Astute Appraisals, Inc.: Saving time with cutting-edge appraisal technology

At Astute Appraisals, Inc., we have a confession to make. We always have the latest nerdy gadgets. From smart phones and tablets to laser measuring and GPS devices, we are always looking to find better, faster methods for appraising. Call us geeks. Call us nerds. Call us what you will, but by all means, call us at 410-499-9940 for appraisal orders in Howard County!

If you ask most appraisers, most will agree that much has changed with nearly every aspect of the appraisal business. Since cutting corners on analysis isn't an option for an ethical appraiser, we've found that the best place to save time is in our our workflow. The appraisers that have continually invested in new technology have been the ones able to bring their customers more accurate reports, better customer service and faster turnaround times.

Work with someone who uses technology to their advantage

Contact Astute Appraisals, Inc.

Innovating the ordering experience

Way back when, most of our orders were delivered via fax and were confirmed with phone calls once we got back to the office. In this scenario, it might of taken quite a while to hear back to see if the order could be taken. Things are quite a bit different different now. When an order is placed on the site, we get a digital notification. We often log into our site from the field and send back an email confirmation – including the time and date for the inspection if we've been able to talk to the occupant.

Astute Appraisals, Inc. understands that real estate is all about speed. We aim to reduce the waiting between communications and the faster we can get things done directly effects your bottom-line. This website definitely reduces cycle time for us and our clients by enhancing our communications.

Secure appraisal delivery

The majority of our appraisals are delivered through email as PDF documents. Many clients prefer email because they're familiar with receiving attachments like PDFs in their inbox. It's much better than when everything was on paper. But,we've even been able to enhance report delivery with this website.

Everyone knows how frustrating it is to lose a file. Or have you ever had an attachment blocked because it was too big? We have the technology to overcome those problems, too. When we deliver an appraisal through our website, the client receives a link via email to retrieve the PDF. By bypassing email completely we get around any problems caused by file size. The download link is even good for a full 90 days. So if anything happens to the file, you can log back into our site and retrieve it - saving you time, since we won't even need re-send the report.

Advanced data gathering tools

Gathering the data for an appraisal is a demanding process.. We spend quite a bit of time gathering the facts on the subject property, as well as the local market data and trends. Once again, technology has stepped in to help Astute Appraisals, Inc..

We've learned that taking notes the standard way, using pencil and paper, generally takes longer since we have to enter everything back in at the office. Don't be surprised to see us with a tablet or collecting data using an application for our phone that allows us to sketch a floorplan right on the spot. And instead of using an outdated tape measure, more and more appraisers are employing laser measuring devices that are quicker, more accurate, and can get into places that a normal tape measure can't.

All of this technology ensures the final report is as complete and accurate as possible, requiring fewer call-backs and revisions. Our goal is to save you time and money.

Digital work file technology

It would be much easier if appraisers could complete an assignment, deliver it, and never be concerned with revisiting that report again. However, appraisals are used to show the condition of a property on the inspection date. Therefore, appraisers are required by law to retain their reports for 5 years, allowing them to recall any appraisal at any time to defend the valuation or to be used in legal proceedings.

Here again, Astute Appraisals, Inc. uses all the technology available to us to improve service. We store every part of the appraisal - notes, sketches, supporting documentation, and calculations - along with an electronic copy of the appraisal, we're able to retrieve that file at any time and recall just what that report was about.

We wanted to give you a bit of insight into how we use technology daily. Employing the right tools, along with the appraisal know-how you expect allows the appraiser to deliver reports more efficiently, with a higher level of accuracy. The goal is to lower costs, and in turn provide you with faster appraisals.