Avoiding Bias. How do other investors do it?

[Ron Brady]

A CA couple is suing an appraiser for what they assert is a lowball appraisal: https://www.washingtonpost.com... For a second appraisal, they removed all hints that a black couple lived in the home and they asked a white friend to meet the appraiser.

We do this! My wife is very fair skinned. Me, not so.  When we get our properties appraised, hold open houses for potential tenants in our rentals or market our rentals online, my wife is always our front person.  I make sure I am nowhere to be seen because of my darker skin.  While we know that MOST people are not racist, because we seek to secure top value for our properties--we also realize that SOME people are.  If a potential tenant will pay top dollar or an appraiser will value our house differently if they don't realize that we are black, then we have no issue renting to or getting an appraisal from someone who has a racial bias.  If they do not know we are black, they cannot use their bias against us.

I'm curious if any other investors here engage in similar posturing to get around the potential biases of some appraisers, renters, partners, banks, etc?

[Matt M.]

@Allen L.

Just because you expected the appraisal to be higher, has nothing to do with the skin color of your tenants. Maybe you just thought your house was worth more than It is.