New in the Archives: DeKalb Realtors Multi-List Service
New to the DHC Archives – a real estate book detailing properties listed on the market in DeKalb County in 1967-1968.
By Jennifer Blomqvist, Archivist & Volunteer Coordinator
New in our collections! This was a book published for real estate agents, before listings became publicly available. When I first saw the book, as part of a new collection received in the archives, I immediately looked at the addresses. We get a lot of questions about specific houses and their history. Maybe this book would provide some interesting history? And boy, did it deliver! It was also fun to look up some addresses on Google Maps to see what the properties look like today. Some of the houses look as if they haven’t changed at all since publication! Sometimes, the address is just an intersection; no house at all. The entries are listed as you might imagine – address, selling price, etc. But the entries also include entertaining notes on some of the properties. Here’s just a sampling of what I read:
December 13, 1968 – “show only by appointment…don’t disturb new puppies.”
May 10, 1968 – “change in price from $31,500 to MAKE OFFER NOW. Owner EAGER to HYSTERICAL”
Also, from May 10, 1968 – “Lockbox removed because front and back door were left standing open…Evidence on living room floor that someone was very sick”
August 13, 1968 – “Owner may be sleeping from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m… so….Tip-Toe”
Some of the entries are more poignant and capture what was happening in the world in the late 1960s.
May 24, 1968 – “Are you concerned about the new “Open Housing” Bill? Would you like to learn more about the bill?” I believe this is a reference to the Fair Housing Act of 1968. There are several entries that read “sold to excluded party,” meaning that people of color, who had previously been denied the ability to purchase the listed property, bought it.
August 3, 1967 – “Owner just notified that son was killed in Viet Nam and requests that house not be shown until further notice.”
One of the best parts of working in archives is discovering a gem like this one. You never know what you might learn! Feel free to make an appointment to view this unique time capsule in book form. Dekalbhistory.org, Research and Archives tab.
