The Residential Service is a volunteer, non-profit group which is interested in maintaining the stability of the neighborhood. Its major efforts have been directed toward showing the available homes for sale in the area to prospective buyers. These prospects are generally referred through contacts made by Service members or interested neighbors. The apparent trend of realtors in not showing homes to white prospects must be offset by expanded efforts of this total community to keep it truly integrated.
Many real estate companies have written off the West End of the city except for speculative activities. We hope to counteract this by bringing interested people into our area and showing them good housing at reasonable prices.
The Residential Service has been involved in the sale of approximately twenty-four houses during the past two years. To continue this successful operation the service needs listings made available to it. For more information call Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council (862-5122), Joan Bender (725-2933) or Suzanne Hart (727-6357).
Fifteen members of the Residential Service met in February with John Murphy and William Krause of the Veterans Administration Office of St. Louis. They discussed their role in obtaining loans for veterans and their selling methods in cases where veterans have “walked away” from the loan and home.
The members recognize a great need to have an up-to-date picture of who is selling a house and which real estate company is involved. Most often the homes for sale are not even listed in the newspapers. We will contact people in various parts of the community from time to time to learn of any properties that are either for sale or will be. We urge residents who wish to sell their home or who have friends or acquaintances who are interested in buying a home to contact the Residential Service.
The Residential Service has asked that THE PAPER summarize the “Code of Air Housing Practices” adopted by the Real Estate Board of Metropolitan St. Louis. All 4,000 member Realtors and Associates are required to abide by this code. An alert public will need to watch closely and see that the members and their employees follow the code – and that it is enforced effectively by the Board. If you spot any real estate practices which seem to be contrary to the code, it is important that you report these at once to both the Board (241-8834) and the Skinker-DeBaliviere Council offices (862-5122). Please note the last section which requires that realtors inform ALL persons looking for housing of all the listed property (even that listed by other firms) which is of the same character and in the desired price range regardless of location. The Residential Service feels that if realtors had been following this guideline much more property would have been shown in our area. Copies of the complete code are available at the Skinker-DeBaliviere Council office. 6008 Kingsbury.
A summarization follows:
1. Realtors and Associates must offer equal service without discrimination to all persons without regard to race, color. religion or national origin in the sale, purchase, exchange, rental or lease of property. No listing should be made unavailable to a person. Realtors cannot advertise or make any statement which indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin. To that end, a real estate broker can not volunteer to any customer information about the racial composition of a neighborhood unless such information is a factual and accurate response to an unsolicited, direct question and does not convey any prohibited preference, limitation or discrimination.
Realtors cannot refuse to deal with a person because of his race, religion etc. Realtors cannot attempt to get people to sell or rent property because of people of another race moving into a neighborhood. Nor can realtors refuse to accept a listing because of race, religion etc., but may refuse to accept listings in areas not within his normal geographic area of operation or houses which are not in his normal price range. Realtors cannot honor requests from clients, neighborhood groups, etc. which seek to limit their areas to people of a certain race, religion, color or national origin. He can, however, inform the client of the existence of any deed covenants or neighborhood association rules which limit areas. He must, however, tell them that these rules or whatever are unenforceable because of a Supreme Court ruling.
2. Each realtor is required to have a fair housing notice posted prominently and conduct an informational program for all sales personnel to inform them of their responsiblities under this Code. Failure to follow the Code could result in dismissal or other disciplinary action. Records of each company may be inspected by the Equal Rights Committee.
All realtors must inform all persons making inquiry about all available property (even other company listings) which is of the desired price range regardless of the location of the property.
The next meeting of the Residential Service will be on Tues. March 21 at 6150 Kingsbury Ave. The agenda will deal largely with the problems of advertising and public relations to serve the community. Most members are in some way involved in putting together the Art Fair and House Tour and thus far this Mother’s day event has been our best form of public relations. New members are always welcome.
Originally published in The Paper, March 1972.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1972_03.pdf, printed page 2, 6.
