5 Hints for Quicker Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to include extra information or have steps added to their research. All of this is to guarantee the end user receives the best data to be had. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Grandview Appraisal Group is always acquiring new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for faster. At Grandview Appraisal Group we know that time is important to everybody, so here are a handful of tips you can do to speed up the process when you order an appraisal with Grandview Appraisal Group.

Order your appraisals on the Internet.
By ordering online, you automatically receive e-mail acknowledgements that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! We don't have to manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property?
Having just one number incorrect 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 great data to include with the assignment. 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 a job we're working on for you.

Tell us up front of the property's distinct elements.
Cookie-cutter homes are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how characteristics 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 had a recent addition put on, 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 early on is likely to make your report arrive sooner.
Set proper expectations with the homeowner.
One of the most inefficient parts of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the current homeowner. We understand that a homeowner may be uncomfortable with an unknown person inspecting every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making lots of notes. With the idea that it will increase the appraised value, many homeowners believe they must make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by. So they put off the appraisal inspection until they can get around to cleaning.

Hearing from you -- the person they've been working with on their loan -- a little information about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and can go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point your clients to this website, where we have lots of pages of relevant information for homeowners and others about the appraisal process. Tell them to 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 without delay!
Why not our website as a resource to keep tabs on the status of your report?
No more phone and fax tag. Up-to-the-minute status updates are available online, anytime, 24/7. As each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is instantly available to you online. It's never been easier to track your report's status.