Requiring information before showing of home

[maverick]

can’t help to read my gut on this one so i thought i would ask you to comment.

prior to showing this home, the seller is requiring several pieces of information. also, it’s important to mention this is a short-sale.

my gut tells me that there is a hint of discrimination in this info request? what do you think?

here is a snapshot of the information required prior to ‘showing’ the home:

Last name of buyer
Realtor name and license #
The profile/demographics on Buyer(s)
Do they need to move in before the school year
Other properties the Buyer has looked at
Whether a view lot was requested (or is preferred)
Buyer’s Price Range
Buyer’s Time Frame for purchasing

[CA renter]

Where in the heck did this idiot seller get the notion that they have the right to this information?

Tell your agent that the ONLY info the seller needs is the agent’s information (just in case anything is stolen or damaged while you’re looking at the house). If they have any *professional,* business-related questions, not related to your personal info, they can ask your agent.

Tell the other agent that you’ll report them for discrimination. They have no business asking about the “demographics” (or last names, IMHO) of people who just want to look at a house.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=CA renter]Where in the heck did this idiot seller get the notion that they have the right to this information?[/quote]

Just because they are asking for it doesn’t mean they think they have a right to it.

Not sure if there is anything anyone can do about it. If someone doesn’t want to sell their house to someone else, they don’t have to. Even if they are a bigot. What ya gonna do, put them in jail for not liking you ?

[Hobie]

Is seller a realtor? Sounds like they are fishing for prospects.

[sdrealtor]

I got a request like this from Battiata on a short property clients of mine were interesting in purchasing. They were trying to find out as much about potential buyers as possible to figure out which were most qualified and likely to stick out the approval process. I gave them brutally honest answers to the point of being sarcastic. They loved my answers and said they were the most honest they had ever seen. They picked my clients over 10 others.

[moneymaker]

In a short sell situation I could see asking for buyers name, so the first 2 questions are reasonable, then they go off a cliff. I personally would provide first two pieces of info only. If they want to research the rest of it that is up to them. I personally would not give them SS# until offer is accepted in writing.

[Coronita]

I guess the more appropriate question is. How badly to do you want the house?

Short of the legality of things. Gotta figure out when to pick your battles.

[sdduuuude]

Think of it as a stupid seller reducing the number of people you have to compete against.

If you think few people will go through the gyrations, and you choose to, then you will have fewer buyers.

Maybe an opportunity.

[briansd1]

The questions seem reasonable to me. But the wording “demographics” is troubling.

I would just ask for the buyer to be pre-qualified or to show proof of funds.

[CDMA ENG]

[quote=sdduuuude][quote=CA renter]Where in the heck did this idiot seller get the notion that they have the right to this information?[/quote]

Just because they are asking for it doesn’t mean they think they have a right to it.

Not sure if there is anything anyone can do about it. If someone doesn’t want to sell their house to someone else, they don’t have to. Even if they are a bigot. What ya gonna do, put them in jail for not liking you ?[/quote]

Report them to HUD and the Bank? Nothing like tying up a short sale with other legalities.

CE

[sdduuuude]

[quote=CDMA ENG][quote=sdduuuude][quote=CA renter]Where in the heck did this idiot seller get the notion that they have the right to this information?[/quote]

Just because they are asking for it doesn’t mean they think they have a right to it.

Not sure if there is anything anyone can do about it. If someone doesn’t want to sell their house to someone else, they don’t have to. Even if they are a bigot. What ya gonna do, put them in jail for not liking you ?[/quote]

Report them to HUD and the Bank? Nothing like tying up a short sale with other legalities.

CE[/quote]

As FLU said – have to pick your battles. I don’t have time nor inclination to force someone else to act morally unless they are really hurting someone. It’s his/her house. They can do whatever the heck they want as far as I care.

[sdrealtor]

There doesnt seem to be anything illegible. They are trying tof igure out whether the buyer will stick. For example if you have to move before the start opf school year you arent a good candidate to wait.

[maverick]

The ones that threw me off were last name and profile/demographics. And there were 14 questions in total not only the ones listed originally.

We’ve answered all the questions for 2 weeks now but the selling agent keeps putting off the showing – we’ve asked, they suggested a time, we asked for another time so my spouse could see it too, then he said no stick to the time, we commit and he pushes us out again.

I won’t let these things stop us from seeing the home.

Just so everyone knows this home is in a very affluent neighborhood…so the last name and profile demographics questions did not sit well with us.

[CA renter]

[quote=sdduuuude][quote=CDMA ENG][quote=sdduuuude][quote=CA renter]Where in the heck did this idiot seller get the notion that they have the right to this information?[/quote]

Just because they are asking for it doesn’t mean they think they have a right to it.

Not sure if there is anything anyone can do about it. If someone doesn’t want to sell their house to someone else, they don’t have to. Even if they are a bigot. What ya gonna do, put them in jail for not liking you ?[/quote]

Report them to HUD and the Bank? Nothing like tying up a short sale with other legalities.

CE[/quote]

As FLU said – have to pick your battles. I don’t have time nor inclination to force someone else to act morally unless they are really hurting someone. It’s his/her house. They can do whatever the heck they want as far as I care.[/quote]

It’s not just about “morality.” It’s illegal:

“The Fair Housing Laws:
Fair Housing Act
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). More on the Fair Housing Act

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial
assistance.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Section 109 of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
Section 109 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or religion in programs and activities receiving financial assistance from HUD’s Community Development and Block Grant Program.”

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/FHLaws/

[CA renter]

Maverick,

I would report them to HUD. There is so much about this seller/agent that is troubling.

If you have the wherewithal to close the deal, that is all they need to know. The agents should not be allowed to get in the way of any deals. The fact that they try (“special” relationships with certain agents, unwillingness to work with certain agents, etc.) means they are not representing the best interests of their clients.

File a formal complaint with HUD and copy the listing agent, the bank/lender, AND the seller directly.

[Author]

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