Originally Posted by Sidney Porter

I think you are worrying about a question you will not get. Because anyone can look it up. But you are correct more people are willing to ask "personal" questions because the information is easy to obtain. People have asked me how much I paid for my house, I will tell them because it is public record. A quick google search and you can find the price paid, the transfer date annual taxes etc. This information has always been available but at one time you would have needed to go the court house and look it up.

Is it rude to ask? Maybe but norms change. Things that were once private are no longer private. Culturally it is not as rude as it once was. The easy ability to access the data is what has made it less rude. Some could argue that by not answering a simple to look up question you are the rude one... interesting how norms change.