Bay Area home appraiser must pay $75K, watch ABC7 documentary in discrimination settlement agreement

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- A Bay Area appraiser is ordered to pay a couple $75,000 and watch the ABC7 News documentary "Our America: Lowballed" as a part of a settlement agreement. On Thursday, ABC7 news confirmed the couple is Ron and Dominique Curtis-the East Bay family prominently featured in the ABC7 News Documentary "Our America: Lowballed."

The Curtises were trying to refinance the loan on their Oakland home in 2020 to take advantage of historically low interest rates. The home was appraised at $900,000--$254,000 lower than it has appraised for earlier that year. The lower-than-expected appraisal forced the refinance application to ultimately fall through. The Curtises believed that racial bias was a factor.

Ron Curtis joined our Julian Glover on Midday Live with his reaction to the settlement agreement. He gave advice for other families facing appraisal discrimination in the Bay Area. "My advice would be to document and to gain as much support as you can, and make sure you reach out to Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California," Curtis said. He also recommended reaching out to a real estate professional who may be able to help.

The Curtises had access to the multiple listing service (MLS) because Ron serves as a licensed real estate broker and Dominique, at the time, was in the process of training to become and appraiser. The Curtises used that information to file a 60-page rebuttal asking for a reconsideration of value and a second appraisal. The family took issue with the properties used in the appraisal report as comparable homes. Several of the properties were blighted with boarded-up windows, a caved-in garage and bricks lining a roof to hold shingles in place.

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