discrimination

Minority Housing is Worth Less than White People’s Housing

The Boston Globe wanted to write about housing discrimination, again. But it is not news: “The data from Zillow, which were first reported by Axios, show Black-owned homes are valued at 18 percent less than white homes in Boston, and Latino-owned homes at 14 percent less. The data for Black homes in Boston mirror nationwide disparities,

By |2024-03-20T07:40:38-04:00March 20th, 2024|Categories: Discrimination|Tags: , , , , , |

Denied a mortgage because you are pregnant?

As a house hunter, you are under no obligation to tell your lender that you are pregnant or plan to be pregnant. Pregnancy is not a legal reason for a lender to deny you a mortgage, unless your income changes in a way that makes you no longer qualified for the mortgage. In 2008, when

By |2022-04-24T19:57:40-04:00April 13th, 2022|Categories: buying process, Fair Housing, Legal questions|Tags: , , , |

Realtors® Getting Woke

“Are you aware that when you send me a referral, you only send me Black people?” a Black Realtor® said to a white colleague. That was a wake-up call for that white person. In 2020, the National Association of Realtors® took a hard stand against hate speech, on and off the job, for members of

Bidding Wars and Discrimination

Several times a year, my agents get feedback from the seller’s agent that our client’s offer was similar to another offer, but our clients got the house. Why? Because their letter identified them as the right people for the house. We have been able to tell the story of our clients--without demographic information that could

By |2021-04-25T13:11:46-04:00April 28th, 2021|Categories: House Hunting, Legal questions|Tags: , , , |

Tenants, Discrimination, and Fair Housing

Real estate agents are prohibited from taking any of these discriminatory actions: Refuse to rent, sell, negotiate for housing Make housing unavailable or deny a dwelling Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental Provide different housing services or facilities Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental Make, print,

By |2021-04-09T15:24:59-04:00April 14th, 2021|Categories: Legal questions|Tags: , , , |

Realtors® and Housing Discrimination

National Association of Realtors® Apologizes for Complicity in Discrimination Throughout the 20th Century, Realtors® opposed Fair Housing regulation and participated in discriminatory practices. Since the adoption of the Fair Housing Act (1968), the Association accepted that Fair Housing was the law of the land, required members to follow the law, provided classes to prepare members

By |2021-04-15T15:15:12-04:00April 21st, 2021|Categories: Legal questions|Tags: , , , , |

Realtors® Take Stand on Hate Speech

Is someone who participates in discriminatory speech (or hate speech) in their social settings trustworthy to practice Fair Housing Laws? The National Association of Realtors® says, “No.” There’s a new standard of practice being added to the Fair Housing Section of the Realtor Code of Ethics. It prohibits discriminatory or hate speech by Realtors®. How

By |2020-11-29T08:08:22-05:00December 2nd, 2020|Categories: Legal questions|Tags: , , , , |