5 Tips for Swifter Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving at all times. Every year, it seems, appraisers are asked to offer additional information or have steps added to their research. All to ensure the end user has the best data available. In order to keep up with the continuously changing requirements, VP Appraisal Services, Inc. is constantly seeking additional tools and tweaking processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for more efficiently. At VP Appraisal Services, Inc. we know that time is important to everybody, so below are a few items you can do to lower turn times on any appraisals you order with VP Appraisal Services, Inc..

Always order your appraisals electronically.: By ordering online, you automatically get e-mail acknowledgements that the request was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Online ordering is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether we got the order.
Are you providing complete and accurate information about the subject property?: There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name are helpful data to pass long with your request. Even a list of recent sales in the area is welcome — 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 tell us about the unique details of this property.: It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter house. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how unique characteristics 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 recently had an 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 sooner makes your report arrive without delay.
Let the occupants know what to expect.: Setting an inspection time and date with the homeowner can be one of the most inefficient tasks in the appraisal process. Many homeowners are understandably apprehensive with the fact a stranger wants to come in their home, look around, and make lots of notes. Not uncommonly they think they have to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by, having the thought that will make the house appraise for more money. And will choose to not schedule the appraisal inspection until the house is cleaned.

Coming directly from you -- a person they have been working with on their loan -- a little knowledge 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 shorten 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 relevant information for homeowners as well as others regarding the appraisal process. Have them call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. Remind them it benefits them 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 we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. There's no faster way to track your report's status.