By Kate Merrihew, Director of Education and Marketing
If the D.S. Murphy crew ever decides to take on survival challenges for team building, I know who I want on my team. Jared May takes pride in his ability to walk into the woods with nothing but his bare hands and come out unscathed, provided there are no random bobcat attacks, but maybe even then!
Jared was born in Ohio but moved to Georgia at age 6. His father started out in industrial engineering and construction work but decided to branch off on his own. He and his wife (a real estate agent) started the family business, commercial roofing. Jared actually worked for the family business after college but found that travelling to a new state every 2 weeks got tiresome and left little time to wander in the mountains. After a full high school activities schedule of track, golf and volleyball, Jared attended Auburn University. There he studied Psychology and always felt called by the outdoors and the mental health opportunities within.
Jared met his wife, Morgan, “the old-fashioned way,” he joked. Morgan was visiting a friend at Auburn and they met in a bar. He knew that the commercial roofing gig would not last long because he wanted to be home more often and craved the stability.
It’s important to mention that Scott and Kevin are not the only D.S. Murphy team brothers, and if you’ve played cornhole at a company reunion, you are well aware of this fact. The May brothers have a made quite a name for themselves in the tournament. They both attended Auburn and Jared got into appraisal because his brother Ryan, was already working at D.S. Murphy. His mother joked that she has a “city mouse and a country mouse” in Ryan and Jared. He remarked that, “Ryan and I have similar personalities and sense of humor but the rest is opposite.” The appraisal industry fit Jared’s desire to be closer to home but remain flexible for outdoor pursuits. He recalls that his favorite books in life have reflected that love – The Old Man and the Sea and Call of the Wild, to name a couple.
In addition to the outdoors, Jared has a love for dogs. He mentioned that appraisal is also the right career for him because he “gets to meet new dogs almost every single day.” Jared and Morgan are currently parents to Fenrir, named for the gigantic wolf of Norse mythology. Fen was found in the middle of the road in North Georgia at 9 weeks old. Jared cut his trip short to bring Fen to the vet and prepare his home for a new family member. In addition to their own rescue dog, he and his wife work with AHIMSA house to provide a foster home for dogs as their families get back on their feet. He informed me that many animals are displaced in situations where the family cannot care for them simply because of their temporary status. AHIMSA’s program aims at reuniting families with their animals once their situation has improved.
Jared’s wife has joined in his passion for fostering. They currently live in Forsyth but are looking to continue moving towards points north as Morgan works in the athletics department at UNG. Their current home is the 2nd property that Jared has renovated with the intent to sell. They hope the next location will be more permanent. Jared also spoke of his identity as a “maker.” His hobbies define his character. They include (but certainly are not limited to) woodworking, metal-working and baking (specifically sourdough, a post-covid acquisition). He can also make a fire with no tools at all.
Jared started at D.S. Murphy in February of 2017 with Team Durden and the flexible nature of appraisal has allowed him to continue with many of his hobbies. I wonder what he will pick up next!
I asked Jared the following questions…
Q: What made you want to be an appraiser?
A: Mainly just the stability of being able to come back to my home office every day paired with the flexibility that it allows for other outlets and hobbies.
Q: What would you like to do when you are no longer appraising?
A: That’s a tough one, because I would contemplate doing woodworking, setting up shop at a farmer’s market. I could also commit to making knives and axes – tools that aren’t as readily available. It’s hard to do just one thing when your interests change daily. Probably just spend more time outside, that would be the best bet.
Q: What the weirdest thing you have come across when inspecting/appraising?
A: I feel like there have been so many scenarios. There was a time that we found a burned, graffitied doll nailed to the side of the house. That was the spookiest for sure. I had a basement where it was wall to wall terrariums of snakes and lizards. I also had a woman yell at me from a different house across the way to “stop bothering her babies” as I noticed she was surrounded by 12 Yorkies. Oh, and I got to see a fallout shelter from a legitimate prepper. I think it was also the one where the plat map was a blur and ID was redacted on public records. Very difficult to get information but very interesting.
Q: Something no one knows about you?
A: The primitive survival stuff is probably something no one knows about me. I could walk into the woods with just my hands and be just fine. It’s a family joke that I was “raised by wolves” – kid of a feral child, I was always outside.
Q: What words of wisdom can you share with the team?
A: Stay consistent and all the bad appraisers out there will make you look good. Also, pet every dog you meet – done. (But ask the owners first, don’t want you to get sued at your next inspection)
**The following testimonial was sent to Scott by a client, in regard to Jared’s performance.
“I would like to express my gratitude for the exceptional level of one of DS Murphy’s appraisers!
Recently, I found myself in a rather challenging situation with my client on the seller’s side when the appraisal report was $30,000 lower than the contracted price with 3 comps and just a few adjustments. This adverse circumstance generated great frustration and stress for both ends of the transaction. The buyer had to switch to a different lender, and I was quite concerned about the prospects of the deal.
However, when I learned about our new appraiser from DS Murphy, I had a sense of relief and I was confident that everything would work out fine.
The buyer’s agent and I are profoundly grateful for the diligence and professionalism exhibited by Jared May. His report was delivered on time, and he provided us with a broad selection of comparable properties that supported the contract price.
As an agent, I must say that we genuinely appreciate the quality that DS Murphy brings to the field of real estate. Your exemplary work has helped us resolve issues, close deals and mitigate challenges that may have been insurmountable.
Thank you for all you do!”
- Julia Glaidsh, Keller Williams