Guessing that the other reviewers did not like the value he arrived at for their home (i.e., it was too low). As a banker, I see disappointment on the commercial side as well. Residential appraisals on older homes entail a multitude of variables, and during his site inspection it was apparent that he was on top of them all, and would be taking them into consideration - both on the plus and minus sides of the valuation ledger. An appraiser's job is not to provide a "made as instructed" value, but to come up with an independent valuation of a property. For older properties the task is made more difficult due to the unique nature of each property in the report - both the subject as well as all of the comparable homes included. At the end of the day the market dictates what a home is worth, and the last thing lenders (residential and commercial) want is an inflated value.