A Few Hints for Faster Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply additional information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to ensure the end user gets the best data to be had. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, That Appraisal Guy is continuously seeking additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At That Appraisal Guy we know that time is important to everybody, so here are some things you can do to accelerate the process whenever you order an appraisal with That Appraisal Guy.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: By ordering online, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time!
Complete and accurate subject property information is crucial.: Being just one number off on the street address can really add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. And if you have a tax parcel number, plat map number, subdivision name or anything else that uniquely identifies the property, please pass it along. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Be sure to let us know about the property's unique elements.: Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how features unique to a property add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. While these are things that we would find out on our own, knowing them as early as possible makes your report arrive earlier.
What are you doing to make the occupants of the home aware of what to expect?: Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming steps in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be apprehensive with an outsider looking in every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making copious notes. Believing that it will make the house appraise for more money, a few homeowners think they should make the place spotless before the inspection. And will put off the inspection until it is cleaned.

Hearing from you -- the person they are working with on their loan -- some knowledge about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't increase their home's value one little bit, and likely go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has many pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your customers. Advise them to call us if they want to meet our staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's to their benefit to set the appointment quickly!
Why not our website as a resource to keep track of your report's status?: Why are you still playing phone and fax tag when our website offers up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7? As we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information is instantly available to you online. It's never been easier to keep track of the status of your report.