5 Tips for Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is continuously evolving. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer more information or have steps added to their process. All to ensure the end user receives the best data possible. In order to stay current with the always changing requirements, Crest Appraisal Services is constantly researching additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for faster. Since Crest Appraisal Services knows that time is important to everyone, we've listed a few items you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals ordered with Crest Appraisal Services.

Are you ordering appraisals online?: With online ordering, you automatically get e-mail notifications that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This is 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 got the order.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?: Having just one number incorrect on the street address can really unnecessarily delay 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 in the area — remember, however, that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Are you telling us up front any characteristics 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 differing characteristics 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 characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition put on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we will find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as early as possible makes your report arrive more quickly.
Be sure the homeowner knows the the plan.: One of the most time consuming steps of the appraisal process is confirming an inspection date with the homeowner. Many homeowners are understandably apprehensive with the notion an unknown persons wants to come in their house, look around, and take numerous notes. Under the belief that it will increase the value, some homeowners feel they should make the place spotless before the inspection. So they choose to not schedule the appointment until they can get around to cleaning.

Coming from you -- a person they've been working with on their loan -- some knowledge 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 appraisal inspection time. I encourage you to point your clients to our website, where we have multiple pages of relevant information for homeowners and others regarding the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to become familiar with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!
Why not 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 each important milestone in an assignment is completed, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been faster to track the status of your report.