Keeping Yourself Out of Legal Trouble When Selling Your Home

As you start to consider how to market the home that you are putting up for sale, it is important for you to keep a few things in mind in order to keep yourself out of legal trouble. The reality is that there are many rules and laws that a real estate agent needs to follow in order to avoid the possibility of being sued or facing other legal problems. Therefore, in order to keep yourself protected, it is important for you to keep the same factors in mind.

Considering the Fair Housing Act

One of the most important legal guidelines that a real estate agent must follow is the Fair Housing Act. This act was put into place in order to prevent discrimination from taking place when selling property. As such, it should come as know surprise that the Fair Housing Act was put into place as part of the Civil Rights Act that was put into place in 1968. According to this act, which was later modified in 1988 by the Fair Housing Amendment Act, there are seven different classes that are protected. These include:

Color
Familial Status
Handicap
National Origin
Race
Religion
Sex

Due to this Act, there are several specific items that cannot be included in the marketing material when trying to sell a particular property.

Writing a Discrimination-Free Listing

In order to avoid being faced with a discrimination lawsuit, there are certain words that agents have to avoid using in their listings. Therefore, it is a good idea for you to avoid using these terms as well. Some of these include:

Bachelor Apartment
Children Welcome
Couples
Gentleman's Farm
Golden Agers
Handicapped
Integrated
Married
Mature
Mother-in-Law Quarters
Professional
Section 8
Seniors
Singles Only
Sports-minded

Similarly, a real estate agent cannot tell a potential buyer about churches or other religious institutions that are in the area. The same is true when it comes to providing information about the ethnic makeup of a neighborhood. Therefore, in order to prevent getting yourself into trouble, you should also avoid sharing this type of information. If a potential buyer is interested in the demographics of your neighborhood or wants to know more about religious groups in the area, encourage the buyer to complete some independent research instead. That way, the buyer can get the information he or she needs while you keep yourself out of trouble.


About the Author:
Shannon Kietzman is a well known author and trusted resource. Shannon regularly writes for http://www.byownermls.com/, a For Sale By Owner MLS service, the leading real estate search engine of homes for sale by owner (FSBO). For more information, please visit http://www.byownermls.com/.