Five Steps to Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is continuously evolving. Regularly, it seems, appraisers are asked to supply more information or have steps added to their process. All to guarantee the end user has the best information to be had. To keep up with the always changing requirements, Astute Appraisals, Inc. is always testing additional tools and tweaking processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for in less time. At Astute Appraisals, Inc. we know that time is important to everybody, so here are some items you can do to lower turn times on any appraisals you order from Astute Appraisals, Inc..

Order your appraisals on the Internet.: When you order online, you get automatic e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. This tip alone will save the most time! We don't have to manually enter 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?: Being just one number off on the street address can really unnecessarily slow down 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 from the area — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours might differ from yours.
Are you letting us know up front any characteristics of the property that might make it unique?: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. What takes time is analyzing how differing elements add 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 details of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition constructed, it's subject to zoning restrictions, it's susceptible to flooding. While these are things that we'd find out on our own, knowing them sooner makes your report arrive faster.
Be sure the homeowner knows the the plan.: Confirming an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most time consuming steps in the appraisal process. It's understandable for a homeowner to be apprehensive with an outsider inspecting every square foot of their home, taking photos, and making abundant notes. Thinking that it will make the house appraise for more money, a few homeowners feel they should make the place spotless before the appraisal inspection. So they delay the inspection until they have cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a 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 decrease the time it takes to inspect a home. I encourage you to point them to our website, where we have many pages of helpful information for homeowners and others describing the appraisal process. They can even call us if they want to become familiar with the staff and our services. Remind them it's in their interest to set the appointment soon!
Our website is a great resource for verifying 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 and easier to track the status of your report.