Five Steps to Faster Turn Times

Appraising is an always changing profession. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide more information or have steps added to their process. All to guarantee the end user gets the best data possible. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, Astute Appraisals, Inc. is continuously acquiring additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for more effectively. Since Astute Appraisals, Inc. knows that time is important to everyone, here are a few tips you can do to speed up the process on any appraisals ordered with Astute Appraisals, Inc..

Order your appraisals online.: By ordering online, you automatically receive e-mail notifications that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip single-handedly will save the most time! We don't have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether we received the request.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?: Being just one number off on the street address can really unnecessarily delay an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is good information to pass long with the assignment. We even welcome lists of recent sales from the area — though be advised that professional appraisers are lawfully required to do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.
Be sure to let us know about the property's unique features.: Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how unique elements 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 elements of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's had a recent addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's predisposed to flooding. While these are things that we would find out on our own, knowing them sooner will likely make your report arrive more quickly.
Set proper expectations with the occupants.: Confirming an appointment with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming tasks in the appraisal process. Many current homeowners are clearly uneasy with the idea an outsider wants to come in their home, look around, and take lots of notes. Believing 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 appointment until it is cleaned.

Coming from you -- a person they've been working with on their loan -- a little bit about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make it more likely their sale will close, and likely go a long way toward trimming the time it takes to inspect a home. I encourage you to point them to this website, where we have lots of pages of helpful information for homeowners as well as others about the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them to set the appointment promptly!
Easily keep tabs on the status of your report on our website.: 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 to keep track of the status of your report.