31. August 2010

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Diversity At Home: Fair Housing Law and You

Fair HousingThis year marks the 42nd anniversary of the passage of the US Fair Housing Law, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. This law created a national policy of fair housing without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, familial status and handicap.

The law is especially important in the onslaught of demonstrations regarding the national immigration issues, especially in Arizona, the state where I currently reside. Whether you agree or disagree with the proposed immigration reform, the National Association of Realtor takes the stand that all people deserve the same treatment when buying, selling or renting a home.

The National Association of Realtors frequently addresses this issue by providing all Realtors with information to further foster diversity in real estate and provide professional services that are equal for all. For homebuyers, real estate agents must make housing available in your price range with no discrimination, provide you with a wide range of home choices in any area, give those with disabilities the most reasonable accommodations possible and not use discriminatory terms and conditions. Those involved in the real estate transaction, such as lenders and appraisers also must provide the same nondiscriminatory services.

While the times are changing, you still do not need to be a U.S. citizen to rent or purchase property in the U.S. While it may be more difficult to get a loan to purchase if you are not a citizen and cannot pay with cash, this relates more to current lending policies than to discrimination.

Remember that real estate agents are human and may not realize that they are acting in a discriminatory fashion. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, but sometimes it helps to explain why you consider the action offensive or inappropriate. Often, the agent welcomes the discussion and is better educated to deal with diversity in the future. If the agent is still blatantly acting unfair, take action and exercise your rights under the law.

If you suspect discrimination, contact your local real estate association to voice an ethics complaint. Your local association has an obligation to enforce the Realtor Code of Ethics to determine if a violation of professional standards has occurred and to take appropriate action. Alleged discrimination complaints also may be filed with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Fair Housing Law makes it illegal to practice discrimination in real estate and related fields, so as not to exclude anyone from the homebuying process. It is unfortunate, however, that it took a law to begin to make it happen. Be at home with diversity.

Photo Credit: SeanMack via Creative Commons 2.5

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27. August 2010

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Have A Green BBQ This Labor Day

Barbecuing this Labor Day weekend? Why not make it a “green” barbecue for your friends and family to enjoy. No, I’m not talking about using green wood for the fire. It’s about making the barbecuing process more environmentally friendly and keeping the air around your home as clean as possible, especially if you are selling [...]

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25. August 2010

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Make Sure You Have Ice When You Need It Most – Tips for Maintaining Your Ice Maker

Just a few weeks ago I was sitting at home on a broiling summer day when the heat index was about 108 degrees. The air conditioner could hardly keep up and all I wanted was an ice cold pop; but when I went to the ice maker to plunk some nice chilly cubes into the [...]

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23. August 2010

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Could Chase Bank Be Next To Face a Class Action Lawsuit?

There has been a lot of talk about holding the big banks accountable for the progress of loan modifications and short sales. Much of that attention lately has focused on Bank of America, which is facing a class action lawsuit, but my own experience as a real estate agent has shown me that problems with [...]

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20. August 2010

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Bargain Hunter #5 – Keeping Expenses Down When Your Child Heads Off to College

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts about bargain hunting and ways to save money; when you spend less on the necessities in life, you and your family can use the money you’ve saved for the more important or fun things in life – vacations, a down payment on a new home, [...]

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18. August 2010

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8 Tips For a Smooth REO Home Purchase

It’s usually much faster to purchase an REO (lender-owned) property than a short sale property. That’s because banks and mortgage companies have already taken the property back in the foreclosure process and make all decisions in the sale with no intermediaries. Typically, the lender has already had two BPOs (broker price opinions) completed and a formal appraisal, so they are [...]

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18. August 2010

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Buying a Foreclosed Home #7 – Financing

This is the seventh in a series of 10 blogs I am posting each Wednesday on buying foreclosed property. If you’d like to read any of the previous entries, you can do so by clicking here. The number of people unable to fulfill their mortgage obligation is at an all-time high, making purchasing a home [...]

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9. August 2010

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Family Corner: How to Handle the Stress of Raising Children

Parenting has been the greatest joy in my life, but it has, at times, also been the greatest challenge. I would imagine this is true for just about all parents, probably particularly so for stay-at-home moms who rarely get a break, like I was when my own three children were newborns, toddlers, and preschoolers. The [...]

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8. August 2010

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Bargain Hunter #5 – Back-to-School Shopping

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts about bargain hunting and ways to save money; when you spend less on the necessities in life, you and your family can use the money you’ve saved for the more important or fun things in life – vacations, a down payment on a new home, [...]

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4. August 2010

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Buying a Foreclosed Home #6 – Who to Contact

This is the sixth in a series of 10 blogs I am posting each Wednesday on buying foreclosed property. If you’d like to read any of the previous entries, you can do so by clicking here. The number of people unable to fulfill their mortgage obligation is at an all-time high, making purchasing a home [...]

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