A Few Tips for Faster Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their process. All of this is to guarantee their client is presented with the best information to be had. In order to keep up with the constantly changing requirements, Alliance Appraisal, Inc. is constantly testing additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our clients. At Alliance Appraisal, Inc. we know that time is important to everybody, so below are a few items you can do to hasten the process whenever you order an appraisal with Alliance Appraisal, Inc..

Order your appraisals on the Internet.

With online ordering, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the assignment 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 retype information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.

Are you providing complete and accurate data about the subject property?

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. Even a list of recent sales from the area is welcome — remember, however, that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.

If you have any questions about your property or a job we're working on for you, you're always free to call us at

Let us know up front of the property's distinct details.

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. When ordering your report, let us know if there are unique features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's prone to flooding. While these are things that we'll find out on our own, knowing them early on will likely make your report arrive quicker.

Be sure the homeowner knows the the plan.

Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient parts in the appraisal process. Some current homeowners are understandably apprehensive with the idea an outsider wants to come in their house, look around, and make copious notes. A common belief is that they have to make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, with the idea that will increase the value. And will reschedule the inspection until they have cleaned.

Hearing from you -- the person they have been working with on their loan -- a little information 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 shorten the appraisal inspection time. Please feel free to point them to our website, where we have many pages of useful information for homeowners and others regarding the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment without delay!

Our website is a great resource for tracking your report's status.

Phone and fax tag are a thing of the past with 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. It's never been faster and easier to track your report's status.