By Kate Merrihew, Director of Education and Marketing
If you ever have questions about how to measure an enormous home or calculate odd exterior angles, Stephanie Mynatt is a great place to start. She is a certified residential appraiser with her SRA. She has lived in Milton for 10 years and covers the appraisal market from Milton to Marietta. Stephanie earned her degree in insurance from UGA and continued working in the industry for about 8 years before becoming an appraiser. A born overachiever, she also got her real estate and broker’s license before deciding to have 3 babies at one time!
Stephanie is the mother to 13-year-old triplets – Addison, Aidan and Bryson – and has been married to her partner, Scott, for 23 years. On the weekends she can be found attending kids’ soccer games, drama performances and living her own childhood through her children. She loves to go to the beach and wants to take her kids out west or to NYC (Addison is itching to see a Braodway show). She mentioned that she “doesn’t really separate what I’d like to do with what I’d like to show my kids.” I’d say that attribute is what makes her a great trainer and instructor.
2022 marks Stephanie’s 20th year with DS Murphy, as well as her 1 year SRA designation anniversary! Her brother-in-law Coley also works as an appraiser for DS Murphy which, luckily, she thinks is fun. Stephanie is kind, caring and an open-book when it comes to sharing industry knowledge.
I asked Stephanie the following questions…
Q: What made you want to be an appraiser?
A: Scott and I bought our house about 6 months before getting married. Shortly after we closed on the house, a house 2 doors down had a condemned sign pasted to the front door. We found out it was a hoarding situation and made an offer for what the land was worth. We didn’t know how bad a shape it was in and found there was a huge hole in the back of the house open to the elements. It had steel joists so structurally it was in great shape. After buying and re-doing this home we fell in love with investment properties. I took an investment class at John Adams and met Scott Murphy. Got to talking and the rest is history.
Q: What would you like to do when you are no longer appraising?
A: Travel. Hang out at home and take some big trips. Scott has never been to Europe.
Q: What the weirdest thing you have come across when inspecting/appraising?
A: I went to condo in a “not-so-great” part of town. I was given the address, couldn’t find the door in the building – #10. I went up and down hallways looking for #10 and I couldn’t find it. One door I kept passing had been kicked in and the door was on the ground. That place had been stripped – cabinets, plumbing. I lifted up the door and that was the one I was there to appraise. It was going to take more money to fix it than it was worth. I think it appraised for $20,000 or $30,000.
Q: Something no one knows about you?
A: Me and a friend run the swim team for the City of Milton – my kids are junior coaches. It used to be a country club and the city bought the club to turn the golf course into a park. We petitioned the city to let us run the swim team back in 2018. Our team has 4-18 year-olds. I love it because there is a place for everyone. We didn’t know what we were going to get (in terms of attendance) but we went from 70 participants in 2018 to 215 this past year. If you need me in May or June, I’m at the pool.
Q: What words of wisdom can you share with the team?
A: Check your data. Check your data. Check your data – just because your property is listed in Compflo or tax records, don’t take it as gospel.