Five Suggestions for Shorter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving continuously. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide extra information or have steps added to their process. All to guarantee their client receives the best data available. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Peterson Appraisal Group is always testing new tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. Since Peterson Appraisal Group knows that time is important to everyone, here are a few items you can do to hasten the process each time you order an appraisal with Peterson Appraisal Group.

Order your appraisals electronically.: By ordering online, you get automatic e-mail notifications that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Ordering online is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the order.
Verify that the subject property data is accurate and complete.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to 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. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Tell us up front of the property's unique characteristics.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how differing features contribute to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. When you order your report, let us know if there are unique details 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 sooner makes your report arrive faster.
Set proper expectations with the homeowner.: Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient parts in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be uncomfortable with an outsider looking in every square foot of their home, taking pictures, and making abundant notes. Many commonly think they need to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, thinking that will increase the value. And will choose to not schedule the appointment until they have cleaned.

Hearing from you -- someone they've been working with on their loan -- a short explanation about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't affect their home's value one little bit, and likely decrease the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point your customers to our website, where we have lots of pages of useful information for homeowners and others about the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment without delay!
Are you using our website as a resource to track the status of your report?: 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 is instantly available to you online. It's never been faster and easier to track your report's status.