Some Suggestions for Shorter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide extra information or have steps added to their process. They do this extra work to guarantee the end user has the best information to be had. To stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Williamson Appraisals is always seeking additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for quickly. At Williamson Appraisals we know that time is important to everybody, so below are a handful of items you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals ordered with Williamson Appraisals.

Order your appraisals on the Internet.: By ordering online, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! We don't have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property?: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily interrupt 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 area sales is welcome — remember, however, that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Be sure to let us know about the property's unique details.: Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing elements 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 constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we will find out on our own, knowing them as early as possible makes your report arrive sooner.
Be sure the occupants know the the plan.: Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious steps in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be apprehensive with a stranger looking in every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making numerous notes. Not uncommonly they think they ought to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, with the idea that will make the house appraise higher. So they reschedule the appraisal inspection until they have cleaned.

Coming from you -- someone they have been working with on their loan -- a short explanation about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one little bit, and likely shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has multiple pages of useful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your clients. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. Remind them it's in their interest to set the appointment quickly!
Our website is a great resource for verifying 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. There's no easier way to track the status of your report.