As the narrator addresses in great detail in the book, the idea that African Americans reduce property values ​​is completely false. Often, neighborhoods were on the brink of decline before an African-American family moved in, and it was instead the mass panic of whites selling their homes after they moved in that caused the sharp decline in property values ​​in the area. This was proven by Ida Mae's story, as after years of saving money to buy their own house, they moved to a white part of town, however, as soon as they moved in, all the white neighbors immediately fled, and with the surplus of real estate, prices have fallen substantially. While the entire notion is false, it persists to this day and causes white flight among some