Company Profile

The appraisal firm of Wilcher, Gates & Associates, Inc. was started in 1980 by Loran Leggett and was originally known as Leggett & Associates, Inc. The company was one of the first fee appraisal firms in Macon, and is now one of the largest in Middle Georgia in terms of number of appraisers and production outside the metro Atlanta area.

Company strengths are experience, education and service. The staff of 8 appraisers haveyears of combined experience in residential and commercial appraising. All appraisers are Certified or Licensed with the State of Georgia and in good standing. Seven appraisers have four year college degrees, and two have member designations with the Appraisal Institute.

Appraisers have extensive knowledge of mortgage lending underwriting guidelines and are on most secondary mortgage market lender approved lists.

The company offers a wide range of real estate appraisal and consulting services. Our clients are commercial banks, mortgage brokers, credit unions, lawyers, accountants, state highway department, and individual property owners. The company carries errors and omissions insurance (E & O), and is a member of the Macon Board of Realtors, Macon Multiple Listing Service, Macon-Bibb County Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, and Home Builders Association of Macon, Mortgage Bankers Associates of Middle GA. Client references are available upon request.

RESIDENTIAL APPRAISAL AREAS:

Counties: Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Crawford, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, Wilkinson, Upson

COMMERCIAL APPRAISAL AREAS:

Motel/Hotel (Hospitality) assignments:
Entire Southeast United States

All other assignments:
State of Georgia.

Appraisers

M. TAL WILCHER, JR., MAI, CCIM - Principle; received his BBA in Real Estate from the University of Georgia in 1973, and has been a real estate appraiser since 1973. Holds the MAI, SRA, and RM member designations from the Appraisal Institute, the CCIM member designation from the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute, and a State Certified General appraiser classification. Areas of work include all forms of retail, offices, general commercial, large multi-family, industrial, hospitality, litigation, condemnation, and vacant land.

JOSEPH M. GATES, III - Principle, received his BBA in Management from Georgia College in 1978, and has been a real estate appraiser since 1981. Holds a State Certified General appraiser classification. Areas of work include conventional and FHA single and multi-family residential, general commercial, industrial and vacant land.

HOYT S. BAILEY - Associate; received his MBA from Georgia College in 1974, and has been a real estate appraiser since 1991. Holds a State Licensed appraiser classification, and an EAC designation from the National Society of Environmental Consultants. Areas of work include conventional and FHA single and multi-family residential, commercial, and vacant land. Prior work experience included extensive real estate lending and portfolio management with large lending institutions.

D. KEITH SMITH - Associate; received his BBA from Georgia College in 1982, and has been a real estate appraiser since 1998. Holds the State Licensed appraiser classification. Prior work includes 15 years in the banking business with extensive experience in lending, collections and management. Area of current appraisal work is single family residential.

KEMA D. RYLES - Associate; Kema Ryles has been a real estate appraiser since 1988 and holds the State of Georgia Licensed Appraiser classification. Areas of work include conventional, VA, single & multi-family residential, and vacant land.

Lisa L. Coke - Associate; received her BA from Mercer University in 1981. She received her Masters from Mercer University in 1982. Was employed at Macon-Bibb County Board of Tax Assessors Office from 9/86 to 05/02. Left office as Assistant Chief Commercial Appraiser.

H. Chris Causey - Associate; has been a real estate appraiser since 1984. Holds a Certified General Appraiser classification for the State of Georgia. Areas of work include retail, office, general commercial office/warehouse, multi-family, industrial, condemnation, vacant land and subdivision development.