5 Hints for Faster Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide additional information or have steps added to their data gathering. They do this extra work to guarantee their client has the best data possible. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, MacDonnell Appraisals is constantly acquiring additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At MacDonnell Appraisals we know that time is important to everybody, so below are some tips you can do to trim turn times when you order an appraisal from MacDonnell Appraisals.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: When you order online, you automatically get e-mail acknowledgements that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. It's the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the order.
Confirm that the subject property data is accurate and complete.: Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really unnecessarily slow down 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 — remember, however, that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Are you telling us up front any details of the property that might make it distinct?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how details 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 features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. These are things we'll find out on our own anyway, and knowing them sooner makes your report arrive more quickly.
Did you make the occupants of the home aware of what to expect?: One of the most tedious tasks of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the homeowner. Some current homeowners are clearly apprehensive with the notion an unknown persons wants to come in their home, look around, and make lots of notes. Many commonly think they need to make the place spotless before the inspection, with the notion that will increase the appraised value. So they choose to not schedule the appointment until it is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a person they have been working with on their loan -- some knowledge 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 decrease 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 helpful information for homeowners as well as others regarding the appraisal process. Advise 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 as soon as possible!
Why not our website as a resource to verify 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. It's never been easier to keep track of your report's status.