White homeowner 'bans scientist from buying $749,000 condo' allegedly 'because she is Black'

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By James Kay

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A Black scientist has said that she was blocked from buying a condo after the white owner allegedly didn't want to sell it to her due to her race.

Dr. Raven Baxter, 30, had virtually toured the property and found it perfect, featuring a private foyer, wainscoting, crown molding, and a marble fireplace.

She offered the asking price of $749,000, which the seller accepted. After sending a down payment, the condo went into escrow, as reported by the Daily Mail.

However, Baxter received a late-night call from her broker, who relayed troubling news. "He said, 'I don’t know how to tell you this, but she doesn’t want to sell the home to you, and it’s because you’re Black,'" Baxter recalled to the New York Times.


Baxter and her boyfriend, Dr. Ronald Gamble Jr., a NASA theoretical physicist, had driven three hours from Alexandria, Va., to visit the condo in person.

During their visit, they encountered the seller, Jane Walker, 84, who had been unaware of Baxter’s race during the virtual tour.

Shortly after their departure, Walker allegedly confronted her agent, Susan Pender of Berkshire Hathaway RW Towne Realty, stating she did not want to sell to a Black person and ordered the sale's termination.

Pender notified Wayne Miller, an agent at 757 Realty, who then contacted Baxter's agent, Bill Loftis, delivering the disheartening news.

Baxter, dismayed by the development, expressed her frustration.

"It’s a classic home with a ton of character. It’s absolutely gorgeous and you can walk to the beach. It was like a steal," she said. "I basically put in an offer sight unseen."


The condo, built in 1932, features a spiral staircase, gilded mirrors, chandeliers, and antique oil paintings. It includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms, embodying a Georgian style with Gone with the Wind inspirations.

Gamble shared his disbelief. "I kind of fell back in my chair," he said. "I could not believe what I was hearing. Well after the Civil Rights movement, after Covid, after George Floyd, you would think society isn’t still thinking this way. But in 2024, they still are."

Baxter shared her ordeal on her X account, amassing significant attention from her 163,000 followers.

She concluded her post with a defiant note: "Baby, I’m either buying your house or buying YOUR BLOCK. CHOOSE ONE."

Encouraged by her followers, Baxter filed a discrimination claim with the Virginia Fair Housing Office and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She also sought the assistance of a civil rights lawyer.

"HAD I not gone to Twitter and received help from people who knew what they were doing, I would have been panicking the entire weekend," Baxter said.

"It was my first time buying a house. I knew my civil rights were being violated. I knew that something illegal was happening, but no one knew what to do."


The following day, Loftis informed Baxter that Walker's children had persuaded her to proceed with the sale. Baxter is now expected to finalize her purchase later this summer.

The story gained national attention, prompting Barbara Wolcott, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway RW Towne Realty, to reach out to Baxter.

"In light of the actions of our horribly misguided seller, I feel compelled to send you this email," Wolcott wrote. "Please be assured that the attitude of this individual is not something that is tolerated by Berkshire Hathaway RW Towne Realty, Susan Pender, or anyone within our organization or area."

However, the real estate agency has yet to specify the actions they will take regarding the seller's discriminatory behavior.

Featured image credit: Phillip Spears/Getty