Some prospective homebuyers in this competitive market write personal letters to sellers to convince them to choose their bid.
Yes, but: Such appeals can prompt concerns about bias, including when an LGBTQ+ family is in the mix.
For LGBTQ+ home buyers: They can face discrimination.
For sellers: If they pass up an LGBTQ+ buyer (even unknowingly), they're at risk of violating housing discrimination rules.
What they're saying: "Let's say there were two letters, and one of them came from a gay couple and the other one came from a straight couple — same style, we love your house, we're so excited for our kids, our dogs are gonna love it," says Rostance, with the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance.
"If [the sellers] picked the straight couple, not knowing, then the gay couple can come back and say, 'You picked them and you didn't pick us because we're gay.'"
State of play: "Love letters" came under scrutiny during the pandemic home-buying frenzy, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The bottom line:"Do not write love letters, because it sets you up for the possibility of discrimination," Rostance says.
