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Durham is a great city, has gotten a bad rap over the past few years but is making a comeback. Might need to get your partner downtown, ninth street, etc. to see what the city has to offer (best restr., art, music, universities/medical centers, too much to mention). I am a broker in Durham, live in Durham and think the city has as much as any in the area, if you would like to see Durham, feel free to email me and i will show you around.
My agent was very clear that she was not a fan of Durham... but we found the house we bought on our own and she agreed when she took us to see it that it was the best fit for what we wanted.
I'm sure she was just barely on the side of the law though when she was describing why we wouldn't want to live there. Basically, when I asked how the crime levels were, etc... I got "I'm not allowed to say anything about the demographics" with a knowing look. I was like... lady...I'm from downtown Detroit... I could care less.
My agent was very clear that she was not a fan of Durham... but we found the house we bought on our own and she agreed when she took us to see it that it was the best fit for what we wanted.
I'm sure she was just barely on the side of the law though when she was describing why we wouldn't want to live there. Basically, when I asked how the crime levels were, etc... I got "I'm not allowed to say anything about the demographics" with a knowing look. I was like... lady...I'm from downtown Detroit... I could care less.
We love Durham
It's all relative. For people who have lived in this area for a long time, the crime is high. For those who move from other areas, the crime may not be that high. The state I came from is #1 (per capita) for sex crimes and violence against women! So when I moved here (Durham), my first question was, "Do I have to worry about getting beat up and/or raped?" Everyone looked at me as though my head was on upside down. While I don't want any type of crime to happen to me, I really don't want to get beat up or raped! I know there will be crime everywhere, so I just take each day as it comes.
That's true, it really all is relative. I just wish she'd taken my situation into account before she got all judgey. I was not the target audience for that sermon I know she had my best interests at heart, though, so I continued to use her, and she ended up being the best agent I've ever had.
That said, this area is miles and above better than what I came from... but I'm sure it's crazy compared to what she's used to. Being that that was my first interaction with a Southerner though, it made me think that the area was very racist/intolerant.
My agent was very clear that she was not a fan of Durham... but we found the house we bought on our own and she agreed when she took us to see it that it was the best fit for what we wanted.
I'm sure she was just barely on the side of the law though when she was describing why we wouldn't want to live there. Basically, when I asked how the crime levels were, etc... I got "I'm not allowed to say anything about the demographics" with a knowing look. I was like... lady...I'm from downtown Detroit... I could care less.
We love Durham
It sounds to me like you have an Agent that CARES about you and wants you to know all the options. I always say that when I can educate my clients, the decisions they make will be better decisions.
Years back, I took some buyers to a few neighborhoods in SE Raleigh, around Rock Quarry Road. The area looked a bit run down to me and the appreciation (even in good times) has been zilch. THIS is what I wanted them to consider, not the demographics. They listened to my opinions and then made the decision to buy that house. Two years later, they called to tell me that they wanted to sell. When I looked at the comps...no appreciation at all. As a matter of fact, the builder had dropped the prices and this was in 2005! They decided to stay put.
I don't believe the majority of Realtors "steer" as some people on this forum have expressed. I believe the majority of us want to give our clients the FACTS and our OPINIONS, when asked. Of course, I give my opinions no matter what! I give my clients the ability to tell me to "hush" at any time!!!
I thought the same (the area was very racist/intolerant), because when you look at the demographics online Durham has a large minority population compared to some other towns/cities around here. But after being here for almost 6 months, I see it's not like that at all and everyone is truly very nice and outgoing and accommodating. I'm glad I made the move and I absolutely love the weather and the (good) people I've met. I wouldn't change a thing. Okay, maybe I'd change the Durham property/county tax rate to something lower, but other than that I wouldn't change a thing!
Vicki: I'm not sure. I generally appreciate opinions from realtors... I want the breadth of their years of experience on my side. But I don't like veiled innuendos. I'm not sure if restrictions are so tight that you can't say the things you need to say, but I would prefer someone to tell me "this area is lower income and has an unsavory reputation". Instead, it appeared (to both my husband and myself) that she was trying to tell us that "black people live here".
Senalj: Right on! I've been here about 6 months too, and same deal exactly
Vicki: I'm not sure. I generally appreciate opinions from realtors... I want the breadth of their years of experience on my side. But I don't like veiled innuendos. I'm not sure if restrictions are so tight that you can't say the things you need to say, but I would prefer someone to tell me "this area is lower income and has an unsavory reputation". Instead, it appeared she was trying to tell me "black people live here".
Senalj: Right on! I've been here about 6 months too, and same deal exactly
As you may have figured out by now, I'm very upfront with my opinions!
However, there are things that the law prevents me and all Realtors from saying. Most center around what Fair Housing deems as being "protected classes", such as Race, Creed, Color, Religion, Sex, Handicapping Conditions, National Origin (note that I can pick on the New Yorkers as STATE of origin is NOT protected!), Familial Status (which means I can't say if I see children!).
I don't SEE income listed but there are areas of Durham, as well as Raleigh and Cary that have lower income housing, so there may be no reason to point that one out! Usually they are the smaller homes without all that stone! As for the comment you made above...black is a color so Agents are not allowed to say that and she could end up in Realtor jail, if she isn't careful. Perhaps YET ANOTHER Fair Housing class would help!
Different states have different issues. It is difficult to remember that crime in this area doesn't compare to crime in large cities. There are websites that give you facts on crimes and sex offenders, etc. I try to make those websites available to my clients as it is impossible for me to KNOW the statistics in each and every area.
For those clients that ASK about things that I'm not legally authorized to answer, I try to direct them to websites or gov't. offices that can help them.
I understand what you are saying, tabbcat. And I appreciate the fact that you understand that she was trying to HELP you, even though her methods may not have been the best. What is that saying..."the best intentions...
I'm not sure if restrictions are so tight that you can't say the things you need to say, but I would prefer someone to tell me "this area is lower income and has an unsavory reputation". Instead, it appeared (to both my husband and myself) that she was trying to tell us that "black people live here".
Do you want to hear something funny? I got the same feeling from the real estate agent I'd hired, and I'm black! When I pressed her and asked if it were because black people lived in these areas, she said, "No, but I'm sure you wouldn't fit in anyway because you're a different kind of person." I took that to mean I was somehow not "really black" in her eyes. At first I was a little offended, then I realized she wasn't trying to offend, she was trying to protecting me. I told all my family and friends and we got a big laugh about that one. One of my friends put it best: She viewed me as being different because I'm not from around here. The fact that I could afford to buy a house also helped her to see me as someone who "overcame".
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I know she had my best interests at heart, though, so I continued to use her, and she ended up being the best agent I've ever had.
