Comments on: Discrimination in Virginia

By: Cate Douglas

Cate Douglas — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:35:24 +0000

Discrimination comes in all forms - not just color. How do you deal with adults (65+) who pry into the marital status of other residents in a community and make life difficult for a couple (both of whom are over 55)? With regard to a statement made earlier about Realtors and what they should know - Realtors should also get Disclosure Packets to their clients, but this doesn’t happen. We just got out of a contract because a builder accidently removed or failed to include the “financials.” Also failed to mention that he had committed fraud by failing to get certain permits, but then again it seems to be the norm in this area. Until the laws have some teeth, things like this will continue. In PA, they will put you in jail and go after your finances. Maybe some VA residents who go to church on Sunday and act like the devil Monday through Saturday should start going to jail or start abiding by the law. Maybe fines of $50K or more will wake some people up as well as jail time.

By: Jeremy Hart

Jeremy Hart — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:41:22 +0000

I know that discrimination is an internal character flaw, and that classes won’t solve the problem. In my head I know that, in my heart I wish it were easier.

By: Roger Hamilton

Roger Hamilton — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:33:51 +0000

This happens anywhere, anytime. This can’t really be fully addressed with classes though..

By: Mike Taylor

Mike Taylor — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:23:44 +0000

It is hard to believe that things like this still happen in this day and age. What is wrong with people?

By: Danilo Bogdanovic

Danilo Bogdanovic — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:59:53 +0000

I agree with Tammy. Discrimination is an internal character flaw that can’t be fixed with classes. Just yank their license.

By: David Gould

David Gould — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:52:22 +0000

I’m on the Board of Directors at Housing Opportunites Made Equal (HOME) and I am also a Realtor. I run a property management company and have been a landlord for many years. So…..I was really dismayed when I heard the results of this audit several weeks ago. Being a Board member doesn’t make me privvy to any info that isn’t public, but because most of the testing was done at apartment complexes, my feeling is that the vast majority of the offenders were non-licensees (HOME has not checked on their license status). Discrimination is deplorable, whether by licensees or private individuals, but let’s hope that Realtors are not a major source of the bad acts. I will try to find out more. The full audit report is available at http://www.PhoneHome.org

By: sheri

sheri — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:56:45 +0000

Has any one heard of reverse discrimination!!! Where White buyers do not want to work with highly qualified Black Realtors!

By: Tina Bradley

Tina Bradley — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:21:19 +0000

Maybe the penalities need to be higher in fiancial reprimand, maybe that will get their attention that this is not acceptable. Most of the time I have seen where it is not the people sitting in the classrooms getting the education that are the problem, it is the ones that are not there. I believe that you should need to be licensed across the Board to Manage Rental property and be required to sit in a classroom for at least the allotted time each year ( for the Fair Housing hours). Not online studies but in a classroom setting. the fines need to be alot larger and a second offense could mean loosing your license for good or a 6 month period. Some people only understand when you hit them in their livelyhood ( where it counts).

By: Tammy

Tammy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:37:20 +0000

I’m not sure a couple of classes will cure something deeply roooted. Here in South Carolina, it is a significant problem.

By: Andrew Kantor

Andrew Kantor — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:17:39 +0000

It’d be nice to be able to say, “Whoops, these people just need to know the law,” but my gut tells me that it’s not about that. You shouldn’t need a law to tell you the obvious. (Then again, you shouldn’t need the threat of secret shoppers to give good customer service at Brookstone, but that’s what they used.)

So, if you’ve got someone who’s comfortable telling white folks “You won’t need a security deposit” and black folks “You’ll need a month’s rent up front” or whatever, do you think a couple of classes is going to change what’s going on inside?

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