I am going to rent out my townhome and am a first time landlord so I am coming here for a second opinion.

Any opinions about other available providers?

Just an opinion.  

I understand I will have to confirm any opinions with a local engineer or land surveyor. 

Of course cold calling only goes uphill from there but it is a necessary evil in my opinion.

If you're not interested in income rental real estate than notes would be your second best option in my opinion.  

Even that can be difficult, in my opinion, as it requires you get gross rents of about $1700/month, which is pretty high for many areas of the country, including yours I would wager.  

In my opinion it's not worth the risk of losing your shirt by not knowing the actual numbers.ARV - Repairs Formula:  $200k (arv) - $75k (repairs) - $20k (carrying) - $40k (profit) = $65k (67.5% off)% Off ARV Formula : $200k (arv) * 50% off = $100k (You would lose your shirt)

The main factor here in my opinion are junk fees.  

If you pull comps and write your letter, the appraisal does not have to change his Opinion of Fair Market Value, however he should/has to within the report address why your sales were not utilized and or why they are not considered reasonable comparable alternatives.