If you are shopping for a Maryland home and have asked your Maryland real estate agent for his or her opinion on the neighborhoods you are considering without getting any concrete answers, be aware that this is not because they don’t want to talk, but rather because the law prevents it.

In order to comply with Title VII of the 1968 Civil Rights Act, a Realtor cannot discuss race, religion or the kinds of people the frequent or live in a neighborhood with clients. This is because your Realtor does not want it to seem as if you are being steered toward or away from a certain area, since that might be considered discriminatory.

Spending some time in an area is one the best ways to really get a feel for whether or not it is the kind of place where you want to live. While your real estate agent cannot tell you what they think of an area, they can make general recommendations, such as reminding you to visit an area during the day and at night and suggesting that you practice your commute to work.

Neighborhood blogs and listservs are also excellent sources for information, since they are usually written by people who are in the area on a regular basis.

Some websites you can visit to gather information on your own include:
www.Crimereports.com
www.Familywatchdog.us
www.Walkscore.com