5 Suggestions for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is constantly evolving. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer more information or have steps added to their research. They do this extra work to ensure the end user is presented with the best data to be had. To stay current with the continuously changing requirements, All City Appraisal is constantly acquiring new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for in less time. Since All City Appraisal knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed a few things you can do to trim turn times when you order an appraisal from All City Appraisal.

Always order your appraisals on the Internet.

By ordering online, you automatically receive e-mail confirmations that the assignment 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 retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the request.

Make sure that the subject property information is accurate and complete.

There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to 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 — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you.

Tell us up front of the property's unique details.

Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. 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. At the time you order your report, be sure to let us know if there are unique details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we would find out on our own, knowing them as early as possible makes your report arrive earlier.

Be sure the homeowner knows the the plan.

One of the most inefficient steps of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the homeowner. Some current homeowners are clearly apprehensive with the notion a stranger wants to come in their home, look around, and take numerous notes. A common belief is that they should make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, believing that will increase the value. So they put off the appointment until they have cleaned.

Hearing 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 increase their home's value one little bit, and can decrease the appraisal inspection time. Please feel free to point your clients to our website, where we have many pages of helpful information for homeowners and others about the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it's to their benefit to set the appointment soon!

Our website is a great resource for following 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 can be viewed instantly online. It's never been easier to keep track of the status of your report.