Humanities Desk | Net Radio

Maria Kendall took a break from her job as a cafe manager in 2020 when she decided to do some house hunting on the real estate website Zillow. She looked for a new home in Marshalltown, a city of about 28,000 in Iowa between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.It’s where she lived for more than 20 years and where her own children grew up. Maria was ready for a new house with her boyfriend and the three children with special needs she fosters. As Maria swiped through real estate, she spotted her mom’s house for sale.She immediately called her sister Socorro “Coco” Ontiveros in California, who waswith their mom, Natalia Esteban. Maria asked in Spanish when their mom decided to sell the house. After a pause, Coco answered. “What are you talking about?” Coco said.Natalia had not decided to sell the house. Yet, there it was, listed for sale on a real estate website.“And if she wouldn't have seen it on Zillow, who knows?” says Larry Colton, Maria’s boyfriend.It turned out someone else took control of Natalia’s house throug