Jacksonville real estate appraisal firm Hotaling Moody & Associates Real Estate Valuation and Advisory launched Jan. 1 to reflect a shift in focus and ownership as Michael Hotaling took control of the business founded by Ron Moody, who has 53 years of experience in the industry.
Most recently known as Moody Williams Appraisal Group, the company has rebranded and introduced a new logo and marketing materials.
“Our firm has built a reputation for credibility and problem solving,” said Hotaling, president and owner of the rebranded firm based on the Downtown Southbank, in a news release.
The firm remains based in Suite 640 in the Riverplace South office building at 1300 Riverplace Blvd.
“As we continue to grow and expand throughout the southeastern United States, we want our brand to reflect where we came from and who we are today,” said the release.
The rebranding reflects the change in ownership with Hotaling’s purchase of the firm. It launched a new website, hotalingmoody.com.
The firm provides residential, commercial and litigation appraisal services across Florida and the Southeastern United States.
The website said its appraisal services include all types of commercial, residential, industrial, special purpose properties, and litigation support services, including eminent domain cases, complex real estate issues, bankruptcies, divorce and appraisals for estate purposes.
The company announced that as part of the rebranding, Hotaling Moody & Associates merged with Megas Appraisal Group.
It said Anthony Megas has more than 33 years of experience with residential appraisals, including litigation support. Megas will lead the firm’s residential department.
The company said the changes come at a pivotal time as it continues to work with high-profile projects.
Previous commercial clients include the city of Jacksonville, the Downtown Investment Authority, the Jacksonville Armada, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, JEA and the University of North Florida.
The Hotaling Moody news release said the firm has completed hundreds of projects throughout Florida, Georgia and beyond.
“The firm has made a name for completing complicated projects within healthcare, office, sports-related, automotive, retail, industrial, marine-related, and government sectors. Hotaling Moody & Associates remains a trusted name in the industry,” the release said.
A brief recap
Moody graduated with a degree in business, focused on real estate, as part of the University of North Florida’s first graduating class in 1974.
Moody found his career by taking a program elective at UNF, “a very basic real estate course.” At first, he was intrigued, then fully embraced the program and graduated with a degree in business, focused on real estate.
During his fourth year of college, he worked for appraiser Stewart Steeg and upon graduation, joined Steeg and Lampe Appraisal Associates and stayed five years.
He then helped establish Broom, Cantrell, Moody & Johnson followed in 1982 as a founding partner of Broom, Moody, Johnson & Grainger Inc., for which he eventually was CEO.
In 2015, he started Moody Appraisal Group LLC, which was rebranded in 2020 to Moody Williams Appraisal Group.
In 2023, Ron Moody sold his interest in Moody Williams to Hotaling, who joined Moody Appraisal Group in 2018.
Hotaling became a partner in 2022 and subsequent owner of Moody Williams Appraisal Group.
LinkedIn shows that Mark Williams previously was president of Moody Williams Appraisal Group through November 2025, then became owner of Coastal Valuation & Realty Inc.
The present
Hotaling, 58, said in an interview Dec. 22 that he joined Moody Appraisal Group in 2018 and became managing partner when he bought out Moody’s portion of the firm in May 2023.
Moody, 74, said he has ratcheted down his work to 35 hours a week and specializes in litigation support. He gravitates to the owner’s side in eminent domain, where a government agency takes property for the public good.
Moody said he likes the litigation work.
“Few appraisers are willing to go before a judge” and testify to their valuations.
“I enjoy it. It is something we like doing. That part of the business is really good.”
Hotaling said he takes more of the commercial work while also working on the eminent domain side.
Megas is providing appraisal and litigation work on the residential side.
Hotaling said Moody focuses on the Jacksonville market.
Hotaling holds licenses in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. He said he has worked north to Washington, D.C., south to Key West and west to Texas.
He would like the firm to encompass the Southeastern U.S. over the next couple of years. To that end, he is talking with representatives in Gainesville and St. Augustine and in Savannah, Georgia.
“We do work in St. Augustine already, but opening an office there would be handy,” Hotaling said.
Hotaling said there are national appraisal firms, and “we can go up against them.”
“They don’t scare us at all,” he said. “That is why expanding into new markets makes sense to build the business.”
Hotaling said he has been in the appraisal business for more than 20 years, coming from the car business before that.
He said when he came to Jacksonville from Orlando in 2005, he joined the Crenshaw Williams appraisal firm, and both had worked with Moody.
“At some time, our two firms where the two biggest firms in town,” he said.
Hotaling said the team now has 130 years of combined experience.
Downtown
Hotaling said the firm had done appraisals on many of the Downtown properties under development, such as the Shipyards.
“Now is a really good time,” Hotaling said, noting “all that is going on Downtown.
Moody had a front-row seat before and during the pandemic. He served on the DIA for seven years, from 2015 through 2022, including two years as chair in 2020-21.
Moody set up his firm in the Southbank building in 2015.
“We strategically located in this area,” Moody said.
Hotaling said the firm likes operating on the Southbank and will stay Downtown “for sure.”