A Black Indianapolis homeowner who had a nagging suspicion her house was low-balled during two appraisals in 2020 went to great lengths to conceal her

The value of a Black Indianapolis home more than doubled after she concealed her race.

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2021-05-18 02:21:03

A Black Indianapolis homeowner who had a nagging suspicion her house was low-balled during two appraisals in 2020 went to great lengths to conceal her race on a third. She removed photos of herself and her relatives and had a white friend pose as her brother for the appraiser’s home visit.

Duffy’s home, which was assessed by different companies in 2020, was first appraised at $125,000, then $110,000 and finally $259,000 in November, according to the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana. The nonprofit announced this month that it had filed housing discrimination complaints on Duffy’s behalf with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Amy Nelson, executive director of the group representing Duffy, said it's “heartbreaking” that the homeowner had to do so much to secure a fair appraisal.

“In order for the value of her home to be accurate, she had to remove herself completely from the home,” Nelson said Monday. “She was at first ecstatic that she did in fact get the value that she thought her home deserved. … But then almost immediately after, she was heartbroken with the fact of what she had to do in order to get that value.”