It is a common request, for "Family friendly" neighborhoods, or amenities.

Well, I can direct you to McDonalds for a Fun Meal 7 days a week.

And I can show you neighborhood amenities like playgrounds and pools and the local schools, so you can see the quality of the offerings, and proximity to a home.

But...is the neighborhood "Famiy Friendly?"

I won't go there.  The Fair Housing Logo floats into my mind.

My NC Real Estate Broker's license starts to glow red in my wallet.

"Protected Class" appears next on that banner floating through my mind.

I'm seeing more agents use "Family Friendly" in their promotional material, and I wonder what they mean by the term.

When I prospective clients ask about "Family Friendly," I tell them it is a protected class and I don't steer people based on familial status.

But, what is a "family?"  I think the issue stems partly from how various people may define "family" in widely varying terms.

Some folks think that a family is a man and a woman, with a couple of cute crumb-crushers.

Some might include grandma and grandpa, an extended family.

And some people think that "family" is wholly defined at that point.  And want to live in a neighborhood comprised of households that fit that description.

Worse yet, sometimes other modifiers are thrown in to further narrow that limited definition.  They may be racial or religious, as in "good Christian families," or "nice white families."  EEEEW!

That's when my inner alarm system goes onto DEFCON 5 mode, and it is hard to back away fast enough. 

And there is more to the issue of definition of family composition.

Are two gay folks raising a couple of kids a "family?"  Yep.  Just ask HUD.

Are a mixed ethnicity couple a "family?"  HUD can clarify that one for you, too.

If Uncle Joe and Aunt Jane or Grandma and Grandpa are raising their grandson, do they comprise a family?  Sure.

What if it is just Grandpa? HUD says a "family" can be one person.

I help folks buy houses.  I help them discover the nearby amenities.  I absolutely love kids, families, and most people I meet.

But, I'm in the business of consulting on real property.

Want "Family Friendly?"  Find a "Family friendly" agent, and ask them what that means to them.  You might ask them what other real estate law they wink at.  Disclosure?  Confidentiality?  RESPA?