Carla - I see those types of questions frequently on Trulia and Zillow.  

My first thought:  "This is someone from HUD or a Fair Housing Agency trying to entrap some Realtors".

Incredibly, those questions will usually get Answers from Real Estate Agents that are clear violations of the Federal Fair Housing Act.

You are very astute.  Doesn't it feel good to just do the right thing.  Have a great day!

I probably would have answered, "Any home with enough bedrooms in any neighborhood gives the potential for family growth."  That one is a slippery slope indeed.

Carla - I think your answer was the right one.  There are just too many ways to get sued these days, we have to be careful of what we say. 

Carla -

You were right to be careful.

Chris -

I like your pat answer:  Any home with enough bedrooms in any neighborhood gives the potential for family growth.

Karla, sometimes people just plain ask weird questions.  Perhaps they were looking to avoid housing that restricts kids---can they do that?

Carla - you handled it well - although there are certainly additional aspects you can explore.  For example - since I work a wide area, often when people contact me its not clear "where" they are focusing on.  One of my favorite leading questions is: do we have location concerns to take into consideration, like commutes to work or schools?  That usually gets me information that helps me describe options in ways that make sense to potential buyers.

Carla - well responded narrative!  And if you imbedded the tune in your email ... they would at least know that you are on top of the technology! 

Carla ~ Chris #3 had a great response.  I may have asked if they wanted to be closed to parks, schools, etc.  But Fair Housing is one to fear.  Good response.

It sounds like such a simple question too, doesn't it?  I'm sure that's how they intended it too but there are just so many factors.  And, no sense discussing any neighborhood if they can't afford it anyway!

At first I thought you were talking about the Queen (my husband and I).  Funny post, Carla.  And innocent enough as the question first seems, it could lead you down the path to ruin.

So true isn't it?  We do have to be careful not to put our opinions onto our clients.  They have to come to that conclusion themselves.  We can only present the information.

Ask them specifically what they are looking for.  Ask them if she means they plan to have kids?  Ask what sort of things she wants nearby?  Schools? Parks? Library? 

Carla  The answer to that question can be fraught with danger - you need to know specific requirements

There are a lot of very "simple" questions out there that we need to be careful how we answer them.

Carla - I treat every call or e-mail asking questions like this as if I was being set up for a code of ethics violation.

Haha about soil nutrient :)  Yes, it can be a very fine line regarding redlining and steering. I also do as Michelle does.