5 Tips for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to include additional information or have steps added to their research - all to ensure their client receives the most useful information that can be achieved. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Accurate Apprsisal Group is continuously seeking additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. Since Accurate Apprsisal Group knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some tips you can do to hasten the process when you order an appraisal from Accurate Apprsisal Group:

  1. Order your appraisals on the Internet. With online ordering, you automatically get e-mail acknowledgements that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the order.

  2. Make sure that the subject property information is accurate and complete. Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to pass along with the request. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

    3. You're always free to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an appraisal we're working on for you.

  3. Let us know up front of the property's unique details. Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how elements unique to a property contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when ordering your report if there are unique elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive without delay.

  4. Be sure the occupants know the plan. One of the most tedious parts of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uncomfortable with an outsider looking in every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making abundant notes. Some think they must make the place spotless before the inspection, with the idea that will increase the value and will choose to not schedule the inspection until the house is cleaned.

    Hearing it directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- a little information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Please feel free to point your clients to this website, where we have multiple pages of relevant information for homeowners as well as others describing the appraisal process. Advise 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 soon!

  5. Use our website 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.