Question 52

Limiting the neighborhoods in which a licensee shows houses because of a buyer's race is steering.

Steering refers to the practice of guiding prospective homebuyers towards or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race or other protected characteristics. This discriminatory practice limits the options available to buyers and perpetuates segregation.

A) puffing.

Puffing involves exaggerating the benefits or features of a property to entice buyers but does not relate to the practice of limiting housing options based on race. Therefore, this option is incorrect in the context of the question.

B) blockbusting.

Blockbusting is the practice of inducing property owners to sell their homes at lower prices by promoting fear of racial integration in neighborhoods. While related to race, it focuses on the actions of sellers rather than the discriminatory steering of buyers, making this option incorrect.

C) redlining.

Redlining refers to the discriminatory practice of denying services, typically financial ones, to residents of certain areas based on their racial or ethnic composition. While it is a significant issue in housing discrimination, it does not specifically involve the act of restricting where a licensee shows houses to buyers based on race, making this option incorrect.

D) steering.

Steering is the correct answer as it directly describes the act of limiting the neighborhoods where a licensee shows houses based on a buyer's race. This practice is illegal and contributes to systemic discrimination in housing.

Conclusion

Steering is the only option that accurately describes the discriminatory practice of limiting housing options based on a buyer's race. The other options, while related to issues of discrimination in housing, do not specifically address the act of guiding buyers away from certain neighborhoods based on their racial identity. Thus, steering is definitively the correct answer.