Have YOU Been the Victim of Fair Housing Discrimination?

Did you know...
That it illegal for anyone to discriminate against you in housing because of:


•· RACE

•· COLOR

•· RELIGION

•· SEX

•· NATIONAL ORIGIN

•· PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HANDICAP

•· FAMILIAL STATUS (FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN)

Federal Fair Housing Laws apply to the sale, rental and financing of residential housing...including apartments, single family homes, mobile homes AND vacant lots to be used for housing. Furthermore...ANYONE who is involved in selling, renting or financing residential property MUST OBEY THE LAW! Therefore, ALL property owners, ALL property managers, ALL real estate agents, ALL landlords, ALL loan officers, ALL builders, ALL developers, ALL mortgage companies, ALL banks and ALL INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE SELLING OR RENTING their property MUST follow the Fair Housing Law.

NOW you know what the law says...BUT do you know what

HOUSING DISCRIMINATION looks like?

Here are a few examples of fair housing violations that I have personally witnessed during my career as a REALTOR® in North Carolina:

•· My clients, a Hispanic family, made an offer on a home that had been on the market for almost a year. When I delivered the offer to the listing agent, she said "Umm...aren't these names ‘Gonzalez' and ‘Gomez' Hispanic names?" I replied "Are you sure you really want to ask me that question?" She said "Well, my seller is not going to sell to any of ‘them'. I can tell you that right now. She already turned down three other offers to ‘those people', and she told me not to bring her anymore offers from ********." I simply replied "I'll expect your client's response within two hours. If I don't hear from you, I'll be contacting the Real Estate Commission to file a complaint." Two hours later, we were under contract.

•· While studying to become a licensed REALTOR®, I worked in a real estate office in Raleigh, NC. One afternoon, I answered a call from a gentleman who was inquiring about a home we had for sale. He informed me that he had been trying to contact the listing agent for days...leaving message after message. After apologizing, I placed the gentleman on hold and notified the listing agent of the call...warning him that the gentleman was concerned that no one had called him back. The listing agent then replied "Oh...well...tell him I'm not here. The owner ain't gonna sell to no ****** and there ain't nothing I can do about it." Still new to the business, I stood there in utter shock at his statement. Then, I told him that I was not there to do his dirty work...that he needed to handle the gentleman with dignity and respect.

•· More times than I can count, I have listened as my clients have shared their experiences of working with other agents who refused to show them homes in the areas they wished to live...showing them only homes in neighborhoods with a predominance of their race. This is called steering, and it is illegal!

•· Years ago, I met a Hispanic family who paid rent based on the number of ‘heads' in the home. I later learned that this is an all too common practice in North Carolina and the South. This same landlord refused to make any repairs in the home...stating "'They' are used to living like pigs."



If you believe that you have been the victim of a fair housing violation, you should contact your state and local government fair housing center. Visit the National Fair Housing Alliance website for more information or to locate the fair housing center in your area. You can also research fair housing violations and learn more about the Federal Fair Housing Law at http://www.fairhousinglaw.org/.

FAIR HOUSING is NOT an option...it is the LAW!

Written and Posted by:

Elizabeth Nieves - Broker, REALTOR® -- The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group @ Keller Williams (A Bilingual Real Estate Team serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill NC and surrounding areas.)

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Durham, North Carolina mourns the death of Lista Yarbrough...a fellow REALTOR® and my friend

Today, after a five year battle with cancer, Lista Yarbrough went home to be with the Lord.
(July 1, 1973 - January 17, 2008)

As the Vice President of the Durham Regional Association of REALTORS® and a top-producing agent with Realty Executives Triangle, Lista was well-known and well-loved by her peers in the real estate business. Since her diagnosis of cancer in 2003, Lista has fought couragiously...openly sharing her story in order to inspire others to fight also. Her death leaves a void that only her contagious smile and loving heart could ever fill.

When I remember Lista, I think of the words 'selfless giving'. Despite her difficult, five year struggle with cancer, Lista always found a way to give of herself to others. I personally believe that she found her strength to keep fighting by giving of herself. She was an amazing woman and an example for all of us to follow.

Since 2003, Lista has participated in the annual Triangle Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Even this past June, she ran the whole race without stopping...even though she was still in recovery from chemotherapy. Her team, Lace up for Lista, raised over $6000 for breast cancer research. In 2003, she also organized volunteers to provide care packages to patients beginning chemotherapy. The Durham Regional Association of REALTORS® honored her with their Service Award in 2004.

Lista, we'll all miss you very much...but we'll never forget the example you set for us! You showed us the real meaning of life...living for others and not for yourself. It was my honor and privilege to be your friend!

Flowers are being accepted, or memorials may be made in Lista's name to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, P.O. Box 71922, Durham, NC 27722. The donations will be applied to Lista's team for this year's race.

Written and Posted by:
Elizabeth Nieves - Broker, REALTOR® -- The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group @ Keller Williams (A Bilingual Real Estate Team serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill NC and surrounding areas.)

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What's YOUR Why???

WHO...WHAT...WHEN...WHERE...HOW??? Remember learning that in school? Our teachers taught us that every story needs to answer these five questions. But...wait...where's the 'WHY'??? I mean...isn't that what we really want to know?

By nature...by divine design...we humans are curious creatures. Unless we know the 'why', we care little about the 'who', 'what', 'when', 'where' or 'how'.

For example...

When my first daughter was born, I imagined a delicate, little princess who would grow up believing that I had ALL of the answers...ACCEPTING everything I told her without question. (This is the point in the story when my husband chuckles and says, 'Yeah right...she's YOUR daughter!') BOY...was I in la la land!!!

One of her first words was 'diet coke' (thanks to our good friends, Bill and Kathi)...followed very quickly by 'WHY'. I always told myself that when my children asked me 'WHY', I would never tell them...'Because I said so!'. Yet, at times, I didn't have an answer. Not wantiing to be THAT mom who could not give my children answers...I realized that I better find out the 'WHY' so that I would be prepared when they asked.

I EVEN made a deal with my children that...IF they did not agree with me, they could discuss (debate) any/all of their objections with me...AS LONG AS they had a well thought out argument and presented it with respect. (This little plan bit me in the behind when they were teenagers! I had trained them so well in the art of argument that I rarely won.)

ALL of the 'stuff' I learned from being (SUPER)mom...I've applied to my real estate career. (Further proof that everything we experience in life makes us better and stronger and prepares us for the next step of our journey.)

When I was newly licensed, I asked myself "Why would ANYONE want to work with me when there are so many experienced agents 'out there'?" By anticipating their questions, I was able to prepare myself for the answer(s) I would give them. I even made a list of ALL the reasons that they should choose me. Then, I decided that I would answer their questions even before they asked. Of course, by 'putting it out there' upfront, it forced me to live up to the expectations I had created. I couldn't tell them that I was the best because I did X,Y and Z IF I did not do X,Y and Z! The most amazing thing is that...because I 'put it out there'...no one ever asked.

Today...in this post...I'm not going to discuss my 'WHY'...my X,Y and Z. It's not important. WHY? It's not important because my 'WHY' is my 'WHY'. You don't need my 'WHY'...you need to find your 'WHY'

Ask yourself...what do you bring to the table that is special and unique. What sets you apart from the other 5000 agents in your market? What life experiences have you had that give you an edge...give you the ability to relate to a certain type of client? What makes you tick? Why did you become a real estate agent in the first place? IF you were a customer, why would you choose to work with you?

IF you have never asked yourself these questions, you may discover things about yourself that you didn't know before. WHAT you discover may prove to be the key to your success. What's your WHY??? When you find out...let me (and the rest of the world) know. We'll be anxiously waiting!

If you have enjoyed this article, let me know. It is so encouraging to hear from you guys!

Written and Posted by:
Elizabeth Nieves - Broker, REALTOR® -- The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group @ Keller Williams (A Bilingual Real Estate Team serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill NC and surrounding areas.)

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