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Newest Discrimination: PREGNANCY and Your Mortgage App

Reblogger
Real Estate Agent with Realty One Group Mountain Desert AZDRE# SA582422000

Sure, the process of getting a mortgage has gotten stricter in the past few years...but this kind of questioning is not only immoral & unethical, but ILLEGAL.

If you are buying a home in Tucson, Las Cruces (or anywhere else) - if you get this kind of question from a lender, walk out immediately.  There are plenty of other lenders in the market.

Tell your REALTOR®, and file a complaint.  This kind of practice cannot be allowed to flourish in the darkness of silence.

Original content by Erica Ramus RM420589

I closed on a house today where the buyer was asked by BANK OF AMERICA about their future child plans! Not if the wife was pregnant now, but FUTURE plans.

This is a young couple moving from their first to second home. At the last minute, the underwriter (of course) requested several more forms and more information. Okay, normal.

But one question they asked the husband was "Do you plan on having more children?"

WHOA.

Lani Rosales wrote about this recently on AgentGenius about this topic and her point was she was SHOCKED by the question. She didn't understand why more realtors were not outraged when this was pointed out in a Realtor Magazine article. It generated very little interest.

Well this buyer was insulted and not pleased. They have one gorgeous little girl now. They qualify for the new home on the husband's income alone. It is nobody's business if the wife is pregnant (she's not) or if they ever plan on having more children.

Why aren't more agents upset by this?

I am a full time worker and a mother of 2. I worked throughout 2 pregnancies. I understand if I had quit work our income would have dropped and perhaps we would have not been able to afford our house. I get that.

But in this case, the wife is a full time mother and her income would not "drop" if she got pregnant. How in the world does it matter?

Isn't this violating Fair Housing somehow? Discrimination?

In the past month other bloggers have posted about this being a lie (another mortgage blogger posted that lenders only ask this in case to see if the buyer will quit later, after getting pregnant). This is NOT THE CASE here and this is not hypothetical or third hand info.

This happened TODAY to a buyer client of mine and the lender was Bank of America.

 

Flickr photo courtesy CarbonNYC

 

 

 

 

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Erica Ramus is Broker/Owner of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA. If you're looking for a PROFESSIONAL to represent you in all of your Schuylkill County real estate needs, call Realty Executives at 570-622-6006. Serving all of Schuylkill County ... Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Auburn, Pine Grove, Frackville, Minersville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, St. Clair, Barnesville real estate. Click on the link above to search Pottsville PA homes for sale or any Schuylkill County homes for sale. We have all properties listed for sale in the Schuylkill MLS on our website -- free search! No registration is required!

We also run Schuylkill Appraisal Services, for all your appraisal needs in the area. If you need an appraisal, we are your Schuylkill County appraisal source. 


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Comments (3)

Mike Jones
SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) - Tucson, AZ
Mike Jones NMLS 223495

Kent,

I think I'd have been tempted to say "Funny you should ask; I was just about to ask you the same question, seeing as how we have this chummy business relationship going here..."

Mike in Tucson

Aug 17, 2010 03:53 AM
Kent Simpson
Realty One Group Mountain Desert - Tucson, AZ
Real Estate Is About People

I had thoughts of a similar nature too, Mike - but not as nice - more along the lines of "since your oldest is starting college soon, are you telling people what they want to hear just so you can get more loans written...to pay tuition?"

The people who cross the line like this are few, but they DO exist & make it tough for everyone - especially when those who are unaware of the impropriety feel pressured to answer."

Aug 17, 2010 04:15 AM
Dale Baker
Baker Energy Audits and Commercial Properties Inspections - Claremont, NH
New Hampshire Relocation Real Estate Information

Howdy and evening to you Kent

Kent,
if I was asked, if I was going to have more children. I would just have say, wow I do wish I had thought of having a child myself. That way I would be wo4rth millions and not looking at someone like you.

That there sure is a bull question to ask folks!


Have a good one
Dale in New Hanpshire

Aug 19, 2010 11:45 AM