibly be offended if they work at it, but if you are Irish or Italian it's pretty dumb to be offended by being called Irish or Italian. Unless you're ashamed of your heritage.

Political correctness is offensive to me. So are a lot of other words in common use, but I doubt if anyone cares. As long as my kids don't use those words and I have the right to turn off the TV or walk away or delete an e-mail, then it's none of my business what words other people choose.

Though I agee that the whole PC thing sometimes gets silly, much of this list looks like it's more about Fair Housing Laws than PC.

The problem isn't really the list of words, Ron. Some of them are offensive all by themselves. Most however, are only offense when used in a certain way (Al's - NO and ONLY comments, for example). The problem is how the people are dealing with it. As many have stated, MLSes are simply not allowing you to post the words, which is the real problem.

There are tons of buildings named "Professional." As you said, "handicap" is all over parking.

Yes, most of these have to do with Fair Housing Laws. But, at least for now, it's still a free country. I should still be able to choose if and when I want to use them. If I get sued, I get sued, but at least it's my decision.

JAN

2010

Crazy list. I have a new one to add. Here in Calif. we can't say a house is within 'walking distance' to something. Because some people can't walk. What does that do for a walk-in closet? Yikes. We are taking these things a bit too far!

Wow! Great post and oh so true... It has gone too far. Especially for Real Estate it irritates me that you cannot even target our marketing to the buyer that you feel is most appropriate for a property... (BTW - this doesn't mean your excluding anyone, just trying to appeal in an ad to a particular crowd... i.e. expecting mothers might want a bigger house or a condo next to a campus for a "student", or a five bedroom house in the suburbs for a "family" or a condo in an "adult" community for a "senior".

It has truly reached the state of ridiculous when we cannot point out how "ideal" a particular property might be for a particular person or person with certain similar life characteristic, age, familial status (new kid, just married, just divorced...) or even religious status... I was recently told I shouldn't use Churches of any particular persuasion as landmarks in directions or ads cause some may find it offensive...

Seems to me that if you have a property next to a "Catholic Church", you ought to be able to say that... Your not telling anyone they can or cannot purchase the home, its just a fact.

To take it a step further and advertise

"Perfect home for blue haired little old lady that goes to church every day, its right next door to the Catholic Church... you don't even have to drive... have the other ladies over for tea after Mass. "

I know this would be "way wrong" but it would stand out and get noticed and to me the word combination of "Perfect for" or "Perfect home for" implies or means that it is an opinion and strictly that, it is not a mandate or a restriction.

Maybe the ultimate buyer of the home would be the purveyor of a Satan Worshiper Shop and they want to locate there for the shock factor and free press... (I wouldn't want to do that deal, but I know we couldn't say well you can't buy that home... its right next to the Catholic Church).

Realize when we cross into these targeted groups in our ads we are potentially ignoring part of the market, so we may need to target multiple groups in different ads... probably in different publications.

What if you are advertising the same home in "Retirement Dream Monthly Magazine" and "New Mamas Unite Magazine", I think you would have more success with the ads if they were each tailored to the reading audience. So at a minimum if we are paying to advertise in a publication that it targeted we ought to be able to use the same degree of targeted wording... its just not as effective to say home is perfect for just about anyone, as it is to say perfect for new family starting out... If you are starting a new family the second phrase will appeal to you more... If you hate kids you will be turned off... either way it isn't discriminatory, its targeted.

The original intent of equal opportunity and protected classes was good but the Political Correctness especially in advertising is spreading like the swine flu and killing off our ability to do what our clients want us to do... MARKET their properties to who we are relatively certain is most likely to buy it. So all of our advertising becomes more bland, more generic..

Maybe our Politically Correct generic advertising is the "real" cause of the Real Estate Bubble burst... and slow market, its not that they can't get a loan, it that they can't visualize how they fit into this generic home they see on line. (haha)

To me "marketing" by definition means trying to identify your target market and then presenting the feature benefits and for that matter sales message and method of delivery of sales message that best match the market(s), groups or types of people you feel are most likely to buy your property or for that matter... wear your clothes, smoke your brand of cigarettes, chew your brand of gum, etc.

All other marketing I see daily is able to at least target the age and familial status and from where I sit I also see general merchandise advertising focus on religious preference. To me the "law" and state of political correctness should be there only to allow and reinforce the freedom of choice to buck the trend and have the 80 year old guy move into the college apartment, or the single guy that wants to buy a 5 or 6 bedroom house... in a neighborhood filled with large families that each have 2.5 children, 1 dog and 1 cat. It does happen, but its rare compared to the norm we see in the market...

So I think the PC people and the law ought to loosen up on advertising rules, keep the actual discrimination laws and define discriminatory advertising more precisely, but let us have the flexibility to target our ads to whom we think the most likely buyer would be particularly if they are in a targeted publication or website.

People ultimately vote for us with their wallets and trust, if we aren't doing the right thing for them, they will fire us and move on as they should. This goes for buyers or sellers...

There currently seems to be a large surplus of us "Realtors" at the moment for the number of transactions actually closing...

When a live person walks through the door, gets on the phone etc. we ask them what they are looking for and try to find the best fit. If its a single guy who wants a five bedroom house that has an ad that says "perfect for a large family" we will still sell the guy a big house... who knows maybe he has a lot of stuff, likes empty rooms, is planning on a big family some day, who knows who cares... still as Realtors selling homes every day we know as a rule that a 5 bedroom house will sell to a larger family and/or a person wanting roommates... depending on the location, seldom is it really just one guy who wants to get lost in all the space... or sleep in a different room each night of the week.

Thanks again for the great post, obviously struck a nerve got noticed and got us all thinking...

Maybe we should just ban all advertising for Real Estate, then a big county assessors site could show the attributes of the property, and a taxpayer could just toggle the fact that their property is for sale.... (A side benefit is people would tell the county when they make an improvement so they could collect more taxes...) Buyers could search this (probably on Google) and we would all be free of liability, but also out of work... (maybe its part of an evil plot?) but wait a minute... isn't Google's search results and page rank in fact discriminatory, because it returns the results we ask for rather than everything? What if someone types in "Home near Catholic Church" in their search box... I doubt Google will work too politically correct in this situation... yet if no one advertises a home near a Catholic Church out there somewhere then it won't have anything to find unless it interpolates the data and makes potentially discriminatory observations. (The future downfall of Google which will be replaced with NoChoice.com (it will give everyone the same result probably some brainwashing B.S. about conformity....))

Chris Ormsbee - Montrose Gold Team

Ron said : I really don't want to offend anyone, but c'mon America! I thought we were supposed to be a nation of strong individuals, the leaders of the free world. Are we so thin skinned that the terms Gentlemen, Child, Senior, Youth, Male, Female, and Child can offend us?

I don't disagree with your logic here. But as a Realtor or lender in what instance would you use any of the terms above?

I took a Fair Housing Class right after I got my license, as I hope we all did. The instructor walked into the room and said "Fair housing is about the house, not the people in it. Now sit down you have to be here for 4 hours" But in that simple statement I learned much. So again I ask in what circomstance would you as an agent or lender use the words : gentlemen, child, senior, youth, male, female or child?

Unfortunately we see PC in everything today. We are not supposed to say Merry Christmas, terrorism is a manmade disaster, we cannot talk religion, politics or anything that may have any controversy at all. This whole PC thing makes me wonder what I can and cannot say to any individual person or group. Whether it is in politics or in the real world PC is being taken too far.

We even have trouble if we say that a community requires someone to be over a certain age in the MLS. The problem of course is if it is not put in the listing then buyers and Realtors get mad when they are told that you have to be a certain age.

I will never forget the time I had a young pregnant female buyer sitting in my office telling me she only wanted to look at homes in "Nice" neighborhoods (and yes she did make the quotation mark gesture with her fingres as she said the "Nice" word). And unbeknownst to her right across from my office, on that particular day, sitting within ear-shot and eye-shot was the auditor from the state. My eyes shot straight over to the auditor and hers to me. I will never forget the smile I recieved from the auditor after I provided a PC response to the buyers request... thanking my lucky stars I paid attention to the Fair Housing section in my real estate licensing class and continuing education classes. While some of those words on the list may appear ridiculous... it behoves each of us to constantly be on our toes.

Who you callin a lady! Lady is offensive to me. HAHA.

But seriously, I can't believe some of these words. If a property is handicap accessable, we can't advertise that??

As people of conscience, we abide by rules. And Fair Housing Laws some of the rules (laws) within which we must conduct our business. Does it go too far? I think so. Consider this:

@Yolanda "House for Sale"

We might have to forgo that phrase lest we offend potential renters....

So now our ad reads: "House."

But wait, we might offend condominiums.

So now our ad reads,

Blank

Well, I wrote a long post but then deleted it so I wouldn't offend anyone reading this.

It then read ( )

Nuts. Grunt, point inanely. Someone will get the message and buy it.

Well Im very pissed off! How come the Irish get to be on the list but not a word of mention of Scots!

Yeah yeah once again we Scots are descriminatedv against, being actually descriminated!

The majority of these actually make sense to me. Of course it depends on the way that the words are used, but it's always best to avoid seeming discriminatory. Most of the words on this list, I can't see much reason to ever use them in advertisments anyway. This list is just an attempt to help Realtors know what verbiage may potentially be a violation of fair housing law.

I found your article to be very offensive! *just kidding* =o

JAN

2010

There appear to be regional differences in restrictiveness. Still, confining your comments to the inanimate object (the house) eliminates most worries over illegal advertsing. When in doubt, get another opinion. In our profession, we have much larger problems that are much harder to avoid. common sense please!!

I guess some people are more sensitive to words than others. I let things roll off my back!

most of this stuff seems right in line with the new airport security measures...ridiculous. We're so afraid we can't do anything as though...

JAN

2010

For those who lament that they cannot market a home to the person 'who is most likely to buy it' you'd better hope you never get HUD tested. You are missing the entire point of Fair Housing which is not to restrict or 'steer' people into the homes that you think they want based on their race, gender, familial status, etc.

As others have commented, you market the house, not who you think the buyer is.

And to commenter #57 "I live in a rural area that has a lot of one ethnic group. They rent a house and move 20 relatives in and trash the house and it takes months to get them out"

It doesn't matter what race your children are, you obviously are still capable of racist statements, that's what making blanket judgments about 'they' and 'them' ARE. Why not just come out and say 'those people'? Shame on you.

Most of those are no brainers (violate fair housing), but some of them are infringing on the rights of free speech. If we offend someone, isn't it our own business we are hurting? It should be up to us to use our judgment.

JAN

2010

Most on that list make absolute sense, some don't. The Gov't typically takes a noble idea and stretches it to be almost ridiculous.

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Ron Brown FHA & VA Home Loan Specialist

Puyallup, WA

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