Fair Housing In Michigan

Agent/Brokers - Law

Agents/Brokers - Guides

HUD Print Ads

Sample Policy

Training

Education - Materials

Housing Links

Michigan Association of Realtors

Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan

Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan

MI Dept. Civil Rights

Michigan State Housing Development Authority

HUD

National Association of Realtors

National Fair Housing Advocate Online

Buying A Home

Your Rights

The fair housing laws protect everyone from discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. When based on race, religion, gender, disability, etc., the allowing are discriminatory actions:

Refusing to rent or sell housing to you.

Sexually harassing a tenant

Falsely informing you that housing is unavailable.

Asking you to pay a different amount for rent or security deposit.

Excluding you from living in an apartment or neighborhood.

Evicting you based on the race of your friends or family.

Because you have children, your landlord CANNOT:

Limit where you live.

Charge you a higher rent or security deposit

Deny you housing.

Read More (from the FHCSWM site)

Buying A Home

A Landlord or Realtor can not:

Steer people and families to or away from a particular neighborhood or a certain part of an apartment complex. A Landlord, Realtor or Mortgage Lender can not
charge a higher security deposit or lending rate based only on a protected characteristic, example: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability.

A Landlord or Realtor can not have different qualifying standards for different groups of people. A Landlord or Realtor can not misrepresent the availability of house or apartment. A Landlord or Realtor can not engage in sexual or racial harassment. A Landlord can not deny a reasonable accommodations request for people with disabilities.

Real Estate Marketplace Glossary - How to Talk the Talk

A great real estate and mortgage term glossary prepared by the Federal Trade Commission.

Excerpt - "Buying a home can be exciting. It also can be somewhat daunting, even if you’ve done it before. You will deal with mortgage options, credit reports, loan applications, contracts, points, appraisals, change orders, inspections, warranties, walk-throughs, settlement sheets, escrow accounts, recording fees, insurance, taxes ... the list goes on. No doubt you will hear and see words and terms you’ve never heard before. Just what do they all mean?
"The Federal Trade Commission, the agency that promotes competition and protects consumers, has prepared this glossary to help you better understand the terms commonly used in the real estate and mortgage marketplace. "

PDF File

Buyer's Wants and Needs Form

A handy checklist to help you prioritize your wants and needs for your next home. This document can be signed by the home buyer and sales agent to ensure that both parties understand what the buyer wants. Excerpt:

Buyers Wants and Needs

PDF File

Home Purchase Plan Checklist

Convenient checklist that helps buyers plan the home purchase process from finance pre-qualification to closing the home purchase transaction. Excerpt:

Your Home Purchase Plan Checklist

1) Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval – Determining your buying power
    a) How it impacts making an offer to a seller
    b) Figuring Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance
    c) Meet with a Mortgage Loan Officer, Rate Sheet & Application Checklist
2) Selecting properties to view to find your new home
    a) Agency Relationship Disclosure
    b) Targeted Searching – Your Wants and Needs
    c) Resources – MLS, Feature Sheets, Preview Properties, Ads, Internet, Relocation
    d) Objectivity – All information is provided about each property so you can make an
    informed decision about which home is right for you.

“Affirmative Marketing” For The Real Estate Sales Industry

From the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit:

The goal of fair housing supporters, one housing market, open and available to all without discrimination based on factors declared unlawful under federal, state or local laws (race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, familial status, marital status or handicap status in Michigan) can only be achieved...

Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All

Know your rights. Brochure from HUD. Covers the Fair Housing Act in a an easy to understand format. 16 pages.

Intro from brochure - "The rich diversity of our people, coupled witht he unity of spirit which this nation was founded, is America's true strength. We are a nation that celebrates equality of opportunity, which makes it all the more disturning when new immigrants, minorities, families with children, and people with disabilities are denied housing because of unfair housing discrimination.

"The Department of Housing and Urban Development enforces the Fair Housing Act and the other federal laws that prohibit discrimination and the intimidation of people in their homes. These laws cover virtually all housing in the United States, private homes, apartment buildings, and condominium developments, and nearly all housing transactions, including the rental and sale of housing and the provision of mortgage loans."