RALEIGH, N.C. — A Raleigh Realtor is taking extra steps to address redlining after First National Bank made headlines last month for discriminating against Black and Latino borrowers in North Carolina.

What You Need To Know

  • A Raleigh realtor is taking extra steps to address redlining after First National Bank made national headlines last month for discriminating against Black and Latino borrowers in North Carolina

  • Although the homeownership rate increased in 2021 in the U.S., Black families remain at the bottom when it comes to homeownership. Data from the National Association of Realtors revealed 44% of Black Americans owned homes in 2021 compared to 72.7% of white people

  • First National Bank of Pennsylvania was in the hotseat in February for discriminating against Black and Latino homebuyers in North Carolina for four years. The Justice Department says FNB has to pay $13.5 million

Raleigh Realtor Tammie Harris said fear is one of the biggest factors that prevents people of color from purchasing homes. 

Harris said she got into real estate 17 years ago to inspire more African Americans to become homeowners. 

“I grew up the daughter of sharecroppers in Eastern North Carolina. I lived in the projects and the trailer parks and moved a lot of times, and so I began to understand through education that real estate was the way to go. That homeownership is valuable and important,” Harris explained.

Harris recently showed a Raleigh home to Latasha Sessoms.

Purchasing a home is important to Sessoms, because she wants to show her children that homeownership is possible. Something her parents couldn’t afford.

“Just having children, I can raise them up, and they know mommy and daddy actually bought homes and make sure we were raised in a comfortable home, so it’s very important to me,” Sessoms said.

Although the homeownership rate increased in 2021 in the U.S., Black families remain at the bottom when it comes to owning a home. Data from the National Association of Realtors revealed 44% of Black Americans owned homes in 2021 compared to 72.7% of white people.

“It just bothers me to no end, because I don’t think people realize that there is still a disparity,” Harris said.

Harris said there are so many factors that get in the way when it comes to Black homeownership, like redlining and so much more. Redlining is the historical practice of excluding Black people from buying homes in certain areas.

First National Bank of Pennsylvania was in the hotseat in February for discriminating against Black and Latino homebuyers in North Carolina for four years. The Justice Department says FNB has to pay $13.5 million redlining charges.

Harris tackles issues like redlining, fear of buying homes and lack of knowledge about homeownership by teaching real estate buyers and sellers workshops four times a year. 

“We teach them the process of going through selling their home, as well as people who have never purchased a home, how to purchase a home. I want people of color to understand that they belong at the table of homeownership."

Here are some tips Harris says you should avoid when purchasing a home:

  • Don’t buy a big-ticket item like a car in addition
  • Don’t quit your job
  • Don’t change bank accounts

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