Friday, June 16, 2006

Neighborhood Information

Buying a home and wondering what the neighborhood is like and what kind of people live there? Do sex offenders live close by? Will my kids be safe? What is the crime like? Well sorry but your Real Estate professional can't tell you! That's because they are not allowed to. They are selling homes not neighborhoods. For them to comment on what kind of people live on the street or to engage in any discussions with regard to the racial or ethic mix of a neighborhood could be considered discriminatory. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap or familial status. So trying to steer you to or away from a neighborhood based on discriminatory reasons is against the law. An agent could be fined and lose their license!

To know what the neighborhood is like drive around and look and decide where you want to live. What amenities are important to you, do you need to be close to your job, shopping, schools, churches etc? Then an agent can start looking for you.

Check out http://www.city-data.com/ Plug in the zip code and "voila"! Here is Gulf Breeze info.

FCAT Scores for 2006 in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties or go to Florida Dept of Education

How about sex offenders? Go to FL Department of Law Enforcement

Call the local Sheriff for local crime data.

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