What is the goal of changes made to USPAP over the years?

The goal of changes made to USPAP over the years focuses on enhancing clarity, understanding, and enforceability. This objective is critical because it ensures that those who use USPAP, including appraisers and other stakeholders within the real estate industry, can easily grasp the requirements and guidelines set forth. Clearer standards help to minimize misunderstandings and misapplications of the principles, leading to more consistent and reliable appraisals.

Enhancing enforceability is also vital, as it ensures that the standards can be applied effectively, holding practitioners accountable to a set of clear and defined expectations. This ultimately promotes professionalism and integrity within the appraisal industry, fostering trust among clients, regulatory bodies, and the public.

While other goals could also be relevant, such as conforming to international standards or simplifying the revision process, the central focus of modifying USPAP has consistently been on improving how clearly appraisers can interpret and implement those standards in their work.