Charlotte NC Home Buyer Tips: Do Your Own Homework
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and the Fair Housing Act are adamant about Realtors® not providing/promoting information for buyers and sellers with regards to demographics as well as school preferences, neighborhood preferences (steering), crime information (including sex-offender information). NAR’s position is that it is the job of local police agencies, not Realtors®, to be the resources of registered sex-offender data. So do your own homework.
Your local police/sheriff’s departments generally have online crime statistics for buyers to use for research. Your Realtor® will provide you a link but, anything beyond that is against the law for us.
The National Sex Offender Public Registry contains national offender listings. Real estate agents are, however, obligated to honestly answer direct questions pertaining to sex offenders such as: Do any registered sex offenders currently live in the neighborhood? Do any former registered sex offenders live in the neighborhood? If we know, we will tell you, otherwise, check the public registry.
You can locate local school information for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools at www.CMS.k12.NC.US. Other county school information can be found on our website as well.
Charlotte NC home buyers can rely on their Realtor® for many things during the transaction but, these items are prohibited by law for us so, be sure to do your homework before your house-hunting begins!