Too often we are offered an “appraisal” of our purchase. But what exactly is a Certified Appraisal?

The Certified Appraisers Guild of America is a professional accrediting organization providing certification of personal property appraisers, with members in 49 states and 6 Canadian Provinces. Each member is required to attend professional training and pass a comprehensive exam before becoming certified. No one is allowed to be a member of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America without the certification program.

What to look for in a Professional Personal Property Appraisal Report?

With the government, courts, judges, banks, attorneys, accountants, insurance representatives and other professionals examining more closely the personal property appraisal report, it is important to know what to expect from your appraisal report.

Here are a few points that a professional report should have:

• A complete and accurate description of the property,
• Analysis of the factors affecting value reflecting the appraiser’s research in accordance with the standards required by government authorities
• A definition of value appropriate to the type of appraisal
• A value for the property appraised substantiated by the report analysis
• The appraiser’s qualification page
• The appraiser’s signature
• The appraiser’s statement that the appraiser does not have a financial interest in the property.