Racial Epithet Spray-Painted on Van Nuys House for Sale : Vandalism: Incident follows a visit by an African-American family. Neighborhood’s character has been changing, residents say.

The neighborhood where it happened is a real estate agent’s dream: little crime, good schools, a place where families take walks in the evening, say “hello,” look out for each other.

But last weekend, after an African-American family came to look at a house for sale, someone scrawled an obscene racial insult in black spray paint across the garage door in front of the vacant house, and another on a sliding glass door on the back patio.

But residents in the predominantly white Van Nuys neighborhood just west of the Van Nuys Airport have not reacted with alarm. If there is any shock at all, it is that the neighborhood has been marred by graffiti.

“I was a little surprised because you don’t see much of this in the neighborhood,” said Daniel Botwinick, 15, as he walked home from school. “Graffiti, I mean.”

“These days,” mused a woman who has lived three doors away from the house since 1961, “no, it doesn’t surprise me. Not with the way people move in and out of places so fast.”

But Matthew Sisk, 35, who grew up in the neighborhood and is trying to sell the house for a family friend, said he was insulted when he first saw the epithet on Wednesday.

“It was a shock to me,” said Sisk, who is white. “I’m offended because they’re telling me what to do . . . and I have a moral duty to do what’s right.”

Although he cannot offer proof, the painting of the epithet was apparently a reaction to a visit to the house last week by an African-American brother and sister who were interested in renting the house, Sisk said.

“Apparently, someone saw us talking and decided they didn’t want a black family in the neighborhood,” Sisk said. “The neighborhood hasn’t changed in some ways since the 1950s.”

During the past few years however, the neighborhood’s character has been changing, residents say.

Occasionally, neighbors must scrub down graffiti-stained walls. Two large homes across the street are now surrounded by high fences--and not of the white picket variety.

“I am seeing more of the baggy pants-type-of-style walking down the street,” said a woman who has lived next door to the spray-painted house for the past eight years. “Four kids broke the light outside my house. Things are changing.”

The street is also dotted with For Sale signs, as people look for new, quieter places.

“God, that’s disturbing to happen right next door to you,” said the next-door neighbor. “I hope someone on this street didn’t do it.”