Blockbusting is the illegal practice of coercing homeowners into selling their properties due to the rising fear of minorities purchasing properties in their neighborhood.

An example of blockbusting is a developer who buys properties in a neighborhood and leaves them empty, to give the neighborhood an uneasy feeling to encourage homeowners to sell their properties to that developer.

Another type of blockbusting is a real estate agent who tells sellers that minorities are moving into the area to encourage them to sell.

This type of activity is considered discrimination and is a violation of the Fair Housing Act. You may obtain a free booklet regarding Fair Housing from http://www.hud.gov. If you feel you have been discriminated against you may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or by contacting them at 1-800-669-9777.