A Few 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. All to guarantee their client receives the best data available. To keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Alliance Appraisal, Inc. is continuously researching additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. At Alliance Appraisal, Inc. we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed some items you can do to trim turn times each time you order an appraisal from Alliance Appraisal, Inc..

Always order your appraisals online.: By ordering online, you automatically receive e-mail confirmations that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! No longer do we have to manually enter information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.
Confirm that the subject property information is accurate and complete.: Being just one number off on the street address can really 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 might differ from yours.
Tell us up front of the property's distinct characteristics.: Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how differing characteristics contribute 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 characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. These are things we'll find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as early as possible makes your report arrive earlier.
What are you doing to make the occupants of the home aware of what to expect?: One of the most tedious parts of the appraisal process is confirming an appointment with the occupants of the home. It's understandable for a homeowner to be apprehensive with an outsider inspecting every corner of their home, taking pictures, and making numerous notes. With the notion that it will increase the appraised value, some homeowners think they need to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they choose to not schedule the appraisal inspection until they have cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- the person they've been working with on their loan -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one little bit, and can shorten the time it takes to inspect a home. Please feel free to point your clients to our website, where we have lots of pages of useful information for homeowners and others regarding the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it's to their benefit to set the appointment quickly!
Easily track the status of your report on our website.: Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7. As each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information is available to you online. It's never been easier to track your report's status.