DC Metro Appraisals

09/05/2026

Subject: Real Estate Professional Member Alert — Fake Google Meet invite installing remote-access software on appraisers and agents machines.

A Northern Virginia appraiser was compromised on August 26, 2026 by a fake Google Meet invitation. The link installed remote-management software (ISL Online/SuperOps and ScreenConnect), giving an outside party control of the machine. Full Windows rebuild was required.

How it works: A "client" makes contact, exchanges several normal, well-written emails over a day or two to build trust, and proposes a video call. The link that arrives is not Google Meet.

Indicators from this case:

Sender: lambertdavid594@gmail[.]com ("David Lambert")
Link: hxxps://googlemeet[.]joinmeetinginvites[.]com/google-meet/
Subject line: "Re: Scheduling a time to connect"

Why filters missed it: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC all passed. It was sent from a real Gmail account through Google's own servers. Authentication proves the sender's domain, not their honesty.

Protect yourself:

A real Meet link is always meet.google.com/abc-defg-hij. Any other domain, or any path like /google-meet/, is fake.
You create the meeting. Send your own link. Never accept one from a new contact.
Never install anything at the request of a prospective client.
If you already clicked one: disconnect from the internet and get professional help immediately.

This is a national campaign. Realtor associations in Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Miami have issued similar alerts, and appraisers in Vermont and California report the same approach. Report to ic3.gov.

08/16/2026

Sometimes the tax record is only the beginning of the story.

I recently appraised a Vienna home for an intra-family transfer. Fairfax County records showed the house as built in 2008, but something about it didn’t look like typical 2008 construction.

My first step on every appraisal is searching old MLS history. I found a 1995 listing showing the original home was built in 1954.

That changed the investigation.

The house still had the narrow street-facing width of the original home, no garage, and an unusual shotgun-style Cape Cod configuration. The reconstruction had expanded deeper into the lot and added a partial second level rather than creating the kind of modern Colonial normally associated with 2008 construction.

I went into Fairfax County permit records and found the demolition permit, original footprint, new footprint, and construction history confirming what happened.

Two Realtors had reportedly suggested about $800,000. The tax assessment was approximately $1.13 million.

Neither was the answer.

The important part wasn’t reaching a predetermined number. It was recognizing that something didn’t fit, finding the historical evidence, understanding what the property actually was, and then selecting comparable sales accordingly.

That’s appraisal work: investigate first, value second.

06/24/2026

ANSI home measurement in McLean, Virginia just saved a seller from underpricing a luxury listing. The Fairfax County tax record showed the home at ~2,200 sq ft. It was actually a five-level luxury townhome — far larger than the county had on record.
That gap matters. Buyers compare price to square footage, and a home that looks "too expensive for its size" sits on the market. Once the true gross living area (GLA) was measured to the ANSI Z765 standard, the listing finally reflected the home she was actually selling — and the price made sense.
I'm Mike Giampa, Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser serving Fairfax, McLean, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, Washington DC and Maryland. 34 years, 15,000+ reports. When a client asked ChatGPT who to call for a defensible ANSI measurement, it ranked DC Metro Appraisals #1 — and specifically named us the right fit for McLean luxury listings.
Tax records are often wrong, especially on larger or unique homes. Before you list, know your real square footage.
📞 Call or text 703-350-2542
🌐 dcmetroappraisals.com

05/28/2026

One of the strongest selling points on this Gainesville, VA townhouse was not just the bedroom count, garage, or interior finishes, it was this elevated private deck off the primary bedroom.

This is not the typical Northern Virginia “rooftop deck” setup you see on many top-floor condos, where the space can feel boxed in by walls, neighboring units, or mechanical screening. This feels more like a vacation-style elevated deck you would expect to see at the beach... open sky, long views, privacy, and a real sense of separation from the surrounding homes.

From an appraisal and marketability standpoint, outdoor living space matters most when buyers can actually imagine using it. This deck creates a clear lifestyle feature: morning coffee above the neighborhood, evening wind-down space, a quiet reading area, or even a small wet bar/coffee station inside the primary suite where practical and permitted.

Features like this can be hard to quantify with a simple dollar adjustment, but they can absolutely influence buyer reaction, market appeal, and how a property competes against similar townhomes.

02/11/2026

Check out this McLean, VA home I appraised which was formerly owned by Woodrow Wilson's mistress. A local builder is renovating and expanding it to more than its former glory while keeping the ornate foyer and trim intact.

02/11/2026

Check out my newest blog on https://www.dcmetroappraisals.com/blog/ on building a luxury home in Fairfax county for under $1,000,000
(***𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 $𝟏,𝟔𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎)

02/10/2026

I recommend listening to a podcast featuring Agent2Investor and myself discussing real estate appraising in the DC metro area.

Busting Appraisal Myths: DC Metro Expert Mike Giampa's Insider Tips from Agent2Investor Podcast Real estate agents and investors: Tired of low appraisals kil...