Appraiser Bias Education

[Fernando]

I was being facetious when I said I learned a lot. It was a seven hour course and it was worthless.

Should pay attention and learn something.

 

[Fernando]

I know an appraiser who was sanctioned by the state over not discussing the impact of a few abandoned vehicles on a homesite in the country.

Must have been really bad and an eyesore.
Abandoned vehicles can be blight and have violations from the city.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Abandoned vehicles can be blight and have violations from the city

not a violation in the country. And this was 20 miles out of town. But the lender complained that they had a problem disposing of the junk (REO) and thought he should have applied a cost to cure.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Why are you livid....

This is petulant. Frenzy! I'm petulant. And I'm having a frenzy!

 

[Sadie]

I recall some documentary in Canada about appraisers being biased. One appraiser asked if the person was the homeowner and the person was offended. Yea I used ask this all the time if I don't know. I don't want to ask questions to a renter that wont know anything in most cases. Guess I better stop it.

I don't know about the need for the class every 2 years, but the class I took had good info in it.

 

[Sadie]

All of these comments just feed the narrative that appraisers are biased and are clueless about it. Just take open your mind and take the class. You might learn something.

 

[Fernando]

Maybe in parts of US, population is homogenous White thus some appraisers see it as a non issue..
In Bay Area, very diversified in areas even in same city thus bias need to be aware of.

 

[Sadie]

Maybe in parts of US, population is homogenous White thus some appraisers see it as a non issue..
In Bay Area, very diversified in areas even in same city thus bias need to be aware of.

Oregon is pretty dang white, but not 100%. no place in the US is 100% anything.

 

[Sandra Koutsopoulos]

I spent a good chunk of my youth in a city that was so racist and biased, that it was one of the first in the nation where busing became mandatory. My first house in a "fringe area" (because it was affordable for a young single gal) had a race exclusion clause on the deed. 50 years later, my granddaughter exclaimed how 'open minded' the city has become by pointing out how her grade school touted their acceptance of non-white students. I'm sorry, but if you have to pat yourselves on the back for tolerating another race, you are absolutely clueless. It was depressing living there. When I visit there, the fact that neighborhoods can still be pointed to as Polish, Mexican, Puerto Rican, German, Jewish, Black etc indicates to me that people's biases are often generational and reinforced within families as well as on the job etc. No CE classes will likely fix that.

 

[djd09]

I won't discount a property with trash on the property, but they do tend to be less maintained, especially if its substantial. Of course if there is trash and somehow everything is maintained the trash is meaningless, but its more of a red flag.

The anchor bias comes in when the red flags don't add up to anything but you won't do your due diligence.

National News

Black Family Lowballed Over $254,000 By Home Appraiser Reaches Settlement​

ByBIN
May 15, 2025

Mehdipour-Mossafer inspected the home and prepared an appraisal report that resulted in a valuation of $900,000, over $250,000 lower than their appraisal from earlier that year. The Curtises also found that the comparable homes used in the new appraisal report included ones with boarded-up windows, a caved-in garage, and bricks sitting on top of roof shingles to hold them in place

Black Family Lowballed Over $254,000 By Home Appraiser Reaches Settlement | BIN: Black Information Network

A California couple has been awarded $75,000 after an appraiser and lender undervalued their home due to apparent racial bias.

www.binnews.com

looks like the appraiser didn't verify the data....