You Might Not Feel Comfortable There…
I’m sorry if this post comes off as something of a rant, but I am a very “by the book” agent and things like what I’m about to describe make my blood boil.
The Hartford Courant has a nice little blurb in every Sunday real estate section about “Moving In…” where they talk about people that recently purchased property in various towns in the Hartford area.
This past weekend the “Moving In” article was about a family that recently purchased a home in Hartford, one street away from where I live. According to the article, the couple relocated here from San Francisco last year and were drawn to the West End of Hartford immediately, as they loved the Victorian homes. The husband actually specialized in restoring the interior and exterior of Victorians in San Francisco. But they didn’t initially buy in Hartford.
The wife goes on to say “We liked the West End a lot, but the [agent] scared us away.” According to the Courant “the couple decided to buy a traditional home in West Hartford instead, and they spent the next year settling in to their new lives.” This year they decided to shop for another home, got a different agent, and ended up buying a Victorian in the West End.
Seriously, I screamed in frustration when I read this article. Ask Kyle, it was loud.
The people found an area they liked and identified with, were discouraged to buy there by an agent for whatever reason, ended up buying in the town right next door, then moved one year later to the area they initally liked in the house type they favored from the beginning. How screwed up is that?
It is completely, totally, unquestionably ILLEGAL for real estate agents to steer people when they are making their decision to purchase a home. And unfortunately it can and does happen, whether it is intentional or unintentional.
As an agent, it is my job to be “the source of the source.” For example, if someone asks me “is this a good school district” or “will I be safe here” I point them to various websites, tell them to talk to neighbors, call the local schools and ask to speak with parents, call the town police department, etc.
Everyone has different needs and comes from different backgrounds. It is not my place, nor that of any other agent, to suggest to someone that an area might not be right for them. What is right for me may not be right for you and vice versa. As long as you can afford to buy a house, it shouldn’t matter if you want to live on Mars (I’m not licensed there, by the way). There has to be some onus on the home buyer to make the decision if a town or neighborhood is right for them, but for an agent to suggest that you should not live somewhere is completely illegal and inexcusable.
So how do you determine the right area if, for example, you are relocating and only have 3 days to find a house? Here’s what I suggest…
1. Do as much research as you can online, before you travel for your visit. Just Googling “blog” and the name of the towns you might be considering can provide a wealth of “unofficial” information. Visit the websites of local newspapers and read them. Go to the Connecticut Economic Resource Center and search on town profiles. These are just a few places to begin your research.
2. Ask future coworkers what they think, but do this with a bit of caution. Realize that people will think their town is hands-down the best. Otherwise, what would it say about their living decision? If you continually hear “don’t look in that town,” ask if they know of someone that actually lives in “that town” that you could speak with. You’ll probably get a different perspective. In other words, try to question if you need to, don’t be a sheep.
3. Have your agent arrange showings so you look at properties half of the day and then have time to go back and explore areas on your own for the rest of the day. This will give you time to investigate neighborhoods, talk to neighbors, determine your commute time, figure out where the nearest grocery store is located, etc.
4. Rent if you have to. It may not seem like the best option, but if you feel that you’re not making the best decision and need more time to explore an area, do it. It will end up being cheaper and less emotionally stressful than buying a home in the “wrong” place (for you) and then needing to move one year later.
Don’t feel that you have to listen to agents when they express their personal preferences. You are the one who is purchasing the house and going to live there, not them. So it’s you that needs to be comfortable with the home, neighborhood and overall community. Agents usually mean well with their “advice,” but there’s a reason that Federal Fair Housing Laws make it illegal to give.
I searched and searched and finally found the article online (the Courant is not easy to navigate):
http://bit.ly/4nTUwV
I met this couple when they dropped by a couple of times to look at the house next door to mine. I invited them in to meet my family and we talked a lot the second time they came through about the neighborhood, the house in question, what their concerns and hopes were. They are a really lovely family and I would have enjoyed them as next-door neighbors a lot! (Plus, we’ll need a house painter as well.)
I’m really glad they relocated to Hartford in spite of their experience with a Realtor who steered them away, and hopefully they’re in a home they can enjoy more – I think they were really suffering in that West Hartford house, it just wasn’t a fit for them. When we were house-hunting in spring 2007, I remember being encouraged to look at a lot of homes in West Hartford that felt too small or not “like us,” largely because the school system is considered better.
I try to encourage people to give the Hartford public system a try and see with their own eyes what the challenges and benefits might be. The school system looks very different from the inside than from the outside, and it’s a unique experience for every family. The same could be said for living in a given neighborhood, wherever it is, which is why research is so important.
Having had worked in public school system(s) (not in Hartford), I have to echo what Heather said. It’s different from the inside, and schools vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. Years ago, I worked for two different elementary schools in the same town. One was very student-centered. 99% of the staff were positive influences, kind, and good with children. The other school, just a few minutes down the road, was the complete opposite. Teachers were burnt out and there was little cooperation among staff. It’s really hard to generalize about how a family’s experience will be based on the town, if there happens to be more than one school in that town.
so glad they found a place in the neighborhood. i look forward to inviting them over, and as heather said, now we know a painter!
i share your anger at the behavior of their previous agent. prejudice is always damaging, and that’s all this is, simple prejudice. people don’t know what it is to live in a certain place, and their opinions are formed by what they hear, read, and see. small things often make lasting impressions. so once a school system gets a reputation of being “bad” it’s very hard for it to change, even if individual schools are fantastic.
when we were planning on moving here i was more focused on west hartford, partly due to some of these same reasons, but largely because i work in canton and wanted to be both near the city and a bit closer to work. all it took was driving down farmington one day with a coworker, though, on our way to 84. once i saw the commercial area along farmington, combined with the gorgeous old homes and the economic and racial diversity i knew it was our kind of place. and it was as far west as we could get and be in the city itself.
once we were looking there were subtle messages that we might want to consider west hartford or canton, etc, by our agent. but for the most part she heard that we wanted to be in the city, and was very good with the whole process. if i had listened to my coworkers we’d be in canton or farmington or whatever. as you say, people will often proclaim their town the best place to live.
anyway, we’re very glad we ended up in the west end and would encourage others to look at what hartford has to offer. i think there are a lot of great neighborhoods that offer different things.
[...] that’s of interest to you, they should not care what town or neighborhood it’s in. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: It is completely, totally, unquestionably ILLEGAL for real estate agents to steer people when they [...]
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