Racial bias often creeps into home appraisals. Here's what's happening to change that

Real estate appraiser Jack Sonceau (left) and his trainee, Devin Minnis, assess a house in Baltimore. (Shuran Huang for NPR)

Years of homeowner horror stories and a growing body of research has cast a harsh light on how frequently racial bias can skew home appraisals. It's an industry that's dominated by white men whose methods for valuing homes haven't changed much in decades.

Now there's an intensified a push to diversify and to revamp the appraisal process in ways supporters say could limit this discrimination.