A Maryland realtors' association is investigating after homeowners in a majority Black community reported multiple cases of alleged appraisal discrimination, leaving home values in the area thousands of dollars lower than what similar properties in nearby communities are worth. The Prince George’s County Association of Realtors sent surveys to more than 3,000 realtors in the county to assess their experiences with appraisal bias. Although fewer than 500 of those surveys have been turned in, Black homeowners in the community shared their individual experiences with alleged appraisal discrimination with local news station WUSA9. Homeowner Jacqulyn Priestly told the news station her almost 9,000 square-foot home in Bowie, Maryland, that her family built from the ground up ended up appraising for lower than the cost to build it. “In neighboring counties, we’re seeing the exact same builder with the same style home, and [their] homes are worth twice as much,” Priestly said. Read more