Why would you want to select Lester Caplan as your appraiser, over some other appraiser who might even charge less and get the appraisal done faster?
Giftedness, Experience and Education
Giftedness is required because the appraisal process is a combination of both art & science. The appraiser utilizes many technological and mathematical tools. However there is still a part of appraisal process that requires subjective analysis of the market data. Simply stated the market data and statistics gathered still need to be interpreted. This requires discernment and judgment. Each individual person is created with unique aptitudes, personality and giftedness. My personal giftedness is a very strong ability to discern and judge. I also have a very strong giftedness and ability to teach. This discernment giftedness gives me the ability to interpret market data and understand the motivations of buyers and sellers in the market and accurately estimate what influences different property characteristics have on market value. With my teaching ability and giftedness I am able to transfer that information into a concise, creditable report that is understandable to the reader.
Experience is something that there is no substation for. There is no short cut to receiving experience. Useful experience also requires a diversity of challenging experiences. I am the owner of American Valuation Company and have been a Real Estate Appraiser since 1982. I now have over 32 years of very diversified appraisal experience. There are very few appraisal experiences and situations that I have not yet encountered. I have trained dozens of other appraisers and still mentor several appraisers, so I have the collective experience of the supervision of these appraisers and the appraisal problems they encounter. I have a wide range of experience which includes residential & commercial/industrial Real Estate appraisal, review appraisal for several major lenders. Also I served as the contract chief appraiser for two mortgage banks. I have much experience performing litigation appraisals for court use and have been an expert witness and approved to give testimony in Superior Court, Municipal Court, Family Court and Tax Court. I have property tax appeal experience and represented property owners at over 90 property tax appeals where I appeared before the County Tax Appeal Board. Through the years I have serviced the Southern California Real Estate Community and have been approved by over 300 direct funding lenders throughout the USA. My appraisal work has been accepted by the most rigorous and demanding lenders in the country. My reputation among my peers and clients is that I am known for producing the highest quality appraisals with the highest quality control ratings from several fee panel management companies. My specialty is the appraisal of complex, high value properties. Often I perform proposed construction appraisals of residential and commercial/industrial Real Estate projects. There is almost no type of property that I have not had experience appraising. My experience makes me the “go to” appraiser of choice for the other Real Estate Professions and the Legal and Tax professional communities.
Educational requirements for the state certified general appraisal designation are very extensive. There are four levels of appraisal license. Trainee License, Licensed appraiser, Certified Residential License and Certified General License. I am the owner of the American Valuation Company and I have the highest level of appraisal license available. I am a California State Certified General Appraiser, License number AG001751 and have had the CA State Certified General Appraiser Designation since 1991 and was among the first 100 people in the State of California to receive this highest designation in the State. Lester Caplan is current on all continuing education requirements.
These are the current requirements needed to obtain a CA State Certified General appraisal license;
Bachelor’s degree or higher (in any
field) from an accredited college or university.
300 Hours of college level specific appraisal education covering 10 modules, including 15 hours National USPAP.
A minimum 3,000 hours supervised training by a certified appraiser encompassing at least 30 months of acceptable experience. At least 1,500 hours of the experience must be non-residential.
Pass the comprehensive Certified General Appraisal Exam.
Upon Completion of the above requirements a CA State Certified General appraiser is qualified to perform all real estate appraisals without regard to property type, transaction value or complexity. After receiving the CA State Certified General Appraisal License the Licensed appraiser must obtain 58 hours of approved college level appraisal education every four years to maintain the license.