"There's no place like home," takes on new meaning when you are buying your home for the first time. There is so much to do and sign in preparation for move-in day and potential snags rest at every corner as you approach home ownership. Should you run into trouble that seems difficult to resolve when buying your home, you may find yourself wondering about the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA).

The goal of NFHA is to "eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people" through raising questions and pursuing legal remedy when needed. Passed originally in 1968, the Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, family situation or national origin.

The Fair Housing Act also prohibits real estate professionals from advertising and advising on specific demographics, such as school boundaries or crime rates. However, as the potential buyer of your home, you still need access to that information. The following resources may assist you in finding the statistics you seek without violating fair housing laws when search for your home.

Need Info on Your Community? Click here.

Want to Search Your Area for Sex Offenders? Click here to search by name or location.

Seeking School Information? Find maps defining boundaries for your community on school district websites.

Desire Specific Crime Rates? Contact your local Police Station for maps and recent block activity.

You can also search the internet to find more detailed information on  churches, social groups, cultural ties of specific communities. Keep in mind that the information you find when researching your home can play a huge role in your overall home satisfaction, so is a critical step to consider, especially since your real estate professional is unable to share those details with you.