DALLAS — You may have a tough time finding a home in some areas. There are more potential home buyers in the market than there are people selling homes right now. Homeowners across different communities say they can tell something is up because investors are hounding them about selling.
There's a trend with some of these investors. Many are targeting mostly Black communities. Black homeowners want to know why.
Some owners want investors to understand that no means no. If Yolanda Williams has said it once, she's probably said it a thousand times. She is not interested in selling her home. Yet, investors consistently send her flyers to ask.
"I save them because I want people to see what we get daily. So, I have a box full of them,” said Williams of the few flyers she pulled from a plastic container in her living room.
There's no offer good enough that'll convince Williams to leave her South Dallas neighborhood of Pleasant Grove. Her grandma moved into the same home back in 1972. Williams took over the deed in 2001 after her grandma died to keep the family home.
"Why would you want to give up and sell your home when it's paid for? We have struggles just like everyone else, but one good thing is we don't have a mortgage,” said Williams.
Having different generations of the same family tied to one house is something Williams' neighbors are also known for doing.
"We still have block parties...well, before COVID. I can go over here, and my neighbors will still feed me or have something for me to eat. You don't get that in a new community,” she added.
Williams says investors don't care about how comfortable she is in her neighborhood—a neighborhood with mostly Black and Latino homeowners. The investors not only bother her and her neighbors by mailing in literature, they also blow up their phones with calls and text messages.
"It is a form of harassment. That's what we think,” Williams declared.
Harassment isn't the only complaint from Williams. She says the asking prices from investors are laughable. According to her, the dollar amount is always lower than what the market is worth.
"It's disrespectful. It's distasteful,” she said.
It’s only a seven-minute drive for her to get to downtown Dallas. There's a clear view of the skyline from her home. The beauty mark is why she thinks investors are not giving up.
"I don't even know how they got my phone number, because it's not listed,” explained Williams.
Williams says she does not know what investors are planning to do if they can buy up some homes. But, she does see a connection.
"I think it's a trend, and I think it's in certain neighborhoods - South Dallas, Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove. I don't think they get this in North Dallas, uptown, downtown,” Williams said.
Uptown and downtown are stereotypically known for a more prestigious way of living. Williams and other homeowners don't care about that. They want to be left alone. Until then, they'll keep declining offers.