A valued service

Accurate Appraisal, Inc.’s Officer Manager Julie Adams and Operations Manager Ashlee Horton pose for a picture outside the company’s new location, 9146 Fenton Road. The new office opened on Jan. 30. Photo by Amanda Braniecki GRAND BLANC — Recently relocating, Accurate Appraisals, Inc. is looking to add more value to the area as the company continues to expand.

Previously located in Holly’s historical district, Accurate Appraisals is now setting up roots in Grand Blanc with a new location at 9146 Fenton Road that opened on Jan. 30.

Office Manager Julie Adams said the move was one they had been considering for some time before the opportunity to purchase their current building actually arose.

“At our old location in Holly, we were in a retail district,” Adams said. “We were looking to get out of that and this building was available. All the pieces fit.”

President Lonnie Heward founded Accurate Appraisals in 1999, working out of an addition he added onto his garage.

“The space was small and heated by a wood stove,” Operations Manager Ashlee Horton recalled. “When I first started, we had about 400 files and we have grown to more than 1,100 files just for last year.”

With eight appraisers on staff, Accurate Appraisals offers residential, property tax and commercial property appraisals for all of southeast Michigan.

“We are an extremely high volume shop because of our staff,” Adams said. “Most appraisal companies just have one guy working at home with his laptop on the couch.”

Turning over files within four days, Adams said their qualified staff helps set them apart from other appraisal companies in the area and throughout the state.

“Our appraisers are all knowledgeable of the area they appraise in,” Adams said. “We don’t have them working outside their jurisdiction or comfort zone.”

For homeowners wishing to find the value of their property themselves, they may purchase from Accurate Appraisals a new product known as Collateral Valuation Report (CVR). Adams said CVR can generate a value of ones home based off of statistical modeling of other properties in the area.

“We do a little bit of everything around here,” Adams said. “We are always looking for more ways to provide quality service for our customers.”

In addition, the company also offers real estate services with Heward being a real estate broker. Horton and Adams also have their Realtor licenses.

“I’m finding out that offering real estate services is not so common anymore (in appraisal companies),” Adams said. “When appraisers first started getting licenses it was real common for (real estate) agents to do appraisals because there was no one else to do it.”

Those interested in an appraisal are encouraged to stop by the completely remodeled new office, Horton said.

“People are more than welcome to just stop in or they can call, e-mail us, whichever they prefer,” Horton said.

With the new space, Adams said they are currently looking to hire more appraisers and hope to expand their coverage area to the entire state of Michigan, the northern part of Georgia and the southern part of Tennessee.

Accurate Appraisals is open 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. on Saturdays and after hours by appointment.

For more information, visit www.accurateappraise.com or call 248-634-4632.