Five Tips for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide additional information or have steps added to their appraisal process - all to guarantee the end user gets the best analysis. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Choice Appraisals, Inc. is continuously researching new tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Choice Appraisals, Inc. knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some things you can do to accelerate the process each time you order an appraisal from Choice Appraisals, Inc.:

Are you ordering appraisals online? With online ordering, you automatically receive e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Ordering online is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to re-key information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we received the request.
Make sure that the subject property data is accurate and complete. Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really unnecessarily delay an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are great data to include with your assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales in 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.


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

Be sure to let us know about the property's unique elements. It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. What takes time is analyzing how details 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 recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. These are things we'd find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive faster.
Let the homeowner know what to expect. One of the most inefficient steps of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uneasy with an outsider inspecting every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making copious notes. One common belief is that they have to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, believing that will make the house appraise for more money . So they reschedule the inspection until it is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- a short explanation 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. Our website has lots of pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. Encourage them to call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. And tell them it's to their benefit to set the appointment promptly!
Easily follow the status of your report on our website. 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is available instantly to you online. It's never been easier to keep track of the status of your report.