Appraiser Countersuing Black Homeowners for Defamation
The Maryland appraiser has filed a countersuit against the homeowners, claiming defamation.
Appraisers, there have been several lawsuits filed against appraisers by borrowers who “don’t like your value, so I’m accusing you of discrimination” over the last year or so. These lawsuits all have the same theme, and it’s entirely possible that these actions are being coordinated by a consortium of ‘organizers’ and law firms.
The plaintiff representing firm for the Baltimore suit is the same law firm The Appraisal Foundation hired to write new USPAP language for the Ethics Rule, which potentially will be approved in just a few months from now.
I was sent the info below, which shows what appraisers can do when the damaging lawsuits against them are made public.
By fighting back like this, appraisers can show borrowers that they run the risk of a countersuit if potentially false and difficult to prove allegations are promulgated in the media.
A Maryland appraiser is countersuing a couple for defamation and $500,000 in damages for allegedly appraising their Baltimore home at a lower value than it was worth because they are Black.
Shane Lanham and his company, 20/20 Valuations LLC, said in his countersuit, filed Tuesday [Jan. 24, 2023] in Maryland federal court, that accusing someone of racism is among the most damaging, hurtful and destructive attacks in today’s society. He said his appraisal of Nathan Connolly and Shani Mott’s home was valid and claimed the couple conveniently left out important details of their “experiment.”
“These highly damaging, false accusations were recklessly made to the New York Times and ABC News, among others, and were published and broadcast nationwide where they were seen by millions of people and then republished in various print and electronic media worldwide,” the counterclaim said…
The appraiser also claimed the couple has yet to provide a copy of the second appraisal for unexplained reasons, which he argued undermines their claims…
Dave Towne on e-AppraisersDirectory.com
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We need to start a GO-FUND ME page ASAP!
I’m proud of this guy and know what he’s going through!
Great idea. I will donate to his cause.
WHY BOTHER…GOING TO LOSE .
It would be a shame if this actually happened to you and that everyone else took that stance as you and left you out in the wind.
It would not because for 35 years I complete appraisals that are not unethical or misleading.
The appraiser is “ACCUSED” of discrimination. In discrimination you’re guilty until you’re found innocent. You are correct in that manner. HOWEVER, Pat and JC were wanting to help this ACCUSED appraiser with funds for his trouble. You say why bother you’re going to lose. I came back with “shame if this actually happened to you”. Which in turn you then said that because you’ve been an appraiser for 35 years, you don’t do anything that is unethical or misleading. You just condemned the original appraiser and imply that he did something unethical or misleading because he’s ACCUSED. What the hell does 35 years of appraising mean if a borrower disagrees with YOUR value and cries discrimination? You’re being very judgmental and SHORTSIGHTED. So again: It would be a shame if this happened to you and everyone let you dangle in the wind. I’d call you a ssabmud but that might be inappropriate to a donkey.
Well Hank I have too and guess what I just had an anonymous complaint sent to the board stating I am racist because I did not “Hit” their desired value.
HUGE thanks to you, Shane, for pursuing a stance that this BS is NOT ok to do!! It’s time to make it National news that when you lie and scream bias just to try to bank a big settlement, there are stiff consequences! Best of luck for a fast, swift, accurate judgment in your favor.
He will need a lot of luck in the current environment.
I agree that 99.9% of these cases are “I don’t like your value, so I’m accusing you of discrimination”
Good luck, I hope you can collect !
This is absolute insanity… even the accused has not seen the second appraisal? How is he supposed to defend his work against the second appraisal?
This is absolutely be disclosed in discovery. If it even gets that far.
Neither appraisal/values matter. This is a free speech case.
Please enlighten me. How is this a free speech case?
I thought the black couple was suing the appraiser for bias/discrimination based on the second higher value appraisal report which they believe is the accurate one.
Not a free speech case. Has nothing to do with expressing a viewpoint. If you think that just because you’ve been appraising for 35 years with no adverse legal consequences, that this kind of thing couldn’t happen to you, you’ve been out in the field too long. This is a new day, one where logic and data are given a back seat to political nonsense and the weaponization of race brought back to life by the BLM, DEI, and ESG movements. In this particular case, (Connolly/Mott v. Lanham), the plaintiffs were black professors and activists. From the facts of the case, “Mott is an Instructor of Africana Studies and Connolly is a History Professor whose work focuses on racism, capitalism and politics—and he is also the author of a book titled A World More Concrete: Real Estate and the Remaking of Jim Crow South Florida.” You can read about it in this article:
https://www.workingre.com/appraiser-counter-sues-black-plaintiffs-who-alleged-discrimination/
So forgive me for being cynical, but it seems to me they had an agenda, and the fact that they won’t release the second appraisal (on which the whole case is based), is troubling. What are they hiding? Who says that appraisal (if there even is one) is more credible, or even credible at all? How can the appraiser defend himself without adequate discovery? But winning in court is not their objective.
Although from a LEGAL perspective, the plaintiffs must prove INTENT, they are clearly looking for a payday or national notoriety, banking on the fact that most appraisers would just settle, let the E&O company pay out, and pray it all goes away. But once you’ve been accused of being a racist appraiser, you’re automatically GUILTY (especially if you’re called out by the media), and that good name and reputation that you built over a 35-year career can be completely destroyed. The only remedy is to fight back; that is, if you have the financial resources to do so.
Finally, take a close look at the PAVE initiative, put in place by the current administration. It mandates widespread changes in policy and was created out of whole cloth, based on a very flawed and unsupported “experiment”. (Dig into the above-referenced article.) The result will be appraisers specifically selecting inappropriate comps from superior neighborhoods and the significant overvaluing of homes. It used to be, “Location, Location, Location”. Not so much anymore.
connolly and motts legal team are working with pave to rewrite uspap rules..abc world new tonight interviewed the professors and produced the america low balled propaganda movie..the DOJ has entered the case to make sure the judge interprets the law the way the DOJ sees it..if any of those people or organizations had any interest in the truth this nightmare would be over by now..on a positive note.the mortgage bankers of america has requested and were granted to appear in court on behalf of Loandepot..they don’t want the DOJ to rewrite legislation through the courts, take your issues to congress to pass any new laws..It’s been a long year for Shane and his family and friends but we are confident that in due time Shane will be vindicated and the professors will pay a heavy price for trying to destroy someone’s life they know nothing about..Thanks for your support !!
What if we find out that the second “appraisal” was a lender AVM. How could this go on for so long with no one ever seeing the second appraisal? Did the state appraisal board get involved did the first appraisal get reviewed. What if the second appraisal has sales from totally different markets? I have run into this when a lender and FNMA ask if I considered certain sales. Just to find out that they are not comparables or they are from different markets.
Just because a property looks close on the map does not make it COMPARABLE. You could have two properties next to each other. One is in the city with an HOA and the school is a block away. The other is in the county and the kids need to be bused to school. This property also has water restrictions. Most of the people who are complaining about appraisers have no idea what they are talking about.
I kind of doubt that happened here. The areas adjacent to homeland have lower property prices. The subject is not updated and is located next to a busy road.
How do we assist with go fund me
He should have a friend or family member setup a gofundme for him. Once setup I’m sure AppraisersBlogs and others would promote it.
We can set one up at gofund.com.
I have a call into him to get his permission
No! Go Fund Me has a long and sortied tract history of being biased against conservative causes. This particular woke company is basically entirely captured by big corporate interests and specifically is the worst company you can choose, if standing against corporate and/or government special interests. I could provide you several dozen mainstream examples, you can research for yourself, one will suffice.
Give Send Go is entirely a better option. We do not give to Go Fund me, never, not going to happen.
https://www.givesendgo.com/
https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/bipartisan-ags-slam-gofundme-for-biased-policies/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gofundme-freedom-convoy-under-investigation-for-blocking-donations-canadian-truckers/
When people whom don’t understand the current state of affairs try to mobilize social networking systems. Post your appeal on rumble, truth social, now by miraculous intervention twitter, and set up any fundraising via po box mail in or give send go. Go Fund me is the wrong choice because all it will take is one phone call from some big shot banker, the entire effort will be wasted.
We support the sentiment but it’s important to take advice from people whom have been there done that. We’ve lost dozens of influential campaigns to that company over just the past few years, and probably hundreds more which were never publicized. Please, donate with ethic, not fanfare for entities submissive to corporate entities whom have popular brands.
I agree, no way should you send money through a company that has shown BIAS to defend someone accused of it.
I have been appraising for 35 years now. Just got a complaint filed against me by a black home owner. A VA loan. Then he sent in a complaint to HUD claiming “Racism” because I did not hit the value that he thought his house was worth, but he used my appraisal to get his refi with the VA. Now I am waiting for HUD to interview me like the VA did about the claim. It is unfounded that I am a racist or came in low on purpose. I expect him to sue me in civil court after the HUD complaint is done. It has been a nightmare. I intend to counter sue when all is said and done. What a way to end you appraising career. These home owner’s and the public and the media have no idea what a appraisal is and what we do, just ignorance everywhere I turn.
I am so sorry you’re going thru this. This is truly ruining our industry and driving out appraisers who don’t want to deal with the harassment.
I feel for you after 40 years I am rally considering if I should even renew my license at the end of the year. All of my work has dried up so what is the point of paying the fees. I can live on my savings until I tap into SS at 70. I want to be out of this disaster by the time the next “Woe is me” group starts with the pity party. Would a nonwhite appraiser be accused of discrimination if the value was low?
Yes, In Baltimore there was a secret shopper and turned in the black appraiser for bias against blacks.
I am right on the border of doing that. I had a close call with a guy that was trying to find a reason of suing me. He would not let me walk on his gravel covered yard, his wife looked like she was very scared of him. I was scared of him too. A month later he even called me and asked if I inspected the inside of the electrical box. I told him “No.” He then asked “Isn’t that a requirement?” I said “No, not on this loan.” I know he wanted me to say “Yes” so he could claim I damaged his home due to racial bias. I had another owner that claimed I stole his jewelry. It is scary out there!
These days, ALWAYS insist someone be there to walk with you through the home, always. Unless it’s vacant for sale or repossessed, never go without someone from the agent or the owner being there. Although I have done a few B&B’s without them, it’s a little different like a motel sort of deal, even though it’s residential. I explain it that I’m like a guest, just there for an hour, just please be there to walk with me, and I work my schedule around their availability. Yet another reason why it’s utterly absurd to let a company like an amc control your inspection schedule or set that up on your behalf. Just tell the owners you don’t buy those additional insurances which protect from accidents and claims, just keep it basic for only my reporting, is what I tell them. Worked so far. The biggest misconception people have about appraisers, is that we earn as much or more than realtors. Inform them if they go fishing, it’s an empty well.
Empty well ?..if you own a house, have a car , cash, collectibles and anything of value it’s on the line ..not to mention your license ..
70..ugh. I’ve been appraising for 24 years; I’m 66 and was thinking of going out at 66 1/2. I honestly can’t see a way of making it in this career til 70. Every minute of a career I loved has become sheer drudgery. How did you last so long?
I will be 64 in August I can live on my saving until I reach 70 if need be. But I will mostly likely start SS at 66. Sorry for the confusion. I had my house paid off 20 years ago I never used it as a cash cow, and I do not have any debt. I never received a government handout and I never blamed others for everything. I have had people make sarcastic comments about me and I lost clients because I would not play around with the numbers. Now it might be time to move on and relax.
I think that’s the key. No debt. I paid my house off too and have no debt. Hoping I can get by ok on SS, income from a rental and savings. Just had it with the biz. I feel for Shane. What a horrible thing to go through. I don’t see a bright future for appraisers between AMC’s and frivolous lawsuits.
The woke mob has entered the chat.
Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
Bags..being “woke” means you are aware/politically correct about racial and social justice.
Not to mention you have morals & ethics. Try to keep up.
Is this satire?
Get woke, go broke. Gillette started it all and took a billion dollar write down as a result of the failed toxic masculinity campaign. Within all these major organizations they basically don’t even care about income and profitability anymore, but rather with their monopolized positions now promote something new which is very radical and not widely adopted by larger society. Twitter was losing 4 million dollars every single day. Not anymore. Being woke means one is basically a hopeless narcissist whom can’t tolerate anyone elses views if they don’t conform to your idea of the world, you know, marxism, promoting censorship, all of that. The woke mob is always there, lurking, just waiting for a trigger. Don’t upset the internet.
I noticed that also. It is fairly apparent, with the remarks one is making in this blog, he or she would like to now interfere with our ability to discuss the issues of the woke mentality and our industry. Take your ball and go home.
What is going to happen is appraisers will be more reluctant to appraise homes when they even think there is a chance it could be owned by a protected class due to liability reasons.
Exactly then they will complain because no one will Appraise their homes. They should be careful what the wish for!
That will force Appraisers to think twice and charge twice as much due to liability purposes.
When everyone except you is a protected class, does that mean you are the oppressed class?
A couple of years ago, I was working as a QA reviewer for one of the Big 3 banks. Had been there 7 years, all with good annual reviews. A QC manager position became available, and I applied. MBA, 35 years’ directly relevant experience, multiple previous management gigs, the hiring manger was a colleague I had known and worked with on and off for 40 years, and was one of my first trainers/mentors. BUT, despite being the most qualified by far (according to her) I was specifically excluded from even getting an interview, because according to the recruiter, “he’s not diverse”. (I eventually got the interview and the job, but only after the manager squawked all the way up the food chain.)
If I have a bad feeling in my gut about an order before or after my inspection. I walk away!
I just got 3 of them and I too have been appraising for the past 34 years. Mine are completely fabricated and came directly from the Arizona Department of Financial Institution Appraisal Department. There is nothing more uplifting and encouraging than having the investigator who was a yacht salesperson until 2005, got her appraisal license for not even 1 year and went to work for Bank of America from 2005-2014, the Bank Mafia that supposedly paid people billions of dollars for forging Deeds of Trust and stealing their houses to the justice department and then threw their lower level management under the bus, allowed the Justice Department to send them to jail and no one from B of A higher up was disciplined or even charged. They took the fraudulent loans that others went to jail for and sold them anyway and went on with “business as usual.”
2015 this non-appraiser with no field experience, no credentials, nothing but she came from Bank of America, the home of fraud central, and she becomes the investigator for the AZ DFI Appraisal department on appraisal complaints and now in her infinite wisdom, she has gone after the wrong person and decided she is the bias police as well. Even without all the BS, how could she supposedly be qualified to investigate any appraisal I have completed since the only ones ordered from me are the most complex (and she doesn’t appraise or have any geographic or other competence either), or understand anything? Have you ever heard of the Dunning-Krueger Effect? This is when really stupid people think they’re smart and when you give them power LMAO!! She makes up random USPAP violations, doesn’t understand functional utility, and irrigated properties, views, EA’s, and most importantly, has no clear understanding of what credible assignment results means or what a USPAP violation is. (I am a USPAP instructor) Now she is the guru on discrimination and bias in appraisal? Seriously? The investigations are three of the worst Reviews I have ever seen and this department thinks they have a totalitarian rule and no one can second guess her or them. They must be joking because they picked on a handicapped Jewish female.
I’ll be suing them as well for causing me grief and anxiety, harassment, defamation, discrimination, bias, and slander. I have already had all three reports thoroughly reviewed by independent appraisers of which include former ASB, AQB, and Board of Trustee appraisers from the Appraisal Foundation, and a few USPAP instructors.
The attorney from the AZ DFI threatened me. He told me that if I showed those reckless investigations to anyone they would revoke my license and then incorrectly told me showing the investigations to anyone was a violation of USPAP and the Confidentiality Rule and an Arizona statute that pertains to W-2 federal employees working for them.
This is THE Arizona Department of Financial Institutions Real Estate Appraisal Department. Does anyone know how many times they have tried this before with me and how many people get fired at the AZ Board or Departments when it did? These must be the stupidest people ever born, seriously.
They believe they can come after me like this for no reason at all because I stood up in San Antonio, TX at the AARO conference for bias, racism, and discrimination and questioned HUD about PAVE. I asked for a reasonable and plausible explanation for blaming appraisers for systemic bias, racism, and discrimination without any proof at all. I stated that appraisers cannot “steal value” from anyone, we just analyze data and the facts. I asked Melody from HUD why no one ever paid CASH in these supposedly cheated market areas, and why, in a housing shortage, all these supposedly very inexpensive homes in black neighborhoods that are identical to the white people’s homes right next to them haven’t been sold and sold, again and again, per the Principle of Substitution. She just kept saying, “You don’t understand!” Actually, Melody, I do. As a single parent of two children, one severely disabled at birth, I raised both children alone, with Multiple Sclerosis, chronic daily migraine headaches, no child support or assistance, and I am Jewish. I grew up in a neighborhood where kids would yell out, “No Jews on this side of the street.” I have a Gay brother who adopted two children, one of those children is my niece Claire, the most adorable black little girl on the planet. And what I do understand is that it was really hard for me and still is, but I will not be a victim of this abuse, intolerance, and lying. I will not stand in the shadows and watch while everyone just goes along with this (ASC, TAF, White House) and once again tries to find blame in the appraiser and inflate values yet another way.
I was bullied at the AARO bias conference (who does that?) and now those bullies think they can take me down by making up completely bogus USPAP violations and claims of bias, racism, and discrimination. What I will tell you is that I am sick and tired of the State of Arizona spending my money, time, and life as callously as they feel like it (have you ever heard the 2012 or 2010 stories?) I am feeling attacked and threatened by our supposed regulators whose job is supposed to be to protect the public and their trust in appraisers and by all this bs lying about the real estate appraisal profession. It is egregious and disgusting. I have worked my entire life honestly, ethically, and with the highest moral integrity possible. This will not stand.
Wow. There are no words. It’s like a mafia. I’m so sorry that this has happened to you. For what? It’s utterly despicable
It’s called “abuse of power” more commonly known as “revenge” and “intimidation”. I do believe there are laws to protect people against that.
ADMIN, please work with this individual for a specially tailored article.
The exponentiation factor appears to be inching closer, increasing in speed.
What we all need is a singular law firm we can all turn to for consultation and representation. Lord knows the TAF AI group is working against their members interests, and should be included in any lawsuits. Soon to come out of the closet leadership can certainly afford it.
My vote is for a complete change in TAF representative leadership, since they; A. Are not elected by the majority. & B. Do not represent the majority of licensed appraisers. When do we get a vote? When do we get non partisan fair representation?
Sounds like the AZ regulatory person is a PAREA graduate ahead of her time. Par for the course, if you steal once, and get away with it, what is there to stop the criminal enterprise the next time around. Trust me, I’m from Colorado, we know all about it. You are not just watching political theater. You are now an actor on that stage. Get loud and get proud now or forever hold your peace. I’m in no way a qualified financial advisor but it may be a good idea to go to the mattresses with gold or silver or something.
https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/files/Comments%203b.pdf
‘Democracy flow chart’.
FYI Julies comment was the first email response which landed in my spam box with xfinity. Coincidence? Do you believe in coincidence? These people treat us like we’re stupid, as if we do not understand how all the various nefarious forms of censorship, which we constantly learn about via real world exposure, actually function. Too many key words which triggered the auto recognition function, one may suppose.
Any advice for Peer just accused for same thing?
Dave, please reach out to Mike Ford at (714) 366-9404 and/or Pat Turner at (804) 873-4968.
As an appraiser who has been appraising in rural south for 20 years I have seen a few things. This wave of discrimination has gotten out of control. Sure, there has been some discrimination going on which is not the norm but to accuse someone of discrimination because the value came in lower than an expected value is pure asinine. It is not our job to validate lenders and borrowers expected values.
I have had very few borrowers get mad that I am aware of because my opinion of value was lower than their expected values. I can remember three that were fuming and one complained to the board which was dismissed.
Even when you have done a good job and confident in your work it is not a good feeling when the board contact you with a complaint. The waiting and sometimes long process can be nerve wrecking.
Being in business has good and bad points. You have to manage your risks as much as possible. If I do not feel good about a homeowner, lender, AMCs or any order I turn the order down. This can happen during my phone interview or during my inspection. I have had to do this for what I perceived to be a risk that I was not willing to take on.
There have been many times there were homeowners that were hostile toward me because they were unaware that I was black until I showed up for the inspection. I would address any of their concerns as to my qualifications and some were ok with it and some were not. I would always finish the inspection and never be rude to them. I did not care if they were prejudice or whatever issue they had. If I did not feel good about the situation I will call the client and tell them at this time it is not to my best interest and decline the order.
My wife asked me why I did this? I told her some money and business is not worth it.
For my fellow white appraisers maybe some discrimination complaints are justified but the overall majority of these complaints are bull crap. Some people misguided mentality want to hang on to the past and will use discrimination as a bully tactic because they can. This appears to be the norm today.
I stand with you all who are falsely accused of discrimination regardless of your color. Everyone should stand up for their rights or your rights will be abused or taken away. I am sorry anyone has to go thru these false accusations.
I’m in and we all should be!! Let’s make this a Class Action!!
Shane Lanham needs to be our Appraiser of the Year and know that we support this cause. They will need a very strong attorney to fight Maxine Waters and her committee, The Brookings Institute and others who have “created” this false narrative without providing the evidence.
WE all know these claims are a Political Witch Hunt.
Who can we lobby in Congress to take up this cause? Jim Jordan would be great but likely too busy already.
It’s past time that everyone else was told our side of the story.
Well it is about time and I sure hope he nails them on this counter suit. I have discussed this very thing when I talk about how Appraisers in general have been defamed without due process or any decent sort of investigation. The entire profession has already been defamed by HUD, Fannie, TAF, ASC, Brookings Institute, POTUS, VP, Congressional members who to this day are holding hearings with Black Homeowners from MARIN County claiming bias.
We have as a profession already been labeled GUILTY! I think as a whole we should file a CLASS ACTION SUIT against the MEDIA who ran these stories without thoroughly investigating. Anytime a local news media outlet airs a story I contact the reporter on the case and advise that they should tread lightly since defamation is a serious charge and they could be held liable for ruining our profession. I think we should all stand loud and clear in our social media platforms to state that without actual PROOF of bias you cannot file a complaint or suit or Appraisers will counter sue! I pray this works out in the Appraiser’s favor and this news along with the results should be published FAR and WIDE!
I think it’s about time we fight back. There are many types of discrimination and it seems that appraisers are being accused of being prejudice often. I don’t know why people can’t understand that we don’t care what color your skin is, your nationality or race. We only care about producing a valid, creditable and worthy of belief report. We have to abide by some of the highest standards and regulations. I am happy to hear that someone is fighting back.
Appraisers do un-biased appraisals. Period. We don’t care if your black, white, purple or green. We appraise the “subject property” with all its good and bad and have to report what we SEE. Market recently has taken a decline or at least in my area, has stablized and/or declined and homeowners have been used to values increasing and exceeding sales price, etc., therefore, I believe, they are expecting us to just inflate value because they have the house “decorated” nicely. We look at structure, NOT decorations. Marketing is the Real Estate agents job, not ours, we report what the market is and surrounding properties which are similar and adjust accordingly. Even if homeowner is nasty to appraiser (which we have all run into), that does NOT reflect how we determine value. I’m tired of being accused of not doing my job correctly just because they did not like their value. I think I speak for all appraisers that, we don’t care what color you are, we do our job to the best of our ability, following USPAP rules/regulations and lenders rules/regulations that MOST do not understand, even agents. Maybe have a robot do this or Zillow…. Good luck with that! Stay strong out there, it will get better, positive thoughts. 🙂
I will donate also.
I’m glad the appraiser is suing for defamation. What Plaintiffs stated in their lawsuit has litigation privilege. Even if proven false, it can’t be defamation. Once they ran to the media to publicly share the false claims it became defamation.
I looked into this case originally but then got busy with other things. This property is on the edge of a lower value neighborhood with a higher value neighborhood near it. It’s not as upgraded as the higher priced homes. It’s on a busy street and I think a corner lot. Another issue was a higher priced sale which closed after the appraisal was done. I didn’t look at the specifics of that sale because I got busy. I’ll try to take a closer look now if I can.
Looking at the market data available when he did the appraisal the value does not scream out anything about bias to me. It MIGHT be on the lower end of a range of probably prices. This $300,000 difference is complete nonsense. Even zillow had it around $525,000 at the time. Assuming public records and MLS are correct it looked to be around $500,000 +-. I have heard that he adjusted $50,000 for being next to a busy rd (not sure if true or not). Is it? My gut tells me no but I didn’t do the research. Either way its not $300,000 off and nothing shows bias. The house next door was listed for $500,000 and ended up selling for $465,000, it looked smaller but had updates.
I don’t know the property address but $50,000 for busy road is extreme… However, in a city, it should be high, but not THAT high. If he/she can support his adjustments for busy road with paired analysis and market extraction with comments in his report, he/she is good, he/she did their job. NO WAY that he lowered the value because they are BLACK! I don’t know if you know anything about Baltimore, but its pretty much black and appraisers don’t just lowers values of because of their color. It doesn’t MATTER! If he was offered an ROV and considered other properties and could honestly defend his value, then END OF STORY. It is NOT A RACE ISSUE! I have no problem adjusting my value if I missed something, we are human. People are making it out to be a race issue which sucks.
I used to live in northern Baltimore very close to Homeland. I have appraised in Homeland. I know the street. In these scenarios its always the same thing, I got a second appraisal and took down the photos and voila its 50-100% higher! Give me a break.
The road in question is a six lane road for the most part that runs east to west and is used by commercial trucks and buses..People around here stay away from it due to heavy backups..
Yea no doubt there is some sort of significant reaction. Not sure if its 10%+ difference in value but either way I imagine he had his research and found that. He wouldn’t be bringing this case if the board found him negligent. Yes it is a 6 lane at some points, at their subject its 4 lanes.
Edit meant to type 10%.
10%
Why do appraisers not put their money where their mouth is? Just order a bpo and publish the results. Order several before the issue becomes as widely publicized. If the shoe fits the NAR group can wear it as well. Ordering bpo’s is cheaper and easier than ever.
https://nan-amc.com/brokerpriceopinion/
https://www.clearcapital.com/valuations/broker-products/broker-price-opinions/
I like you have probably observed hundreds of ‘order now’ links. Go forth, find them, and order a bpo. Then post it online right here for everyone to see, and elsewhere. You don’t have to be held to paying for a second appraisal when according to these people, and according to the government gse’s themselves, a bpo is equivalent to a valuation product. Post a dozen free avm results alongside to boot.
Don’t you guys understand how flimsy this argument is, that the entire realty and realty servicing community is mysteriously omitted from this? At the first sign of any false accusation, better than some donation campaign is for dozens and dozens of us to order realty sourced bpo’s for real world price opinion comparisons. They’re down to dang 20 bucks a pop, you can afford it.
Collectively, these lies only hold up if we let them. Use their own tools meant to destroy the appraisal profession against them. Sorry, the younger appraisers are not equipped to help. Like my parents, and basically every other retiree we know, you guys probably will earn more in retirement than we earn working full time. Do something responsible and meaningful on your way out please.
WE have ALL been defamed by this rhetoric. CLASS ACTION!!
And please be willing to chip in folks. Attorney Steve Cannon tried to go to bat for us in DC a few years ago to challenge AMC’s and our State Coalitions couldn’t raise a dime from ya’lls cheap butts.. so, he quit.
Our Independence has been used against us since HVCC and “they” know what they are doing. Put up or shut up time.
Okay, Im in….
Imagine being so privileged that anything you don’t agree with you cry racism and poof the low IQ liberal scumbag media will push your pretend fake victim narrative for free? Hope the appraiser wins millions form these racist homeowners!
Every single appraiser in this country should contribute to a go fund me page. To quote a line from the movie Network, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.””. This may be the start of something finally positive for the appraisal industry, but we must all come together and stop this ongoing racist nonsense. I’ll be looking for the “go fund me” info.
Hey folks, let’s not play arm-chair quarterback. I will give him the benefit of the doubt if he is suing with the full knowledge the appraisal will be examined with a fine-tooth comb.
Yes forgot to say I would for sure contribute to a Go Fund Me. We need to support any effort to STOP this defamation in its tracks!
I suppose bias is possible, but I believe in most cases it’s unfounded. A number of years ago I appraised a multi-family for a nazi. He gave me a lecture on how Franklin Roosevelt was responsible for starting Word War II and then took me out to his shed to show me all of his nazi memorabilia, telling me how often he visits Berlin. If ever there was a time to be bias, that was it. But I wasn’t. I appraised the dwelling and had no problems with value results. I think if he found out that I was Jewish, he might have cried bias.
Yea but the news isn’t going to put on a NAZI supporter crying foul about how he was discriminated against. It is all about the narrative.
More interesting; the same law firm TAF hired to write new rules, is bringing cases against appraisers!
If a class action is to be developed, it should include the TAF for gross misrepresentation.
When the prosecutor and the defense are the same person.
How much does TAF stand to profit from the new “racial bias” courses they are presently writing and that we will be forced to take?? Hmmmmm
More importantly, whom aligned with the AI institute will be receiving approvals for the PAREA educational courses? It’s going a little further than just selling more books lately.
C O S M I C
C O B R A !
This is the most uplifting thread !! I’m Shane’s father and our whole family appreciates your words of encouragement..Shane’s the best son a father and mother could have and is the last person that should have to deal with this..But he’s a strong grounded person and will see this though till the end…THANKS !!!
Mr Lanham,
I just tried to call Shane. It’s my desire that we start a go fund me page. It’s not just about Shane. It’s about the appraisal profession. Many of us want to advise
i know he was going to consult his attorneys today to see how they felt about it..also, i can’t thank you enough for your desire !!
Steve. Please take note of this report. In fact, there are about three dozen if not more relevant articles which are pertinent to a legal defense, located right on this blog. Suggest if you’re in the mix, take a month to read and analyze every article and every link posted since this started, approximately 2 years back, make sure any legal representatives are aware too. This blog site is literally the only appraisal valuation site which does not answer to industry interests. The Brookings Institute, the ‘progressive jukebox.” Your tax dollars (via 501c’s), hard at work.
I’m still waiting for someone to tell me what exactly is wrong with lower prices… Apparently this whole event of appraisers being racist has nothing to do with the NAR group, or any other subsidiaries. It’s just a coincidence that the people involved with PAVE have a long track history of exploiting the most unrepresented group in real estate.
https://appraisersblogs.com/aei-research-critique-of-freddie-mac-misleading-appraisal-gap-report
Boy, I hope that’s the right report, there were several from that group, but they’re all present somewhere in the past few years article.
Don’t go thanking anyone just quite yet…
https://appraisersblogs.com/justice-4-texas-appraiser-ninety-nine-thousand-dollars-price-tag
I hope Shane’s EnO insurance attorney is helping with this? Can you tell us if they are involved in the case? Sign me Curious 😉
Yes they are ..Gregg E. Viola and Mark P. Johnson @ Eccleston & Wolf…Also David S. Wachen helping with the counterclaim…they seem awesome so far !
That is good. I wasn’t sure if E&O would step in for a counterclaim. Even with the facts on your side it will be an uphill battle since the onus will be on the plaintiff to prove malicious intent. (I am not a lawyer so that is just my opinion as a layman.) I hope it works out.
Hey Steve – any good updates on this case?
If Shane is standing up for the right thing, which he is, I definitely have his back. He just needs to ask for anything and I can abide by and help out if I want to. We need more appraisers like Shane.
We sure as hell do!
Well, ladies and gentlemen; this is NOT going to stop. There is a “NEW” discrimination target: YOU the appraiser. Let’s be honest. NO ONE can determine what is in another persons heart; except GOD.
White appraiser black home owner equals: “instant discrimination”. I typed in a “white appraiser” – statistically the vast majority of appraisers are white.
Several things or choices are going to happen: 1) You don’t appraise anyone’s home that is not of your race, color, creed, religion, national origin or sexual orientation or gender identity or pronoun preference. Which itself would be a case for discrimination. 2) You retire. 3) Support AVM’s 100% and let the system collapse. The victim mentality permeates society. I don’t have any answers for anyone; sorry.
Even if there was a 2nd, 3rd or 4th appraisal (illegal under Gramm–Leach–Bliley) all are invalid. It is virtually impossible to prove your “innocence”. So, discrimination lawsuits are here to stay. Act accordingly. I’m 64 and out of this nightmare soon.
Well there have been black appraisers turned in for supposedly being biased against blacks. It is not supposed to make sense, it is to bludgeon.
What I typed remains true.
I’m just not sure how to cover this, as if appraisers are supposed to be detached from realty people, like there is no inherent connection or something, which obviously there are very fundamental relationships.
Talk about predatory posturing for the appraiser to become a target and none of these other groups are standing to protect us.
https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/commentary/rooting-out-appraisal-bias
“By avoiding the use of subjective terms and phrases commonly used in property marketing, appraisers can keep bias out of their valuation reports.”
So its not racist when they do it is their claim.
https://appraisersblogs.com/aei-research-critique-of-freddie-mac-misleading-appraisal-gap-report#comment-36791
It’s complicated. Read that post. Agents don’t want to rock that boat, some client types are easier to work with than others, and provide repeat service opportunities at higher frequencies with less time in between. So basically anything one can make up to disparage appraisers and restrict our participation is in their best financial interests. Consumers be damned, these groups don’t even talk about consumer protection anymore.
Whenever the appraiser is black the case is closed.
Not true, a secret shopper thing in Baltimore turned in a Black appraiser into the state for supposedly being biased against black homeowners.
“Biased” The word has new meaning in newspeak.
The joys of government entitlement programs. We’ve had several generations now whom basically believe taxation without representation imposed upon others, which benefits them, is their American birthright.
Remember all roads lead to accusations of racism. It’s important in Oceana to honestly believe these noble concepts, otherwise you’re an enemy of the state, an enemy of your fellow citizens. You’ll figure it out. And if you don’t we have ways to help you understand. How many fingers am I holding up?
Russel Means; Welcome to the Reservation.
One more time; Where the hell does the actual money come from?
Did you know that in a recent study that is being used to confirm appraisal bias, there was only one appraisal completed considered an “outlier” to the results and supposedly confirming that the appraiser is biased to blacks, and it was completed by a black appraiser?
These are the facts and not the hype.
Wonder how much our EnO is about to go up?? Thanks Maxine and Brookings Institute
Appraisers are the last line of defense when everything goes wrong with a mortgage. We’re easy targets. They accuse us of bias and low values and if the borrower defaults we’re accused of overvaluing. The field reviews are gonna pour in when the market starts to decline because who else is there to blame? Anyone who gets into this business is committing career suicide.
Is it just me or did anyone else pick up on the owners “Opinion of value”? That the adverse location adjustment was “excessive”. Since when did they become “evaluators”? Credentials please, show us your work. 2nd appraisal still hasn’t appeared…………..and won’t.
Good! Stand up to the woke BS!
I am happy to hear that this appraiser is standing up for himself.
Add NBC to the list to litigate $$$$
https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/does-race-impact-home-appraisals-163040837806
It’s like, throw up actual bonafide market evidence of fairness, reviews and third party verification, a multiple layer of the appraisers company, the lender, third party reviewer, everyone says it’s good. And then somehow they pull off a higher priced sale, and miraculously it must have been racism. The time frame described was the peak of the market and the reason they got their ‘expected number’, was likely due to buyer frenzy. Guarantee you that home will sell for less today. It’s called market timing and situational advantage in sale vs refi in a sellers market. It’s not racism. Whomever performed the white vs black experiment really must have botched that one. What did they keep using the same appraiser for that ‘experiment’? What do you want to bet they went with the lower priced appraiser, on account of having to shell out so many thousands of dollars to run such a performance test.
Thank you Dave Bunton, this is your fault. It’s tiring to get constantly picked on by racial activists whom have a dead set belief all people whom have a different background than them are inherently evil. These people don’t even know what racism is but they sure do understand how to play on this popular victim mentality from their nice big fancy homes in affluent high income suburbia areas. Counter suits for defamation should help them figure it out. Palladian Appraisals, you’re up next.
Palladian appraisal? I couldn’t find it in Google
This company was mentioned in the news video associated with the story, logo and all. I found a few of them, perhaps some franchise or multi state deal, not sure. Several spelling variants. As I’m not sure exactly how this appraisal company is working, not going to post a link in case it’s the wrong one. Have heard the name before though. Palladian. Would have to refer back to video to know if the spelling is correct.
I was wondering, if most or all appraisals, that resulted in discrimination lawsuits, originated as a result of AMC assignments. If they did, did the borrower complain to the lender who in turn sent the complaint to the AMC who then sent the complaint to appraiser, giving him/her a chance to respond and defend his/her final opinion of value? Or did the lawsuit bypass these steps? If the communication protocol was taken, how did the AMC handle the appraiser’s response and is the AMC also being sued? Does anyone know?
I always hear the AMC and lender being sued too. Its more $$$ to go after multiple parties, I don’t think into it more than that. They are also more likely to settled than have negative PR for years regardless of the facts of the case. We saw the one in baltimore. It looks like there is a major road that divides the community. The original appraiser used comps from the same side of the highway. They claimed that was racist because they happened to be in a census tract with more blacks like the subject. ROV was all homes on the other side of the major road.
I pray this goes to court. This “case” shouldn’t need Denny Crane to get tossed out on it’s ear. Would also be nice to have a “media” that would shout out the facts after the racist claim is shredded and the 1st Appraiser is paid damages. We’ll be lucky to get a paragraph on page 123.
The AMC and lender are both liable as well if I am understanding Dodd/Frank correctly
Loan depot is being sued by the professors also..not the AMC ..Loan Depot filed a motion to dismiss saying the professors didn’t show any racist intent by Loan Depot’s officer..you can read Loan depot’s motion on the court docket ..Loan Depot has a strong case to dismiss, it’s an interesting read ..I’m sure these despicable professors are not sleeping too well as of late ..I’m hoping that’s only the start of their despair..
By the way ..the professors filed a ROV ..they sent Shane three comps..two of the comps had no pictures, were sold with zero days on the market and all three said they were renovated ..and these professors said they were “ knowledgeable consumers who talked to their neighbors and knew what the numbers should be “.. they said that on ABC World news tonight..plus ..I’m sure you know, these are the same people teaching racial redlining at John Hopkins ..hope they get fired but I doubt it ..
Wear a white lab coat to court, so you seem like more official and such. So many of these people claiming these titles are just front groups for big corps and partner special interest programs. Actually being a professor is not what it used to be, non stop conflicts of interests with government funding and partner organizations these days.
Last year someone sent me a zillow comp which appeared to be purely fictitious entered days before, which appeared nowhere else except zillow. Avm’s are easy to manipulate this way. “I can’t reconsider value based on a sale record that appears only on zillow and nowhere else.” Most people don’t understand the arduous tedious nature of qualifying data with multiple data sources, and they’re light years behind in understanding market cycles, locational factors, effective age, effective market boundaries, etc. Review Marry Cummins article she posted just today about price differences and income, your legal team may find that useful. Thank you.
I’m afraid to even accept a mortgage lending order of any type under this systemic abuse. AI & TAF have postured in a totally incompetent manner. Media is reposting it’s own false misleading material in an endless echo chamber. Low information voters are buying it all hook line and sinker. What’s new?
Question, when every single other person type is a ‘protected class’, except for you, does that make you the oppressed class? These people claiming all these racial harms in 2020 and beyond, are about as credible as a ham sandwich. Professors, owners, whomever it may be, they’re living in mansions and classy high end suburbia properties, great jobs, lux and rich with great furniture, fancy interior adornments. Attention seeking and lying on television about racial disparity being the appraisers fault, from their ivory towers. The entitlement is showing and it’s going to blow back at them. Special privileges have limits. Anyone living in a half million dollar home enjoying a hundred thousand a year or more income should be disqualified from any future and all past special privileges, give me a break. Who’s still buying this? Never feel sorry for a rich person.
and their armed private security while they try to disarm citizens and defund the police …hopefully the pendulum swings soon..
The world is what we make of it. Fight the future.
Really weird that for all the comments left, not ONE offered an explanation for how the original appraisal was so much lower than the couple’s second appraisal. How exactly could a 2nd appraiser get a value that is $300k+ more than the 1st appraisal? I’ll give the 1st appraiser the benefit of the doubt and say it was incompetence and not racism. But there should be accountability for making such an obvious mistake. He isn’t blameless in this scenario.
Simple, no one (litigating parties) is releasing them. Don’t believe the case has been fully settled yet.
Information vital to the public interest is an actual legitimate reason to over ride the jurisdictional and client confidentiality exception rules.
Who’s still buying this nonsense that national policy regarding independent checks and balances systems enacted by independent real estate appraisers which effect the entire American housing system, should be primarily influenced by everyone except the qualified real estate appraiser?
This just in from the TAF email:
Foundation Shares Updates Ahead of One Year Anniversary of PAVE Task Force Report
The Appraisal Foundation today shared an update on how it is progressing on a number of recommendations made in the Biden Administration’s Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) Task Force’s Action Plan. The Action Plan was released a year ago next week with the aim of providing a “blueprint for how all Americans can benefit fairly from the equity built through homeownership.”
“The Appraisal Foundation shares the PAVE Task Force’s commitment to root out bias and discrimination in the appraisal profession, and our boards have been hard at work over the past few years to do just that,” said The Appraisal Foundation President Dave Bunton. “I am proud of the work that our boards have accomplished in such a short time, but much remains to be done. We look forward to partnering with the PAVE Task Force to continue these efforts to build public trust in the appraisal profession.”
The following are the top ten highlights of The Foundation and its boards’ actions on the following PAVE commitments:
Updating the 90-minute section of the 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course focused on bias and discrimination in consultation with fair housing law firm Relman Colfax,
Creating the Council to Advance Residential Equity (CARE) to bring previously unrecognized stakeholders with a mission of civil rights, fair housing, or consumer advocacy to the table to provide input on proposed changes to standards and qualifications,
Instituting a new process for the public to submit comments, questions, and requests for the boards on any topic at any time,
Removing the requirement that a majority of The Appraisal Foundation’s trustees be appraisers,
Conducting a comprehensive review of the Ethics Rule, with advice from Relman Colfax, resulting in proposed changes that make it crystal clear that bias and discrimination against protected classes have always been prohibited by USPAP and that USPAP has always required appraisers to comply with all applicable fair housing laws,
Supporting the adoption of the Practical Application of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) as a simulated training alternative for aspiring appraisers to fulfill their experience requirements in 40 states and counting,
Developing a scholarship through the Pathways to Success Initiative that will prioritize serving aspiring appraisers who are people of color, veterans or those who wish to work in underserved communities,
Proposing changes to the Real Property Appraisal Qualification Criteria that would require fair housing education for incoming and existing credential holders, and
Designing resources for consumers to learn more about the appraisal process and how to proceed if they need to make a complaint.
Publishing the report of the Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) Task Force which makes recommendations on potential standards for AVMs. This work has been shared with regulators who are working to write AVM standards.
For more information on each of these initiatives and how the Foundation is responding to many more PAVE recommendations please read this update provided to the PAVE Task Force on February 2, 2023.
https://appraisersblogs.com/slew-of-negative-reviews-4-appraiser-miller#comment-37477
You can choose to play catch up. Or you can choose to keep up. What was the capitalization emphasis meant to illustrate exactly? Nice try. The appraiser in question is a female. The very few yet still well known facts illustrate there is a substantial sq ft reporting difference, the first may have been mid way through a renovation project, the appraiser community may not be fully informed. Would accountability in your view also encompass false reporting based on inadequate understanding of effective dates as well as the importance of local comparable selection guidelines? Asking for a friend. It’s like one more social contagion going around, must be viral or something…
J W…Incompetence ? ..investigate ..the information is readily accessible ..
The woke crowd now has it’s sights on the R.E. sector of our society. The vanguards of our nations true wealth are standing before the firing squad with a neon-orange bullseye at 25′. Like everything else the left touches……
Why do we have to politicize everything, especially this issue. There is more wrong with Maga, such as banning books from school library shelves (free speech stuff). This issue is more about the color green, not red or blue, but green!
Conservatives are not “banning books” but trying to ban PORN and sexual material from grade schoolers. Twitter and Facebook on the otherhand have been censoring Conservative speech for years – and very effectively until Elon risked his fortune to save our country. But that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong. In our case you are correct – the AMC’s are distorting the “media” to claim racisim so they can expand their Golden ticket to make $Millions off of our backs as Independent Appraisers while risking the entire Real Estate market. Thanks
No it’s really really bad. Homeschooling numbers jumped 10%+ and climbing, these traditionally hovered in the 2% range. An additional body of parents are fleeing to private, religious, and/or charter schools. Numbers are difficult to track down but may be as high as 25% on top of the 10% having recently abandoned the public school systems. You’ll hear teachers decry lack of funding as schools shutter and all, but we all know the truth. The school administrators have substituted academia for radical indoctrination towards their own progressive principals and ideologies. Charters around here switched to lottery systems because there are 20+ applicants for each seat available, often more. Even the $10k-$15k per student seat per individual year private schools have 10+ applicants for each individual seat available. We had our pockets open, were willing to move or drive, and still could not make it happen. It’s not a coincidence all this happened at the exact moment SEL & CRT programs were introduced. DEI consultants for public schools have just one problem; diversity. More wrong with MAGA…. For real, tolerance is supposed to have sensible and mature limitations. Have you bothered to actually review the books in question? They’re not axing to kill a mockingbird or catcher in the rye, that’s not what this is about. Great TDR injection though, inventive approach.
The Left HAS actually tried to ban Mockinbird as being “racist”. Imagine that
I read catcher a few years back but besides that have not picked up a novel in about 15 years. Had the chance to link up with my old hipster friend on the phone the other day. He’s reading some 10 book novel set at several thousand pages each. I countered with roughly 20,000 pages of government lending regulation. There needs to be sensible limitations which are fairly balanced for everyone otherwise all we’ll end up with is an even more exploitative system.
‘Yes, the minds of these people are now closed. They have ears, but they don’t listen. They have eyes, but they refuse to see.’
The idea that the so-called “patriots” and “mafreedum” lovers would be okay with state-sponsored censorship of books is beyond me. It’s the modern day equivalent of “brown shirt” book burning. You can’t claim to love the Constitution while co-signing on fascism. Change only happens when people feel uncomfortable. There is a lot of discomfort in the shadows of America these days.
Hey Honest…The Diary of Anne Frank is NOT porn. There is NO porn in elementary schools. Never was. Dare you to find any. What world are you from??? Why not just keep on the subject of BIAS APPRAISALS???
Challenge accepted.
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok
Keep scrolling, you’ll find more than you bargained for. Everyone does. I could post many of the various actual imagery examples which parents have been sharing, found within their own childrens public schools, but it would be a little crass and dirty for this particular forum. There are millions of people looking at this and thousands of counter groups springing up. I like the gays against groomers efforts, personally. Their new executive guy is really inspiring.
We are on the subject of supposed bias in appraisals. Unlike the groomers invading school argument, which is fact and provable, with evidence, the appraisers are all biased white racists argument is fictitious and nobody has ever produced any real evidence.
Care to play another round?
Thanks Bags – there is PLENTY of proof out here. My wife worked as an elementary school mental health therapist for 21 years and had to give up her career due to the “policies” they were pushing. She just couldn’t be a part of it. So she’s out of work and AMC’s are working to steal my career. This country is truly on thin ice, and so am I. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=parents+discuss+sex+at+school+board+meeting
There are literally thousands of groups springing up in response to this, sometimes daily. Who could keep up? Truth is; there is no greater objection than absence. It goes down like this, which is remarkably similar to what just happened with TAF, PAVE, and Brookings (because it’s an already established model with a successful track record of disrupting long standing institutions and redirecting cash flows); pressure on the school system to engage in diversity and inclusion initiatives and diversity audits from companies whom have exported this model from urban areas elsewhere. Not surprisingly the results are; the staff represents a fair sampling of the actual populace, which is simply unacceptable. The district capitulates because the allure of 501c groups grant sharing programs, they change policies, there is a systematic retooling of all curriculum content and guidance in only a year or so time. The school system, it’s management, it’s positions, and it’s curriculum are no longer even recognizable. Those on the top get raises, the janitor, the lunch lady, the bus driver, they didn’t qualify. The myriad of 501c companies playing the woke card with an excess of government grant money sweep in to fill the funding gaps, in turn importing their brand of preferred educators. Equity achieved. But at what expense?
It’s so bad, the last friendly state board of education people are actually resigning, they’ve lost all control. (remind you of any other industry you might be familiar with?) When I wrote the board those whom actually cared enough to respond were so intimidated, they only dared to return correspondence in hand written letters sent from someones personal address, to avoid any chance of return mail being read by the other board members. And I’m like the parent who just started paying attention anyways, I’m late to the game. Sadly by that time it was too late. Apparently having children who test three grades ahead was simply not enough these days. They’re simply bad influences because of their parents natural heritage and belief in traditional American values. You’ve got to fit the prescribed predefined character stereotypes these suddenly influential groups want you to identify with, or no cigar. Needless to say what we are seeing in schools, much like the appraisal industry, is not the result of free market forces or popular demand fairly represented by local populace bases. That’s the end result of big government for you, aggressive interests inevitably rise up and organize to rake an unfair share of other peoples resources and hard earned gains. Equity!
The appraisal industry is 90% white. Therefore, it’s systemically racist. What garbage. “IF” the appraisal industry were systemically racist why all of a sudden are there only a “few” complaints? There should have been 10’s of 1,000’s by now. “IF” appraisers were systemically discriminating as some people want everyone to believe. Discrimination is the outward reaction to an inward hatred of someone from another race written down as truth. PROVE what is in the appraiser’s heart. Were there many complaints by people of color BEFORE this one? Or, is this a witch hunt?
Put stones in her pockets. Toss her in the lake. If she sinks, she’s not a witch. If she floats, a witch!
Burn her, burn the witch! But she’s actually not a witch. Burn her anyways!
I think we all have a reasonably accurate understanding of the mindset of people whom are pushing this narrative. They’re out for blood and demand a pound of flesh. Only after the smoke dissipates will anyone have the courage to relent from their feverish moral turpitude to admit that perhaps mistakes were made. And it will be a very long time before anyone will make that admission. One might as well rise to fill the role, because you have been cast in that role regardless.
This is what happens when literally everyone else is a protected class except for one specific person type. Your tax dollars, hard at work. I believe in oldspeak they called this taxation without representation. In the revised 6th edition of the newspeak dictionary, it’s simply a patriotic attitude in defense of oceana. Out with the old, in with the new.
the judge in the lanham 20/20 valuation case is letting the counter claim go forward…it will now go to discovery where the second $750,000 appraisal will finally be seen..
Great news, now we will all know if that 2nd appraisal is fraudulently inflated and I wonder WHO that 2nd Appraiser is. That should come out in this discovery as well. Can’t wait!
!st appraisal is the tainted valuation.
2nd appraisal more in line with sold Homeland s/f homes- price per sqft/GLA in the immediate neighborhood.
No question the defendants violated the federal Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and Maryland fair housing laws.
Just watch; they will deny responsibility & pay up to dismiss the case; just like the other biased appraiser who lost last year.
Simple solution; know your location!
..and you know these facts HOW? Everyone deserves their day in court and I am very glad the judge is allowing this to move forward.
Mary, Hank, Steve, Ken, and anyone else listening.
Please remember, this sort of discovery would never be possible in the future, if there is an automatic valuation model developed ‘value opinion’, as opposed to that sourced from an individually licensed appraiser.
https://appraisersblogs.com/dazzled-by-wizardry-federal-mortgage-regulators-ignore-zillow-debacle
Please don’t forget to write at least a simple letter objecting to the use of AVM valuations, point out their flaws, provide suggestions for better managing this technology etc. Just no matter what you write, please participate and write a letter. Link provided and other additional letter writing links provided in commentary, you can simply copy your same letter around. If we don’t write letters to help guide pending fundamental changes regarding what is a valid value opinion and what is not, what was any of this for in the first place? Click the links, write the letters. Deadline approaching. Can you imagine being a home owner battling this issue with one avm vs another, rather than one appraiser vs another? That is truly insane,. As Bagott wrote, the night marish end of home appraisals. Never too late, write the letter! Wizardry.
I wrote a comment letter and sent it in last month. https://mary–cummins.blogspot.com/2023/06/quality-control-standards-for-automated.html
Definitely not an appraiser or real estate expert. No one has seen the second appraisal. No one can make that statement. I saw the most important parts of the first appraisal and ran comps. The first appraisal looks like market value to me. Clearly the person who wrote this comment is a race troll pushing the false narrative of the alleged “racist appraiser.”
Mary Cummings, look at subject…look at comps in THE neighborhood/same location.simple stuff.
35 years analyzing r/estate. you?
hammering hank, What does analyzing R/estate mean? Are you an appraiser? “simple stuff?” Looking at Zillow is not the same as an appraisal. You are automatically making assumptions about the appraisal without seeing the second appraisal. Who’s the biased one here?
30 years Certified Residential Appraiser. You?
what does analyzing mean? do you need a dictionary? Making no assumptions…. except I am dealing with the uneducated.
35.
BTW…wanna bet this appraiser goes down? I take BTC.
So that’s a no then on being an appraiser. Figured
I think # 2 is puckered up
I am going through a complaint with HUD for Racism for a appraisal I submitted almost 3.8 years ago. The VA found not racism and cleared me, then the homeowner went to HUD and filed another compliant for racism. This is horrible. This has to stop!!! All appraisers fight back!!
Wait. Through which enterprise was the loan which the borrower whom is accusing you of racism, originat from?
This does not make sense, because if there was a VA loan, the VA managers and associated lenders decision should have been the end of the matter, or vice versa with HUD.
Any borrower, no matter where they source their loan, could file complaints through Fannie, Freddie, VA, or HUD, irregardless?
HUD does not have jurisdiction over VA originated loans. Please clarify.
My thoughts exactly!
I am a RE Appraiser with 33 years of experience. I am not biased- I am on the VA panel and approved with every major banks fee panels, I am not biased in any way. You come in low on a value in the homeowner’s eyes (they are uneducated about appraisals) and they are now going “Defcon 5” on appraisers. I am AR appraiser, RE Broker, General Building Contractor and a Home Inspector, I know a thing or two about real estate.
I am a RE Appraiser with 33 years of experience. I am not biased- I am on the VA panel and approved with every major banks fee panels, I am not biased in any way. You come in low on a value in the homeowner’s eyes (they are uneducated about appraisals) and they are now going “Defcon 5” on appraisers. I am AR appraiser, RE Broker, General Building Contractor and a Home Inspector, I know a thing or two about real estate.
This is happening to me as well but it’s the AZ DIFI that’s targeted me and the Assistant Director and incompetent investigator that is as racist and biased as they get. There’s a 3 year old VA appraisal (sale) that closed at sale price and my report is biased and racist because the house has functional obsolescence. The very biased/racist and challenged investigator Kelly who has been appraising in the field… never! doesn’t understand functional obsolescence and wrote,” I don’t think this floor plan should be a problem and you just don’t like the house.”
AMC Links filed a complaint when I didn’t hit the sale price, to help their client make the loan work and there were 8 pages of comments in the report explaining adjustments. Brian Todrick stated there were no comments, or support and of course, the report is biased and racist. I counterfiled a complaint asking for them to be audited and the AZDIFI, in their corrupt fashion, dismissed my complaint,(of course) and never investigated and AMC Links never paid me and used the appraisal and low and behold, the house never sells, ever, in the sellers market. Curious thing right? When the appraiser is right??
Third complaint (I collect them. It’s what honest appraisers do in an anonymous complaint state like Arizona that’s run by ethically depleted regulators who are lacking in morals, integrity, intelligence or the desire to protect anyone but themselves and their paychecks. Dishonest appraisers should relocate to Arizona. Honest one’s should find a new business right now. This one’s not for the honest people right now, sorry.) Third appraisal is biased and racist per investigator of course because I didn’t use a sale she did, which is not substitutable . For the record, there’s only white people in these neighborhoods and the houses were vacant but the intellectually challenged power hungry regulators here really want me. They didn’t show up at the informal hearing and sent me a message that said no matter what you have to say we don’t care. We win and we’re taking you down, guilty or not.
They can’t have me, but they want me. This is stupid politics. These are ignorant people. I’ll be suing too. Can’t wait to retire but Arizona appraisers and the public deserve better. This is plain idiotic and when someone named Kelly thinks she knows what I’m unintentionally thinking or inferring… she better be as smart as I am and also have the ability to climb into my head because Kelly, I would never INFER anything as stupid or ignorant as what came out of your brain.
Any advice for a Peer now being accused of the same thing?
This was a VA loan. They did a yearlong investigation on me and the report. Interviewed me by Zoom, got my work file, and my side of the story then his. He filed a long horrible racist filled complaint. The VA found me clear and there was no discrimination, then he filed a complaint with HUD. The HUD complaint filed is another year of investigation, mounds of paperwork, work file given, writing rebuttal letters, 8 hours of phone interrogations, again horrible. Now she writes a report up and send it to an administrative law judge. I am waiting for the results of that investigation. Any advice. Ken
HUD does not have jurisdiction over VA originated loans? Are you sure? That means this should be over, not another investigation. Help me please, clarify. Ken
HUD has jurisdiction over any real estate transaction when it comes to The Fair Housing Act (Act) sets forth the boundaries of the Department’s jurisdiction to act on housing-related complaints of discrimination.
Counter sue for discrimination and deformation.
I am a RE Appraiser with 33 years of experience. I am not biased- I am on the VA panel and approved with every major banks fee panels, I am not biased in any way. You come in low on a value in the homeowner’s eyes (they are uneducated about appraisals) and they are now going “Defcon 5” on appraisers. I am AR appraiser, RE Broker, General Building Contractor and a Home Inspector, I know a thing or two about real estate.
People look thru rose colored glasses when it comes to their real estate. Many have a warped view of what market value means and what determines market value.
These racists made the accusation because you’re white and all white people are racists because the media tells them that.
Jaydee, Not because what the media reports; BUT because what actually comes straight from the horses mouth. pay attention
The media is a GIANT influence by their “PROGRAMMING”. The head hunting is coming.
Just this morning, found some more meme’s.
All men are created equal.
But some are more attentive to studious credit management than others.
Well thanks for the comments and support. I have been appraiser for 35 years, now what a way to end your career, after about a 1,000 appraisals done. Always write your reports like a racist is going to file a complaint against you or a judge will be looking at your report one day. This is what our profession has come to; let’s not pay appraiser what they are worth, let’s blame them for the 2007 melt down, let AMC’s take your money, now we will sue you if you do not come in on a value that the homeowner thinks you should have. Be careful out there.
just a thought…does anyone else think that maybe the gov. wants property values increased in POC neighborhoods just for the increase in taxes they would collect ?
Here is a link to the Go Fund Me.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/raise-funds-for-trial
In my situation I got caught up in a HUD investigation after being reported vindictively by a disgruntled homeowner that claimed racism because I did not come in on a appraised value of his home for a refinance, that would make his refinance work.
The HUD investigation found no evidence of any racial biases within my appraisal. My license/record is perfect; no lawsuits pending against me and no government investigations against me.
My advice to any appraiser out there is just be aware that the government PAVE program (read up in it) is out there and you do not want to be maliciously caught up in this travesty so be careful. Just keep being professional and adhere to all USPAP guidelines and you will be fine. I know I do and always have.