Three Black Houston area real estate agents are suing a fellow real estate agent, her company, and other real estate agencies for racial discrimination after they say they were denied the sale of condo units because of their race.
The three real estate investors, James Ra-Amari, his wife Misty Ra-Amari, and Misty’s sister Rosemary Afful allege that fellow realtor Josie Lin racially discriminated against them when they tried to buy three rental properties at Grand West Condos in Katy, Texas, a suburb just south of Houston.
According to Ra-Amari, Lin shared that she was one of the owners of the complex and that she and the other owners “were personal friends and knew each other.” The three real estate investors allege that because they were Black and the area they wanted to buy in was predominantly Asian, Lin denied selling them three units in the complex. The family says that Lin refused to sell them units after Lin said, “we won’t be able to get along with each other well.” The realtors’ lawsuit also includes a flier in which the condo complex was advertised as being an “option for Chinese and Asian communities in Houston” where people could live “a safe and simple Asian life.”
According to the complaint, Ra-Amari, his wife, and her sister began eyeing the condo complex after coming across the flier while dining in a nearby restaurant. After going to an open house and talking to Lin about their desire to purchase, the three black realtors began to face unusual obstacles.
The first was Lin’s blatant response, “I do not negotiate” after the family asked about the price. When the three black realtors said that they were fine with the asking price and that they were ready to pay in cash, they continued to face pushback. The family says Lin responded with, “Fannie Mae lending would not be approved due to the owner-occupancy ratio of the condominiums.”
The family adds that Lin also explained that she wanted owners to be 55 years of age or older. When the family asked if Lin was not going to sell the properties because of their age, Lin responded, “No, I’m not going to sell to you because I have a gut feeling that I would not get along with you.”
The lawsuit names Lin; Lin’s company, UMRE; Grand West Condominiums; Grand West Residential Condominium Association, Inc.; United Property Management; and real estate brokers, RE/MAX and EXP Realty.
Following the lawsuit’s filing, RE/MAX has shared that Lin is no longer affiliated with the brokerage after having left in December 2021. RE/MAX has also denied any affiliation with Lin and the alleged incident described in the lawsuit.
Ra-Amari, her husband, and her sister are seeking two million dollars in economic damages along with other compensatory, special, and punitive damages to compensate for their extreme mental anguish and emotional distress.
In a statement given to CNN, James Ra-Amari shared, “We’re still interested in purchasing in that community because there’s growth there. Ra-Amari adds, “I’m not going to allow anyone to distract my wife and me from accomplishing the goals that we’ve set in place.”
