Black homeowner’s appraisal doubles after white friend steps in
Indiana’s Carlette Duffy was shocked to see her home value double after she had a white pal replace her for an appraisal.
An Indiana woman was shocked to see her home appraisal value double after she stripped her home of Blackness and had a white friend replace her during an appraisal.
Carlette Duffy said she had two previous appraisals conducted, which saw her home valued at between $110,000 and $125,000. The home — which is located in the historic Flanner House Homes neighborhood west of downtown Indianapolis — was appraised again with her white friend present.
The new appraisal amount was $259,000.
Duffy told the Indianapolis Star she felt relieved and angry. “I had to go through all of that just to say that I was right, and that this is what’s happening,” she said. “This is real.”
The woman has since filed fair housing complaints against the mortgage lenders and appraisers who did the initial appraisals. She has the support of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana.
The complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, alleges that appraiser Tim Boston, appraiser Jeffrey Pierce, CityWide Home Loans, employee Craig Hodges, lender Freedom Mortgage and two of the company’s employees violated fair housing laws.
Read More: Black N.C. softball player, 16, told to cut hair by umpires at game
The appraisers, Duffy’s complaint said, purposely pulled comps that were unfair and racially motivated. Boston, one of the respondents, denied the allegations, saying his appraisal report was data-driven.
Duffy had her home appraised to refinance it and use some of the equity to buy her late grandmother’s home and renovate it. She said she sensed “red flags” during the appraisal process and challenged Boston with additional documentation. He denies that claim.
According to Duffy, friends and family encouraged her to consider if racism played a part in the appraisals.
Read More: Simon Guobadia offers $50K if fans can find proof of cheating in marriage
“I staged my home to look as ethnically neutral as possible,” she said. “I was just numb to it, and I think it was more so numb just because it was me just going through the process, like I’m not crazy. I’m not crazy. I’m not crazy.”
In February of this year, a Black couple in Marin City, California went viral after sharing the story that their home was undervalued by more than $500,000 when they got a second appraisal. They had white friends pose as the owners of their home as well.
Homeownership is one of the greatest ways for families to build generational wealth. The Brookings Institution found that racial disparities in home prices reveal a national trend of widespread discrimination, further deepening the wealth gap, even among homeowners.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!
The post Black homeowner’s appraisal doubles after white friend steps in appeared first on TheGrio.
