Five Tips for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide extra information or have steps added to their appraisal process. All to guarantee the end user is presented with the best data to be had. To stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Peterson Appraisal Group is always testing new tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for faster. At Peterson Appraisal Group we know that time is important to everybody, so below are some items you can do to hasten the process when you order an appraisal from Peterson Appraisal Group.

Order your appraisals electronically.: When you order online, you automatically get e-mail acknowledgements that the request 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 manually enter information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the order.
Complete and accurate subject property information is essential.: 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 in the area — remember, however, that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Let us know up front of the property's distinct characteristics.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how features 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 characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition constructed, 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 early on makes your report arrive sooner.
Be sure the homeowner knows the the plan.: One of the most inefficient parts of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the homeowner. Some current homeowners are justifiably uncomfortable with the fact an outsider wants to come in their house, look around, and make abundant notes. With the belief that it will increase the value, many homeowners feel they must make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they choose to not schedule the inspection until the house is cleaned.

Hearing it directly from you -- the person they've been working with on their loan -- a little info 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 go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. Our website has many pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. They can even call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment promptly!
Our website is a great resource for tracking 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 easier and faster to keep track of your report's status.