What is your affiliation to an appraisal organization?

I am an accredited member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA).  You can find my credentials here.

 

There are many appraisal organizations but only a few require members to take a series of intensive courses and pass tests before being admitted as “accredited” or “certified” members.  Membership with an appraisal organization is essential because it shows that the appraiser is involved with the profession, has peer recognition, has access to updated information, and is subject to a code of ethics and conduct.

 

What are your qualifications to appraise my property?

As an Appraisers Association of America Accredited Appraiser:

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• I have completed formal education in appraisal theory, principles, procedures, ethics and law.

• I remain current on the latest appraisal standards.

• I participate in continuing education and have been trained and tested to ensure their competence.

• I am a specialist in the type of property you want appraised and have the expertise to know how to value it correctly.

• I am compliant with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), the Congressionally-recognized set of appraisal standards promulgated by The Appraisal Foundation.

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Don’t all appraisers have similar qualifications?

The short answer is “no.”  Few states require any licensing of personal property appraisers.  Many appraisers have not completed any professional education or testing in appraisal principles or methodology.  Most are dealers with a bias to a particular market.  Your appraiser should be willing to verify their professional standing by their listing on the website of a respected national professional organization that trains, tests, and requires continuing education such as the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), Appraisers Association of America (AAA), and American Society of Appraisers (ASA).

 

What is your fee structure?

An hourly fee is charged for inspection, verbal approximation of value, research and report preparation, plus expenses such as authentication, travel and lodging.  Efficiency is the key to the appraisal process.  An appraiser should never charge a percentage of the appraised value or contingency fees as these practices are conflicts of interest.  Meticulous logs are kept of time spent and an itemized accounting will accompany your final invoice. 

 

The time to conduct an appraisal includes a personal inspection of the objects to be appraised, photography of the items, travel time, market research, and the generation of an Appraisal Report.  Most projects take under two hours per object but if the appraisal assignment is less than ten items, the cost per item may be slightly higher, as travel, set up and document preparation fees are better absorbed over a larger project.  We look forward to discussing your specific appraisal needs. 

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