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Why is this acceptable?



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geulah papyrus




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 11:24 am
Yeshiva World News/ Orthodox Jews Looking To Relocate to Staten Island...
Text of article at the end of this post. Also, apologies if this is in the wrong forum. (I don't collect a paycheck for posting here, only for lurking--so forgive me if this is in the wrong place. LOL )

I'm a BT so that might color my own response to this situation.
I've been following the news about frum people in the Lakewood area, the Monroe area, the Bloomingburg area, and Blooming Grove area knocking on people's doors, casing the neighborhoods, and pressuring people to sell their homes so that they can expand the frum (usually I believe it's Satmar in particular) communities in those areas. Some of the residents have filed complaints and either have or are trying to pass local laws that would limit or stop these aggressive realtors from coming to their homes unsolicited. Personally, I'd find it harassing and embarrassing if frum realtors or home buyers decided to set up shop in my neighborhood and tried to get my neighbors to move (I live in a very mixed area and I have wonderful neighbors of all cultures/religions) in order to expand their community. Also, what they're doing causes resentment of all orthodox Jews, and it makes us all look terrible. Also, some of these areas have frum communities, but those aren't usually the people whose homes are being requested.
What's your opinion?


As reported NY1′s Amanda Farinacci, the Jewish community is being priced out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and they are looking into two new neighborhoods on Staten Island.

Would-be buyers from the Jewish community are not waiting for houses to go on sale, rather they are canvassing homeowners asking if they are willing to sell.

“They’ve been a little aggressively trying to get property around here,” said one Staten Island resident.

“A guy came and knocked on her door and was asking to buy the house for like $800,000,” another noted.

They have also been posting flyers around the neighborhood.

“My name is Noah. I am looking to buy a house in Manor Heights,” one reads. “If you are interested in selling your house, please call.”

Homeowners said that Noah said he was from Williamsburg, and appeared to be part of the Hasidic Jewish community there.

Apparently MAnor Heights and Willowbrook are desirable locations as there already is an established Orthodox Jewish community.

“More than one group of people that I have met and spoken to are desperately interested in rather than going as far away as New Jersey,” said Isaac Abraham, a community activist.

Joshua Katz has been selling homes to like-minded people ever since he moved to Staten Island from Brooklyn four years ago to be able to afford a home that can accommodate a growing family.

“Slowly, it’s built up, you know one, two, three, four, and it turned into over a hundred,” Katz said.

“They’re trying to find tracks of land to build three hundred homes,” said Ron Molcho, a realtor.

Due to the fact that there is no available land for 300 homes, it would not be impossible to create the type of communities seen in Rockland County and central New Jersey.

The area is nonetheless preparing for a surge in Orthodox Jewish residents.

Current residents of the aforementioned neighborhoods are accepting the changes as it has been a diverse community for years.

Signs that show the Jewish community is growing include the borough welcoming its first kosher supermarket in Willowbrook as well as a new yeshiva which is under construction.
- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com......dpuf LOL
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Chayalle




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 11:29 am
It's not okay. It's disgusting.
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sky




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 11:49 am
Some of it you have to take with a grain of salt. While what is true is horrible, the media likes to blow a lot of this up.

I have to see if I can dig up the article, but at one time there was an article rebutting the facts from Lakewood surrounding areas. Where people had been claiming that 1000s of residents were harassed daily, in the end they could only find 2 people to make concrete statements and go on the record with a complaint.
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L25




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 11:51 am
I used to live in such a community. I actually said something to a frum realtor after seeing her "knock" on my neighbors doors. She didn't "get it" she said plenty of people are happy to have her assess their house... for free.. she has a stressful job but she is grateful that it allows her husband to sit in kollel... lets just say when it was time to sell my house I didn't use her.

I think it's hard for people who are "nogeah badavar" to understand that some people might find it offensive. This is especially true since since it is considered a reasonable tactic for an individual home owner, but people have to be aware that in this case they are clearly frum and they aren't just an individual, they are one of many many people looking.

I think there's a way to go about it. Posting a flyer doesn't bother me. Multiple realtors going door to door.
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sourstix




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 12:16 pm
some of the brokers around my neighborhood are downright disgusting. one of them is being talked about by everyone. but because he is aggressive he gets the price he wants. but the non jews are complaining. its a chilul hashem. at this point it slowed down so its not selling now.
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geulah papyrus




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 12:25 pm
I agree, L25--putting up fliers, while some may find it passive aggressive, isn't outright aggressive, and a village or town can remove them and issue a warning if they violate code.
It's the knocking at the doors that I can't wrap my mind around. "Hi, how are you? I know you're here putting your hard-earned money into your home and raising your family here, but we'd love to buy your home and your neighbors' homes...." Yikes. I know that's not the script but the whole business is disturbing. Also, I don't think anyone would care if they purchased homes already on the market, but asking about homes not on the market is very intrusive. I can only imagine how angry the frum community would be if non-Jews did the same thing to them.
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octopus




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 12:31 pm
The knocking on doors happens in brooklyn neighborhoods too.
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LovetoLive




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 12:45 pm
I don't live in ny and I had a non jewish realtor knock on my door asking me if I wanted to sell my house.
I don't know who she was canvassing for or if she was just trying to drum up business for herself.
Apparently its not just a jewish thing.
Its a shame I couldn't recognize her ethnicity based on her clothing because now I don't know which ethnic community I should be disgusted by. /sarcasm
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geulah papyrus




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 2:21 pm
LovetoLive wrote:
I don't live in ny and I had a non jewish realtor knock on my door asking me if I wanted to sell my house.
I don't know who she was canvassing for or if she was just trying to drum up business for herself.
Apparently its not just a jewish thing.
Its a shame I couldn't recognize her ethnicity based on her clothing because now I don't know which ethnic community I should be disgusted by. /sarcasm


Blockbusting and aggressive tactics used to pressure people to sell is not okay when done by anyone of any ethnicity. However, in the case of the frum community, this has been in the news a lot lately with their point being to establish new neighborhoods by pressuring others to move, not just to get a few more home sales for one lone realtor.
Blockbusting was done in the 80s in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and it was wrong then as well. In that case, it was more to flip homes (ETA and whole neighborhoods) so realtors could make extra money.
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sky




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 01 2016, 2:57 pm
I think also there people were pressured to sell for much less, while in Lakewood surrounding areas the homes are going for much more
(not that it makes it right)
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