Email Elizabethliberals vs conservatives in sacramento real estate
Sacramento Seller Says Do Not Sell My House to a Trump Supporter
Unbelievably, it’s taken more than a year for a Sacramento seller to say please do not sell my house to a Trump supporter. I’m writing this blog way in advance of my listing so you won’t know who it is since I list many homes in Sacramento. I consistently protect my seller’s identity and respect fiduciary. This is only surprising to me to the extent that it hasn’t come up before now.
I’ve had sellers allude to it but none came right out and said so. For example, a seller in Carmichael last year admitted that he specifically chose me as his listing agent over a Republican in his neighborhood who supported Trump. He also Googled the buyer to determine whether the buyer was a good fit, politically. Hey, I understand. Completely. If you oppose the evilness of Trump, you do not want to sell to a buyer who approves of the disgusting behavior unapologetically displayed by our President.
When the seller said she had one caveat to mention but she didn’t know how to say it, I said what I usually say in those situations. Often people tell me they want to say something but they don’t know the right way to communicate their thoughts. I tell them just say it. Say it the way you thought it, and it will be OK. People who try to sugarcoat and beat around the bush, those are the guys who have problems. Just lay it on the line. We’re all adults.
I imagine many sellers gravitate toward me due to my extensive experience. But sometimes my unabashed willingness to take a stand for progressive values can make a difference. Further, I understand the helplessness people feel. When you watch day after day the insane shitstorm coming out of the White House. The fox-in-the-hen-house appointments. Values we hold near and dear torn into shreds. Misogyony. Blatant racism. Sexism. Raping of our lands. Polluting our world. Kicking poor people when they’re down. Lies and more lies. It’s enough to make a person physically ill. So, yes, we need to speak up. This is not normal.
When a person feels stomped on, as though she is losing control over what used to be a normal life, I can see why she would say do not sell my house to a Trump supporter. You don’t have to turnover a precious asset to a person who opposes your beliefs if that person is not protected under our Fair Housing Law. A Trump supporter is not a protected class.
Of course, there are other things to consider. How can we assure our sellers that they are NOT selling a home to a Trump supporter? We can’t prove how buyers voted. That is confidential information. Protected by the Constitution. I can’t guarantee the person who buys my seller’s house is not a Trump supporter. It’s not a promise I can insert into the listing agreement.
How Politics and Sacramento Real Estate Can Be a Good Thing
Women’s March, January 21, 2017, Sacramento, California
If you think politics and Sacramento real estate don’t mix, you must not spend a lot of time with people in Sacramento. I love this city! As an example, my team member Josh and I went on a listing appointment yesterday and met the most charming client. He was gracious as to offer us hot tea. Entering his home was like walking into a private sanctuary. It’s one of those homes in Sacramento that will be a delightful pleasure to sell, more so than usual. What made our visit unusual was listening to the strong opinions about politics and Sacramento real estate from the seller. Pretty much all in one breath.
About now you’re probably asking, what did we do? Well, we engaged. I let sellers take the lead mostly because I’m very interested in what they want. Once I know what they want, I can deliver. As we discussed the sorry state of affairs in Washington, D.C., I reminded him (like I remind everyone) that this is not normal. It’s also not normal to discuss politics and Sacramento real estate at a listing appointment but I can understand why the seller feels such passion about it. He is not part of the problem. I enjoyed our rapport.
This discussion, though, made me wonder later how I would react were the shoe on the other foot. Let’s say I vehemently disagreed with a seller’s political position because the seller was vocal about supporting Donald Trump. Would I sit quietly and listen? Would I engage in that conversation? I’m not sure that I would. Probably not. Have not been placed in that position, thank goodness. This Sacramento Realtor tends to attract like-minded people.
On the other hand, I know for a fact I would definitely not trade my integrity and ethics for a listing. Further, to be fair, there are people who voted for Trump and now regret their actions. They didn’t know what they were doing. They honestly believed a vote for Trump was nothing more than a vote against Hillary. Because they didn’t like the way things were going. Did not want more of it. I get that. They didn’t really mean to screw up the entire country. Which is probably why Trump’s approval rating is in the dumpster.
But the rest of that constituency, the Alt-Right? The racists, the homophobics, misogynistics, those who deny climate change or who put business interests above human rights? I would not hesitate to walk out of the house immediately. In that event, politics and Sacramento real estate would preserve my sanity through disengagement. They would not like a liberal representing them either. Mutual feeling.
Yup, I would never sell a Ku Klux Klan home. I would not work with a White Supremacist. If you want to bash the LGBTQIA, I’ll show you the door. We won’t get along if you hang on every Trump tweet, swelling with pride. Some lines do need to be drawn.
