Some Tips for Quicker Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer more information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All of this is to guarantee the end user receives the best data to be had. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Best Working Appraisals is continuously researching new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At Best Working Appraisals we know that time is important to everybody, so below are a couple of items you can do to trim turn times on any appraisals ordered with Best Working Appraisals.

Order your appraisals electronically.: When you order online, you automatically get e-mail acknowledgements that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip alone will save the most time! No longer do we have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property information is crucial.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily delay 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 from the area is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Are you letting us know up front any features of the property that might make it distinct?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how differing characteristics contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. At the time you order your report, be sure to let us know if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we'd find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible is likely to make your report arrive more quickly.
Do the occupants know what to expect?: One of the most tedious steps of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the current homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an unknown person looking in every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. Under the belief that it will increase the appraised value, some homeowners believe they must make the place spotless before the inspection. So they choose to not schedule the appointment until the house is cleaned.

Coming from you -- a person they've been working with on their loan -- a little 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 go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has numerous pages of relevant information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your clients. They can even call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!
Easily keep tabs on 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. There's no easier or faster way to keep track of the status of your report.