What is a senior or certified equine appraiser?

Tracy is a Senior member with the American Society of Equine & Agricultural Appraisers, Certified member (CAPP) with the International Society of Appraisers, and Accredited Senior member (ASA) with the American Society of Appraisers.

What is the difference between an Accredited Equine Appraiser and a Senior or Certified Equine Appraiser?
An Accredited Equine Appraiser is an entry level appraiser with the American Society of Equine Appraisers. It should be noted that there are no mandatory continuing education requirements and it is all done on a strictly volunteer basis. So, while an accredited appraiser may hold a valid and current appraisal membership, it does not necessarily mean they have completed all of the courses and programs set out by the appraisal organization.

A Senior Equine Appraiser member (the American Society of Equine Appraisers frowns upon the use of the term "certified") is an accredited member who has successfully completed professional appraisal courses (105 hours), has met the Appraiser Qualifications Board's Personal Property Appraisal Minimum Qualification Criteria (minimum 700 appraisal hours), has completed the 15-hour Uniform Standards of Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course, and is an appraisal society member in good standing. Senior Appraiser members are encouraged to meet the AQB Criteria's continuing education requirements every five years to retain their Senior status, but it is not mandatory.

Daventry Appraisal Services is committed to providing our clients with the most up-to-date and knowledgeable appraisers. As a result, we comply with all of the Appraiser Qualifications Board's Personal Property Appraisal Minimum Qualification Criteria. This includes attending a 7-hour USPAP updating course once every two years as well as 70 hours of continuing education every five years, which includes 20 hours of coursework related to valuation theory.

Our Senior Appraiser, Tracy Dopko, has gone one step further to ensure you receive the most thorough appraisal reports. In order to earn her Certified member designation with the International Society of Appraisers, Tracy was required to complete an intensive course in appraisal studies, pass two proctored examinations, and submit four different complex appraisal reports (totaling 175 pages) that were scrutinized by an appraisal review panel. Tracy is subject to a mandatory requalification process every 5 years, which includes completing a requalification course, submission of an appraisal report for review, and a minimum of 100 hours of professional development credits.

When hiring an appraiser, it is important to ask what kind of continuing education and courses an appraiser has taken. As markets are constantly changing, it is important that an appraiser keep themselves current.

You can read more about the various membership levels in Tracy's article, Choosing the Right Appraiser.