FAQs

What is an appraisal?

An expert estimate of the value of something. Crown Appraisals, Inc. provides appraisal services and consulting on a wide array of agricultural businesses, properties, and equipment.

Why do I need an appraisal?

Sales and consolidation are ongoing transactions in the agricultural industry. An insightful, industry-specific appraisal can help prevent costly errors or poor business decisions in mergers, acquisitions, or lending situations. An accurate appraisal could help you with mergers and acquisitions, help you negotiate purchase price, provide purchase price allocations for tax purposes, gain access to loan funds, accurate financial reporting, leverage during legal disputes, and any number of situations.

Crown Appraisals, Inc. partners with its clients to identify exactly what they need – sometimes when they don’t know themselves – and together create an action plan. We’ve helped clients nationwide ensure they aren’t leaving money on the table, saved them time and money from future re-work, and helped them avoid ill-informed business decisions.

How do I know I’m getting a high-quality appraisal?

High-quality appraisals use well-researched comparable sales to estimate the value of a property or business. Crown Appraisals, Inc. only provides appraisals that are well supported by research and market data abstracted from other comparable sales. The Crown Appraisals team are specialized experts in the agribusiness industry. Don’t settle for an appraisal that doesn’t use comparable sales, presents “boilerplate” information, or only uses one approach to value.

What should I know when selecting an appraisal provider?

Regardless of who you select, make sure that your appraisal will be based on comparable sales of similar facilities, and that the appraisal will be based on actual market data. Ensure that the appraiser is a proven expert in your specific industry. Crown Appraisals, Inc. only provides appraisals that are supported by well documented research and market data abstracted from other comparable sales, and we look at a property or business through three lenses: the cost approach, the sales comparison approach, and the income approach. We have conducted hundreds of appraisals on agribusinesses, properties, and equipment. Our team’s experience, specialization, and methodology work.

Read more on our blog Choosing the Right Appraiser.

Where is Crown Appraisals located, and where do they perform appraisals?

Crown Appraisals, Inc. offices in Fargo, ND. We serve the private manager or owner; and the law, lending, and financial accounting communities and their clients in the entire Midwest, from Wisconsin and Minnesota, through North Dakota and South Dakota, down south to Oklahoma through Louisiana. Crown Appraisals can easily gain temporary licensing for the state in which the property is. We have experience in 35 states and counting.

What can I expect from Crown Appraisals, Inc.?

Friendly, professional expertise. Crown Appraisals, Inc. works with clients to understand their needs, and develop an action plan. An appraisal empowers clients to make informed decisions. The biggest compliment we receive is when a client says that the information they received was helpful in their decision making.

Crown Appraisals has been in the business for over 35 years. We have a unique understanding of the industry and we know its businesses and transactions inside and out. We keep a close, constant eye one what’s going on in your industry and serve as a resource for our clients. We know that you know your business best, and what we provide is a neutral, different perspective based on the insight we have gained through working with multitudes of agribusinesses. Expect a true partnership with Crown Appraisals.

What is unique about how Crown Appraisals, Inc. does business?

We are different than typical appraisers. We dig deep and use real market sales and market data to perform our appraisals. Unlike a lot of appraisers, we don’t just use what the county courthouse records. We learn firsthand what went on in a transaction; we talk to the buyer or seller to find out what really went on in a deal. We abstract this information from the actual market, not just from a book.

We make time to learn about your business and your goals. We want to understand what you’re looking for in a partnership, what the potential transaction means to you and your business and the purpose of the appraisal, and who will be making decisions. We want to hear what your challenges have been, and lessons learned.

We’ll need to know the nuts and bolts too – What type of facility, business, or equipment will be appraised? What types and quantities of product are being handled by the facility?  Who will be the intended user of this report?

Each business is managed differently and subject to different economic factors. Not only are facilities large and complex, the way they are operated is complex. Crown Appraisals knows the deeper probing questions to ask to determine all of the economic factors that are impacting the property and its value. We know that there a lot more to each business than the “brick and mortar” value.

What are people saying about Crown Appraisals?

“We appreciate the fact that in addition to your real estate appraisal expertise, you also understand machinery and equipment appraisal, including the equipment within our fertilizer plant and our field rolling stock equipment.” – General Manager, Regional Fertilizer and Agronomy Company

“I’m so impressed by the way you walk into a unique segment of the market and quickly understand what makes that industry tick.” – CEO, Sugar Beet Cooperative

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“Crown Appraisals has the experience and expertise on its staff to recognize how intellectual property is married with production principals to create highly marketable products.”

Seed Production CompanyGeneral Manager