PP203 Communication of a Personal Property Appraisal: Report Writing

Class Date/Time

Monday, March 24, 2025 - Friday, March 28, 2025
10:00am - 6:00pm Eastern US

Registration Includes 

• One registrant log-in to the live sessions 
• Electronic student materials

Class Format

PP203 is being presented online via Zoom and will be taught by a live instructor over the course of three days with an exam on the fourth day. Students will meet virtually with the instructor over the internet and will engage in discussions, exercises, and post-session assignments.

Students will need to have their webcams enabled for the duration of the class. 

Class Schedule

Times Listed in Eastern US

Session 1 - Monday, March 24 - 10:00am - 6:00pm
Session 2 - Wednesday, March 26 - 10:00am - 6:00pm
Session 3 - Friday, March 28 - 10:00am - 6:00pm
Exam Proctoring - Monday, March 31 - 10:00am - 1:00pm

Please note: Partial credit will not be awarded for this offering. Students must participate in three (3) live online sessions to complete the course and receive full credit. The sessions will not be recorded and/or made available after the class.

Continuing Education (CE)

Class provides 28.8 ASA CE Instructional Hours and 3 Exam Hours.

Additional Information

ASA-accredited members (AM, ASA, FASA) who would like to attend this class will receive a 50% discount. This discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Course Description

This course provides participants with the basics of communicating an appraisal as a written report. The instructor reviews the required parts of an appraisal report and provides guidance on organizing a document that presents a logical argument for value. Participants use the terms they acquired in PP 201 and the methodology they learned in PP 202 in class exercises to complete their appraisal and prepare the appraisal report for review by the instructor.

Instructional Methods

Instructor will present material through lecture and PowerPoint as well as classroom exercises and group discussions. Overnight writing assignments will be given for review and discussion.

Course Audience

This course provides individuals wishing to become appraisers, or related professionals interested in augmenting their valuation skills, with the third course introducing the concepts necessary for appraisal practice. Candidates who have previously successfully completed this course and designated appraisers may wish to retake this course to brush up and stay informed about the currently accepted appraisal report format including IRS and USPAP requirements, as well as the report writing requirements as developed by the ASA’s Personal Property Committee.

Learning Level 

Fundamental 

Continuing Education and Contact Hours

28.8 ASA CE Instructional Hours and 3 Exam Hours

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, student will be able to:

• Understand the elements of an appraisal report
• Understand the importance of the written communication of an appraisal report
• Comprehend report standards and requirements
• Develop the argument for a value conclusion
• Develop writing skills for an appraisal prepared for insurance coverage
• Utilize of The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) in appraisal report preparation

Prerequisites

Students must successfully complete PP202 prior to registering for PP203.

Required Reading Prior to Class

ASA Monographs

Students should purchase, download, and read Monographs #1 - #8 and #13 from The Appraisal of Personal Property Monograph Series.

Monographs are available for purchase here. Please note: monographs must be downloaded within three (3) days of purchase.

USPAP

The current edition of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and the USPAP Guidance and Reference Manual must be purchased and brought to class. Prior to class, students should read:

• The Ethics Rule - USPAP
• The Competency Rule - USPAP
• Scope of Work Rule - USPAP
• Standard 8 - USPAP
• Advisory Opinions 28, 31, 36, and 38 - USPAP Guidance and Reference Manual

ASA members can purchase the USPAP book here. Non-members can purchase the book directly from The Appraisal Foundation here.

The USPAP Guidance and Reference Manual can be purchased from The Appraisal Foundation here.

IRS Publications

Please download and review the following IRS documents:

• Publication 526
• Publication 561
• Form 8283 and its corresponding instructions

Additional Required Reading

Turbian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Ninth Edition preferable, available as an e-book). Read/review the following sections:

• 5.1 What a Research Argument Is and Is Not
• 5.4 Assemble the Elements of Your Argument
• 6.2 Create a Plan That Meets Your Reader's Needs
• 6.2.4 Use Key Terms to Create Subheads That Uniquely Identify Each Section
• 6.2.5 Order Your Paper
• 7 Drafting Your Paper
• 8 Presenting Evidence in Tables and Figures (Table 8.7)
• 9 Revising Your Draft
• Figure A.2 Title Page for a Dissertation
• Figure A.3 and 1.4 Table of Contents

Barnet, S., A Short Guide to Writing About Art (current or recent edition). Please read the Writing a Comparison chapter.

Post-Class Assignment

PP203 attendees must complete writing homework and an appraisal report assignment. The appraisal report must be turned in to the instructor in both PDF format and Microsoft Word or Apple Pages format and include the Personal Property Committee report writing checklist, for grading. More information about the appraisal report assignment, including assignment details and due date, will be provided in class. This report is 25% of your total course grade.

If you do not turn in the appraisal report assignment, you will not pass the course or meet ASA course requirements and prerequisites.

eMaterials

All course materials included with your registration are PDF Download Only items made available to students prior to the start of the class and are not for resale or distribution. All downloadable materials are accessible via your education dashboard (login required). Once eMaterials have been posted for download, the class is no longer refundable.

Accessing eMaterials

eMaterials are provided electronically in PDF format and posted to the class within the Education Dashboard for all registrants to securely access prior to the start of the class. Attendees should come to class prepared with an electronic or printed copy of all eMaterials to use as a reference. OnDemand course registrants receive access to materials immediately following registration.

PDF course materials are presented in color, are bookmarked, and comment enabled. When opting to print downloaded materials, it is recommended that personal print settings be adjusted to print in black and white (or grayscale) and consider printing double-sided on recycled paper.

Certificate of Completion

Please allow 5-10 business day following successful completion of the course or final exam to receive a formal status notification and access to a certificate of completion. The certificate will be available to view and/or download from within the class listed in your Education Dashboard.

Please read the following information in its entirety to ensure a successful exam experience. 

1. ASA requires the use of a PC/Mac/laptop with webcam capabilities in order to take your online exam. Mobile devices are not acceptable.
2. The day of your exam, please login to your online open examination session via the Zoom link/details within the Contents tab above. 
3. Make sure your webcam is on and that you are muted.
4. Your examination session will be monitored by an online proctor (either an ASA staff member or an instructor). This individual will provide you with their contact information should you need to reach them during the exam.
5. Your exam may be accessed via the class page on your dashboard.
6. PLEASE NOTE – You may not reference any of the course materials or classroom notes, nor may you access any websites or any other resources during the exam.
7. Lastly, ASA has transitioned to online exams to accommodate the continuation of learning. In the unlikely event you run into any technical issues or you are inadvertently kicked out of the exam, we STRONGLY recommend you keep a written record of all your answers on a separate piece of paper as you take the exam. In case there is an unforeseen issue, you will have your answers at the ready to reload into the exam software or to send to ASA via email as backup.

Financial Assistance

ASA’s Educational Foundation recognizes students who choose to invest their time in appraisal studies by providing assistance to students demonstrating a financial need. Please visit the Educational Foundation's webpage for more information and to download an application.