Introduction
The Certified Appraisers Guild of America is the result
of the recognition of the need for certified professional
personal property appraisers. The Certified Appraisers Guild
grew out of the teaching of personal property appraisal
principals at the Missouri Auction School.
History
Founded in 1905, the Missouri Auction School from its
beginning taught personal property appraisal principles. For
nearly a century, it has provided personal property
appraisal training as part of its curriculum. It has been
recognized world wide for its quality training programs by
such organizations as Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal,
Smithsonian Magazine, the Times of London, England and ABC,
CBS, CNN and NBC news.
It recognized that both the government and the private
sector were becoming more demanding concerning the practices
of the personal property appraisal profession. It expanded
and added to its appraisal program to form the Certified
Appraisers Guild of America.
A National Appraisal Organization
The Certified Appraisers Guild of America is a
professional accrediting organization providing
certification of personal property appraisers. With members
in 49 states, 6 Canadian Provinces and England, 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 the world. 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.
Membership Requirements
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.
Educational Standards
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 the training include Internal Revenue
Service appraisal requirements, estate and gift appraisals,
charitable donation appraisals, bankruptcy appraisals,
insurance appraisals, appraisals for divorce, and casualty
loss appraisal. In addition, each member is required to
attend our courtroom expert witness seminar with special
emphasis on appraisal for courts and testifying in court.
Certification
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 Standards of Professional
Appraisal Practice.
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 a professional personal property appraisal report.
Here are a few points that a professional report should
have:
