AS: Appraisals should be colorblind, but appraisers aren't
But it also depends upon the perceived color of your face, no matter how much makeup you use.
NPR reported an example of what we might call "appraised while Black."
NPR is not alone. Recently, news organizations have reported story after story of houses getting appraised differently depending upon whether the appraiser encountered a white person or person of color at the door.
These racial disparities may occur because appraisers are people, too. And, despite appraisers' training and credentialing, as humans, appraisers are not less susceptible than the rest of us to implicit bias. That is, as humans, we carry stories in our minds that affect our judgment. Perhaps it’s also because there are few appraisers of color, as ABC News has reported.
Regardless, the differential appraisal of property results in people of color having less wealth than their whiter neighbors, even if their houses are identical.
