Bringing kids to showings (insurance, construction, bedroom, closing)
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I'm curious if people's opinions would change on this topic if the listing specifically asked people to leave their kids home?
I've seen a listing before where the agent said something along the lines of "The furnishings in this home are like a museum, please do not bring kids or pets to showings"
So if you saw something like that on a house you were interest in, would you:
1. Not look at the house at all
2. Ignore the request and bring your kids anyway
3. Figure out an alternative for the kids for an hour.
Heck, I wouldn't trust myself in a house like that.
I'm curious if people's opinions would change on this topic if the listing specifically asked people to leave their kids home?
I've seen a listing before where the agent said something along the lines of "The furnishings in this home are like a museum, please do not bring kids or pets to showings"
So if you saw something like that on a house you were interest in, would you:
1. Not look at the house at all
2. Ignore the request and bring your kids anyway
3. Figure out an alternative for the kids for an hour.
It depends on the situation. If, as I mentioned in my earlier post, I had traveled across the country on a few day house hunting trip with my family for a new job, still had small children and knew no one in the area, then I just wouldn't go look at the house.
If it was just a local move I would still be hesitant because while I wouldn't bring my kids to a showing a posting like this screams "I'm a difficult person to work with." So in that case it would depend on how badly I wanted to see the house.
I think a lot of this discussion centers on your market. In my neighborhood there are a lot of corporate relocations and people are given 4-7 days to buy a house. What are you supposed to do with your kids? Leave them at home I guess unless you haven't got anyone to watch them for 4-7 days, which many of us don't. And you can't leave them in the car when they're toddlers. We carried our kids through showings and it sucked but it isn't like we had much of a choice.
I'm curious if people's opinions would change on this topic if the listing specifically asked people to leave their kids home?
I've seen a listing before where the agent said something along the lines of "The furnishings in this home are like a museum, please do not bring kids or pets to showings"
So if you saw something like that on a house you were interest in, would you:
1. Not look at the house at all
2. Ignore the request and bring your kids anyway
3. Figure out an alternative for the kids for an hour.
My opinion doesn't change, but sellers are entitled to set the terms of showings. I would let them know kids can't be in the house so we would tag team the showing with one parent hanging out in the car with the kids while I went through the house with the other parent, then switch. That is assuming they didn't have access to a sitter.
That said, our realtor has brought her kid to showings with us in the past. Her 14 year-old daughter is nice enough, but it makes me very uncomfortable to have her around when we're looking at a house.
My realtor brought their children, too. It was distracting and irritating. The next time I hire a realtor one of my requests will be that they don't bring any of their children. Do you think this is too harsh? I never thought I would have to even acknowledge this issue.
Is it common for realtors to bring children? Is it acceptable to buyers, sellers, and other realtors? Maybe I am out of touch and should just go with the flow?
I would just call HUD, anyone who has a home for sale MUST follow the fair housing act guidelines.
Why would I hire a baby sitter, to help a homeowner break the law. To discriminate against a family with kids trying to view your property is a crime.
Guess what YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHO YOU SELL TO OR RENT TO> A black man, handicapped women, family with eight kids make the best offer it is sold.
[SIZE=-0]What Is Prohibited?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]In the Sale and Rental of Housing:[/SIZE][SIZE=-0] No one may take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap:[/SIZE] [SIZE=-0]Housing Opportunities for Families[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]Unless a building or community qualifies as housing for older persons, it may not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it may not discriminate against families in which one or more children under 18 live with:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]A parent[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]A person who has legal custody of the child or children or[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]The designee of the parent or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written permission.[/SIZE]
I would just call HUD, anyone who has a home for sale MUST follow the fair housing act guidelines.
Why would I hire a baby sitter, to help a homeowner break the law. To discriminate against a family with kids trying to view your property is a crime.
Guess what YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHO YOU SELL TO OR RENT TO> A black man, handicapped women, family with eight kids make the best offer it is sold.
[SIZE=-0]What Is Prohibited?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]In the Sale and Rental of Housing:[/SIZE][SIZE=-0] No one may take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]Housing Opportunities for Families[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]Unless a building or community qualifies as housing for older persons, it may not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it may not discriminate against families in which one or more children under 18 live with:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]A parent[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]A person who has legal custody of the child or children or[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]The designee of the parent or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written permission.[/SIZE]
HUD? LOL
No one says you shouldn't be allowed to buy, borrow, or live there.
If you are a seller who doesn't want kids in your house, post it in the instructions. You may likely not sell your house, but hey, that's life.
My kids have been at every showing. We often see homes at the last minute, when there is no time to hire a sitter. Nor do we have any family in the area to watch our kids. If the kids are rowdy, one of us waits in the car while the other one sees the home, and then we switch. They've never broken anything either.
There are just some people who hate kids, and don't think they should be in any public place. Maybe we should also ban hipsters or people who swear, or people of a different political affiliation, or teenagers, or bald men with beer bellies, or etc., etc.
Yes, you live in the sphere of society, and that society has people different than you, including families with kids. If you don't like it, go be a hermit and live outside society.
I would just call HUD, anyone who has a home for sale MUST follow the fair housing act guidelines.
Why would I hire a baby sitter, to help a homeowner break the law. To discriminate against a family with kids trying to view your property is a crime.
Guess what YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHO YOU SELL TO OR RENT TO> A black man, handicapped women, family with eight kids make the best offer it is sold.
[SIZE=-0]What Is Prohibited?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]In the Sale and Rental of Housing:[/SIZE][SIZE=-0] No one may take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap:[/SIZE] [SIZE=-0]Housing Opportunities for Families[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]Unless a building or community qualifies as housing for older persons, it may not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it may not discriminate against families in which one or more children under 18 live with:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]A parent[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]A person who has legal custody of the child or children or[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-0]The designee of the parent or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written permission.[/SIZE]
...and also; a buyer already spent money on gas to come and see your property! In about 80% of the time it is truly a WASTE of TIME at buyers expense thanks to realtors who don't LISTEN! Your homes are not staged to be sold, they all have hidden problems, your roofs are licking, you have mold, rats, bugs, laminate floors and or gross linoleum, formica counters, ugly cabinets, etc etc etc, so for you to have the nerve and put more restrictions to a potential buyer is absolutely rude. If it's up for sale with a sign up front, you don't get to decide who is going to come and see it. Are you planning to live in the house with the new buyers?
Some buyers have the luxury of coming while their kids are at school, some don't, it is not fun in the sun for buyers to bring kids with them either as was already mentioned, so don't make assumptions that they do it to p**s you off; some people simply don't have the luxury of hiring a baby sitter every time they need to go see a home! Deal with it.
My realtor brought their children, too. It was distracting and irritating. The next time I hire a realtor one of my requests will be that they don't bring any of their children. Do you think this is too harsh? I never thought I would have to even acknowledge this issue.
Is it common for realtors to bring children? Is it acceptable to buyers, sellers, and other realtors? Maybe I am out of touch and should just go with the flow?
No you are not being harsh.
The 14 year old should have been allowed to come along, but should have stayed in the car, IMO.
But, it can be a judgment call by the agent, and based on personal interaction with the client.
I have taken my wife to a couple of showings when we had plans, and the appointment came up at last minute.
Once she had already met the clients, and I asked if it was OK to bring the wife. They were warm and gracious, and she quietly walked through the house with us.
Another time, she sat in the car and read on her Nook.
But, I sure don't go out of my way to bring her to showings, just as I wouldn't want to show homes with a child in tow.
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