Stephen Passy

A part of the Missouri Auction School, 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, the Certified Appraisers Guild of America is North America's # 1 trainer of personal property appraisers. On an annual basis, it trains more personal property appraisers than any other organization in North America. The Guild has been instrumental in helping to standardize the personal property appraisal profession. The members of the Certified Appraisers Guild form a network of valuable appraisal contacts throughout the United States and Canada.

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 completing the certification program. There are no 'grandfathered' or 'Associate' members that have not completed the training and exam. Each member has completed the course work required to be certified by the Guild.

The training each member is required to complete, includes the uniform standards of personal property appraisal practice and appraisal report writing. Special areas of emphasis in training include Internal Revenue Service appraisal requirements, estate and gift appraisals, charitable donation appraisals, bankruptcy appraisals, insurance appraisals, appraisals for divorce, and casualty loss appraisals. In addition, each member is required to attend our courtroom expert witness seminar with special emphasis on appraisals for courts and testifying in court.

The Certified Appraisers Guild of America confers the professional membership designation CAGA to recognize the completion of the appraiser's certification education. Members are professionals who have completed the certification process. In addition, the members have made a commitment to the Certified Appraisers Guild's Code of Professional Ethics and to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.

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 a professional personal property 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
• You should confirm with the appraiser that the appraiser's report can be defended in court if needed

1. The Appraiser shall obtain the relevant facts relating to the subject property to form the final conclusion of value.
2. All formal appraisal reports shall be in writing signed by the Appraiser.
3. The Appraiser shall disclose any interest in the subject property and will accept an appraisal assignment only if the appraisal can be performed without bias.
4. The Appraiser shall maintain the confidential nature of the appraisal report. The contents of the report shall not be disclosed without consent of the client or by court order.
5. The fee charged by the Appraiser shall be independent of the value in the report.
6. The Appraiser shall maintain respect for others in the appraisal profession.