To many Realtors forget their Code of Ethics. One thing though:there are areas I will not show if they are infested with drugs whatever the color of the skin.

Lloyd -- Agreed.  There are places I will not go to at night....and Im 6'2" and 320lbs.  But, that has nothing to do with the ethnicity or 'flavor' of the area.  It has to do with the fact that anyone, whether you appear to belong there or not...could get killed by walking down the street.  Thanks for the comments.

Redlining is an ethics issue, but more than that it is a Fair Housing violation. There was a case study where a lender in Detroit refused to give loans in certain areas. HUD found out and the company was fined heavily plus they had to set up training classes and open a branch office in the area where they were Redlining. As far as REALTORS® go, we are required to show Clients/Customers properties which they are qualified for otherwise we will be in violation of Fair Housing. HUD and your State Real Estate Board takes this very seriously.

Good Post!

Michael, Thanks for the information and for the props.  And, this is one of the things that really irritated me about this...I have had Realtors(r) refuse to show property in certain areas just because the neighbors are black...or Hispanic.  It infuriates me...

You can't approach the ethnicity of a neighborhood but you sure as heck can say "No, I won't go there without a gun and an escort."

Race has always bothered me -- we're the HUMAN race. Everything else is just where, geographically, your family traces back to.

Clint:  I believe what you are referring to is steering.  I think redlining is a discriminatory practice used by lenders.  Either way, what you are describing goes completely against the COE and Fair Housing.

Theresa -- I agree on the gun and escort thing...as I stated previously, there are places I dont go to at night.  But, the race thing just sparks a fire that I have a hard time controlling.  I have told Realtors(r) that they are not qualified to work with me if they make statements like these.  I refuse to work with them regardless of how bad I need an agent in that area.  Thanks for the comments!

Chris -- 'Steering'....Im not familiar with that term.  But, yes...regardless of what name you place on it, it is a violation of the COE and people should know better than to even utter the words.  Thanks!

Redlining is the practice of denying or increasing the cost of services, such as banking, insurance, access to jobs,^[2] access to health care,^[3] or even supermarkets^[4] to residents in certain, often racially determined,^[5] areas. The most devastating form of redlining, and the most common use of the term, refers to mortgage discrimination. The term "redlining" was coined in the late 1960s by community activists in Chicago. It describes the practice of marking a red line on a map to delineate the area where banks would not invest. During the heyday of redlining these areas were most frequently black inner city neighborhoods.

Racial steering refers to the practice in which real estate brokers guide prospective home buyers towards or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race. Racial steering as defined by The Yale Law Journal is often divided into two broad classes of conduct;

1. Advising customers to purchase homes in particular neighborhoods on the basis of race
2. Failing, on the basis of race, to show, or to inform buyers of homes that meet their specifications

Have a great week!

Jean --- Awesome!  Thank you for the breakdown on that. 

Clint:  I really haven't seen that here in NH.  When I sold in Ohio... I saw it all the time.  You're right, it's shameful and ILLEGAL.  Glad you had the ****s to report that person.  Good for you!

Thank god we don't see this in NH..at least I haven't seen any of it!

Katherine -- Well, I apprecaite the compliment...but, I dont think its about having the cajones...Its about doing the right thing.  I made that guy a personal mission of mine to get removed.  :-)

Monika -- Glad you dont see it much there...thats awesome.  I work all over the country...and you would be amazed what you hear when you call places like Houston, Detroit, DC, L.A., etc...

It is unfortunate that there are people who discriminate based on race , or ethnic group etc.

Gita -- Its not just unfortunate, its appalling. 

Good post. I had an email on another web site today asking me about which areas they should "stay away from."  My response was I can't direct to or away from any particular area. If I lose business because of that response, oh well!

Gary -- Far better to have to lose a sale than to deviate from the COE.  For what it's worth, Im proud of you for your response.

There are actually attractive financing options that appear in areas that could be considered as "redlined" because the banks will create specialty "community loan programs" aimed at those areas to prevent unintentional fair housing violations such as redlining.  For instance, CITI just announced a 100% loan with very relaxed credit requirements in certain zip codes that they were concerned would indicate they had been redlining.  That is one of the only 100% conventional loan programs available in my area right now because it has been declared a declining market.

Matt -- I have seen other areas do the same.  Working with agents all over the country like I do, I come across specialty programs like this in most metro areas.  Thanks for the comments!