10“Choose Your Neighbor”

Marketing Letters

6Suburban West

Recognizes 50 Years of Fair Housing

16Fair Housing Testing

Then and Now

REALTORA p r i l 2 0 1 8 | w w w. s u b u r b a n w e s t r e a l t o r s . c o m NEW

S

FAIR HOUSING AT 50: LOOKING BACK

(AND FORWARD) page 12

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April 2018 n REALTOR® News 3

Mission StatementThe Suburban West REALTORS® Association advocates for the real estate industry and private property rights, and promotes the professional integrity of its members by providing resources that enable them to: n Deliver superior service to the public n Maximize their income n Grow to meet the needs of the future

Officersn Ken Enochs, Jr., GREEN, Chairmann Shannon Diiorio, ABR, GREEN, Chairman-electn Christina Cardone, ABR, ePro, SFR, Secretary-Treasuer

Directorsn Kit Anstey, ABR, SFRn Dave Ashe, GRI n Steve D’Antonio, SRESn Neil DeRiemern Chris Earleyn Susan Mannersn Barbara Margolis, GRIn Brad Mooren Maureen Sexton

Chief Executive Officern Anne Marie Matteo, CAE, RCE

Staffn John Barbone, Information Technology Specialist n Cathy DiMarco, Bookkeepern Steven Farace, Director, Marketing and Member Relationsn Tina Lavelle, Member Relations Specialistn Vinnie Pagnini, Member Relations Specialistn Gail Parke, School Administratorn Paula M. Tansey, RCE, e-Pro, Director,

Professional Conduct & Developmentn Kristin Tornetta, Member Relations Specialist

Suburban West REALTORS® Association 1 Country View Road, Suite 201Malvern, PA 19355 tel: 610-560-4800 fax: 610-560-4801 email: info@suburbanwestrealtors.com website: www.suburbanwestrealtors.com

The opinions by the various authors of articles appearing in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the position of the Suburban West REALTORS® Association. We appreciate the patronage of our advertisers; however, advertisements appearing in this magazine do not necessarily constitute endorsement by the Suburban West REALTORS® Association.

REALTOR® News is published 4 times a year for the Suburban West REALTORS® Association with creative services by:

George Awadwadro@hotmail.com202-669-8854

Table of Contents4 ....................................Chairman’s Message

6 .......................................................CEO Update

8 .............................................................. PAR Pulse

9 ..............................................Legislative Front

10 .................................. Professionalism Tips

12 ...................................... Fair Housing at 50

18 ......................................................... Real News

20 ........................................................ Scrapbook

22 ........................................Affiliate Spotlight

REALTORNEWS

Volume 12 Issue 1 | April 2018

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Using Information and Knowledge to Best Serve Today’s Client

Today we are all faced with many challenges as we struggle to manage our personal and professional lives. In our ever changing world where there is seemingly easy access to an abundance of information, it is becoming increasingly difficult to discern between what is real and what is not.

As a trusted real estate advisor, we are faced with managing all of this informa-tion as well as our client’s expectations. What should we do with all of this information? We use it to become faster, stronger, and better! To provide our clients with better service and ultimately help them make a more informed decision. Education is the sharing of information.

Certainly, the strength of our organization, Suburban West, is just that; education. We have our own real estate school and an abundance of free train-ing provided by many of our members and staff. Suburban West is the purveyor of real estate information and relevant data providing local market statistics that we all should use in our business each and every day. This is what makes us the expert. The strengths of PAR and NAR are additional resources like standard forms, buyer & seller statistics, and advocacy on behalf of homeownership and our industry. Arguably there are more resources than there is time. However, I want to challenge each and every member to make it a personal priority to get engaged in 2018. As we educate ourselves, we can only better serve and educate our customers and clients.

If information is fuel, efficient and effective communication is the vehicle. NAR statistics have confirmed that communication and responsiveness are the two most important attributes to our clients. At the end of the day, our goal is to help many achieve what will be the greatest investment of their lifetime. We must look beyond all of the daily demands and challenges and seek out the real opportunities. I would argue that there has never been a time in history where so there was so much opportunity to grow, improve, as well as change both our business and the industry.

I encourage you all to start each and every day with a moment of reflection on how fortunate we are to be able to have such a professionally fulfilling career where we can individually and collectively make such a large impact on so many others’ lives. Being a REALTOR® and abiding by the Code of Ethics has made us all better and stronger individuals. It has made us more professional and cooperative. Most importantly, it has made us more valuable than ever to the consumer. Be the best. Expect the best. Suburban West! n

KENNETH ENOCHS CHAIRMAN

C H A I R M A N ’ S M E S S A G E

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C E O U P D A T E

Suburban West Helps Mark 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act

We as REALTORS® help build communities and believe people have a right to live wherever they can afford to live. Homeownership opportunities in our region continue to grow and fair housing laws are vitally important to help protect consumers and REALTORS®

throughout the home buying and selling process.Suburban West, in partnership with the Pennsylvania and National Associa-

tions of REALTORS®, strives to preserve and expand housing opportunities. The three organizations strongly support the Fair Housing Act as well as equal opportunity on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, incorporat-ing that support into the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.

50 years ago this April, the landmark Fair Housing Act was enacted to help ensure equal housing for all. In honor of this important milestone in our industry, the Suburban West REALTORS® Association is continuing to affirm its support of Fair Housing and to help educate members on its various facets. This includes the following events and communications:

n County Recognition: Suburban West participated in Chester County’s (proclamation issued April 10th at Commissioners Sunshine Meeting) and Delaware County’s (resolution issued April 18th at Council Meeting) official recognition of Fair Housing Month and the 50th Anniversary.

n Events: Suburban West promoted Chester County’s Fair Housing Panel that took place on April 23rd in Coatesville. Suburban West also conducted a Starbucks Morning seminar on Reasonable Accommodations in Fair Housing. The April 25th program featured Jinada Rochelle from the PA Human Relations Commission, and included topical information on service animals and hoarding.

n Information: Suburban West published professionalism tips in its Suburban West Weekly email newsletter on a variety of Fair Housing topics through-out April. And this issue of the REALTOR® News magazine includes a variety of articles and features on Fair Housing.

Suburban West is committed to keeping the issue of Fair Housing front and center amongst our members and hope that you can encourage your agents to check out some of the resources available through Suburban West and the National Association of REALTORS® so that we can best make the American Dream of homeownership a reality for all. n

ANNE MARIE MATTEO, CAE, RCE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

How Can You Remain Relevant to Your Clients? Fill in the Blanks . . .

By Christina Cardone, ABR, SRES (District 2 Vice President)

PAR Leads the Charge for First-Time Homebuyers Plan

Throughout my career in real estate, I’ve worked with many first-time homebuyers. They are usually young, renters and have some debt related to student loans and/

or credit cards. Increasingly, it has become more difficult for these potential buyers, to save enough for a downpayment. They see the value in home-ownership but can’t swing the additional costs that come with buying a first home.

My experience with millennials isn’t just repre-sentative of the Philadelphia region or Pennsyl-vania in general. Since the 2009 financial crisis, the share of first-time homebuyers in the national home sale market has fallen from 34 percent to just 32 percent.

To help turn the tide, the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® has taken the lead in helping draft legislation to establish a First-Time Homebuyer Savings Account (FHSA). Similar to

programs that exist in other states like New York and Virginia, the FHSA would allow any Pennsylvanian to set a side savings toward the costs of purchasing a new home. The money saved in the FHSA may be used as a deduction on state income tax.

The program is projected to boost homes sales by up to 4,000 per year across Pennsylvania while delivering an economic impact of up to $68.8 million. The increase in state tax revenues collected from realty transfer taxes, income taxes on increased earnings and sales taxes on increased consumption would exceed tax revenue forgone due to FHSA deduction.

House Bill 1981, co-sponsored by Reps. Ryan Bizzaro (D-Erie) and Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe) and a companion Senate bill, sponsored by Sens. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) and Bob Mensch (R-Montgomery) are currently being discussed in Harrisburg and there is early optimism that it will eventually gain passage.

To help ensure we keep our momentum in Harrisburg, we need to harness the powerful voice of the 32,000 Pennsylvania REALTORS®. Please respond to the current Call to Action and keep abreast of future outreach efforts at www.firsthomepa.com. n

PA R P U L S E

April 2018 n REALTOR® News 9

‘Fair Housing’ Should Also Apply to Property Tax Rates in PA

L E G I S L AT I V E F R O N T

By Jamie Ridge, Suburban REALTORS® Alliance President/CEO

As we continue to recognize the 50th anniversary of the federal Fair Housing Act, I’d like to propose an additional focus in the Commonwealth: Fair and equitable

property tax rates based on modern property assessments. A recent court ruling in Delaware County, an earlier PA Supreme Court ruling in Allegheny County, and various public and private studies have painted a grim picture of the state’s current property tax system. These rulings and studies have demonstrated without a doubt that our current system of assessing properties is antiquated, inconsistent, and produces unjust and inequitable tax bills in nearly every county across the state.

Consider the following evidence: n According to the International Association

of Assessment Officers, Pennsylvania is one of only nine states that do not impose mandatory reassessment timetables or standard assessment methods on local governments. The remaining 41 states and the District of Columbia require reassessment of property values on a regular schedule ranging from one to six years. As a result, the state is one of only three to receive a grade of F in standardized procedures from the Washington, DC-based Council on State Taxation.

n Not surprisingly, a Delaware County court ruled last year that the assessed value of properties across the county varied widely compared to fair market values, leading to thousands of taxpayers paying more or less than they should. Owners of new homes, for example, often pay more than some of their neighbors because their assessments were set at the time of construction while those on older homes have not changed since the last court-ordered assessment in 2000. A Philadelphia Inquirer analysis of the most recently available state tax data showed that roughly 37 percent of properties in Delaware County are over-assessed.

n More broadly in our region, the same Phila-delphia Inquirer analysis states that “more than 200,000 people in Southeastern Pennsylvania are paying more than their fair share in (proper-ty) taxes.” If the general rule of under-payment and over-payment of property taxes holds true, one can surmise that an equal number of home owners in the region are paying less than their fair share. Welcome news to those taxpayers, but obviously unfair and unjust to those who

are bearing the burden of the underpayments. n Despite the constitutional requirement for

tax uniformity in Pennsylvania, only 10 of the state’s 67 counties currently meet an acceptable standard of uniformity as measured by the International Association of Assessing Officers. The fact that Pennsylvania counties are not required by state law to conduct regular property re-assessments has led to this unfair lack of uniformity. At least one county in our region has gone nearly 50 years without a mass property reassessment. If county officials truly care about tax fairness – ensuring that property owners are paying the correct amount of tax based on the real estate they own – it shouldn’t take a court order to force the issue.

So what’s the answer? How can Pennsylvania put the ‘fair’ back in property reassessments and taxes? Our elected officials in Harrisburg could start by taking the advice of two well-respected state associations that know a thing or two about the importance of property tax assessments: the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® and the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylva-nia. Both associations have adopted policy posi-tions that call for: 1) an appropriate state agency to oversee property tax assessments; 2) mandated countywide reassessments on a regular basis; 3) adoption of a uniform (computerized) mass assessment system; and 4) the development of a funding mechanism, implemented and maintained by the state, that would require stakeholders (school districts, counties and municipalities) to participate in the cost of reassessment in a propor-tionate manner.

Of all the important fiscal issues that will face members of Pennsylvania’s newly elected General Assembly when they begin their next legislative session in January of 2019, property tax reform should be very high on the priority list. Rest as-sured that members of the Suburban REALTORS® Alliance and the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® will be working to bring this important issue to the forefront and will be at the table when the legislation is being crafted. n

10 REALTOR® News n April 2018

Use of “Choose Your Neighbor” Marketing LettersBy Paula Tansey, RCE, ePro (Association Staff)

Article 10 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics states, “Realtors® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial

status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Realtors® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”

In the fact scenario below, NAR demonstrates that no instruction from a client can absolve a RE-ALTOR® from this obligation. Additionally, when marketing a property, REALTORS® should be sure to use a variety of marketing techniques and sources in order to avoid the appearance or likeli-hood of limiting or restricting access to property on the basis of race, color, sex, handicap, familial status, country of national origin, sexual orienta-tion, or gender identity.

REALTOR® A listed a property in a new subdivi-sion. At the instruction of his client, Seller X, REAL-TOR® A did not enter the listing in the MLS, did not place a “For Sale” sign on the property and did not advertise the property online. Seller X had told REAL-TOR® A that he wanted the sale handled quietly, with the new purchasers being people who would “fit into the neighborhood—people with the same socioeconomic background” as the other residents of the subdivision.

Based on his conversation with Seller X, REAL-TOR® A’s only marketing effort was mailing a letter to the other residents of the subdivision, inviting them “. . . to play a part in the decision of who your next neigh-bor will be. If you know of someone who you would like to live in the neighborhood, please let them know of the availability of this home, or call me and I will be happy to contact them and arrange a private showing.”

REALTOR® A’s marketing strategy came to the attention of REALTOR® B, whose mother lived in the subdivision. REALTOR® B filed a complaint charging REALTOR® A with a violation of Article 10 of the Code of Ethics.

At the hearing, REALTOR® B told the Hearing Panel of receiving a copy of the marketing letter from his mother, who had recently moved to the subdivision. REALTOR® B advised the panel that he had checked the Board’s MLS for information on the property, had driven past the house to look for a “For Sale” sign and had searched online for any information on the property. Finding nothing, REALTOR® B concluded

that REALTOR® A’s marketing strategy was to limit access to the property to individuals preselected by the current residents. “In my mind,” said REALTOR® B, “this could only mean one thing. REALTOR® A was deliberately discriminating against home buyers from other areas, or those with different backgrounds, who would never have the opportunity to learn about the house’s availability. Obviously, REALTOR® A was directing all of his marketing energies into finding pur-chasers who would not disrupt the ethnic and economic character of the neighborhood.”

REALTOR® A defended his actions by advising the panel that he was acting on Seller X’s instructions. Seller X appeared as a witness for REALTOR® A and confirmed this fact, adding that he and the other resi-dents of his block had an informal agreement that they would try to find “suitable” purchasers for their homes if they ever decided to sell. Seller X felt that by broad-ening the marketing campaign to include all residents of the subdivision he had increased the chances of finding such potential purchasers.

The Hearing Panel found REALTOR® A in viola-tion of Article 10 of the Code of Ethics. In their deci-sion, the panel advised REALTOR® A that no instruc-tion from a client could absolve a REALTOR® from the obligation to market properties without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, country of national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, as expressed in Article 10. There was no doubt, in the panel’s opinion, that the exclusive use of “Choose Your Neighbor” letters to market the property was designed to circumvent the requirements of Article 10. n

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By Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania

FEAT URE

FAIR HOUSING AT 50: LOOKING BACK

(AND FORWARD)

April 2018 n REALTOR® News 13

Fifty Years: A Reflection on the History of Fair Housing in Suburban Philadelphia

On April 11, 2018, civil rights and housing advocates across the nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act. As the oldest fair housing council in the nation, the Hous-

ing Equality Center of Pennsylvania (HECP) is especially proud to celebrate 50 years of federal fair housing law and will also be commemorating our agency’s 62nd year of promoting freedom of housing in the region. In the years since its founding, HECP has had the satisfaction of seeing its goals for fair housing legislation come to fruition and has worked ever since to help ensure the rights provided by this vital civil rights law are upheld.

In 1956, before fair housing legisla-tion existed at either the state or federal level, a handful of residents of eastern Delaware County banded together to work toward building a grassroots coalition of individuals to support racial integration in their communities. The initial goal of this group of neighbors was to provide non-financial encouragement and support to Black families seeking to buy homes in the area, and to white sellers who suffered reprisal because of their commitment to open hous-ing. At the time, Bryn Mawr civil rights activist and real estate broker Margaret Collins had founded a real estate firm named Friends Suburban Housing, Inc. to help African Americans gain nondiscriminatory access to housing in the suburban communities outside of Philadelphia.

The Southeast Delaware County Area Committee of Friends Suburban Housing helped to strengthen Collins efforts and to build local support for fair housing laws. The Committee actively lobbied for state and federal fair housing legislation, writing to their legislators, speaking out to the community, publishing public service announce-ments in local newspapers, writing letters to the editor, and even appealing directly to President Lyndon Johnson. They not only spoke out publically against discrimination, but also urged their friends and neighbors to welcome African Americans into their communities and to embrace integration. These progressive individuals literally stood by their new neighbors to assure that they felt safe and welcome in the neighborhood. Members of the Committee physically accompanied the first Black families moving into Delaware County, putting their personal safety at risk by staying in new residents’ homes to offer protection in case they were met with violent opposition by white neighbors.

Mrs. Cary Isard, a founding member of the Committee wrote following one such incident of neighborhood opposition, “In all probability, another episode of such magni-tude will be avoided through more effective police action. But the underlying causes—the fears and prejudices which make any such action necessary in the first place, can only be removed by bold creative programs and courageous leadership.”

After years of congressional consideration of housing discrimination legislation, the Fair Housing Act was signed in to law by President Lyndon Johnson following the death of Martin Luther King Jr. in April of 1968. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act made it illegal to discriminate in housing based on race, color, national origin, and religion. Now with legal backing to support its goals the Committee expanded its efforts, including conducting some of the first fair housing testing in the nation, along with expanding the service area in which it operated.

FEAT URE

An early newspaper advertisement taken out by the Southeast Delaware County Area Com-mittee of Friends Suburban Housing,publishing names of local residents voicing their support for fair housing.

14 REALTOR® News n April 2018

FEAT URE

On September 13, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Fair Housing Amendments Act which had been passed by overwhelming margins in the House and Senate during the summer of 1988. This amendment made major changes to the Fair Housing Act, including expanding its protections to two additional protected classes—fa-milial status and handicap—strengthening the administrative and judicial enforcement process for HUD complaints and providing monetary penalties in cases where housing discrimination is found.

In 2014, after a number of name changes over the years, our organization became the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania. While fighting racial discrimination has been an ongoing and important focus since 1956, today’s efforts extend to combating all types of discrimination, including discrimination against people with disabilities, families with children, senior citizens, refugees and immigrants.

In these fair housing articles we usually discuss the various technical requirements of the Fair Housing Act, such as reasonable accommodations and modifications, advertis-ing, or occupancy policies. Often, as both housing advocates and members of the housing industry, we spend a great deal of time focusing on technicalities of compliance with the law. Conversations that we at HECP have with REALTORS® and other housing providers generally involve very specific situations and procedures and whether they comply with the letter of the Fair Housing Act. However, in this Fair Housing Month issue, we feel that it is important to step back and reflect on the spirit of the law.

When HECP defines the Fair Housing Act in our educational materials and trainings, we usually say that the law prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. However, when we talk about the Fair Housing Act in terms of providing access to “housing” or “dwellings”, we often forget that what we really mean is families’ ability to access a home. While a house (or other residential dwelling) is often referred to as a home, the concept of “home” is much broader than a physical dwelling. Home is ideally a place of refuge, safety, and comfort, where the worries and stressors of the world can be placed aside and where a family lives and spends time together. Home is central to one’s life, primarily emotional and only partially physical. REALTORS®, through their constant contact with individuals who are making one of the most important decisions of their lives in choosing homes for their families or in choosing to leave homes where they have lived for many years, have more of an understanding than most of the emotional importance of people’s connection to their homes.

In addition to the emotional aspect of people’s homes, access to a place to live has a far greater implication on people’s lives than simply acquiring a house itself. Where individuals choose to live is never simply a matter of preferring a particular house, but is about choosing a location that will suit all aspects of their lives and aspirations. A home in a location of one’s choice also brings with it access to jobs, transportation, good schools, social and cultural opportunities, proximity to family and friends, and many other amenities. The location of a home affects whether one’s children will be safe as they go about their daily activities and how well they will succeed in life. Again, REALTORS® are in a better position than most to understand this aspect of choosing a home, as they emphasize “location, location, location” as the primary consideration in valuing a home.

Having a long-standing, rich history in the region, HECP is proud to have lent a hand in advocating for equal opportunity to the home of one’s choice for all residents of South-eastern Pennsylvania and remains a proud advocate and educator for the community. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act, we recognize the American ideal of the equality of all people in this country to pursue opportunities in life regardless of characteristics such as their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability and we affirm the importance of housing in accessing these opportunities. Fair Housing Month provides a reminder to look beyond the Fair Housing Act as a set of requirements to remember and comply with, and to reflect on the true purpose of the law and the ideals that it stands for.

April 2018 n REALTOR® News 15

FEAT URE

Margaret Collins: A Real Estate Professional Committed to Fair Housing

Margaret Hill Collins, a real estate agent, Quaker, and native of Bryn Mawr, was a passionate, lifelong advocate for fair and integrated housing in the Philadelphia region. The daughter of a Philadelphia paper manufacturer, Collins was born

in 1908 and was educated at Sarah Lawrence College, the University of California at Berkeley, and Bryn Mawr College, where she earned a Master’s degree in social work.

Collins, who was white, became interested in race relations through a close friendship with Mazie Hall, an African American educator and civil rights advocate. In the early 1950s, Collins and Hall co-organized Quaker sponsored “Fellowship Weekends” where African American families from the city were invited to spend time with white families in the suburbs. At the first Fellowship Weekend, one participant remarked that if housing

segregation didn’t exist, no such program for increasing contact between races would be necessary. Over the next year or two, this comment remained in Collins’ mind and she concluded that the Fellowship Weekends were an inadequate response to the problem of segregation.

Collins earned her real estate broker’s license and in 1956, five years before the passage of the Pennsylvania Fair Housing Act in 1961 and 12 years before the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act, she founded a nondiscriminatory real estate firm called Friends Suburban Housing with the mission of selling homes without regard to color.

Margaret Collins faced immense challenges in her endeavor to promote freedom in housing. She initially found it very difficult to secure mortgage

loans and homeowners insurance policies for her clients and had vastly underestimated the time and effort that would be involved in finding listings from owners willing to sell to Black families, as even sympathetic sellers feared reprisals from neighbors. It became necessary to fundraise to support the work of the company, with Collins often volunteer-ing her time.

Even more challenging was the violence and property damage that resulted from a number of Collins’ sales to Black families in all white neighborhoods, and the failure of local governments to take action against this violence. One such incident took place in Rutledge, Delaware County in 1958. The night before the family that had bought a home moved in, the house was destroyed by a suspected arson fire which the fire department did not respond to until it was too late to save the home. The municipality denied the family a building permit to rebuild and it was necessary to take the matter to court before they were permitted to rebuild. In Wayne the same year, neighbors flooded the basement of a home sold by Friends Suburban Housing.

In 1963, a three-day riot raged when a Black family moved into a home sold by Collins in Folcroft. The family and supporters were driven back twice by a mob when they tried to move in. A group of pastors formed a human shield to protect the family and stay with

Margaret Collins, pictured with Friends Suburban Housing’s first customers—retired teachers and sisters, Clayda and Lucile Willliams.

16 REALTOR® News n April 2018

FEAT URE

them. Unrestrained by the local police, crowds of residents bombarded the house with rocks and other projectiles causing extensive property damage. Rioters shattered every window in the home, bashed in doors, damaged kitchen cabinets, ripped out electrical and plumbing fixtures, tore the chrome off their car and broke the car windows, and yelled racial slurs. A Molotov cocktail was throw into the second floor, starting a small fire. The family spent a night huddled in the basement until supporters convinced the Pennsylvania State Police to intervene.

More common than outright violence were organized protests and petitions opposing the entry of Black families into local neighborhoods. Collins often showed houses in all white neighborhoods to African American families at night, to avoid harassment from neighbors. Members of the Southeast Delaware County Committee of Friends Suburban Housing, the group that would eventually become the Housing Equality Center, would take turns staying with families at their homes in the days after they moved in when there was neighborhood opposition or threats of violence.

Collins attempted to join the Main Line Board of REALTORS® three times during the 1960s in order to access a comprehensive list of properties for sale in the area, but was rejected each time. In 1968, convinced that the rejection was based on the color of her clients, she sued the board for illegal restraint of trade for denying Friends Suburban Housing the use of its valuable multiple listing service. Collins finally won her case in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1973.

Over the 20 years of the company’s existence, Friends Suburban Housing sold 232 homes to Black buyers in 60 previously all white communities, beginning the racial integration of the Philadelphia suburbs. Although Margaret Collins was highly regarded as a pioneer in advocating for fair housing in the region, she never regarded herself as such, stating that, “I wasn’t any pioneer—the black person was the pioneer.” Collins, reporting on one success story, told of a buyer in Media in 1960 that said to her, “The most remarkable thing happened the other day. I was cutting the lawn when a neighbor came by and shook my hand and said, ‘I had been saying the most awful things about you before you moved in. But I see now that I was wrong. I am glad that you moved into our neighborhood.’”

By 1975 fair housing laws had begun to be enforced more effectively, creating more opportunities for non-white families to buy homes through the conventional real estate market, and Friends Suburban Housing dissolved. Margaret Collins went on to acquire and renovate abandoned housing, hiring Black contractors to repair the homes, then structuring affordable rent to own arrangements with families who had previously encountered difficulties in attempting to purchase a home. A tireless advocate for racial equality and fair housing, she continued her involvement with a number of other local organizations working on these issues until her death in 2006.

Fair Housing Testing Then and Now

Beginning with the passage of the Pennsylvania Fair Housing Act in 1961 the Lansdowne-Upper Darby Area Fair Housing Committee, the predecessor to the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania (HECP), established one of the first testing

programs to investigate allegations of housing discrimination. Members of the Commit-tee posed as home seekers in order to determine if local apartment complexes and real estate agents were complying with the new state law banning housing discrimination on the basis of race. The Committee used the results of testing to support the complaints of bona fide home seekers in discrimination cases adjudicated by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Following the passage of the Fair Housing Act, a growing number of private fair housing organizations began to implement fair housing testing programs to document instances of housing discrimination and to provide evidence to support home seek-ers’ allegations. In response, some housing industry organizations and government entities attempted to prohibit or limit fair housing testing as a method of uncovering discrimination. Beginning in the mid-1970s a number of court decisions affirmed the value of testing as a fair housing enforcement tool. The unanimous 1982 Supreme Court decision in Havens Realty Corp. v. Colman stated conclusively that, “A tester who

April 2018 n REALTOR® News 17

FEAT URE

has been the object of a misrepresentation has suffered injury in precisely the form the statue was intended to guard against…That the tester may have approached the real estate agent fully expecting that he would receive false information, and without the intention of buying or renting a home, does not negate the simple fact of injury.”

During the 1990s following the implementation of an administrative enforcement process under the 1988 Fair Housing Amendments Act, government agencies also expanded the use of testing in fair housing enforcement. HUD established the Fair Housing Initiatives Program to support testing by private fair housing organizations. The DOJ and state attorney generals and human rights commissions developed their own testing programs. Many large housing providers and financial services providers now engage in self-testing to ensure their own companies’ compliance with fair housing laws and improve their own business practices. Today fair housing testing is considered to be a legitimate and often necessary way to gather evidence about discriminatory housing practices and is conducted regularly by a wide variety of public

and private entities.Fair housing testing is an issue that is

often the source of much misunderstand-ing and mistrust between fair housing advocates and housing providers. Providers and advocates often feel that they are on opposite “sides” and are in conflict with each other. Housing provid-ers are often very suspicious of testing and feel that testers are out to entrap them or to catch them doing something wrong. They can feel resentful that testers are wasting their time and are therefore costing them income. However, in reality fair housing testing is a tool that often benefits housing providers as well as fair housing advocates and their clients. More often than not, testing prevents housing providers from having un-founded complaints filed against them.

In many of the complaints that we test at HECP we do not uncover any evidence of discrimination. In these cases, we can report to the complainant making the allegation that there is no evidence that the housing provider is treating prospec-tive home seekers unequally. Therefore, the housing provider may be prevented

from unfairly suffering loses of time, money, and reputation that come with having to defend against a discrimination complaint.

In general, the most important thing for REALTORS® to remember is that fair housing testing is an objective process intended to observe the ordinary business practices of a housing provider. REALTORS® who make their services available to qualified home seekers regardless of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or familial status and apply consistent polices to all of the clients the serve have nothing to fear from testing.

If you have questions about fair housing or would like to propose a fair housing topic for a future article, please visit www.equalhousing.org or contact the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania at (267) 419-8918 or info@equalhousing.org.

Results of a 1964 test for race discrimination in Glenolden, PA. This testing helped support the PHRC complaint of a Black army major who was denied an apartment for his wife and child while he was deployed to Vietnam.

18 REALTOR® News n April 2018

Industryn Pennsylvania Real Estate License Renewal Updates – License renewal launched in early April. A new portal, the Pennsylvania Licensing System or PALS hosts the online renewal process. Renewal notices were sent electronically and via US Mail to all licensees in early April. However, all renewals must be completed electronically. No paper renew-als will be accepted. Please note that unfortunately, Suburban West is not available to provide technical support while you’re working on the new PALS system, as it is not our system. The “contact us” but-ton at the top of the online help for PALS page will take you to an extensive help center that explains the overall system and gives information on specific topics. Each of those help topics then has a “looking for something else” option that allows you submit a message directly to a help desk.

n IRS: Home Equity Loans Still Deductible for Renovations – Taxpayers can continue to deduct the interest they pay on home equity loans when the funds are used for home improvements, the IRS confirmed in a recent statement. The status of home equity deductions has been in question following the limits of the mortgage interest deduction included in recent tax reform legisla-tion. In its statement, the IRS said despite the restrictions on mortgages, taxpayers can, in most cases, still deduct interest on home equity loans, a home equity line of credit, or a second mortgage.

n Standard Forms Update for January 2018 – On January 1st 2018, the Pennsylvania As-sociation of REALTORS will release some new and revised forms. Perhaps the most significant release involves a revision of the Residential Lease (form RL). Among the changes to the lease is the removal of the Lead Based Paint disclosure from the body of the lease to a separate form the Lead Based Paint Hazards Disclosure for Rentals (form LPDR). Other changes include new paragraphs in the lease concerning abandoned property and death of a tenant during the lease term.

Memorial Noticesn Mary A. Young passed away on December 26th. Mary was a REALTOR® with BHHS Fox & Roach REALTORS® in Devon and was a member of the Association for 20 years. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory to Catholic Charities USA, P.O Box 17066, Baltimore, MD 21297-1066.

n Charles A. Bryant passed away on December 28th. Charles was a REALTOR® with Century 21 All Elite in Brookhaven and was a member of the Association for 16 years. Services took place in early January.

n Sylvia Weintraub passed away in early January. Sylvia was a REALTOR® with Wagner Inc. Real Estate in Havertown and was a member of the Association for 20 years. In lieu of flowers an offering in Mrs. Weintraub’s name to United Jewish Appeal c/o the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (checks made out to Jewish Federa-tion of Greater Phila.

n Christopher Abbott passed away on February 3rd. Chris was a REALTOR® with Long and Foster in Haverford and was a member of the Association for 7 years. Chris recently finished and published his book “Don’t Leave Me, French Fries”. Memorial contributions in Christopher’s name are requested to go to The Narberth Presbyterian Church Deacons Assistant Fund.

n George P. Avery passed away on January 30th. George was a REALTOR® Emeritus with BHHS Fox & Roach REALTORS® in Haverford Station and was a member of the Association for 43 years. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the National Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami FL 33131.

n Victoria “Vickie” Rose Pasquariello passed away on February 17th. Vickie was a REALTOR® with BHHS Fox & Roach REALTORS® in Haver-ford and was a member of the Association for 12 years. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to P.S. Pasquariello, Jr., M.D. Endowment Fund, c/o Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th & Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia PA 19104.

n Leonard A. Cobrin passed away on February 19th. Leonard was a REALTOR® Emeritus with Benjamin Cobrin & Co., Inc. in Narberth and was a member of the Association for 46 years. In his many years in the business, he was known as a staunch advocate of equal opportunity housing. One of his proudest accomplishments as a REALTOR® was his role in helping to create a relationship between the Pennsylvania real estate industry and the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Human Relations Commissions. n Nancy McDonaugh passed away on February 26th. Nancy was a REALTOR® member with Century 21 Alliance in Downingtown and was a member of the Association for 20 years. Nancy’s son Bryan McDonaugh was also a REALTOR member of Suburban West for 11 years. To send online condolences, please visit www.jamester-ryfuneralhome.com.

REAL N E W S

Suburban West Member-Only Facebook

Group Launches on

May 2nd!

Join requests will become available on May 2nd through our Suburban West Weekly all-member email (or directly through Facebook after May 2nd).

The SWRA member-only Facebook group will allow members to share on topics relevant to their shared interest in the real estate industry, private property rights and the professional integrity of the REALTOR® community!

REAL N E W S

n Thomas Sechrist passed away on March 1st. Tom was a REALTOR® member with BHHS Fox & Roach in Newtown Square and was a member of the Association for 12 years. Memorial Donations can be made in honor of Thomas Sechrist to Main Line Health Homecare & Hospice Foundation or to PFLAG (https://www.pflag.org/tributes).

n Robert Bruce Balbirnie passed away on March 17th. Bruce was a REALTOR® Emeritus member with Realty One in West Chester and was a member of the Association for 58 years. He was the father of former REALTOR® Gregory Balbirnie. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the SPCA.

n James “Jim” Hayes passed away on April 7th. Jim was a REALTOR® member with BHHS Fox & Roach REALTORS® in Bryn Mawr and was a member of the Association for 14 years. In lieu of flowers contributions in Jim’s memory can be made to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (5526 West 13400 South, #510, Herriman, UT 84096) to further the research on this rare disease.

n Barbara Deuber passed away on April 14th. Barbara was a REALTOR® Emeritus member with Weichert REALTORS® in Wayne and was a member of the Association for 46 years. n

20 REALTOR® News n April 2018

2018 Installation - January 18 (Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square)

Association ScrapbookHighlighting Suburban West members in action at Association events, classes and community events.

RPAC Awards Luncheon at PAR Business Meetings – January 29 (Hilton Harrisburg, Harrisburg)

LDP Graduation Ceremony – April 5 (SWRA, Malvern)

Commercial Chapter Seminar: Tax Reform and Commercial Real Estate – February 2 (SWRA, Malvern)

It’s Mathematical Competition Awards – April 5 (Radnor High School, Radnor)

Suburban West representatives receive the RPAC award during the Winter PAR Business Meetings: (pictured L to R) Brian Slater, Christina Cardone, Kathy McQuilkin, Dominic Cardone and Steve D’Antonio. Suburban West received two awards for the organization’s 2017 fundraising efforts, winning first place for highest membership participation and second place for highest per-capita investment in the extra-large board category.

The interscholastic “It’s Mathematical” Competition held its finals on April 5th at Radnor High School. Pictured is one of the winning teams, Conestoga High School, with REALTOR® member volunteer Steve D’Antonio. Suburban West has sponsored the awards for this competition for many years.

Geoffrey Smith, Senior Tax Manager for Eisner Amper, discusses the intricacies of the recently enacted Tax Reform legislation and its potential impact on commercial real estate. The thriving Suburban West Commercial Chapter is committed to providing unique commercial-specific programs throughout 2018 that benefit both dedicated commercial practitioners and those interested in commercial real estate.

The 2018 Leadership Development Program class presented their graduation presentations to past LDP graduates and SWRA leadership. They represented the fourth graduating class of this popular program. From Left to Right: Suburban West Chairman Ken Enochs, Diane Miller, Katie Lynch, Nicole O’Reilly, Stacie Koroly, Lisa Callinan, Dave Crowder, Jill Anoia, Jennifer Neff, Megan Kerezsi, Jill Goldman. Not Pictured Mike Howell.

(L to R) REALTORS® Phyllis Weinstock, Maureen Sexton (SWRA Board Member), Kathie Ramer and Randy Krauss pose for a picture during the Installation Reception. Over 130 REALTORS®, Affiliates and guests were in attendance for the premier social event of the organization.

Ken Enochs is inaugurated as 2018 Chairman for the Suburban West REALTORS® Association. Ken was sworn in by Bill Weber, general counsel for Suburban West and was joined on stage by his wife (and fellow REALTOR®) Jessica Enochs. He became the 15th Chairman for the organization since the merger in 2004.

A S S O C I AT I O N S C R A P B O O K

April 2018 n REALTOR® News 21

Broker Invitational Luncheon – April 13 (SWRA, Malvern)

Attorney Brett Woodburn warns attendees about some of the legal ramifications involved with cyber-attacks. Joining Brett were Jesse Biretz and Chad Nagle who provided an insurance and technology perspective to the presentation. The three presenters provided a well-rounded presentation on the many dangers lurking and offered tips and best practices to protect your business and clients.

On April 10, Suburban West was recognized by the Chester County Commissioners for its support of Fair Housing as the County honored the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. Jamie Ridge, president and CEO of the Suburban REALTORS® Alliance represented Suburban West during the presentation.

Jinada Rochelle, Assistant Director of Enforcement for PA Human Relations Commission presents on reasonable accommodation requests and fair housing. Suburban West was excited to welcome Jinada for this important topic that included timely information on accommodations related to service animals and hoarding.

On April 18, Suburban West was recognized by the Delaware County Council for its support of Fair Housing as the Council marked April as Fair Housing Month in a resolution. Chairman-elect Shannon Diiorio represented Suburban West during the presentation. Suburban West has long been recognized in the county along with the Home Builders Association of Chester and Delaware Counties and the Housing Equality Center.

Nearly 40 members attended the Starbucks Morning seminar on Reasonable Accommodations in Fair Housing. Suburban West is committed to providing a variety of topical issues through FREE seminars throughout the year, including the Starbucks Morning series, REALTOR®-Lawyer Seminars, REALTOR®-Appraiser Forums and Commercial Seminars.

Over 45 Designated REALTORS, managers and Association Liaisons learned about the latest cyber threats to their business and for clients. Suburban West will host three Broker Invitational programs in 2018.

Fair Housing Proclamation – April 10 (Chester County Commissioners Board Room, West Chester)

Fair Housing Proclamation – April 18 (Delaware County Government Center, Media)

Starbucks Morning: Reasonable Accommodations in Fair Housing – April 25 (SWRA, Malvern)

Please share with us your background and your career track. My mom Donna and her business partner Pat started our title agency, TS Executive Abstract, in 2003. While in college, I worked as an intern for TS Executive, and during this time I received hands on experience in real estate. After graduat-ing college, I worked as a financial manager at SEI Investments for seven years. My role as a financial manager taught me how to lead and run an efficient team. My background in finance lays the foundation needed to succeed in the title industry. I joined the TS Executive team in May of 2017. I have since earned my title insurance license and performed multiple settlements across the region.

At the end of a busy day, how do you prepare yourself for the next challenge? One of the keys to succeeding in title insurance is continuous communication. To prepare myself for the next challenge, I like to communicate with our clients about their closings and resolve any issues that need to be addressed. Not waiting until the last minute is a major key to success in the title insurance field. Constant communication prepares our clients for a smooth transition to the closing date.

How does your business help REALTORS® grow their own business? At TS Executive Abstract, we understand the settlement table is one of the last impressions your client will have of you. We see the service we provide as an extension of you and your business. Our main objective at TS Executive is to help REALTORS® grow their business by coordinating a smooth settlement process and hosting a profes-sional settlement. We feel by building long-lasting relationships, we can work hand-in-hand with our trusted partners ensuring the home-buying process is seamless. We are very proud of our customer satisfaction rate.

What are the key differentiators about your business? To add convenience to the settlement process, we bring the settlement to you! We have multiple settlement locations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey to cut down on travel for you and your clients. Along with our many settlement locations, we strive to keep closing costs at a minimum for clients by not charging excess fees. Building trust-ing relationships, executing smooth settlements, providing convenient locations and keeping excess fees to a minimum is what helps TS Executive stand apart from the competition! n

The Settlement and Good Last ImpressionsGreg Tyrell Explains the Value of a Smooth and Professional Settlement to Your Client Relationship

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Complete the 2017-2018 Requirement By December 31, 2018

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