Let me tell you WHY I'm geographically competent & qualified to appraise real estate in this area. First Class Appraisals, focuses mainly on these three counties giving it an incredible working and practical knowledge of the area that cant be found in any form or software...in other words, we're not spread too thin; our knowledge of the area is concentrated & that is reflected in each report. We will however go outside these areas on special request when it involves complex properties that others can not appraise. From my point of view, the largest banks appear to be hiring based on who is fast & cheap. The “cheapest” appraisers often do not have adequate knowledge or experience & as a result, produce poor quality appraisals that harm everyone. We have seen appraisers traveling 100 miles from their office to your home then spend 15 minutes walking around before disappearing. Their reports often “kill the deal” In our experience appraisers traveling 100 miles from their office is an indicator that the appraiser is likely not geographically competent. This appraiser likely does not have access to the proper MLS, a necessary tool for producing a valid appraisal..-- the odds of a competent, knowledgeable appraiser knowing any market area, diminishes with distance from their office. Hiring competent appraisers is in everybody’s interest. So how do you increase the odds of a competent appraiser producing a good appraisal. Like I said I stick to 3 counties I'm properly trained, geographically competent with your neighborhood, experienced and, capable of appraising complex properties. Remember that quality costs a bit more and someone skimming off a portion of the fee can reduce quality and may be the reason for the “appraisal problems” you’ve been hearing about. And that's how we roll here at First Class Appraisals