Five Tips for Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer more information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to ensure their client has the best information possible. To keep up with the continuously changing requirements, ASAP Appraisal Group is continuously seeking additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for quickly. At ASAP Appraisal Group we know that time is important to everybody, so below are some tips you can do to lower turn times on any appraisals you order from ASAP Appraisal Group.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: By ordering online, you get automatic e-mail notifications that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Make sure that the subject property data is accurate and complete.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily interrupt an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to include with your request. Even a list of recent area sales is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Be sure to let us know about the property's distinct details.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how characteristics unique to a property contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we will find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner is likely to make your report arrive faster.
Do the occupants know what to expect?: One of the most time consuming tasks of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the occupants of the home. It's understandable for a homeowner to be apprehensive with a stranger looking in every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making copious notes. Under the belief that it will make the house appraise for more money, many homeowners feel they have to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by. And will choose to not schedule the appointment until they have cleaned.

Hearing from you -- the person they are working with on their loan -- a short explanation about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and likely go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has several pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. Have them call us if they want to become familiar with the staff and our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment soon!
Use our website to follow your report's status.: Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7. As we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier and faster to keep track of the status of your report.