What should an appraiser do if there are no applicable antidiscrimination laws during a valuation assignment?

The correct action for an appraiser in this situation is to follow the prohibitions outlined in USPAP. The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) establishes ethical guidelines and performance standards for appraisers, which are designed to ensure that appraisals are conducted in a fair and impartial manner, regardless of the existence of specific antidiscrimination laws in a given jurisdiction.

Even if there are no local laws that mandate nondiscriminatory practices, USPAP requires appraisers to uphold ethical standards that prohibit discrimination and promote integrity in their work. This means that appraisers should still maintain a commitment to ethical behavior, ensuring that their analyses, conclusions, and opinions are objective and based solely on relevant data without allowing personal biases or external pressures to affect their judgments.

Ultimately, adherence to USPAP fosters trust in the appraisal profession and helps to protect consumers, contributing to the overall fairness of the real estate market. Thus, following USPAP prohibitions is a fundamental responsibility of an appraiser, emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations in all valuation assignments.