Consolidated Appraisal Co.

RESIDENTIAL DEPARTMENT

1. THE BROAD PICTURE

WHAT EVERY HOMEOWNER SHOULD KNOW

Your home probably represents your most valuable investment. You have furnished it carefully, giving time and energy to the acquisition of each and every item. Sooner or later the need for a professionally prepared appraisal of your property will arise, and you will want to consult with CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC., a leader in the field since 1917.

AN APPRAISAL FOR EVERY PURPOSE

Here at CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. we compile residence furnishings appraisals for a variety of reasons:

Insurance
Equitable distribution in a matrimonial matter
Gift tax
Charitable contributions
Estate planning
Estate taxes

AN APPRAISAL TO MEET EVERY NEED
CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. compiles appraisals nationwide. Wherever you live, we can provide you with complete property records and continuity of service.
CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. compiles appraisals of the structure of fine dwellings for insurance purposes. These residence construction reports are handled by building appraisers from our Industrial/Commercial Department.
CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. can either appraise the entire contents of your home or we can appraise a collection of items in your home. However, we are not geared to appraise only one or two items.
CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. selects its staff carefully. All of our general furnishings and fine-arts appraisers are members of one or more of the various appraisers' associations and are qualified to evaluate, not only the furnishings, silver, etc., routinely found in homes, but also to evaluate antiques and fine arts including paintings, sculpture, graphics, ceramics and rugs.
CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. employs specialists who can appraise unusual collections such as rare books, coins, antiquities, Oriental art, primitive, tribal and other ethnological art.
CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. can also appraise your jewelry, which is still another specialty. These reports are always compiled by our highly qualified jewelry appraisers. Jewelry reports can stand alone as a single appraisal or be included with the home-furnishings report.
CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. offers photography as a service upon request.

CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. welcomes your inquiry. Our administrative staff is always available to discuss your needs, offer expert advice, set a date for the appraisal and quote our fee. We have definite rate charges and minimum fees which vary according to geographical location.

RESIDENCE FURNISHINGS APPRAISALS

2. INSURANCE

HOW TO PREVENT FINANCIAL RUIN IN A DISASTER

You, the homeowner, are in a very vulnerable position. Fire, burglary, storms and floods, vandalism, burst pipes and breakage are facts of life. They cannot always be prevented. Yet if you are prepared for them, you can avoid a crippling financial loss. Here is a good plan to follow:

Accept the fact that it is your responsibility as a homeowner to take the necessary steps to protect your residence and its contents properly.
Choose an insurance broker or agent you have confidence in and discuss a sound insurance program with him or her in detail.
Consider taking out "Scheduled Fine Arts" insurance on your antiques and works of art. This is an excellent type of coverage with attractively low premiums. Our insurance appraisal reports clearly designate items which are insurable as fine art.
Talk to us here at CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. Learn the facts about the insurance appraisal and why it is one of the most important documents you will ever possess. Arrange to have an insurance appraisal made. Here's why:

THE BURDEN OF PROOF RESTS WITH YOU

Insurance contracts have stringent requirements which stipulate that, in filing a loss claim, the assured must provide a complete inventory along with the current value of each and every item. Today most insurance policies call for replacement costs-that is, the prices you would be expected to pay to replace particular articles in today's market. Current prices could be considerably more than you originally paid.

An insurance appraisal provides two key financial benefits:

It gives your broker or agent the basis for determining a sound insurance program for you so that you are not overinsured, which is wasteful, or underinsured, which is dangerous.
It gives you the evidence you need in black-and-white to prove loss claims with the knowledge that you will be quickly and equitably indemnified. There is another benefit, too-peace of mind around the clock.

COMPLETE PROTECTION BEGINS WITH US

Most of our clients are referred to us by insurance brokers and agents who recognize the important role an insurance appraisal plays in a total protection plan. We often work closely with the broker or agent during the appraisal process. Two copies of the appraisal are provided, one of which is usually sent to the broker or agent.

We keep a third copy of the appraisal in storage for safekeeping. Long after the appraisal is made, CONSOLIDATED APPRAISAL COMPANY, INC. is always available to answer questions regarding appraisal matters. Ongoing service is a vital part of our mission.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Whether you are a client of long standing or someone considering having an appraisal made for the first time, we encourage you to call our office to discuss your needs so that we can help you decide on the type of appraisal that is right for you and quote our fee. In the meantime, here are ten top questions we hear every day.

Q: How long has Consolidated Appraisal Company, Inc. been in business?

A: Consolidated Appraisal Company, Inc. was founded in 1917. It has been a family-owned business during its entire 89 year old history.

Q: Do you have offices in other locations?

A: Our only office is located in the Lincoln Building, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1464, New York, NY 10165. All arrangements for appraisals are made here. Please feel free to call us at 212-682-1650 or 800-770-3191.

Q: Do you compile appraisals outside the New York City area?

A: Yes, we compile appraisals nationwide and worldwide. In other words, our clients can depend on us to meet all their appraisal needs.

Q: How does your service work?

A: After a brief discussion with you, we assign the appraiser or appraisers who we feel are best suited for the job. The appraiser arrives at your home on the appointed day, usually meets with you for a brief discussion and makes a quick walk-through of the premises. Keep in mind that the appraiser is there to perform an important service for you and part of his or her job is to advise you judiciously.

In compiling an appraisal, our experts work quickly and efficiently. Their job is to produce a report with a complete descriptive inventory and appraisal. Pricing and any research necessary to determine current values are done later at the appraiser’s desk.

Q: Why is research necessary to complete an appraisal?

A: One reason is that appraisal standards, established by the various appraisal associations, have become much more stringent in recent years. Obviously, this benefits the client.

Secondly, a general fine arts appraiser has to cover many different subjects and keep track of trends in an ever-changing marketplace. For example, the field of Americana is enormously popular right now. Furniture, folk art and the work of previously unknown regional artists that has suddenly come to light require time and effort to appraise accurately.

To ascertain current values in every category, the fine arts appraiser has to research auction sales reports as well as trade journals and catalogs. The same holds true for our specialist appraisers.

Q: What do you appraise?

A: Our general fine arts appraisers are well qualified to appraise a wide spectrum of European and American antiques, paintings, sculpture, prints, china, silver, crystal, ceramics and fine carpets, as well as contemporary art and home furnishings.

We also employ specialists who appraise jewelry and other unusual collections as listed at the beginning of this section under “An Appraisal to Meet Every Need”. In recent years photography has grown in popularity, and we have an excellent photography appraiser who assesses these collections for us.

Q: Do I have to be home the entire time the appraisal is being made?

A: Absolutely not. Many people postpone having an appraisal made because they feel they will be tied down during that time. Once you have finished your initial discussion with the appraiser, you are free to leave for the day. The appraiser is trained to adapt quickly to a new household and can actually work faster on his or her own. There have been many instances in which the clients have given us entrée to the house and we have compiled the appraisal in their absence.

Q: I got a letter from you recently telling me that I should have a reappraisal made of the furnishings in my home which you appraised eight years ago. Why is this necessary?

A: There have been tremendous changes in market values in recent years. That’s why an appraisal compiled over seven or eight years ago should be redone today so that the values will be accurate. Utilizing an up-to-date appraisal, your broker or agent will be in a position to plan a viable insurance program for you.

Q: What is the background of your appraisers?

A: We choose our appraisers carefully, as they represent our company when they visit your home. They are professional men and women of the highest integrity who are well educated in the fine arts field and have had long apprenticeships at auction houses such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Our appraisers all belong to one or more of the various appraisal associations, and most have served as officers of those organizations.

Q: Last year you compiled an insurance appraisal of the contents of my home. I need to have an appraisal made of a business I own which has five locations nationwide. Is this something you can do?

A: Yes. In addition to our residential department, we also have an industrial/ commercial division. Our engineering staff compiles appraisals of industrial, institutional and commercial properties as well as private clubs, schools, universities, hospitals, banks, churches, temples, restaurants, etc. for a variety of purposes including insurance, sales and purchases, mergers and acquisition, financing, and taxes.