A Few Hints for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving constantly. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process. They do this additional work to guarantee their client gets the best data to be had. To keep up with the continuously changing requirements, ASAP Appraisal Group is always acquiring new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for faster. At ASAP Appraisal Group we know that time is important to everybody, so here are a handful of things you can do to decrease turn times whenever you order an appraisal with ASAP Appraisal Group.

Are you ordering appraisals online?

When you order online, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the assignment 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 we got the order.

Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?

There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily slow down 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. Even a list of recent sales in the area is welcome — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.

If you have any questions about your property or a job we're working on for you, don't hesitate to call us at

Be sure to let us know about the property's distinct features.

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. Let us know up front when you order your report if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them sooner makes your report arrive sooner.

Set proper expectations with the homeowner.

Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious parts in the appraisal process. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an outsider looking in every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. Thinking that it will increase the value, a few homeowners believe they ought to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they delay the appraisal inspection until they have cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a 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 make it more likely their sale will close, and can decrease the appraisal inspection time. Please feel free to point your clients to this website, where we have lots of pages of relevant information for homeowners as well as others describing the appraisal process. Encourage them to call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment as quickly as possible!

Easily track the status of your report on our website.

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 to track your report's status.