Sign, sign everywhere a sign
We all know this song, and it couldn’t be more accurate and appropriate this time of year in the Greater Oakland County area. As a Realtor the signs are not only an annoyance but also make it very hard for my buyers to find the property as 
the yard signs are buried around in the mass of political signs. I’m not clear if the home buyers are offended or if the political signs have any impact on their choice of neighborhoods in the Greater Oakland County area, but some ask me more details about the neighborhoods than usual and others aren’t shy about sharing their political views.
Growing up I was told never to discuss politics with anyone, now as a relator trying to avoid my political views with my home buyers and sellers is a task, for some reason this year seems especially heated so I avoid at all cost. This political season seems to resemble the Bush and Kerry election time when that was quite heated to some. The question that bothers me is “why do some home buyers choose a neighborhood based on a political view?” some buyers not wanting to live near republican’s or others that don’t want to live near democrats. Areas in Greater Oakland County such as Novi, Northville, Plymouth, West Bloomfield and Farmington Hills seem to be diverse and reserved, but something seems to be a little different this go around.
Do the signs influence the home buyers? Do the home sellers even care?
When discussing this with my home sellers they don’t seem to care much about what the buyer thinks of their signs or political views this time around, but they don’t realize that this could be detrimental to getting their home sold in some cases but their political views are so strong it’s useless to try and convince them otherwise about their signs. Some home buyers on the other hand don’t seem to care either, once they see the signs and feel that based on the signs they are not interested in the neighborhood. A seller cannot discriminate against a buyer and it isn’t even about that, it’s about political views and not getting or finding the right home based how strongly their views are either way.
It’s important for neighbors to have common values, and for the next couple of weeks at least, values and voting preferences seem to be one in the same, but in my opinion it shouldn’t matter to either Buyer or Seller. It is their choice to have a political sign In their yard and to support any candidate they wish, home buyers if they wish can also make their decision based on any reason they wish, but as Realtor s it is a fine line to walk and can be detrimental to our hard work every day to get caught up in politics when it comes to both buyers and sellers. Me for one will be happy when this political season is over and things get back to normal for a short time, but please don’t let the signs be up all winter till spring.