Lanier Appraisal Service

06/28/2025

As many of you know we retired end of last year. We are enjoying our new phase of life. You may also know that our business name and online presence was acquired by Pendley & Pendley Appraisers out of Cu***ng. www.pendleyappraisers.com

The contact there is Matt Nixon. It has been a good business decision for us both. They have years of both Lake Lanier and off lake appraisal experience including Commercial experience. We have had good comments from the referrals we have sent their way. We selected this Company for a reason; to carry our good name forward and it has been a success!

We miss you all and wish you much success in your respective businesses.

Pendley & Pendley Appraisers specializing in residential, lake lanier and commercial property appraisals in North Georgia, Forsyth and Hall County Georgia Appraisers

02/12/2025

We have been honored again with 2025 Best of Hall Appraiser Award. As most of you know owner Mary Thompson has retired. She selected Pendley & Pendley Appraisers https://pendleyappraisers.com/ to take over our Domain Names and Website because of their years of experience including the all important Lake Lanier properties. They also complete Commercial property appraisals.

We trust this Company to carry the good name of Lanier Appraisal Service forward into the future. 👍 contact them for all of your appraisal needs!

11/02/2024

Would love your vote. Thank you. One vote per person per day.

We are nominated in Best of Hall 2025! We would greatly appreciate your vote!

09/30/2024

It has been a great run! It is time to call it a day or 30+ years. We are officially retiring at the end of November!

We look forward to rest, relaxation and travel. Appraising Lake Lanier Properties has been one incredible adventure! We have seen some spectacular lakefront properties along our 30+ year journey.

We thank our Realtor friends for all of the referrals. (you know who you are). Along with our affiliation with The Hall County Board of Realtors which helped our business to thrive.

I want to especially thank my mentor in Real Estate Janis Wilson-My Broker when I started as a Realtor (God rest her soul) and Sue Kennedy who was my Appraiser Mentor for 5 years before we founded our own Company.

We wish for your health, happiness and prosperity in wherever your life takes you!

Humbly yours,

Mary & Chuck Thompson
Lanier Appraisal Service

08/02/2024

Yes, in 2024 gender bias still exists in our profession! Just heard from a Realtor that the owner's brother who has a partial interest in the estate property to be appraised, does not think women are "intellectually equal" to men. Since he thinks the property is worth well more than comps support, per the Realtor, he would not believe the validity of an appraisal compelted by a woman!

WOW, just WOW. Also went on to say he can be hostile toward women and it would not be safe for a female inside the home where he resides.

Glad for the heads up, sad for this poor man! Now they will get a MALE Appraiser and it is very likely he will not agree with his value either. Glad I dodged that bullet!

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06/19/2024

Now I have seen it all....Our Appraisal Software company is adding a feature which will FLAG Bias and Subjective words in our reports! SEE LIST OF SOME BELOW. This has gone off the rails. There have been many claims and lawsuits in the works against Appraisers nationwide and NOT ONE has resulted in an actual bias conviction. Only 1 Appraiser had to settle in California (no Bias was admitted or proven) as her E & O coverage would not spend more money in court and she lost her husband and daughter during the years long agony of her repuation being ruined. Turns out her Appraisal was the most accurate one, not the one that appraised for much higher!

BELOW ARE SOME WORDS THAT LENDERS/AMC'S/FANNIE/HUD HAVE DETERMINED TO BE OBJECTIONABLE:

Many of these words are used to describe the neighborhood which is REQUIRED by the LENDERS. Appraisers have nothing to do with the Forms we use. Front and center in the report is "NEIGHBORHOOD DESCRIPTION"

Diverse community: Really? What is wrong with this?
Master Bedroom, Master Bath
His and Hers Bathrooms-Really?
Female; Woman (no mention of Male or Men on that list)
Handicap
Inner City
Economical
Middle Income
Church, House of Faith or Worship
Walking Distance
Desirable-A Big No No-too subjective
Quality neighborhood
QUIET Neighborhood
Student
Mature
Senior
College
Affordable
AGE
Young
Baby
Crime Stats
Low Cost
Environment
Transient
Retired
Schools-Or Desirale Schools
Good Location
Graffiti
Hoarding
Homeless

Let's just say all neighborhoods are the SAME, which many would love because it means using Comparable sales in higher priced neighborhoods in order to artificially inflate values in markets that have been historically and currently selling for less for any number of reasons which has Nothing to do with the Appraiser, everything to do with the BUYERS Choices!

Okay rant over......

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06/01/2024

As a follow up to our last post that being 95% of our business is personal/private assignments....51% as of the end of May has been Lakefront Appraisals!

We appraise Lake Lanier properties every single week of the year. A claim I do not think any other Appraiser could make :)

Thank you for all of your referrals! We love lake property appraisals.

05/30/2024

A new record and one we intend to keep.....95% of our 2024 business so far has been personal appraisal requests (pre-listings, pre-sales, Estate-Date of Death Valuations, PMI Removal, Tax Appeals, ETC).

Lenders, HUD, Fannie and Freddie and their borrowers are becoming more and more risky for Appraisers to work for with lawsuits claiming BIAS on the rise. When values do not hit the number the borrowers need to close a loan they are now claiming the Appaiser was biased due to their race and SUING them; ruining their business and reputation.

Now I ask you WHY would any Appraiser put their license in jeapardy for a $400-$500 report fee. It has been illegal for decades to apply any sort of bias in the appraisal process....not to mention we appraise HOMES, NOT people.

Appraisers are the only party to the transaction that do not stand to gain financially upon the closing of a loan....We are the epitome of a NEUTRAL party to the transaction. Yet they are coming after us as we are seen as the gatekeepers to the process with loans being denied, sales falling apart. If you have no GATEKEEPER, borrowers have no protection against over paying or over borrowing and Lenders risk overlending and resulting foreclosures which cost them big money and losses.

Tail is wagging the dog when Lenders are actively PROMOTING ROV's with their borrowers (who are both financially invested in the outcome of the loan) to PUSH back and require Appraisers to review more sales, when they do not get the value they want. This is NOT how the process should work and will create another disaster in the real estate market.

Borrower should know that Many Lenders/AMC's are dropping Appraisers when they do not HIT their numbers.....only using those who play the game of hitting the numbers every time so lenders and borrowers can close loans.

We have seen this shift coming...and after years of working our business toward a 100% personal business-non lender goal, we are almost there!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REFERRALS OVER THE YEARS....IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED. WE LOVE PERSONAL APPRAISAL REQUESTS BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO ACTUALLY DO OUR JOB....ANALYZE THE MARKET AND PROVIDE MARKET BASED VALUATION REPORTS WITH NO PRESSURES FROM LENDERS/AMC/BORROWERS.

04/26/2024

Thank you to Realtors who provide awesome photos on their listings, INCLUDING taking photos of ALL sides of the home, plus a rear shot toward the home so we can see rear decks, screen porches, pools, etc. This is very helpful. On lake homes please remember to take photos of the lake from the HOME and from the dock area.

Thanks!

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