H ome O wnership M onth c*"$lortiaMh ©bscruer Page A6 Unequal Mortgage Rates Found Minorities likely to pay more for less (A P ) — Black and H ispanic hom e buyers are m ore likely to pay high m ortgage rates than w hite borrow ers w ith sim ilar credit ratings and incom e levels, an advocacy group found. The C en ter for R esponsible L ending said eith er loan sellers are charging h igher rates to the m in o rity c u sto m e rs o r those borrow ers are being steered to Hilary Shelton loan sellers that specialize in w as m ore likely to pay a high higher rates. rate, it found. U sing an industry database, “ A f r ic a n A m e r ic a n s a n d the D u rh a m -b a se d n o n p ro fit L atinos are paying a prem ium cen ter com pared credit scores, for hom e loans because o f the dow n paym ents and other fi­ co lo r o f th eir skin," said Hilary nancial inform ation on about S h e lto n , d ir e c to r o f th e 177,000 loans m ade in 2004 by N A A C P ’s W ashington bureau. “ subprim e” lenders — co m p a ­ T he Federal Reserve Board nies that charge higher interest said last fall it had identified rates than banks. T he lenders about 200 lenders w hose records provided the borrow e rs' incom e show ed possible discrim ination. R egulators said they w ould look and race. A recent study found that m ore closely at those lenders. blacks w ere 29 percent m ore T he c e n te r’s data did not in­ likely to pay a high interest rate clude all the factors used by on a fixed-rate hom e purchase lenders, such as a borro w er's loan. A H ispanic borrow er also total debts, m aking the stu d y ’s c o n c lu sio n s in com plete, said D oug D uncan o f the M ortgage B ankers A ssociation. He also questioned the ability o f any national study to prove discrim i­ nation, w hich w ould require an analysis o f specific lenders. T he C harlotte O bserver re ­ ported in A ugust that blacks w ho borrow ed from 25 o f the n a tio n ’s largest lenders w ere four tim es m ore likely than w hites to pay high rates. Even black s w ith annual in co m es above $l(X),00() w ere charged high rates m ore often than w hites w ith incom es below $40,000, the new spaper found. Law Fights Housing Discrimination Against Minorities A re you a victim o f housing tunity and success and w ithin it against the law for landlords e v e ry o n e ’s reach. U n d er our and hom e sellers to refuse to discrim ination? If you have been denied your Fair H ousing laws, every citizen rent to you o r sell you housing; housing rights, you may have is assured the opportunity to tell you housing is unavailable exp erienced unlaw ful d iscrim i­ build a better life in the hom e or w hen in fact it is available; to apartm ent o f their cho ice - re­ show you apartm ents o r hom es nation. T he A m erican dream o f h av ­ gard less o f their race, color, re­ only in certain areas; and set ing a safe and decent place to ligion, sex, national origin, fam ­ different term s, conditions o r call hom e reflects o u r shared ily status o r disability. privileges for sale o r rental o f a b elief that in this nation, o p p o r­ T he F air H ousing A ct m akes dwelling. T he law also prohibits adver­ tising to preferred groups o f people only; denying you a m ort­ gage loan o r im posing different term s o r conditions on a m ort­ gage loan; and denying you prop­ erty insurance. It is also unlaw ful to harass, coerce, intim idate or interfere with anyone exercising or as- sisting som eone else w ith his or her fair housing rights. If you believe your rights have been violated, contact the office o f Fair Housing and Equal O p­ portunity at 1 -800-877-0246. A f­ ter your inform ation is received, H U D o r a state o r local fair housing agency will contact you to discuss the concerns you raise. lune 14, 2006 Land Trust Classes Offered T h e P o rtla n d C o m m u ­ nity L and T ru st o ffe rs free c la s s e s to p ro v id e b a sic in fo rm a tio n and g e t in te r­ e ste d h o m e b u y e rs sta rte d in the n o n -p ro fit g r o u p 's h o m e b u y e r a ssista n c e p ro ­ g ram . T h e c la sse s are s c h e d ­ uled T h u rsd a y , Ju ly 13 at 6 :3 0 p .m . a t P i l g r i m L u th e r a n C h u r c h , 4 2 4 4 S .E . 91 “ A ve. and on T u e s­ d ay , Ju ly 25 at 6 p.m . at the C o m m u n ity L and T rust o f f i c e s a t 3 1 0 9 B N .E . B ro a d w a y . T he one hour classes will also bring inform ation about new and currently available housing o p p ortunities w ith the trust. T o R SV P o r m ore infor­ m a tio n , c o n ta c t K e lly C aldw ell at 503-493-0293 o r g o to th e w e b s ite w w w .p c lt.o rg . introducing Adjusting Supply, Demand unlimited calling to your five favorite people, any number, any network. Francisco Parra works at a new Pulte Homes site in Anthem, Ariz. The company, one of the nation's biggest homebuilders, is the third major homebuilder in a month to lower its earnings outlook amid slowing sales. Home prices could start to dip as companies offer incentives and discounts to attract customers, according to some financial consultants. (AP photo) Would You Buy This Franchise? interest in the team. Both said they would keep the Blazers in the Blazers and the Rose Garden, Portland. and might the team become the Porter was a Blazer during the Kansas City, or Anaheim, Blaz­ team ’s better days, from 1985 to ers? Also, prospective buyers 1995, and helped lead them to the must remember that the purchase NBA finals twice. comes with courtside shenani­ W attles founded W ilsonville- gans, arrests and numerous traf­ based Hollywood Video in 1988. fic stops that earned the team the He resigned as chief executive nickname “Jail Blazers”. officer in February 2005 and now Still, a joint deal with the team lives in Las Vegas. and arena makes a sweet offer for The tim ing or price o f a sale is those with the money, resources unclear, but NBA Com m issioner and determ ination to pull o ff a David Stern wrote in March that turnaround and hopefully bring a joint sale could bring in more the team back into Portland's than $300 million. The B lazers hold good graces. the No. 4 pick in the NBA draft, Former Trail Blazers guard which is to be held June 28, but T erry P o rter and H ollyw ood Stern said he has no expectations V ideo founder M ark W attles as to when a sale would be com ­ haveseperately expressed public plete. continued a m a n d o best stories rosie best advice nick best potential from Front calling just got personal. Pinnacle authorized dealer pinwireless.com Children’s Clinic Expands tion to the employment dispute and that Taylor will remain on leave of sources agency earlier this year absence, collecting full salary, to take an impartial look at admin- through July. istrative procedures within the Taylor assisted clinic staff with entire organization, with Taylor’s the relocation last month, and is role as a part of that overview, working with local Pastor Mary according to Bylsma. Overstreet-Smith to open a new He said he still expects a resolu- clinic, North by Northeast. continued from 43 Th-i hmrfrd time offer rs tvbfect to change and currently 1« r»»4eb>e »olely to those per »on* (a) who '•M de m either the Portland. Oft MTA or the San D