Is that a nice safe area of Charleston to live in
One of the most common questions that I get asked is about how safe an area is. And while I'd love to be able to answer it, basically I can't because it's a violation of The Fair Housing Act to steer buyers to or from an area.
Many people who are relocating to Charleston might not know enough about the Charleston area and are counting on a Charleston real estate professional to guide them to a safe area.
And some may ... but I won't.
Here's the thing. I don't know you and you might be investigating potential violations of the Fair Housing Act by pretending to be a buyer and asking questions that might trap a real estate agent to get in trouble.
And a violation of The Fair Housing Act can get you in a lot of trouble.
"Sometimes, housing providers try to disguise their discrimination by giving false information about availability of housing, either saying that nothing was available or steering homeseekers to certain areas based on race. Individuals who receive such false information or misdirection may have no knowledge that they have been victims of discrimination. The Department of Justice has brought many cases alleging this kind of discrimination based on race or color. In addition, the Department's Fair Housing Testing Program seeks to uncover this kind of hidden discrimination and hold those responsible accountable." (emphasis added)
So while some real estate agents might provide you with an answer you find helpful and you decide to choose them as your agent instead of me because of that, please understand why I can't and why they shouldn't.
But, here's what I can do. I can provide you with enough resources in order for you to make an informed decision about where to live. And it isn't difficult to do it legally.
Photo courtesy of Flickr by niteseeker