"No person of any race other than the Causcasian race shall use or occupy any building or any lot, except that this covenant shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of a different race domicilied with an owner or tenant."
Seriously. A walk down Memory Lane. Not a particulary proud or joyful walk, either.
This quote was taken from the recorded covenants of a Raleigh, Wake County, NC, subdivision where I wrote an offer for Buyer clients this weekend. I have heard of little notes like this, but it was the first time I have pulled something like this up myself.
I ran it past the assistant manager at our office, and while he was shaking his head, I said, "That was 1947. You couldn't write that today, could you?"
He said, "You tell me. Could you?" David likes to make me offer answers, rather than just give answers for free. Good for him. It makes him a good trainer.
It was a rhetorical question, with an obvious answer of "No," for many reasons.
So, I said, "Sure, you could. And the USPS would be delivering a ton of certified mail in no time flat. And the attorneys would be lining up for the TV cameras." Everyone would want a shot at this. We agreed at that point.
He stared at it some more, was a little speechless, and I added, "I would like to think that we have changed in our hearts, but sometimes I think we have just changed our methods of documentation." We agreed on that too.
You see something new every week in this real estate business. I hope that my next "new" thing is a little more pleasant.
Mike Jaquish Keller Williams Realty, Cary, NC
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Mike, it is beyond comprehension that something like this was once legal. I grew up in Miami and as a child (a long time ago) I remember two water fountains, two bathrooms and riding in the front and back of this bus.
I now reside in a very mixed neighborhood and am blessed to be among so many fine residents. I would like to think, like you, that we have changed our hearts.
Gail Gladstone, Long Island Realtor