The appraisal profession is evolving continuously. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to include more information or have steps added to their appraisal process - all to ensure the end user is presented with the most useful information possible. In order to stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Appraisal Care is constantly seeking new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Appraisal Care knows that time is important to everyone, here are some tips you can do to trim turn times on any appraisals ordered from Appraisal Care:
Order your appraisals electronically. When you order online, you automatically receive e-mail notifications 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 nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Complete and accurate subject property data is essential. Being just one number off on the street address can really add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are good data to include with the request. Even a list of recent area sales is welcome — however, remember 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 an assignment we're working on for you, don't hesitate to call us at 562)595-8976
Tell us up front of the property's distinct characteristics. Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how differing features add 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 constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them early on will likely make your report arrive more quickly.
Does the homeowner know what to expect? Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming parts in the appraisal process. Many homeowners are justifiably apprehensive with the thought that a stranger wants to come in their house, look around, and take copious notes. Having the thought that it will make the house appraise higher, some homeowners believe they ought to make the place spotless before the inspection . So they reschedule the appraisal inspection until it is cleaned.
Coming from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- some knowledge about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make a significant difference in their home's value, 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 and others about the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to become familiar with the staff and our services. And tell them it's to their advantage to set the appointment without delay!
Use our website to verify 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 is available to you online. There's no faster or easier way to keep track of the status of your report.
