As a state certified residential real estate appraiser since 2002 and FHA approved, I am also an attorney licensed in Louisiana, Connecticut and New York. In a 'previous life' I wrote legal opinions for judges. The same focus on clarity, detail, and accuracy required in the legal profession ensures competent, thorough and precise appraisals in a specialized market like New Orleans.  You've got to know the unique modifiers that affect value in areas of Jefferson Parish vs. some areas of St. Tammany Parish in New Orleans. In short, an almost legal degree of commitment ensures not only appraisal reports that are well ordered, easier to read and understand, but also that they're logical and rational in their opinion of value, with well-supported evidence for the opinion.