Beware do not use: I had an appraisal done in July 2020 by a white male ($302,000) and then Pam…read moreDavis (Davis Appraisal Services of Chapel Hill) came in May 2021 and devalued my home by $72,000. An appraisal is the opinion of the appraiser. My neighborhood is continuously progressing and the houses are selling for $300,000 - $400,000. She has a problem with people of color.

From the owner: Real Estate Appraiser for Orange, Durham, Chatham counties of NCread more

Buyer beware! Whether buying a home for the first time or refinancing for the 6th, one of the most…read morenerve wracking moments of the loan process is scheduling your appraisal. Heather was very flexible and I appreciated that she squeezed me in to a busy schedule. In hindsight, this should've been the first sign that this firm takes shortcuts... 1) Your appraiser should ideally be from within a 10 mile radius of your property. There is simply no way to ensure they have a full understanding of your geography and specific neighborhood without this basic requirement. This appraisal group miraculously claims a working knowledge of sufficient depth to serve Alamance, Chatham, Durham and Orange counties 2) Your appraiser should conduct a thorough inspection of your neighborhood, its historical patterns and its recent sales in order to select the most appropriate comparable properties for final valuation. This firm selected a nearby 29 year old 4bd/2.5ba property on .58 acres as a comparable for a 12 year old 5bd/5ba property on 1.1 acres, which made no sense until I realized that it was the most recent sale in a mile radius. I get that it was probably the first hit on the MLS screen, but it shows poor research at best and laziness at worst. As the youngest of 5 kids, I can rather wryly assure you that there is a huge difference between a house with 5 showers and a house with 2. Heather herself was very personable and I had no problems with her request for a second visit to the house to take additional pictures after her camera malfunctioned. Since I am able to work from home, this was not a substantial hardship but I imagine that most professionals would find this inconvenient. Overall, I cannot recommend these services. If you are unfortunate enough to have a bank who selects the appraiser for you, be sure to document any factual errors, identify better comparable sales and always get a second opinion. I wish you much luck and godspeed in your dispute process.