New >> Yesterday, @glennkelman tweeted out a bizarre anecdote about a woman promising to name her first born after a homeowner if they picked her bid.
It showcases how housing shortages can open the door to discrimination and fair housing violations.
vox.com/2021/5/26/2245…
It showcases how housing shortages can open the door to discrimination and fair housing violations.
vox.com/2021/5/26/2245…
In an extremely unbalanced market where sellers may get several offers well above asking price, they have the to choose between similar bids with non-price metrics, for instance how much they like the buyers (often based on a personal cover letter). 
Hobart, a lawyer who lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, relayed to me how weird it was to do this as he looked for a house with his wife last year:
We were "trying to have some way of standing out by saying that we’re nice, normal people" in our cover letter.
We were "trying to have some way of standing out by saying that we’re nice, normal people" in our cover letter.
But "nice, normal people" is of course incredibly subjective. And @nardotrealtor even warned last year against using these "buyer love letters".
Homeowners are disproportionately wealthy and disproportionately white. If they are allowed to pick who they feel most comfortable with that could easily replicate their existing biases.
vox.com/2021/5/26/2245…
vox.com/2021/5/26/2245…
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