Five Tips for Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. On a regular basis, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their process. They do this extra work to guarantee their client is presented with the best information to be had. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Martin Appraisal is always testing additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for our customers. At Martin Appraisal we know that time is important to everybody, so below are some things you can do to reduce turn times whenever you order an appraisal from Martin Appraisal.

Order your appraisals online.: When you order online, you automatically receive e-mail notifications that the request 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 you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.
Verify that the subject property data is accurate and complete.: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to unnecessarily slow down an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to pass long with the assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales in the area — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.
Are you letting us know up front any features of the property that might make it distinct?: Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. 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 features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we'll find out on our own, knowing them as early as possible will likely make your report arrive faster.
Set proper expectations with the occupants.: Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most tedious steps in the appraisal process. Many homeowners are clearly uneasy with the fact an outsider wants to come in their house, look around, and take abundant notes. Many commonly think they must make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection, believing that will increase the appraised value. So they choose to not schedule the appraisal inspection until the house is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a person they are working with on their loan -- a little bit 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. I encourage you to point your clients to this website, where we have lots of pages of useful information for homeowners as well as others about the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to familiarize themselves with the staff and our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment quickly!
Use our website to follow your report's status.: 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. There's no easier or faster way to track your report's status.