Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm curious- how would your state law apply if a buyer asks a similar but more general question?
"Are the neighbors loud?" or "Are there loud dogs on this street?"
I've never had such a specific situation, but I have had sellers mention an annoying, though not quite disruptive, neighbor. Luckily, buyers usually phrase the question in a way that violates fair housing ("What are the neighbors like? Who else lives in this building?") so I have always had to avoid answering.
Agree with Bryan...that is very subjective. The buyer is not asking something based in fact nor specific but asking a more subjective question. What is loud to you?
I'm curious- how would your state law apply if a buyer asks a similar but more general question?
"Are the neighbors loud?" or "Are there loud dogs on this street?"
I've never had such a specific situation, but I have had sellers mention an annoying, though not quite disruptive, neighbor. Luckily, buyers usually phrase the question in a way that violates fair housing ("What are the neighbors like? Who else lives in this building?") so I have always had to avoid answering.
How do you avoid answering these type of questions? I really need help with this? It makes me afraid to do this job
If the buyer asks the agent, how in the hell would the agent know if the dog barks all night? The agent doesn't live there (probably.) And it doesn't mean that a loud dog can't move in the week after they do. Dogs and people come and go.
Any dog can be loud. Any child can be loud. Any ADULT can be loud. Define "loud". Distracting? Can't-get-to-sleep loud? One person's "loud" may be another person's "love the busy neighborhood".
Generally, once a dog is familiar with a person, and identifies them as "belonging", they stop barking. So yeah, the dog will probably bark a bit in the first week or so, and then settle down.
We have a family that moved into the neighborhood two years ago, and promptly put up a 6-ft privacy fence (which was kind of unfriendly, but whatever). I'm sure they did it because they have three dogs, and wanted a safe place to let them out. But unfortunately, they often LEAVE them out all day and all night -- and the poor dogs sometime bark ALL FRIGGIN' NIGHT LONG at anything they hear on the other side of the fence, since they can't see it. My dogs often play in our fenced back yard, but not after 9 pm. The dogs on the other side of the fence go nuts -- because they know our dogs are there, but can't see them. I've sometimes had to call the neighbors at 1 AM and asked them to please quiet their dogs, because the dogs have been barking for an hour straight, to the point where a couple of them sound like they are hoarse! Honestly, I don't know what the owners are thinking . . .
All real estate is local and the answers vary accordingly. I suggest asking the local real estate commission or licensing entity for specifics in your area.
Here in Idaho, we don't even have to disclose psychologically impacted properties (i.e. if someone was murdered or committed suicide there). Private sellers have to disclose know drug manufacturing that occurred on site, yet bank foreclosures and estate sales do not as they are exempt from the disclosure laws.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
