Cambridge Partners is a management consulting firm specializing in valuation services, including: business and stock valuations, intangible asset and intellectual property valuations, real estate appraisals, machinery and equipment appraisals and cost segregation studies. Our professional background includes experience from Big Four accounting firms, national consulting firms and institutional investors. Our techniques and methodologies are original, well documented, and designed to withstand the scrutiny of the most discerning authorities.

Appraisal & Valuation Services

Challenging problems require creative solutions and our consultants have the necessary academic and professional credentials (MBA, CPA, ASA) necessary to understand and undertake the most difficult assignments. Important to the valuation industry, professional designations held by our staff include ASA from the American Society of Appraisers. Our real estate appraisals are prepared to conform with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).

More than ever, Cambridge Partners is committed to building long-term relationships by meeting or exceeding client expectations through personalized service, rapid turnaround, reasonable fees, and skilled valuation techniques. We welcome the opportunity to put our expertise and experience to work for you and look forward to hearing from you.

Following is a partial list of our services:

  • Business, Stock and Equity Interest Valuations
  • Intangible Asset and Intellectual Property Valuations
  • Fairness Opinions and Solvency Opinions
  • Valuations for Shareholder Disputes and Litigation Support
  • Discount Studies and Blockage Studies
  • 409A Stock Option Valuations
  • Complex Real Estate Appraisals
  • Cost Segregation Studies
  • Machinery & Equipment Appraisals
  • Real Estate Market Studies

Appraisal Uses, Benefits and Purpose

An appraisal must have a reason or purpose for being done and this purpose must be clearly stated. This purpose allows the appraisal to have a meaning in content and a significance in result. The statement of the appraisal purpose is a declaration by an appraiser as to the sole objective in preparing the valuation report. The purpose must be clearly stated in a definitive fashion.

At a minimum, a narrative appraisal should consist of a cover letter of transmittal, a summary of the valuation conclusions, a discussion of the scope of the appraisal, an in-depth presentation of the valuation methodology, a statement of assumptions and limiting conditions, a certification along with a statement of the qualifications of the appraiser, the actual valuation process and conclusions, any exhibits that would be informative and any addenda appropriate to the appraisal.

Users

Business owners, investors and advisors have need for appraisals. These needs often are a result of the requirements of a third party. Third parties might be accountants, assessors, attorneys, brokers, potential buyers, government commissioners, courts, creditors, insurers, lenders of various types, lessees, lessors, managers, private equity groups, spouses, and so on.

Uses

Appraisals are used for many different reasons. The reason is to be clearly spelled out in the purpose declaration. Appraisals are used for: allocation of purchase price as part of a business combination ASC 805 (see ASC 805), bankruptcy considerations and fresh start accounting, establishing the value of a business or its goodwill (see ASC 350), dissolution's of various types (marriage, partnership, corporation), gift and/or estate tax planning, insurable value and/or insurance loss settlement, financing and capital raise, management considerations, mergers and partnership formation, purchase or sale, issuance of stock, ad-valorem taxation issues, employee stock ownership plan reporting (see ESOP), worthless stock deduction 165(g)(3), etc.

Up-to-Date Appraisal

Markets are constantly fluctuating or changing. These fluctuations affect various properties differently. Because of this constant state of flux, there is no all-inclusive answer as to how long an appraisal may be considered up-to-date. Whether an appraisal needs to be updated depends on any changes that have occurred in the assets that were already under appraisement and whether the value and premise of value at the time of that appraisal are still pertinent. We recommend that an appraisal be reviewed and updated as required at least every year. If the business, asset, financing or market conditions have changed dramatically, a review may be required sooner.