Facing an important issue that requires the assistance of an appraiser, from filing estate taxes to determining the worth of unusual items for insurance replacement, it has always paid to trust only those appraisers with advanced appraisal credentials and USPAP compliance. A recent Ninth Circuit Court Ruling (Estate of Kollsman vs. Commissioner) establishes that appraisals by unqualified sources, in this case an auction house that provided no supporting evidence for their val

Many lifetimes ago I briefly worked for a guardianship trustee who dealt with difficult, disorganized estates and trusts that could not be settled due to very sudden illnesses and deaths. My job was to inventory the households as quickly as possible under duress with decidedly more unusual circumstances than I was used to in an auction house, where normally the family is the consignor and is involved with the sale of the estate.  One case I was privy to involved a woman with

People should ask a lot of questions of appraisers! We perform an important service that in many cases must hold up to legal or governmental scrutiny, and our ethics, training, and background are crucial. Here are some of my answers to some of the following questions that are posted on the website of the International Society of Appraisers: What qualifies you to appraise my property?  Each ISA appraiser completes an appraisal methodology course and is tested for competency, i