Examples from some of our recent appraisal cases.

Allstate’s updated offer was $45,923.24. During the appraisal, the other appraiser initially worked from the base Cabriolet designation. We supplied a VIN decode and photos of the Carrera 4 badging to establish that this was the all-wheel-drive model. The appraiser acknowledged the discrepancy and revised the report.

The revised appraisal came in at $48,635, with an offer of $50,000. We then examined the four comparable 911s and found three had automatic transmissions. One advertised as a manual was actually an automatic when we checked the dealer listing. We sent that listing and explained why the six-speed manual mattered in this market. The appraiser replaced all four comparisons with manuals and increased the offer to $52,000.

We also questioned a comparable entered as a $38,000 sale that was being advertised at $52,995, and challenged the use of a lower guidebook figure alongside market comparisons. The other appraiser defended the older sale figure, but eventually raised the offer again to $52,500. We agreed at that amount.

USAA originally valued this high-mileage CR-V at $11,053. The opposing appraiser’s report came in at $12,062 using two comparison vehicles. We checked the arithmetic and found that the adjusted prices did not line up with the reported figures. Even the average of those two adjusted vehicles was higher than the appraiser’s conclusion.

We proposed $13,700, and the opposing appraiser moved to $13,216.33. The next objection was that our comparison prices included dealer fees. We broke out the advertised price and fees for each vehicle to show how we had accounted for them. We also supplied a JD Power clean-retail reference of $13,725.

The remaining dispute centered on one vehicle the opposing appraiser said was advertised for $12,459 and later less than $12,000. We checked the appraiser’s own link and found it listed for $15,269, then located the same vehicle on other major listing sites at similarly higher prices. After we provided the listings, the opposing appraiser agreed to our revised $13,500 proposal.

Progressive’s original ACV was $45,492.34. Its appointed appraiser proposed $46,179.24. We examined the three comparison trucks against the subject’s factory window sticker. One was gasoline-powered, although the subject had the Duramax diesel, a $9,890 factory option. The other two had substantially less equipment than the subject’s $19,285 in installed options.

We sent the window sticker and equipment comparisons, pointing out the engine mismatch and the differences in packages and options. The opposing appraiser raised the proposed value to $48,229.12. That was movement, but the revised position did not explain how the gasoline comparison and equipment gaps had been addressed.

We continued the discussion with a JD Power clean-retail figure of $52,650 and documentation that the truck had been purchased for approximately $49,500 just six days before the loss. We countered at $49,250, and the appraisers reached agreement at that figure.

State Farm’s documented valuation was $20,813. We submitted our appraisal at $24,621, identifying the vehicle as a Cayenne GTS with its V8 engine and all-wheel drive. The opposing appraiser responded that State Farm had not identified the vehicle as a GTS V8 AWD and that the report would need to be redone.

After revisiting the vehicle identification, the opposing appraiser stated a valuation of $21,000 and offered $22,000. Our research considered the GTS configuration and comparable market vehicles rather than relying only on guidebook values, several of which were below the insurer’s original offer.

We proposed $22,810. The opposing appraiser increased the offer to $22,500, and we reached agreement there.

This Audi had received a factory replacement long block and turbocharger from an Audi dealer at 43,446 miles, approximately 11,000 miles before the loss. GEICO valued the car at $22,476. We prepared a $27,237 appraisal and included the dealer repair order and a $1,000 adjustment for the relatively recent replacement.

The opposing appraiser returned a valuation of $25,269.35, allowing only $260 for the replacement engine. We pointed out that the documented work covered both the long block and turbocharger. We also showed that our adjusted comparison vehicles averaged $26,237 even before any additional allowance for the repair. A JD Power clean-retail reference was $26,875.

We proposed $26,500. The opposing appraiser increased the position to $26,100, and we agreed on that value.

State Farm valued this Ram 3500 at $41,085. Our appraisal was $49,523, while the opposing appraiser’s reported position was $44,740. The subject had the high-output Cummins diesel paired with the AISIN transmission and an original window sticker of $67,485.

We pulled window stickers for the trucks used in the opposing report. Three of four had original sticker prices between $59,650 and $64,160, and most had the standard-output engine configuration. We presented the differences in factory equipment, including the approximately $2,700 powertrain price difference, rather than treating all Big Horn diesels as interchangeable.

Following that equipment review, the opposing appraiser increased the proposed ACV to $46,356. We reached agreement at that amount.

Progressive’s original value was $33,013. Our appraisal was $37,158. When the opposing report arrived, it used our $0.12-per-mile mileage adjustment and calculated two adjusted comparison values averaging $36,691.66. The opposing appraiser then subtracted $500 as a dealer-ready adjustment, arriving at $36,191.66.

We challenged the blanket deduction. The subject was documented in excellent condition with new tires, and our comparison prices had already been normalized for dealer fees. Neither opposing comparison was the Luxury trim. We asked the appraiser to use the average of the adjusted comparables without the additional $500 reduction.

The opposing appraiser agreed to $36,691.66, exactly the average of the two adjusted comparisons before that deduction.