I did not know diminished value was a thing. I was referred by a friend who was in an accident. My…read morestory, I got hit in a parking lot, the other party's insurance covered the damage, but before leaving the body shop, I contacted Kirk, and he took it from there. There were no painstaking conversations, only one regarding the vehicle, its history, and then the next time I heard from them was to sign a settlement paper for the check within 2 weeks. Definitely referring to everyone I know!!

I didn't know what a diminished value claim was, until I received a knock on my door at 5pm. A…read moreneighbor had backed into my brand new vehicle that was 9 months old. I looked online and YouTube to try and escalate the claim myself only to be shot down by the other insurance company. If you're in a similar situation, I'd highly recommend Kirk and Mike. They were able to get nearly 80% of the amount I had requested from my neighbor's insurance company. So if you're thinking hey I could do this myself or if you have a high tolerance for stress maybe this isn't for you. If you want to deal with the highly trained professionals that makes things seamless on your behalf-I'd highly recommend KWA. Kirk and Mike really made this crappy situation, much much better on my end. Thank you guys!

I used to work For Kirk's Appraisals, and I did for years, until they were taken over, as far as I…read morecould determine, by someone back east somewhere. Kirk was a great guy, paid well, and kept me busy for years. I wrote a lot of AAA work for him, among other insurance companies. When Kirk owned the compant they were one of the BEST 3rd party appraisal companies I ever worked for-PERIOD. My background is 28 years as a body tech and painter and shop owner and now 17 years as a field appraiser. As to the process of collision repairs there is one thing vehicle owners need to understand and that is that insurance companies have a set of rules all field appraisers must abide by. We are restricted in what we can write for and HAVE to lowball every initial estimate, giving the insurance company the hope that the v/o will cash out and walk away. The worst carrier was an insurance compay with the initials F.L. The majority of that companies insureds were low income migrant workers. F.L had me writing for labor rates that were HALF of what the prevailing rate was in this area and repair everything versus replace a part that obiously needed replacement, and repair at ridiculously low labor hours. Of 100 sheets I'd write for F.L. less than 10% ever went to a shop. That was F.L.'s version of the lottery, and they were winning. I have written for what it truly takes to effect a repair, only to have QC send it back to change to lower dollar amounts, until the vehicle enters a shop. Do I agree with that? Not at all, but it is the process that is practiced. Once the vehicle is in a shop, and a teardown is completed which allows us to thoroughly see the extent of any deeper damages, can we get a supplement generated and move forward with the proper repairs. Understand this is not the case for all carriers, but enough of them practice this that it puts a sour tase in the mouths of vehicle owners. On the flip side I have seen enough fraud and abuse on shop and vehicle owners sides also. An early claim I handled for Kirk's involved a first generation Lexus SC coupe. It was at a well known shop in Los Gatos CA that did a lot of high end vehicles like Rolls, Bently, Ferrari, Mercedes, etc. A large supplement was generated by the shop (about 4K), based on what the shop stated needed to be done, after the unit was torn down. I re-inspected to confirm the request. By chance I was there a week later for another vehicle claim, saw the Lexus near completion, saw that the add'l work WAS NEVER DONE and instead saw the panels all bondoed up versus replaced, as supplemented for! I immediatly called my supervisor at Kirk's and informed him. I went home that afternoon and wrote a negative supplement taking away all of that 4K plus a bit more, due to labor overlaps. Cheating takes place on all sides. I guess what I want to say is if the insurance low balls your initial estimate adjustments can be made once the vehicle is in shop for repairs and the shop submits a supplement costs estimate. I miss working for Kirk. He was a good guy and it was a great company.

All the other reviews are true. I'm not sure how this shady company is still in business…read more The estimate done by this company to fix the damages on my vehicle was 60% lower than what it actually costed to fix it at the end. I had to have an entire engine harness replaced, and while it was expensive, everything is pretty much "plug and play" something that should take a shop a few days max to fix, but the shop that my vehicle was at had to wait for the supplement to get approved. The guy at Kirks who was dealing with my case said the shop was trying to scam my insurance company by trying to fix things that didn't need to be fixed. And after countless phone calls and e-mails I convinced Kirks to send someone out to the shop to physically look at the car, and right away they agreed the entire engine harness needed to be replaced. This whole process, from start to finish took a little over 2 months. I have a lot more to say about this company but I'm really tired of explaining this whole story to everyone at Kirks and USAA, which by the way, after so many bad reviews I'm not sure why USAA still uses this company to appraise damages for theirs customer's vehicles. Please, if you have the choice do not use this company.

I had the pleasure to work with Jane on a ring appraisal! She was absolutely fabulous-period! After…read morereviewing her experience, education and yelp reviews, I was convinced that she was the best person for the job. I spoke to her via phone and scheduled an appointment. Her location is easy to get too. Parking at the attached lot of the building is available, (if it's full, there is street parking around). The building is clean. accessible, it has an elevator, a restroom on the first floor and entrance on both lot and front of building (btw, try the handle). It's walkable to downtown and can occupy time for shopping, errands and eats'! Her office suite is quaint, and secure. Jane provided very detailed directions and information on her initial emails! I would say she is very personable, down to earth and knowledgable. She provided recommendations and/or suggestions that were very helpful to me e.g. jewelers, insurance. She was honest, and I believe well worth the money per her expertise, e.g., no hidden fee, and extremely reasonable on time. I would use her again or recommend her to others. She's not "just" an appraiser, she's a gemologist! So cool!

I met with Jane today. She is awesome. She is very knowledgeable. I will be using her if I need to…read morehave anything done in the future. Very nice and efficient. Thank you Jane

Highly recommend. Quick responses. Provided the appraisal on time. Also offers desktop appraisal…read more Will definitely do business again if I need future appraisals.

Bryant was professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with from start to finish. He communicated…read moreclearly, delivered a detailed report and was willing to take the time to walk through it and answer questions. I would highly recommend Bryant to anyone looking for a reliable appraiser who takes his work seriously.

After Alan died we needed to get the house reappraised, what's called a date of death appraisal to…read morefix the value of the house at the current time. The person who did our refinances (that's plural because to Alan refinancing was a sport/hobby) couldn't recommend anyone ethically. Our financial advisers recommended a couple of people, but I felt uncomfortable w/ both after an exchange of emails. A large part of my caution was that they know the area. My mother lost a considerable sum selling her house in Kensington in the 80s when it was listed by a Realtor who was out of the area (not that far, just Pinole or El Sobrante) and didn't know home values here. That was before they did extensive research on values, but it marked me, so I wasn't comfortable w/ those first exchanges. Then one of our advisers found Matt on Yelp. I liked our exchange and made arrangements for him to come by the day after Memorial Day. Matt was prompt, courteous, cordial and thorough, measuring the house inside and out. He was also patient w/ me as I rattled on about this and that. Somehow in conversation it came up that I had done something to my stereo system that silenced it. I was embarrassed to tell my neighbors and ask for their help. If Matt is 40 I would be surprised. But he looked at the stereo, which is decades old, knew what was wrong, fixed it and told me what I had done. That wasn't what he was there for, but he gets millions of stars for taking care of it and returning my music, which is like the air I breathe, to the house. He also gets more stars than Yelp allows for the appraisal, which is one more thing off my to-do list and for which I am very grateful. We have owned the house for 41 years and while I knew it was worth much more than we paid, I had no idea of its current market value, so this was helpful.

Matt is the consummate professional. Trusting the value of what is probably your biggest asset can…read morebe nerve-wracking, but Matt is incredible. As everyone knows, the real estate market has been changing rapidly so you need an appraiser who really keeps up with the changes. He is data-driven and keeps on top of what is happening now. He took the time to answer my questions and explain the appraisal process. He was friendly, punctual, and delivered the appraisal on time. I highly recommend Matt for your appraisal needs. Whether you are getting a divorce and need an appraisal, you have inherited a home, or if you want to know if you have enough equity to stop paying PMI Matt is definitely the guy you should call.

I couldn't be happier with the service I received. The entire appraisal process was smooth,…read moreprofessional, and completed in a timely manner. Elias was knowledgeable and honest. His expertise, attention to detail, and excellent communication made all the difference. If you're looking for a trustworthy, well priced appraisal company that truly goes above and beyond, I highly recommend EVAppraisals. I'll definitely use them again in the future.

I recently hired Elias Valencia Appraisals for a home appraisal, and I couldn't be happier with the…read moreexperience. Elias was professional, punctual, and incredibly knowledgeable about the local market. He took the time to walk me through the entire process, answered all my questions patiently, and delivered a detailed, accurate report faster than I expected. What stood out most was his integrity and attention to detail--he clearly takes pride in his work, and it shows. Whether you're buying, selling, refinancing, or just need a reliable valuation, Elias is someone you can trust to get it right. Highly recommend his services to anyone in need of a top-notch real estate appraiser!

I text Kelly Snowden on 7-31 and got an immediate response (which is more than I can say for any…read moreother title company I've dealt with in the past) Kelly was referred to us by our Realtor (Steve Hill) who had given her a very strong recommendation. I've worked with steve for almost 20 years now - so when he refers me to an individual within a company I KNOW we're in good hands. It is rare that he will put his reputation on the line so this in and of itself speaks volumes for Kelly's ethics, integrity, morals and dedication. Kelly has been nothing short of amazing during our communications. She offered solid advice, going above and beyond the call of duty, especially for someone who isn't (and can't unfortunately) be your companies client. She provided straightforward and honest advice, as well as a bit of education into what maybe needed in the future when I go to sell or refinance my property. She treated me like a fiduciary client and really confirmed Steve's level of trust in her which I will make sure he aware of. In closing- Kelly is an excellent representation of a solid company that puts people over profits! She even offered a referral which is unheard of in such a competitive business such as real estate. Please ensure a copy of this letter is put in her personal file and sent to upper management. I would also like to leave your company a 5 star review on Google and yelp as well. As a business owner myself, I would hire her in a heartbeat and do whatever it takes to retain the type of customer service and talent and value she offers.

Quality and thorough. The one man show really helped with focus and reduced costs…read more I recommend Sunset and John D at Sunset for your next appraisal project

The appraiser did not give fair market value to the home we are purchasing. He made comparisons to…read morethe property sold 4 months ago and refused to accept newly sold homes in the vicinity. One of the reasons he gave is the home is in high density housing, when we looked up even high density homes in same city(within 2 miles) and shared he said they are far away from location and could not consider them. In this market one of the reason he gave for low price is this: "why was the subject only listed at this price? In my opinion the subject was priced accurately when listed, and in this case (possibly due to inventory shortages, a very motivated buyer, bidding wars, etc) the contract price became unrealistically inflated. Just because a buyer is willing to pay an inflated price does not mean that that is equal to the property's market value" definitely do not recommend him.