Some Tips for Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is continuously evolving. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to present extra information or have steps added to their process. All to ensure their client receives the best data available. In order to stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Hill Appraisal Associates, LLC is constantly seeking new tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for more effectively. Since Hill Appraisal Associates, LLC knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed some tips you can do to accelerate the process on any appraisals ordered from Hill Appraisal Associates, LLC.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: With online ordering, you receive 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! No longer do we have to re-key information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we received the request.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?: 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 is great information to include with your assignment. Even a list of recent sales in the area is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Are you letting us know up front any features of the property that might make it unique?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing characteristics 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, it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible makes your report arrive without delay.
Be sure the homeowner knows the the plan.: One of the steps of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the occupants of the home. Many homeowners are understandably apprehensive with the fact an unknown persons wants to come in their home, look around, and take numerous notes. With the belief that it will make the house appraise higher, some homeowners think they have to make the place spotless before the inspection, and will put off the inspection until they can get around to cleaning.

Coming from you, a person they have been working with on their loan with some knowledge of the appraisal process, who we are, and that dusting and polishing won't increase their home's value, can decrease the time it takes to have access to a home. I encourage you to point them to our website, where we have many pages of helpful information for homeowners as well as others describing the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to talk with our staff, and learn more about our services. Tell you clients it's to their benefit to set the appointment as soon as possible!
Use our website to keep tabs on 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. There's no faster or easier way to track the status of your report.